How Gamètì and Wekweètì see the proposed Arctic Corridor’s new route

Facing a weakened winter road that is less stable and closed for longer periods, the leaders of Gamètì and Wekweètì believe the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor brings new opportunities.

“Climate change has greatly impacted the longevity of our winter road,” said Gamètì Chief Doreen Arrowmaker on Tuesday.

“We can’t even get our bigger built infrastructure into the community because of how it’s impacting the ice thickness,” added Wekweètì Chief Adeline Football.

They spoke following a press conference at which the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and Tłı̨chǫ Government discussed reaching consensus on the rough route the corridor will take if built.

The two Indigenous governments have come to an agreement on a 30-kilometre wide corridor that would take the road, from the NWT to Nunavut, through Tłı̨chǫ territory.

The road would start west of Yellowknife, a minimum of 15 km from the city limits, and run west of Wekweètì under the proposed route. The original route would have gone northeast of Yellowknife, nowhere near any Tłı̨chǫ communities.

“Both Nations wanted to have the corridor outside of Yellowknife where our people could benefit,” Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty said at Tuesday’s press conference. “It was a great victory in my view.”

Gamètì is farther to the west of what the governments called the “consensus corridor,” but Grand Chief Lafferty said the Tłı̨chǫ Government will continue to push to “make an all-season road to the community of Gamètì a reality.”

“It’s always been a dream of our Elders and the community,” said Lafferty.

Chief Arrowmaker said Gamètì and Wekweètì are preparing for potential new infrastructure, employment, training, and opportunities that could “alleviate or reduce the cost of living in our communities.”

“If the road goes by our community, the winter road would be shorter to the road, so I think it’s going to give us a lot of opportunity for bigger infrastructure into our community,” said Chief Football, adding it is still unknown whether the final route would pass near Wekweètì or run through the community.

“It’s a lasting legacy,” said Lafferty, “and we want to create opportunities for our two Nations and also our neighbouring Indigenous governments as well.”

Yellowknives Dene First Nation Ndılǫ Chief Ernest Betsina said the highway’s success will be measured by the “benefits and opportunities it creates for our people and future generations,” adding the road is the next work opportunity for First Nation members affected by diamond mine closures.

Arrowmaker said along with the benefits a road brings, there are also negative social and economic impacts to consider.

“We’re trying to figure out how we can best mitigate through those type of things,” said Arrowmaker.

She said community programs and services staff are already preparing for those potential negative impacts.

Football encouraged Wekweètì residents with concerns to start preparing for more engagement sessions so their voices can be heard right away.

‘Not any sacrifices’

In 2025, Caroline Wawzonek, minister of strategic infrastructure, energy and supply chains, said the corridor would open up an otherwise inaccessible land mass that could be producing mines and driving Canada’s economy.

With the consensus corridor now following a route well away from the Diavik, Ekati and Gahcho Kué diamond mines – which were at the heart of the initially proposed route – Wawzonek said the highway would still offer access to a “vastly underexplored, underserviced, underutilized” region.

“You’re going to see projects that maybe weren’t economical becoming economical, and those that were, moving faster,” said Wawzonek.

“They might not be as big as a diamond mine, but if you wind up with five or six over the course of time then I think it starts to replace what we have right now.”

Lafferty said the consensus corridor’s location minimized the impact on caribou habitat and migration routes compared to the initial route, which followed the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road and, he said, went through the “heartland of the caribou migratory area.”

“The road to the barrenland obviously will have some minimal impacts still, but we’ll ensure that strong management plans are in place,” said Lafferty.

The timeline for planning and building the road will be decided by the federal government, Lafferty said.

He also said funding for engagement work was provided by Ottawa, adding he is expecting funding for the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor’s construction to come from the federal Major Projects Office.

Prime Minister Mark Carney referred the NWT highway to the Major Projects Office in March.

The Grays Bay Port and Road project is on the path to being declared a project of national interest.