Prime Minister Stephen Harper takes another northern tour – CBC

Aug 18, 2014

Is the government’s approach to Canada’s North failing?

At the literal top of the government’s 11-page list of accomplishments in Northern Canada is the creation in 2008 of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNOR).

The roughly $220-million expense of that endeavour has been dwarfed by the $4.5 billion the government has promised to spend on one new coast guard icebreaker and a few navy Arctic patrol ships.

An observer, following the cash, could be forgiven for thinking the government’s priority was, in fact, defending Arctic sovereignty. But that 11-page list tells us it’s CanNOR and it tells us why: $26 billion in potential non-renewable resource projects. The government says CanNOR’s northern project office is helping to facilitate those projects, which have the potential to create 12,000 jobs.

Read More: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/prime-minister-stephen-harper-takes-another-northern-tour-1.2737919