Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 23rd, 2025

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Mearns, you just talked about codevelopment. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that dynamic applies more to economic development and infrastructure projects. You said there could be parameters in some modern treaties.

However, I'm more interested in the social development issue. We know that health and social services are needed in the north. It seems to me that a stakeholder appeared before this committee two weeks ago and told us that there was a huge lack of social services, especially in indigenous languages. It's a major challenge to be served in one's mother tongue.

I wonder if it's part of your mandate to study this issue. If you have any recommendations for the committee on that, they would be welcome.

[Virginia Mearns]

That's a very important question. It's unfortunately a long-standing experience that a lot of our community members continue to have.

The one example I can use that is from Nunavut specifically, is there is a specific article, article 32, of the Nunavut agreement that stipulates the requirement of not only the Government of Canada but also the Government of Nunavut to ensure Inuit participation in the review and development of socially and culturally related policies, which also includes education, health and justice.

It is not necessarily my place in my current capacity to intervene on those. There are very clear parameters in which the responsibilities lie within the governments but also with the representative organizations. I am fully expecting that, similar to our previous conversation, the dialogue will come to me in different ways, so I could maybe be a conduit back into the Government of Canada to highlight whether or not there are specific concerns on that front. If it is shared with me, I feel that there is a responsibility I have to bring that back into the Government of Canada.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Next is MP Michael Chong.

You have five minutes.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses for appearing.

Ambassador, I have a few questions for you.

When the Prime Minister appointed you, he said that your mandate would be to focus on engagement with like-minded countries. Which specific countries will you be engaging with among that list of like-minded countries?

[Virginia Mearns]

Yes, most definitely that has been made clear. Like-minded countries such as the Nordic countries, the European Union, as well as like-minded countries such as Japan and Korea, have been identified primarily as focal points I can pursue and engage on now. This is something that I very much look forward to, having that dialogue with them.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

I assume, then, the United States would be the focus of Ambassador Hillman in Washington with respect to the Arctic aspects that touch on relations with the United States.

[Virginia Mearns]

Yes, but there is an opportunity in my capacity also as senior Arctic official to the Arctic Council, where I do have an American counterpart as well.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

You obviously will be engaging with them as well at that forum.

[Virginia Mearns]

Yes. That's right.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

The Prime Minister also said that your mandate is to advance Canada's security in the Arctic. What specific security things will you be advancing?

[Virginia Mearns]

This is an area of dialogue that I've just started with the Department of National Defence, already recognizing that they have plans that had been announced through “Our North, Strong and Free”.

Also—and this is where I come into play—because there has been increased engagement in our communities with the department's plans for investments for physical infrastructure, we'll be working together on that dialogue, trying to discern what the community perspective is. Also, we will ensure that it is clear to communities what Canada's plans are for those investments.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Thank you.

The Prime Minister also said that your mandate is also to advance Canada's economic growth in the Arctic region. Again, what specific economic things will you be advancing?

[Virginia Mearns]

This is where I need to hear from communities on where their priorities lie, because we do have economies in our communities. We have development corporations, we have entrepreneurs and we have organizations that are supporting them as well, in a coordinated fashion. I will not go in presuming to propose or institute something and disrupt things, ultimately, but I do know that there is a desire, for example, in really opening up within the territories and being able to work together.

Organizations such EntrepreNorth have been collaborating with entrepreneurs' start-ups in the three territories and giving them the tools to expand their presence as well. Working in collaboration with those who are already doing the hard work and ensuring they have the space needed to succeed is going to be a very interesting component as well.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

One of the questions I asked in previous meetings with other witnesses related to some of the proposals for submarine cables carrying the world's telecommunications and Internet traffic, which are being proposed or are in the process of being built, some of which would transit through Canada's Arctic waters between Europe and the United States and between Europe and Asia.

Are you at all familiar with any of these projects? If so, can you comment on them?

[Virginia Mearns]

Not so much the international major projects that you're talking about.... I know of the desire and the work that has been happening with Nunavut to have that capability brought into the territory. I'm much more familiar with that. I do have to do my homework on it.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

I appreciate that, because we don't have any submarine cables up yet, but other Nordic countries in the Baltic region have had huge problems with vessels flagged to authoritarian states like the PRC and the Russian Federation severing these vital Internet cables and causing all sorts of havoc. That's the reason for my question.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Next is MP Bill Blair.

You have five minutes.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My congratulations and thanks, Ambassador Mearns, for taking on this very critical role at this particular time in our history. I think it's very important, and we're grateful for your service to the country.

Mr. Sinclair, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge your decades of service to our country and your new role as well.

If I may, I'm going to direct a question to you, Mr. Sinclair, because it's part of the pragmatic policy approach of the pillars that were identified in our Arctic foreign policy.

We talked about the establishment of new consulates in both Nuuk and Anchorage. On the surface, it sounds like an entirely reasonable thing to do, but I'm sure you've given a great deal of thought to what we would hope to accomplish by establishing a diplomatic consular presence in those two neighbouring countries. They're both very different and very important to us. At the same time, I'm sure you have given it more thought.

What would be the metrics that we might apply to determine whether or not those investments, as important as they appear to us, are in fact being effective in helping us to deliver on what it is we intend to achieve? I will leave it to both of you to perhaps comment on the decision to put consulates in those two places, as well as what we hope to achieve and how we would measure our success.

[Robert Sinclair, Director General, Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Thank you for the kind words.

Perhaps I'll use an analogy that might resonate with you. I see consulates and embassies as the diplomatic equivalent of frigates. We're out there collecting information, representing Canadians abroad, presenting and protecting Canadian interests and promoting those interests. With Nuuk and Anchorage, I definitely see those consulates in that light.

The relationship between Greenland and Denmark continues to evolve. Investing in a relationship with Greenland now will pay great dividends in the future, wherever that relationship with the kingdom ends up.

Regarding the consulate in Anchorage—Virginia can speak to this more eloquently than I can—the indigenous representation we have there is very significant in terms of U.S. interests.

In terms of measuring effectiveness, you can measure visits and trade stats. There is a variety of metrics we can use to measure their effectiveness.

I'll leave it at that.

Perhaps I can turn to Virginia to talk about the Inuit connections, in particular.

[Virginia Mearns]

Thank you, Robert.

Yes, the human aspect is critical. These are very welcome opportunities that I've already heard about not only from indigenous Canadians but also from Inuit in Greenland who have been waiting for something like this. There is most definitely excitement about a Canadian presence in Nuuk because it will amplify the dialogue that has already been happening, especially on opportunities around trade, in particular Inuit-to-Inuit trade and how that can be supported.

Equally, and on slightly different fronts on the western side, there is the very lengthy, strong, historical and familial tie that exists not only with first nations but also with Inuit in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. There are very strong relationships with indigenous peoples in Alaska, as well. There's equal interest in a trade perspective to diversify and tap into the north-south dynamic and what's now being described as the north-to-north dynamic.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you, both, very much.

Regarding the first pillar of the Arctic foreign strategy, we talked about asserting Canada's sovereignty. One of the things I was taught by northern communities and in many discussions at the Inuit council and in partnerships we've had is this: Sovereignty is really about infrastructure. It's about investing in things like highways, airports, power generation, water treatment plants, health services and housing. It's about creating not only infrastructure but also prosperity and sustainability in northern communities.

We talked a bit about the money that will be put forward for our defence policy, and about multi-use infrastructure. We talked about nation-building initiatives. I'm hopeful and optimistic that there will be a very respectful engagement with Inuit in particular—and with all northern communities and territorial governments—on how to do that right.

What role would you see—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you.

Unfortunately, I will—

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I talked for too long. I apologize. Perhaps we can have that conversation another time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you so much for your testimony and for appearing for this study.

That concludes the first half of this meeting. The meeting is, therefore, suspended pending the second half.