Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) is a policy initiative announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper of the Federal Conservative Party in August 2009. The purpose of the agency is to promote economic development and prosperity while protecting national sovereignty in Northern Canada. CanNor is situated in Iqualuit, Nunavut. By centralizing this economic program in the Northern region of Canada, the Federal Government believes that it will contribute to increased participation by local communities and government in federal policy. From this, CanNor is also responsible for the Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO), which serves as a review board for economic developments in Northern Canada. As of July 2, 2014, the current President of CanNor is Dr. Janet King. The Government of Canada is responsible for CanNor, with Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development overseeing the developments within the agency. In various programs, CanNor promotes the growth of the economy, education, infrastructure development, and culture in Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. CanNor was created from the policy initiative "Northern Strategy," developed to exercise sovereignty, promote social and economic development, protecting the heritage surrounding Native peoples in the Arctic region, as well as asserting continual governance.

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency originated from pressure on the Canadian Government to protect the sovereignty of sparsely populated Northern Canada, as well as to use the effects of climate change to extract previously inaccessible resources. Additionally, it has been found that as of 2007, the Northwest Passage has been at certain times of the year completely free of ice, leading to the possibility of this Arctic region becoming a shipping route. From surveys, there are deposits of gas and oil in the Arctic, with extraction being possible due to milder temperatures and less permafrost in the Territories. By creating economic incentives in the Arctic, it will lead to greater strength in the claim for Canadian sovereignty. There is an increasing demand for resources available in the Canadian Arctic, leading to the need for a continued presence by the Canadian government to assert control over this relatively uninhabited landmass.

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