T H E M I N I N G 201 9 ANN U AL R E P O R T 32 N O R THE R N A FFA I R S C O M MI T TE E C ha ir S t e p ha n e Ro b e rt D ir e c t o r o f Re g ul a t o ry Af f a irs a n d S ust a in a b ilit y Ag n ic o E a g l e M i n e s Lt d T h e N o r t h e r n A ff a i r s Co m m i t t ee N A C co n t r i b u t es t o t h e fed er a l p o l i cy l eg i sl a t i v e a n d r eg u l a t o r y en v i r o n m en t t o en h a n ce t h e co m p et i t i v e n ess o f m i n i n g co m p a n i es o p er a t i n g i n Ca n a d a s r em o t e a n d n o r t h e r n r e g i o n s a n d t o fa ci l i t a t e s u st a i n a b l e g r o wt h i n t h e Ca n a d i a n m i n i n g i n d u st r y M i n i n g i s t h e l arg e st p ri v at e sec t o r ec o n o m i c d ri v er i n C an ad a s N o rt h em p l o y i n g ap p ro xi m at e l y 8 5 0 0 p eo p l e 1 i n ev ery 6 jo b s D i rec t GD P c o n t ri b u t i o n s i n t h e Y u ko n t h e N o r t h we st T erri t o ri es an d N u n av u t are ap p ro xi m at el y 5 3 6 an d 2 3 respec t i v el y as o f 2 0 1 8 M i n i n g h as h ad a t ran sfo rm at i v e effec t o n n o rt h ern an d I n d i g eno u s c o m m u n i t i es t h ro u g h g enerat i n g em p l o y m ent ski l l s t rai n i n g p ro c u rem ent an d b u si n ess d ev el o p m ent an d i n so m e c ases ro y al t y o r d i rec t equ i t y sha res al l whi l e p ayi n g t axe s an d ro y al t i es t o g o v ernme n t s Whi l e t h ese c o n t ri b u t i o n s are sub st an t i al t h e p o t ent i al i s ev en g reat er M A C rese arc h i n d i c at es t h at n ew i n v est m ent c o u l d ex c ee d 3 5 b i l l i o n g i v en t h e ri g h t i n v est m ent an d m arket real i t i es L o c at i n g d ev el o p i n g an d o p erat i n g m i n es i n t h e n o rt h ern reg i o n s o f C an ad a s p ro v i n c es an d ac ro ss t h e t h ree t erri t o ri es i s c h al l eng i n g Ra i si n g awareness o f t h e c o st s c h al l eng es an d o p p o rt u n i t i es t h at m i n i n g p rese n t s fo r n o rt h ern C an ad a i s a ke y p ri o ri t y o f M A C s N A C T h e C o m m i t t ee s fo c u s i s t o wor k wi t h g o v ernme n t s t o ensu re t h e i n d u st ry h as a c l ear effec t i v e an d effi c i ent reg u l at o ry p erm i t t i n g p ro c ess an d t o h i g h l i g h t t h e n ee d fo r st ra t eg i c i n frast ru c t u re i n v est m ent s N o r th e r n I n f r a s tr u c tu r e Devel o p m e n ts T h e fu t u re o f C an ad a s m i n eral i n d u st ry l i es i n c reasi n g l y i n rem o t e an d n o rt h ern reg i o n s an d t h e c u rren t i n frast ru c t u re d efi c i t ac t s as a m ajo r b arr i er t o o p p o rt u n i t i es fo r g reat er we al t h d i sc o v ery an d p ro d u c t i o n E xac erba t i n g t h i s i s t h e h i st o ri c u n d er el i g i b i l i t y o f t h e t erri t o ri es t o ac c ess federal i n frast ru c t u re p ro g ram s d u e t o p u b l i c u se p ro g ram c ri t eri a an d p er c ap i t a f u n d i n g fo rm u l as C h arac t eri z ed b y d i spa rat e c o m m u n i t i es ex t rem e t em p erat u res an d v i rt u al l y n o i n frast ru c t u re o r p eo p l e fo r h u n d reds o f ki l o m et res rem o t e an d n o rt h e rn reg i o n s h av e so m e o f t h e h i g h est p er c ap i t a l i v i n g c o st s i n t h e c o u n t ry Si m i l ar l y i n d u st ry rese arc h d et ai l ed i n t h e L ev el l i n g t h e P l a y i n g F i el d repo rt h as fo u n d t h a t i t c o st s o v er si x t i m es m o re t o ex p l o re an d t wi c e as m u c h t o b u i l d n ew m i n es i n n o rt h ern reg i o n s c o m p ared t o t h ei r so u t h ern c o u n t erpa rt s St rat eg i c p ro jec t s t h at h av e rec en t l y rec ei v ed fu n d i n g i n c l u d e t h e Y u ko n Resou rc e Gat ew ay t h e T l i c h o Ro ad i n t h e N WT an d a seg m ent o f t h e M c Ke n z i e Val l ey H i g h way i n t h e N WT Fi n al l y M A C h as c o n t i n u ed eng ag em ent wi t h t h e C an ad a I n frast ru c t u re Ban k t o ensu re t h at rem o t e an d n o r t h ern real i t i es an d p ro jec t p ri o ri t i es are kno wn an d u n d ers t o o d b y b a n k st aff M o st rec ent l y M A C was enc o u rag ed b y an d ad v o c at e d fo r t h e renewal o f t h e n o rt h ern env el o p e i n t h e T rad e an d T ran spo r t at i o n C o rri d o r I n i t i at i v e T T C I fo r whi c h Bu d g et 2 0 1 9 al l o c at ed an ad d i t i o n al 4 0 0 m i l l i o n fo r t rad e enab l i n g i n frast ru c t u r e i n t h e t erri t o ri es st art i n g i n 2 0 2 0 as we l l as ad d i t i o n al fu n d s t o i n i t i at e an d sup p o rt t h e o n g o i n g i m p l e m ent at i o n o f t h e A rc t i c an d N o rt h ern P o l i c y Fr am ew o rk A N P F