Iqaluit resident Virginia Mearns named Canada's Arctic ambassador

Prime Minister Mark Carney has named Virginia Mearns, who is Inuk and who has held prominent positions with Inuit organizations, as Canada's Arctic ambassador.  

Carney made the announcement Thursday morning during an Inuit-Crown partnership committee meeting in Inuvik, N.W.T.

Mearns, who lives in Iqaluit, currently serves as senior director of Inuit relations at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and has previously held senior positions with the government of Nunavut, including as the deputy minister of executive and intergovernmental affairs. Mearns has also spent over a decade in various roles with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

Mearns' appointment Thursday is the latest development in Canada's new Arctic foreign policy released in December. Canada has also committed to opening new consulates in Alaska and Greenland, supporting science and research in the Arctic and discussing Arctic security with foreign ministers in other northern countries.

QIA called Mearns' appointment "a milestone achievement" for all Inuit and Canadians.  

In a news release Thursday, the organization said that while her appointment is a loss for QIA, Mearns' experience and strong ties across the Arctic will serve her well in advancing Canada's interests and in trade and diplomacy.  

"We cannot imagine a more dedicated and visionary representative of Canada in the international arena," QIA wrote.