Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project referred to the Major Projects Office

From: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

News release

Iqaluit, Nunavut (November 13, 2025) — In a rapidly shifting global landscape, we are building One Canadian Economy turbo-charged by major nation-building projects that unleash our natural resources, diversify our products and markets, and create hundreds of thousands of high-paying careers for our workers, all while protecting the environment and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Budget 2025 is the government's plan to confront the challenges of this moment head-on. It is a bold and ambitious plan to transform our economy from one that is reliant on a single trade partner, to one that is stronger, more self-sufficient and resilient to global shocks. At the core of this new strategy is new nation-building infrastructure: ports, mines, trade corridors, and other major projects that will unlock vast deposits of natural resources and enable us to sell them to new markets across the country and around the world.

Today, the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Canada, visited the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project to highlight the Government of Canada's efforts to build one Canadian economy and build Canada's leadership in the clean energy sector.

This project is part of the second tranche of projects being referred to the Major Projects Office (MPO) for further review. These new projects will represent more than $55 billion in new investment, create thousands of high-paying careers, and build Canada's economic strength for generations. They harness our resources and mobilise our talent to unleash our world-class potential. 

The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project, led by the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, will advance planning for a hydroelectric facility near Iqaluit to replace the city's diesel-generated electricity—enhancing energy security, reducing emissions, and supporting local economic growth. It builds on previous federal investments through Northern REACHE and CanNor, and is led by Nunavut's first fully Inuit-owned clean energy developer, advancing reconciliation and Arctic sovereignty through community-driven clean power. 

Quotes

"Indigenous-led clean energy projects like the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project are key to building a more secure, resilient, and sustainable North. This project, which is 100 per cent Inuit-owned, will end Iqaluit's reliance on imported diesel for electricity, cut emissions, create good jobs, and strengthen Canada's Arctic sovereignty for generations to come."

The Honourable Rebecca Alty,
Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations

"Nation-building is community building. Centring Indigenous leadership in communities is a key part of our strategy to build the North strong. This link is proven through this hydroelectric project, where the local benefits significantly strengthen Arctic security and sovereignty. By transforming the energy landscape of the North, we empower local communities and drive economic growth."

The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand,
Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

"We have always known that transitioning Iqaluit to renewable energy is a cornerstone of supporting a better quality of life for Inuit, Arctic sovereignty, environmental protection, and growth. The Inuit-owned Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project being named to the Nation-Building Projects list is a signal from the Government of Canada that they understand and believe this, too. It is a signal that Nunavummiut are essential to the One Canadian Economy, and that Inuit united can take hold of their own future."

Harry Flaherty as President & CEO of Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation,
A subsidiary of Qikiqtaaluk Corporation & Group of Companies

Quick facts

  • The Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity (Northern REACHE) program helps Indigenous and northern communities transition off diesel by funding renewable energy projects such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass.

  • The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project is a proposed 15–30 megawatt (MW) hydroelectric facility that could fully replace Iqaluit's diesel-generated electricity.

  • The Kuugaluk River (McKeand River South) site was selected after extensive consultation and is supported by Inuit and territorial leadership.

  • Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, the territory's first fully Inuit-owned clean energy developer, is leading the project.

  • The Major Projects Office (MPO) serves as a single point of contact to get nation-building projects built faster. It advances major projects referred to the Office through a streamlined federal review process, working in partnership with federal departments, provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples and private-sector participants. The MPO's work is guided by an Indigenous Advisory Council to ensure that reconciliation, partnership, and Indigenous economic participation are embedded in the way major projects are advanced in Canada. 

  • In September 2025, the Government of Canada announced the first tranche of major projects to be referred to the MPO – representing $60 billion in investments in nuclear power, LNG, carbon capture, critical minerals, and new trade corridors. The government also outlined strategies – from offshore wind to high-speed rail and a sovereign cloud — to drive tens of billions in further investments, while creating the conditions for a better connected, more productive and ambitious country. 

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Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Alec Wilson
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Rebecca Alty
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
alec.wilson@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca
1-819-661-1538

Media Relations
Privy Council Office
613-957-5420
media@pco-bcp.gc.ca

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2025-11-13