Inuvik, Northwest Territories, November 15, 2017—Investing in northern transportation infrastructure creates stronger communities in Canada’s north by enabling the mobility of people and goods, as well as supporting new investments, tourism, and greater resiliency to climate change.
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada; the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; the Honourable Robert R. McLeod, Premier of the Northwest Territories; and the Honourable Wally Schumann, Minister of Infrastructure, today marked the official opening of the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH)—one of Northern Canada’s largest and most important infrastructure projects. They were joined by dignitaries and residents from across the Territory for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Inuvik and community celebrations in Tuktoyaktuk.
The ITH now provides an all-season road to the community of Tuktoyaktuk and is the first highway in Canada to connect to the Arctic Ocean.
Year-round road access to Tuktoyaktuk will significantly increase the quality of life for local residents by providing an alternative to air transportation for food, supplies, equipment and travel. The ITH will also allow for increased tourism opportunities, improved access to natural resources, and greater resiliency to climate change.
Work on the ITH started four years ago and involved the construction of close to 140 kilometres of road, eight bridges, and 359 culverts. The project employed up to 600 individuals at the peak of construction, 74 per cent of whom were residents of the Northwest Territories.
The ITH will continue to foster economic growth across the North for decades to come.
Building an all-season road to the Arctic coast has been a priority for both territorial and federal governments since the 1960s.
The Government of Canada has contributed up to $200 million toward the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway, while the Government of the Northwest Territories has contributed $99 million.
$2 billion of this funding will support infrastructure projects that meet the unique needs of rural and northern communities, such as facilities to support food security, local access roads and enhanced broadband connectivity. This funding also includes the $400-million Arctic Energy Fund to advance energy security in the territories.
Read the backgrounder to learn more.