Minister Vandal highlights Budget 2022 investments in good jobs, clean air and a strong economy in Northwest Territories

YELLOWKNIFE, NT, April 14, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister for PrairiesCan and Minister for CanNor, and Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, highlighted good jobs, clean air and a strong economy in Yellowknife, as part of Budget 2022, following a meeting with Indigenous business owners and entrepreneurs at Birchwood Coffee Kǫ̀. They were joined by the Honourable Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, including responsibility for the Business Development and Investment Corporation, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women for Northwest Territories, and Rebecca Alty, Mayor of Yellowknife

Through Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable, the Government of Canada makes targeted, responsible, and ambitious investments to create good jobs, grow our economy, and build a Canada where nobody gets left behind.

The federal government is supporting Canadian workers as they develop the skills they need for the good-paying jobs of today and tomorrow.

Budget 2022 invests in economic growth and innovation—the key to Canada's long-term prosperity. This includes launching a new world-leading Canada Growth Fund to attract private investment in Canadian industries and Canadian jobs, and a new innovation and investment agency that will help drive productivity and growth across our economy.

The Budget also supports the implementation of Canada's first Critical Minerals Strategy—one that will create good jobs in Northwest Territories and across the North and Arctic, capitalizing on the growing need for the minerals used in everything from phones to electric cars. Measures also include steps to build more resilient supply chains, and to cut taxes for Canada's growing small businesses.

Budget 2022 is supporting Indigenous economic development in the North and Arctic with $15 million delivered through CanNor.

The hard-hit tourism industry is still recovering from the pandemic. Budget 2022 will invest $4.8 million in the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada to support its operations, which continue to help the Indigenous tourism industry rebuild and recover from the pandemic.

Finally, the Budget makes significant investments to make life more affordable for Northerners and all Canadians through affordable child care, investments in our public health care system, and by addressing the shameful legacy of residential schools and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Canada's economy remains strong and with Budget 2022, Canada maintains its fiscally responsible approach to economic growth and to building an economy that works for everyone.

Quotes

"Small businesses are the backbone of local communities, creating jobs and supporting families. They provide a sense of community. Budget 2022 is about growing the economy here in Northwest Territories, and across Canada, creating good jobs, making life more affordable, and building a country in which nobody gets left behind. Our government's plan is to build more homes, enhance skills development, create good-paying jobs, ensure cleaner air and cleaner water for our children; and build a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient economy for years to come."

-       The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister for PrairiesCan and Minister for CanNor

"Our government, through Budget 2022, supports northern businesses, residents and communities with investments and a plan for a strong growth economy. Sustainable economic development and job creation help build a diversified economy across Northwest Territories, and right across Canada."

-        Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament, Northwest Territories

"Following the announcement of Budget 2022, I was pleased to see that there are significant investments aligned to NWT priorities and opportunities. The broad investments aimed at Canada's role in critical minerals and metals reflect the discussions we've had with the Federal government around both our strong potential in this sector as well as overcoming the challenges faced including continuing work to ensure regulatory processes are efficient and that infrastructure gaps are addressed. As well, ongoing and new support for the Indigenous tourism industry is welcome news to the large number of diverse Indigenous tourism businesses across the whole of the NWT. We will continue work with our federal partners to identify ways to maximize these opportunities for investment and collaboration in order to strengthen and diversify the territory's economy and improve quality of life for residents."

-       The Honourable Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Northwest Territories

"The economic strength of Yellowknife is interconnected with the well-being of our residents, neighboring Indigenous communities and the climate. Funding that supports growth and diversification of the City's economy will create jobs, ensure the North is competitive and encourage new investment. Sustainable economic development supports Yellowknife's vision for a prosperous community."

-       Mayor Rebecca Alty, City of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

"We have seen that supporting the growth of Indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship generates both cultural and economic wealth for communities across the North. Making critical investments into the capacity of Northern entrepreneurs and their businesses in a way that honours Indigenous knowledge systems is necessary for economic reconciliation and inclusion in Canada." 

-        Benjamin Scott, Founding Project Director, EntrepreNorth

Quick Facts

• Measures in Budget 2022 supporting skills development for good jobs for Northerners and all Canadians:
• $84.2 million over four years to double funding for the Union Training and Innovation Program, which would each year help 3,500 apprentices from underrepresented groups—including women, newcomers, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and Black and racialized Canadians—begin and succeed in careers in the skilled trades through mentorship, career services, and job-matching.
• Measures in Budget 2022 to fight climate change include:
• More than $3 billion in funding to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable and build a national network of charging stations;
• Significant new investments to protect our land, lakes, and oceans; and
• The creation of the Canada Growth Fund to help attract private capital towards building a net-zero economy by 2050.
• Further significant measures in Budget 2022 include:
• Up to $3.8 billion to implement Canada's first Critical Minerals Strategy;
• $11 billion in additional funding to continue to support Indigenous children and their families, and help Indigenous communities continue to grow and shape their futures; and
• Up to $300 million over five years, starting in 2022‑23, to co-develop and launch an Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.

Related products

• Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable
• Budget Speech
• Budget 2022 Backgrounder: Creating Good Middle Class Jobs

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SOURCE Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)

Kyle Allen, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister Responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, 819-953-1153; Barbara Abramchuk, Communications Advisor, Northwest Territories, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, [email protected]