Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking at the Canadian Club in Toronto about the 2025 budget. Photo Courtesy of Mark Carney/Facebook.
Whitehorse, YT – The recently passed Federal budget offers promising opportunities for the territory but Yukon’s political leaders say much depends on details Ottawa has yet to release.
The budget outlines $141 billion in new spending and $51.7 billion in savings over five years, including a $1 billion Arctic Infrastructure Fund for northern transportation assets, including airports and roadways. Yukon MP Brendan Hanley says it’s still unclear how much the territory will receive.
“We’re all interested in that, and it has not yet been determined how this will be shared or distributed, and whether there would be expected contributions from the territories themselves,” said Hanley. “So I think there’s lots to look forward to.”
Premier-designate Currie Dixon says he’s encouraged by the opportunities but wants more clarity on the details. He says Yukon’s highways in particular could benefit from more federal funding.
“The Alaska Highway, the North Klondike highway and the Dempster are three examples of highways that could really use some upgrades and some work and we would benefit greatly from significant federal investment if they were eligible.”
The budget also includes a $2 billion Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund to support mineral projects, but it also remains uncertain how Yukon might benefit. The only Yukon-specific project mentioned is the construction of the Yukon Gathering Place Convention Centre.
“While I welcome the support, we would have liked to see some new initiatives aimed at the Yukon, and some new attention paid to the Yukon,” said Dixon. “Obviously, we’ve got some work to do to put the Yukon on the federal agenda.”
