News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

April 13, 2018

Manitoba and Nunavut Co-chair 10th Hudson Bay Regional Roundtable



The Manitoba government is hosting this year’s Hudson Bay Regional Roundtable, a two-day summit gathering communities and stakeholders from Manitoba and the Kivalliq region in Nunavut, Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen and Nunavut Community and Government Services Minister Lorne Kusugak announced today.

“Nunavut and Manitoba share common goals of expanding economic development, increasing trade, nurturing culture and creating new employment opportunities,” said Pedersen.  “The linkages and relationships between Manitoba and Nunavut are important to us, and this roundtable provides an opportunity to work together for the betterment of all of our communities.”

The Hudson Bay Regional Roundtable is an initiative involving seven communities in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut along with the Manitoba communities of Churchill, Gillam, the Sayisi Dene First Nation and the Fox Lake Cree Nation.  The primary goal of the meetings is to increase trade and services amongst the Hudson Bay neighbours.

“The relationship between Manitoba and Nunavut is extremely important,” said Kusugak.  “With these discussions, we are setting the foundation for greater economic opportunities for everyone’s benefit.  By working together in partnership on our shared issues, we hope to find the balance between our goals and priorities, which will bring many beneficial results for residents in both regions.”

Key priorities discussed at this year’s roundtable include energy, economic development, training, transportation and health.  Manitoba and Nunavut support the creation of better conditions for economic development to achieve a more prosperous future for all northerners.

This new focus of the roundtable on economic development aligns with Look North, Manitoba’s northern economic strategy.  Look North is a long-term commitment by government and northern communities focusing on economic growth and prosperity in the region.  It is a movement ‘by northerners, for northerners’ to unleash the economic potential for generations to come.

Through participation in the roundtable, the government of Nunavut is acting according to the principles for economic development outlined in the Turaaqtavut mandate.  The costs of travel and transportation contribute to the high cost of living and doing business in Nunavut.  These partnerships generate momentum, supporting positive future developments for Nunavut communities its land and its people.

The summit started in Winnipeg yesterday and will conclude today.

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