Reflecting on the “dark chapter of our history” around the Alaska Highway, Yukon First Nations have signalled to the Canadian Armed Forces that a proposed naval reserve project in Yukon’s capital provides an opportunity to “get this right,” according to Assembly of First Nations Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek.
“This is a totally different way of working collaboratively in the interest of advancing Canada's sovereignty together,” she said.
“The assumption that government can come in and just build was something that had happened in the past, and that cannot be the case in 2025.”
The potential for establishing the country’s 25th naval reserve — in Whitehorse — is currently in the exploratory phase after National Defence Minister Bill Blair and former Yukon premier Ranj Pillai, who remains an MLA and cabinet minister, signed a letter of intent for the Royal Canadian Navy to in northern Canada.
Their announcement came on the heels of a report done for the Yukon government by the Arctic security advisory council that recommended standing up a specialized Whitehorse-based primary reserve unit.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to restructure the naval reserve with a focus on getting and training personnel to strengthen the Navy’s operational readiness and a commitment for a stronger Canadian Armed Forces presence in the North.
While the final concept remains unknown, Adamek told the News by phone that early discussions show a “willingness to align” with the priorities outlined in a Yukon First Nations defence and security report released in August.
Adamek highlighted the critical moment at hand for the Government of Canada to carry out its responsibility to work in partnership with Yukon First Nations on the proposed naval reserve project, which is at the feasibility stage.
“Not only ensure but prioritize and fully respect elders’ knowledge, youth voices and Yukon First Nations are at the heart of the unit's design,” she said.
“There is a lot of history from access to food, minimized access to resources, loss of language, loss of culture, disconnection from culture because of the Alaska Highway.”
Following the release of the report by the Assembly of First Nations Yukon and the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network, when it comes to their involvement in military and northern security discussions and decisions.
In terms of what Yukon First Nations want to see come to fruition with respect to the naval reserve project, Adamek emphasized acknowledging the difficult history around defence, considering support for conversations with First Nations and looking at procurement opportunities and international standards around “free, prior and informed consent.”
“There is the Yukon First Nation procurement policy. There are chapters in the Umbrella Final Agreement. So, there are expectations and formal processes now, and so we need to ensure that those are upheld,” she said.
“What are the community interests and needs when it comes to infrastructure, and how can those be built in parallel, in partnership?”
The Navy tasked LCdr Eric Salter and CPO2 Harry Godwin with scouting out in the territory.
“The project seems to be bearing fruit, slowly,” Salter said.
“We're discovering that there is an actual interest in the population for something. We're just trying to fully identify what that interest is for and what is the capability of the community.”
Creating a naval reserve and increasing the Canadian Armed Forces presence in the territory doesn’t mean a more militarized local community with military aircraft, weapons and uniformed personnel, according to Salter.
His team has been visiting with Yukon communities and senior leaders with the Navy have started engaging with representatives from individual First Nations about the project and what it means.
“Do we have the people that want to work with us in order to ensure we have sufficient people to keep the different course of actions that we're looking at sustained over or in the future?”
Adamek suggested many other questions remain around what could or should a potential naval reserve in Whitehorse look like.
Key contacts are being made with federal partners across departments that work on Arctic security and defence, in addition to Yukon forums with First Nations and Yukon intergovernmental forums that she said will be held in the coming months.
“It really is the time now for, in my view, governments to really start to build those relationships so that we can get to getting it right,” she said.
“The federal government being in contact with Yukon First Nations, both individually and collectively, is really important, and ensuring that Yukon First Nations are provided with an appropriate amount of time to start to think about what this could be, you know, in terms of location and specifics.”
While Adamek wants to know more about how and when the federal Department of National Defence will be engaging with First Nations on the project, from her perspective, a viability study is a “great place to start.”
She said there will be clear protocols and parameters around those nations whose territory the naval reserve will be built on, if it goes ahead. That means working with “knowledge keepers” of the particular traditional territory at hand, she said.
The rights holders will have to point out what specific infrastructure is needed for the project, per Adamek. She added that a new base and infrastructure projects will come with employment opportunities.
Adamek indicated that all Yukon First Nations must be engaged and consulted with, not just those whose territories the physical base sits on, because there will be impacts felt broadly across the region.
Adamek said an “important first step” will be to increase the resources and capacity for Yukon First Nation involvement.
For example, she isn’t aware of any Yukon First Nation with a specific position or job title like Arctic security officer or policy lead. That file typically falls under emergency management or lands, which Adamek argued needs to change.
“Most importantly, I think it's also ensuring that anyone who's involved with this project really understands the importance of Yukon First Nations being partners in the larger vision and larger strategy around Arctic security,” she said.
Contact Dana Hatherly at [email protected]
