Premier Sandy Silver attended the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) annual summit in Calgary this week. The conference brings together public and private sector leaders from 10 jurisdictions to discuss issues that are common across territorial, provincial and state boundaries in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the United States. A number of issues were discussed, including climate change and clean energy; Arctic security; infrastructure development; economic recovery; agriculture; supply chains; and labour force challenges.
Premier Silver was a featured speaker on a panel entitled Economic Development Challenges in a Volatile Arctic along with Alaska Lieutenant-Governor Kevin Meyer and Northwest Territories Finance and Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Caroline Wawzonek. Premier Silver discussed the importance of investments in northern communities to support a strong, secure and sovereign Arctic, and the Yukon’s efforts to be part of a secure supply chain for the minerals needed to tackle climate change and support the green energy transition. The panel discussion was moderated by John Higginbotham, an Arctic expert and senior fellow at Carlton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
Premier Silver also had meetings with diplomatic leaders from Canada and the US to discuss critical minerals, Arctic sovereignty, climate change, strategic infrastructure, the Shakwak highway, tourism and economic development opportunities. These included meetings with Canada’s Ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Consul General in Seattle, Mia Yen, the United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen and the United States Consul General in Calgary, Holly Waeger Monster.
