Next year’s infrastructure builds

December 15, 2013

In 2014, a number of large capital projects will create many jobs and income for northerners.Here are the biggest three projects in each territory/state.

Nunavut

• The new $300 M Iqaluit airport. It’s a complete overhaul featuring a P3 project (private sector finances the build and recoups its costs over a long term contract).
• The Mary River iron ore mine requires port and road infrastructure. About 400 people will be employed this summer, getting the infrastructure in place for 2015.
• Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay. This is a $142 M project starting in 2014, to be completed in 2017.

NWT

• The $300M road to Tuk (from Inuvik) gets started this year. It will take 4 years to construct the all season road. A crew of 200 will work this summer bringing badly needed income into the Delta.
• Behchoko long-term care facility. A $13 M project will be completed this year.
• New GNWT building in Yellowknife. This $25 M project will be a big project for Yellowknife this summer.

Yukon

• Northern Vision is spending $12 M in 2013-2014 to renovate the old Canadian Tire store in downtown Whitehorse into a commercial mall.
• Yukon Energy is planning a $34M LNG storage facility and two natural gas turbines at its main power plant. The project is under review by the Yukon Environmental Assessment Board.
• The Yukon government is planning a $38.6 M replacement for the FH Collins High School in Whitehorse.

Alaska

• Military:  A warm storage hangar for Ft.Wainwright is planned for 2014 at a cost of $36 million.
• Oil and gas on the North Slope: Exxon will be concentrating on the development of the Point Thomson field. Conoco will be spending to drill exploratory wells in the NPRA (National Petroleum Reserve Alaska) Bear Tooth and Moose’s Tooth prospects.
• Energy: Susitna-Watana Hydro Project $95.2 million

Commentary

Infrastructure spending creates needed jobs for northerners. Nunavut has a plethora of projects in both private and government sectors. NWT seems to spend its funds in a diffuse manner through its departments. Yukon’s biggest projects are centered in Whitehorse. Alaskan activity is heavily concentrated in the North Slope by industry and elsewhere through State expenditures.

Sources

• a)Chris Windeyer,"The new Iqaluit Airport", Up Here Business, Dec-2013, pp.31-36.



• b)http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/documents/content/GHG_Strategy_2011-15.pdf



• c)http://www.agcak.org/2013Forecast.pdf



• d)http://omb.alaska.gov/ombfiles/14_budget/PDFs/1_Governor%27s_Budget_Priorities.pdf