Closing Transportation Infrastructure Gaps in Canada’s North
Anja Jeffrey , Director, Centre for the North
February 7, 2012 The only highway linking Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, to the rest of the territory was closed for two weeks last spring. Shortcomings in the original design and construction had been made worse by a growing volume of heavy-vehicle traffic and unusually wet weather. The territorial government knows that it needs to rebuild the road but has limited resources. Town residents, however, are much more concerned about the highway linking them to Fort Nelson, British Columbia, in the South. They receive most of their mail and supplies via Fort Nelson. As a result, residents feel closer ties to B.C. than to their own territory. This example illustrates the unique circumstances associated with transportation infrastructure in Canada’s North. Transportation links play a critical role in the socio-economic well-being of Northern communities. They improve commercial prospects, strengthen regional connections, provide access to key health and social services, and facilitate the flow of people and goods. Few Alternatives Where there are few or even no transportation alternatives, an infrastructure failure can lead to bare grocery store shelves and disrupt emergency medical services.1 However, building better connections to and between remote Northern communities is costly. The Northern climate increases the ongoing cost of operating and maintaining infrastructure; low population density further inflates the cost per resident. Northern transportation infrastructure matters to all Canadians because of the crucial role of the North in strengthening national sovereignty, safety, and security. Climate change is adding to those costs. Rising temperatures are resulting in permafrost degradation, extreme precipitation, and other complications. In particular, the declining viability of winter ice roads is a major problem for the many remote communities and resource development projects relying on them for supplies. Why Should the Rest of Canada Care? Northern transportation infrastructure matters to all Canadians because of the crucial role of the North in strengthening national sovereignty, safety, and security. In addition, the economic benefits of Northern resource development flow across the country. However, the extent of Northern infrastructure is limited. For example, the Dempster Highway—an all-weather gravel road running from Dawson City, Yukon, to Inuvik, N.W.T.—is the only Northern highway that crosses the Arctic Circle. In addition, Churchill, Manitoba, is the site of Canada’s only deepwater port in the Arctic. The Centre for the North report, Northern Assets: Transportation Infrastructure in Remote Communities, uses the Port of Churchill as a case study because of the challenges related to its rail, road, and marine infrastructure. Clearly, Canada must address its Northern transportation infrastructure gap. What is not clear is how. In many cases, infrastructure investments cannot be justified on purely economic grounds, but they contribute to social, as well as economic, development in Northern communities. Governments must therefore consider the broad range of benefits of investment and the full life-cycle costs—including the impact of climate change. While governments play a lead role in developing transportation policy, there is a clear opportunity for the greater use of well-managed public-private partnerships. An overall transportation strategy for Canada’s North must deal with diverse regional and community needs, including more all-season roads; railway investment to maximize the potential of the Port of Churchill for import and export traffic; improved sea-lift capacity to serve coastal and island communities; and new transportation technologies, such as hybrid airships.
Related Publications
Striking a Balance: Impacts of Major Resource Projects in the North
Toward Thriving Northern Communities
Security in Canada’s North: Looking Beyond Arctic Sovereignty
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