By Josée-Anne Spirito, PSAC North Regional Executive Vice-President
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about investing in the North.
We’ve seen major federal announcements, including promises of $35 billion in spending focused on defence and transportation infrastructure for the Northern territories.
Military hubs, roads and highways, airport improvements; we are told these are investments in building, defending and transforming the North.
There’s no question these projects matter — Northerners understand the importance of reliable infrastructure better than most — but as governments speak about strengthening the North, many Northern workers and families are facing uncertainty about their jobs and the services they rely on.
While Prime Minister Mark Carney talks about securing Canada’s Arctic and North, he and his ministers continue to implement 15 percent across-the-board budget cuts that hurt workers, families and communities. But Northerners know that investments in Northern infrastructure cannot succeed without investments in people, and we can’t strengthen communities while weakening the services that hold them together.
Since last year, more than 13,000 federal government workers across the country, including in the North, have been issued letters about workforce adjustment, a process intended to protect jobs while the government reduces positions in the public service. This is in addition to countless workers here in the Northwest Territories whose roles rely on federal funding and who are waiting to hear about the future of their programs and jobs.
Meanwhile, with mining activity winding down around the territory, families are facing uncertainty with little assurance of what our regional economy will provide going forward.
In the North, where federal funding is critical to everyday supports and services, we often feel these decisions the hardest, as even the smallest cuts go deep. Here, where services are already limited and distances are vast, even minor disruptions can have serious consequences. And, too often, the most vulnerable are hit hardest: remote and Indigenous communities, as well as equity-seeking groups.
It’s not just workers who are stretched thin. When fewer people deliver services, we all pay the price. Eliminating positions that deliver the programs people depend on every day always costs more in the long run and delivers worse results. As services deteriorate and problems grow, governments will be forced to spend even more to repair the damage.
To be truly transformative, to strengthen and defend the North — for Northern workers and families — we must call on all orders of government to prioritize and protect the vital public service jobs that underpin our communities and our economy.
This column appeared in the Yellowknifer on April 30, 2026.