N.W.T. premier says prime minister committed to 'accelerating' territorial infrastructure projects
CBC
N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane says the federal government is committed to "accelerating" infrastructure projects in the territory.
This came after a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Edmonton on Saturday morning.
Speaking with CBC News after the meeting, Cochrane said no dollar figure was provided on infrastructure spending, but she was given some assurances.
"He did make a commitment that we would be looking at accelerating the infrastructure that's needed in the Northwest Territories," she said, noting this would include road systems.
The meeting came just a day after Cochrane decried the lack of resources the territory receives from the federal government, describing it as a "third world country."
"We don't have basic infrastructure that every Canadian takes for granted," she said.
Cochrane said she expected Trudeau to be "a little bit angry" with her in their meeting, but was surprised by his reaction.
"Nobody likes getting slammed, but he was actually very compassionate and understanding of the frustration I'm experiencing," she said.
Cochrane says she hopes Trudeau will visit the N.W.T. after the wildfire risk has passed. That would be his first visit to the N.W.T. since before she was elected premier in 2019.
When asked about this absence, Cochrane said "it's disappointing when any minister doesn't come up."
"They represent all of us, not just the southern jurisdiction," she said.
"It's one thing to talk about the North and what our challenges and our strengths are. But if you don't actually see it you don't really understand what we're dealing with."
CBC News reached out to Trudeau's office for an interview but he was not be available.
A spokesperson sent a news release addressing what was discussed, which included "investments in infrastructure, telecommunications, and climate change mitigation and adaptation." No details on the investments were included.