The Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the Tłı̨chǫ government have announced an agreement on the designated site for the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor. This corridor, spanning 400 kilometers, aims to link the Grays Bay Road and Port in Nunavut with the N.W.T. highway system. It is part of the nation-building initiatives to enhance military presence and mineral exploration in Northern Canada, with potential spur roads connecting Wekweètì and Gamètì to the main route.
Led by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the Tłı̨chǫ government, in collaboration with territorial and federal authorities, the project signifies a significant milestone in Indigenous-led major projects, as highlighted by Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty.
The proposed corridor, approximately 30 kilometers wide, traverses the Slave Geological Province. Leaders stress that it represents an initial phase and not the final road. Both Yellowknives Dene First Nation Chief Ernest Betsina and Chief Fred Sangris emphasize the corridor’s planned route considers minimizing impacts on the caribou population, as it intersects caribou habitat and migration paths.
The agreement, reached after over a year of deliberation, integrates community research, traditional insights, and Western scientific knowledge. While acknowledging the collaborative achievement, both nations recognize that the chosen corridor may not have been their individual preference.
Premier R.J. Simpson expressed the Northwest Territories government’s support for the consensus and commitment to collaborative efforts with the Indigenous nations. The completion of the corridor will establish Canada’s inaugural land-based connection to Nunavut’s Arctic coast.
In the upcoming phase, the Tłı̨chǫ government and Yellowknives Dene First Nation will engage their members, neighboring Indigenous groups, and communities for feedback on the proposed route to shape the project further.
