Inuvik, N.W.T., is 'obvious and important' site for more military infrastructure, minister says

Canada's defence minister says Inuvik, N.W.T., and the Beaufort Delta are poised to see more infrastructure investments as the region becomes more and more "strategically important" to the military.

During a visit to Inuvik on Tuesday, Minister Bill Blair spoke about the federal government's promise to spend $218 million over 20 years on what the federal government calls "northern operational support hubs." Those will be permanent, year-round facilities. 

Blair said no decisions have been made yet on where those support hubs will be located, but said Invuik is an "an obvious and important opportunity."   

"I want to be very clear. I think Inuvik is a very important opportunity for the Canadian Armed Forces. We see great potential here," he said.

"Inuvik is certainly among my top priorities on places where the northern operational support hubs can be located."

Blair said decisions about those hubs will be made "in the coming months," after consulting with military officials, as well as local and territorial governments in the North.

Blair also spoke on Tuesday about his government's recent purchase of an aircraft hangar in Inuvik for $8.6 million — a move that was met with relief by northerners and experts on Arctic security who were alarmed by foreign interest in the facility.

The 21,000-square-foot hangar, which went up for sale two years ago, was previously leased by the Department of National Defence, a long-standing arrangement that ended in 2021 when the department cancelled its lease. The government reportedly came under pressure from the U.S. to buy the facility after it went up for sale, because of apparent Russian and Chinese interest in the site.

"The Air Force has been very clear to me that it [the hangar] has real utility for them, that they can use it just to store and to maintain some of their assets in the region," Blair said.

"So there was just an acknowledgement, and in consultation with our NORAD allies, that this was a valuable asset and that we needed to retain it."

Blair said the hangar will need some investment and upgrades, but did not offer details.

He also spoke about upgrade work being done to the Inuvik airport runway, which will allow the military to land fighter jets and larger aircraft there.

"As that work progresses, then we'll be able to bring more aircraft into the region for the use of our Air Force," he said.

Blair also said his government is listening to Northerners about their infrastructure needs, so that any federal investments are "mutually beneficial" to the military and communities.

"One of the things that I've learned from northerners about Arctic security and Arctic sovereignty, it really is about infrastructure," Blair said.

"It's about building things like highways, and airport runways, and housing facilities and fibre optics, communications and energy sources, and all of those things."

Duane Smith, chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, also spoke briefly at Tuesday's news conference with Blair in Inuvik. Smith said the minister was able to see a lot of local infrastructure projects during his visit.

"I think he's pleasantly surprised, I hope, in regards to the progress and the development of a lot of federal projects that have taken place in the community," Smith said.

"I've known the minister for a while. He's very supportive of the Inuvialuit, the Inuit in general, [and] working with us."