The Canadian Northern Corridor Roundtable Program: Results and Lessons Learned
Katharina Koch, Emily Galley, Evgeniia (Jen) Sidorova, G. Kent Fellows and Robert Mansell
The School of Public Policy Publications
Volume 16 • Number 26 • August 2023
To analyze the feasibility, desirability and acceptability of a Canadian Northern Corridor, in addition to research studies spanning eight themes and a Community Engagement Program, our research includes roundtable discussions with stakeholders from federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments; industry (transportation, energy, telecommunications, tourism, natural resources and Indigenous funding and financing); and social and environmental NGOs. The Stakeholder Engagement Program conducted as part of the CNC Research Program addresses three key questions: 1) what key gaps in infrastructure and infrastructure policy persist according to potential rights- and stakeholders? 2) What are the potential impacts, challenges and opportunities of the CNC according to those rights- and stakeholders? 3) Which factors and conditions would make corridor development acceptable or unacceptable for a given rights- or stakeholder? This report presents a thematic content analysis aggregating the qualitative data collected at seventeen virtual CNC roundtable engagement sessions, which took place from January 2022 until June 2022.
Implications of a Northern Corridor on Soft Infrastructure in the North and Near North
Julia Christensen
The School of Public Policy Publications
Volume 16 • Number 25 • August 2023
Disparities in health care, education and employment, housing and social welfare have long been documented in Northern Canada. These disparities have been linked to colonialism, ineffective social policy, uneven development and the high costs of service delivery and infrastructure in northern regions. This literature review aims to present a comprehensive understanding of existing research on the current state of soft infrastructure and its deficits in Canada’s North and near-North regions.
The Northern Corridor, Food Insecurity and the Resource Curse for Indigenous Communities in Canada
Shirley Thompson, Stewart Hill, Annette Salles, Tanzim Ahmed, Ajarat Adegun, and Uche Nwankwo
The School of Public Policy Publications
Volume 16 • Number 20 • June 2023
Food insecurity rates for Canada’s Indigenous people are the worst among developed nations, demanding immediate action to prevent an impending health crisis. This research found that, rather than improving food security and providing benefits, trade corridors typically bring a resource curse to Indigenous communities, leading to worse food insecurity for impacted Indigenous communities in Canada.
A Socio-Economic Review of the Impacts of Northwest Territories' Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway 10
G. Kent Fellows, Alaz Munzur, and Jennifer Winter
Canadian Journal of Regional Science
Volume 45 • Number 3 • December 2022
This paper investigates the likely socio-economic effects on the community of Tuktoyaktuk from the completion of the all-season Highway 10 (the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway) in the Northwest Territories. Analysis is based on estimated relationships between community remoteness and quantifiable socio-economic metrics using the recently developed Index of Remoteness and associated agglomeration data from Statistics Canada.
The Territorial and Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Digital Divide in Canada
Katharina Koch
Canadian Journal of Regional Science
Volume 45 • Number 2 • December 2022
The digital divide in Canada has gained significant attention from policymakers and the public in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic enhances the vulnerability of residents in rural and Indigenous communities that lack high-speed Internet access which affects their residents’ ability to participate in an online work and learning environment. As the digital divide in Canada persists, this paper explores current federal funding initiatives and their effectiveness in supporting broadband deployment across rural and Indigenous communities. The analysis shows inequalities regarding broadband access and funding distribution in Canada which also stem from a lack of democratic efficacy during federal hearings.
The Digital Divide and the Lack of Broadband Access During COVID-19
Katharina Koch
The School of Public Policy Publications Infrastructure Policy Trends • July 2020
Across Canada, the large number of people working and studying from home require reliable and fast internet access. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the urgency of diminishing the ‘digital divide’ in Canada.
