Ottawa set to announce first national interest projects in territories: sources

Residents walk down the hill to their home in the town of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, on Friday Sept. 1, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

YELLOWKNIFE — Ottawa is expected to announce today that it will begin the process of designating two key Arctic road infrastructure projects as in the national interest.

Three federal and territorial government sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly, provided details to The Canadian Press.

They say the Grays Bay road and port project in Nunavut and the Mackenzie Valley highway project in the Northwest Territories are to be announced at a news conference in Yellowknife.

The former would see a 230-kilometre all-season road built through the N.W.T. and Nunavut, unlocking mining opportunities for critical minerals in the North.

The latter would see an all-season road from Yellowknife to Inuvik, cutting down travel times and passing through communities currently accessible only by air, winter roads or barges.

Both were referred to the major projects office in March and would be the first Ottawa has signalled as being in the national interest under the Building Canada Act.

The act allows for fast-tracked approvals and the sidestepping of some environmental laws.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2026.