UPDATED: Rebecca Chartrand appointed minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs
Rebecca Alty named minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Rebecca Chartrand new minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs
New members of Parliament for the Northwest Territories and the Nunavik region of Quebec have been named to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet.
N.W.T. MP Rebecca Alty is now the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, while Nunavik MP Mandy Gull-Masty is the new minister of Indigenous Services.
The last N.W.T. MP to be appointed to cabinet was Ethel Blondin-Andrew in 1993. The riding was called Western Arctic at the time.
The new federal cabinet includes 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state — people who have specific roles, but aren’t necessarily connected to a particular department.
Rebecca Chartrand, MP for Churchill–Keewatinook Aski in Manitoba is the new minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson shared his congratulations to Alty, who is Yellowknife’s former mayor. In a statement, he said he looks forward to working with her to advance land claims and self-government agreements.
He also said the appointment of a dedicated minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, alongside representation across other portfolios, “signals a renewed federal focus on the North and a recognition of the region’s central role in Canada’s future.”
“This is a pivotal time for the Northwest Territories. The North has a leading role to play in building a stronger, more resilient Canada: through Arctic sovereignty, sustainable development, Indigenous partnership, and nation-building infrastructure. But success will require genuine collaboration and timely action,” he stated.
With files from Matisse Harvey
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Is the promise of military icebreakers political theatre or sensible policy?, CBC News
Denmark: Denmark takes over rotating Arctic Council chairship from Norway, Eye on the Arctic
Greenland: EU reaffirms Greenland’s right to decide its future amid rising Arctic tensions, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Finland leaves Ottawa mine ban treaty, citing geopolitical security concerns, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland’s FM announces defence review, calls revamped security policy ‘urgent’, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: NATO launches largest live-fire exercise at sea in Europe this year, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Call for Arctic Council to include Russian Indigenous groups in exile in working groups, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish defence working on developing military drone force, Radio Sweden
United States: Senators, including Alaska’s, sound alarm on cuts impacting Indigenous health care agency, Eye on the Arctic
