The Yukon is playing host to conversations on Canada’s international economic standing. The Banff Forum on public policy was recently held here and the Magnetic North Business Conference is upcoming.
Export Development Canada (EDC) sponsored the Banff Forum which took place in Whitehorse from Sept. 5-7. The forum attracted a gathering of public policy thinkers to discuss challenges in Canada’s federation, its economy, the housing crisis, climate change and the nation’s global position amid increasing volatility.
EDC’s vice president, Leah Gilbert Morris, met with the Yukon Chamber of Commerce’s director, Luke Pantin, on Sept. 5 to discuss corporate outreach.
Gilbert Morris spoke about sponsorship and business arrangement opportunities that align with Canada’s strategic and economically driven objectives.
Gilbert Morris highlighted critical mineral sectors that the Yukon could capitalize on. She noted that critical minerals play an important role in international trade and that the Canadian brand remains a strong selling point for growth.
“Canadian mining is seen as sustainable in many parts of the world, and that is a competitive advantage for Canada in terms of accessing and infiltrating various global supply chains,” Gilbert Morris said.
Pantin noted the Yukon is rich in zinc, molybdenum, copper, gold and a variety of hard rock minerals which play an important role in technological supply chains.
Following discussions at the Banff Forum, the focus on the Yukon’s economic potential continues with the upcoming Magnetic North business conference, organized by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce in early October.
The conference aims to bring together thought leaders and sector experts to address challenges and advance solutions, aligning with the broader themes of economic development and sustainability discussed at the Banff Forum as highlighted in conversations between Gilbert Morris and Pantin.
Export Development Canada, a Crown corporation, aims to offer solutions to Canadian businesses and their international buyers to boost Canada’s trade. Its mandate focuses exclusively on international exports.
“Everything we do has to link somehow to an export mandate. There’s an export credit agency like EDC in every major country around the world. We’re very closely connected with them, forming a tight network,” Gilbert Morris said.
Gilbert Morris noted that EDC has provided the Canadian Chamber of Commerce with assistance in the past.
“We are always looking at different stakeholders out there, with chambers always being one of our biggest stakeholders,” she said.
According to a conference prospectus, EDC will also sponsor the Magnetic North event.
Canada will assume the presidency of the G7 before the upcoming summit in Kananaskis, Alta., in 2025. The federal government’s critical mineral strategy positions Canada’s mineral sectors to serve the world, Gilbert Morris highlighted.
Between Oct. 8-9, the Magnetic North conference hosted in Whitehorse will focus on three tracks: food sovereignty, renewable energy and artificial intelligence and big data.
Pantin highlighted that Yukon businesses face challenges in reaching new markets due to a lack of proper infrastructure. He noted that the National Supply Chain Office, a federal office created in December 2023, works with industry, governments and partners to make Canada’s supply chains more efficient, fluid, resilient and reliable.
EDC’s primary service in the North is providing customers with knowledge-based solutions, Gilbert Morris said. Additionally, it can provide financial assistance with infrastructure projects that may connect to international trade, according to Gilbert Morris.
“EDC can help businesses determine if they have found the right markets for their products, understand the competition and navigate the exporting and administrative processes,” Gilbert Morris explained.
Canada’s fish and seafood trade with Japan is an example of the Canadian brand in action, Gilbert Morris said. Pantin remarked on cold climate research at the Yukon University Research Centre that could potentially be exported as intellectual property products.
Projects on alternative energy, building construction, climate-related research, environmental remediation, food security, information technology, mechanical innovation and related solutions for sub-Arctic regions around the world are examples of intellectual property products Pantin suggested could be developed in the North.
“The Danish and the Finnish have been sharing these kinds of technologies. But what about us?” Pantin asked.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
