Registration Opens and Refreshments Available

Opening Remarks from the Conference Chair

Welcoming Keynote

The Future of Resource Development in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon

FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

How Net Zero Environmental Policies Will Affect Energy Projects: Ensuring the Viability of Arctic Oil and Gas Development

Dr. Jennifer Winter
Scientific Director, Energy and Environmental Policy
School of Public Policy research division, University of Calgary

• How are climate policies impacting the viability of arctic oil and gas?
• How are energy companies addressing the issue of net-zero emissions to further their climate targets
• The role of technologies including carbon capture, storage & utilization, hydrogen, ammonia production to reduce the carbon footprint of projects
• Examining the increased focus on ESG for banks and lending institutions to finance energy projects especially in the sensitive Arctic

Exploring Natural Gas Opportunities and Developments in Canada’s North

Updates on the feasibility and activity of local, regional and export scale natural gas projects in the North

Networking Refreshment Break

FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE

Critical Infrastructure Update: How Government Investments Are Supporting Infrastructure Development in Roads, Ports, Rail and Telecommunications

G. Kent Fellows
Associate Program Director: Canadian Northern Corridor
University of Calgary

• Advancements on the 227 km Grays Bay Arctic Coast Road from the NWT border and Deep Sea Port Project at Grays Bay
• Expected pre-construction plans and costs, environmental review, labour and staffing needs, and investment required
• Updates on federal and territorial funding for the Slave Geological Province Corridor project, and plans for the 413 km all-season road to be built northeast of Yellowknife to the western Nunavut border linking with Gray’s Bay Road
• Completion of the Tlicho All-Season Road, and advancements on the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to Norman Wells, and the Taltson Hydroelectric Expansion Project for a transportation, hydro and communications link to the SGPC
• Update on the Northern Corridor Concept to increase northern trade and transportation pathway and develop large-scale infrastructure

Planning the Infrastructure of the Future – How Climate Change Is Impacting Construction

Priyank Thatté
Executive Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Branch
Highways and Public Works, Yukon Government

Paul Murchison
Executive Director, Major Transportation
Highways and Public Works, Yukon Government

Planning to invest in transportation and building infrastructure construction considering a future climate presents many challenges. This is especially true in the western arctic and subarctic where climate change is occurring more quickly than anywhere else in Canada.  Yukon is taking steps to improve our understanding of the physical and financial impacts of climate change on northern infrastructure in an effort to improve our ability to adapt engineering practices.

The presentation will provide an overview of what Yukon is doing to understand the financial impacts of climate change on the  transportation system and new building construction, what research has been undertaken and is currently underway to better understand how to adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts. 

• How do you plan for infrastructure that is resilient to flooding, storms and damage as the result of climate change?
• Designing for future requirements, ensuring resilience, adaptability and managing risk
• Exploring the challenges of constructing in the north, maintenance of the roadway, adapting to the changing/melting permafrost

Bolstering Economic and Resource Development – Highlighting the North Klondike Highway Project

Brian Crist
Director, Highways and Public Works
Transportation Engineering Branch, Yukon Government

• Outlining plans and timelines for upgrading a 100km section of the North Klondike highway that will improve safety, support economic opportunities and trade
• Recent funding announcements for reconstruction and technology to gather data on permafrost and weather to gauge maintenance needs and remediation costs
• How is the road being upgraded to be more resilient to climate change and thawing permafrost?
• Employment opportunities for construction, maintenance

Networking Lunch for Delegates and Speakers

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

The Role of Critical Minerals and Metals: Creating Legacy Projects and Building a Greener Economy and Meeting Indigenous government needs

Unpacking How the Mineral Resources Act Will Support Growth Opportunities for Critical Minerals in the Technology Economy

• Assessing investment, opportunities and growth after the setbacks of COVID-19
• Updates and plans to attract investment in critical minerals – cobalt, lithium etc.
• Impact on the economy of diamond mine closures, plans for end-of-life and what’s next

Networking Refreshment Break

SHOWCASE ON SMALLER-SCALE ENERGY PROJECTS – Moving Away from Diesel Dependency

Part 1: Renewable and Alternate Energy Solutions for the North

Hear Case Studies on the latest developments on emerging and smaller scale energy projects

• Recent announcements on Indigenous-led clean energy projects – Paulatuk Community Corporation’s Beaufort Hamlet Energy Initiative for wind power and bioenergy development

Part 2: Solar

Jay Massie
Vice President, Northern Development & Indigenous Relations
ATCO Electric

• Highlights from the operational Old Crow solar project in the Yukon and ATCO joint venture to get the community from using diesel in the summer
• Exploring further renewable energy projects on the horizon

Part 3: Exploring the Viability of Small Modular Reactors (SMR’s)

Jeff C. Griffin
Vice-President, Science & Technology
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

• Exploring nuclear Small Modular Reactors and viability for the North 
• How will proposed energy projects affect economy, workforce, etc.

Opportunities for Developing a Local Energy Supply

Speakers TBD

• Opportunities for small-scale LNG development for power and heating needs
• Updates on the proposed project and construction of gas plant to convert to LNG

Chair’s Closing Remarks; Day 1 Adjourns

Registration Opens and Refreshments Available

Opening Remarks from the Conference Chair

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Northern Policy Framework – A Federal Roadmap for Future Collaboration

This session will discuss the latest federal plan for the North replacing Canada’s Northern Strategy.

FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL AND PAN-ARCTIC

Exploring Opportunities and Security Challenges in a Canadian Northern Corridor – International Policies, Agreements & Best Practices in Pan-Arctic Governance

Dr. Katharina Koch
Postdoctoral Associate, Canadian Northern Corridor Research Program
The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary

• Assessing Russian and North American development of offshore oil and gas platforms, shipping, and other infrastructure developments including military
• What can Canada learn from other jurisdictions?
• What is the Canadian government doing to monitor commercial-ship activity in the Northwest Passage?
• What are the next steps and timelines for a policy framework on Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic?
• The role of Indigenous peoples in the development and security of the North

Networking Refreshment Break

Assessing the Future for Oil and Gas Developments: US Arctic

Larry Persily
former Federal Coordinator, Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects
Journalist/Instructor
University of Alaska Anchorage

• Project updates from the Alaskan North Slope: BP’s departure, Exxon’s decision to scale back, and Conoco’s plans to move ahead on oil (pending permits and litigation)
• Questions over the search for investment partners for a $4 billion oil project and viability of further natural gas development given economic and environmental climate

Assessing the Future for Oil and Gas Developments: Russia

Ben Seligman
Project Specialist
Arctic/Frontier Oil & Gas

Russian Arctic Projects

Assessing the Future for Oil and Gas Developments: Norway

Christoffer Mylde
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Sproule
Honorary Consul-Calgary
Royal Norwegian Embassy

• Plans for the Norwegian offshore Arctic projects (Barents Sea) and other oil and gas projects
• Updates on Norway’s oil and gas sector

Networking Lunch

FOCUS ON A REMEDIATION ECONOMY

Advancing A Remediation Economy in the Northwest Territories – 2030 Vision

• Opportunities in the region for the next 10-20 years
• Infrastructure development opportunities
• Capacity Building
• Governance and partnership to advance reconciliation through a remediation economy
• Opportunities for our Government Partners

Case Studies

Advancing a Remediation Economy in Northern Communities – How to Balance Environmental Responsibility with Economic Development

Rasel Hossain
Director, Contaminants and Remediation Division, Northwest Territories Region
Crown Indigenous Relations & Northern Affairs Canada

This presentation will provide examples of how the Government of Canada is working with its government partners to address: Obtaining social license, economic development, protecting the environment and climate change

• Utilizing traditional knowledge, science and engineering to advance reclamation activities
• Building capacity to include Indigenous opportunities and considerations in the procurement process
• Strategies to meet stringent regulatory challenges, and increased stakeholder expectations
• Advancing remedial economy in the region
• Identifying challenges with cold-climate design to meet stringent regulatory requirements

Closing Remarks from the Conference Chair and Conference Ends