Ottawa announces $270-million agreement for Inuit-led conservation efforts in Arctic

MONTREAL — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a $270-million agreement for jobs and conservation projects in the Qikiqtani region, a majority-Inuit territory that is part of Nunavut.

At a news conference Thursday in Montreal, Trudeau said the deal includes $200 million from the federal government and $70 million pledged by donors in Canada and elsewhere. The investment is projected to attract $318 million over 15 years to the region, where about 20,000 people live in 13 communities from Hudson Bay to Ellesmere Island.

“When we invest to protect (and) safeguard biodiversity, we protect those who protect us, our environment and our livelihoods,” Trudeau told reporters.

The federal money is part of an $800 million envelope announced in 2022 for Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, and it follows similar projects established last year in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

The SINAA deal — sinaa means the edge of the ice floe in Inuktitut — announced Thursday includes a network of proposed Inuit-led water and land conservation areas in the Arctic region. It adds 3.7 per cent to the portion of Canada’s oceans under conservation, a number Trudeau said has risen significantly under his tenure as prime minister.

“When I first became Prime Minister almost 10 years ago, less than one per cent of Canada’s oceans were protected. We’re now nearing the 17 per cent mark,” he said, adding that the government’s goal is to protect 30 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2030.

At the news conference, Trudeau said the deal supports “Inuit-led conservation initiatives to ensure the long-term health of northern environments. In so doing, we are also building an economy based on conversation, creating jobs where Inuit knowledge will be leveraged and valued to protect northern ecosystems and investing in community infrastructure.”

Trudeau was joined in Montreal by Olayuk Akesuk, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, whose group is part of the SINAA agreement, which also involves the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Aajuraq Conservation Fund Society.

Akesuk says the deal shows that Indigenous Peoples can work together to set an example for the world. “We can run conservation areas, whether that’s in the ocean or on land. And I’m thankful for the opportunity. This is a big milestone for us.”

The conservation projects, he added, “will create employment opportunities for us and every community in the Baffin region.”

As well, Ottawa says the Fisheries Department signed an agreement with the Qikiqtani Inuit to provide undisclosed funding over 10 years for access to fisheries, boats, gear and training.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press