Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson see challenges ahead for the NWT, but retains optimism. 

"There's a lot of challenges and uncertainty in the world right now, but we are in a position that we haven't found ourselves in before," he said during a Feb. 4 territorial address. "There's a lot of focus on the North right now, and that's creating a lot of opportunity for us. I think that, with the situation with the United States, I'm hoping that's going to spur Canadians to actually invest in Canada, so we can get investments in some of these mining projects, so that we have a local supply chain to feed local refiners and local manufacturers.

"I think there's an opportunity for Canada to come together right now, and the NWT can play a key part in Canada's strategic future."

Simpson said he's satisfied with everything his government has achieved in its first year of existence. 

"There鈥檚 a lot going on in the world," Simpson told 快盈v3. "Things come up and we have to deal with them, but I鈥檓 happy with how we鈥檙e dealing with them. I鈥檓 happy with the team that we have. I鈥檓 happy with the direction we鈥檙e headed in.

"The world keeps throwing things at us unexpectedly 鈥� whether it鈥檚 climate change-related issues or whatever the case is 鈥� but we have a good team and we鈥檝e been able to tackle those issues. We鈥檝e made good partnerships as well, which makes a world of difference when we tackle territorial issues."

During the hour-long press conference in Yellowknife on Feb. 4, the premier recapped the government's biggest achievements of the last year, and outlined its biggest goals and concerns for the year ahead. 

He began his speech by addressing the aggressive 25 per cent tariffs that were recently proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. While those proposed tariffs were paused following a Feb. 3 phone call between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Simpson pledged the territorial government "will remain prepared to act" should the tariffs be implemented. He also announced plans for an imminent visit to Washington D.C., during which he and the country's other premiers will aim to promote "a strong and stable U.S. relationship.鈥�

Speaking at the conclusion of the press conference, Simpson told 快盈v3 that it was important to address the possibility of a trade war with the U.S. right out of the gate because "it's created a lot of concerns" among residents, even if "the tension has gone down a bit" following Trudeau's call with Trump. 

The next item Simpson addressed during his speech was the importance of continued collaboration between the GNWT and the territory's Indigenous governments. He pointed to the NWT Council of Leaders' 2024 visit to Ottawa and the signing of the "historic" Our Land for the Future agreement as examples of what can be achieved when governments work together. 

"Progress can only be achieved" through collaboration with Indigenous governments, he said. "We don鈥檛 always we agree, but when we don鈥檛, we work together in good faith to address our differences.鈥�

He later took some time to address the territory's "fiscal situation" 鈥� using those words precisely. Things have been going reasonably well on that side, he argued, otherwise "we wouldn鈥檛 be talking about a fiscal situation but a fiscal crisis."

Focus on investment

While Simpson believes the territory is in a reasonable position financially, he also emphasized the importance of promoting the NWT as a region worth investing in. 

"A key part of this approach is raising the profile of the NWT," he said. "This isn鈥檛 just about visibility, it鈥檚 about advocacy... By keeping the North on [investor's] minds, we鈥檙e paving the way for long-term partnerships that will benefit all 快盈v3ers and Canadians."

The premier identified the critical minerals sector as one area that is very much worthy of investment and development in the NWT. He stated the territory is "rich" in these resources, which are used in defence, computing and many other fields, but again emphasized that "resource development must be done in coordination with Indigenous peoples."

Throughout his speech, the premier also addressed the importance of adapting to climate change-related challenges, notably by "accelerating the creation of the Mackenzie Valley Highway." That long-discussed two-lane highway that would connect the Sahtu to the rest of Canada and greatly reduce the cost of living in that area as winter roads become less reliable and barges become less feasible due to low water levels on the Mackenzie River. 

Over the past year, the highway's importance has been "pushed into the national consciousness," Simpson stated.

"It鈥檚 not just an infrastructure project" for people in the Sahtu," he said. "It鈥檚 a lifeline" 鈥� a lifeline that will also "serve Canada's defence interests."

Defence and sovereignty were another key element of the premier's address. He pledged that the GNWT will "continue to push" for investments in projects like the Inuvik runway expansion, which is in progress, and also "greater collaboration between Canada, GNWT an Indigenous governments." 

The premier also addressed topics like healthcare and housing, specifically celebrating the fact that 49 new homes have been created in the NWT since his government took over.