Carney to visit his hometown of Fort Smith, N.W.T., on Wednesday

Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit his hometown of Fort Smith, N.W.T., on Wednesday — his first official visit to the territory since he was elected.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Carney and Premier R.J. Simpson will meet with local families Wednesday morning in Fort Smith to discuss affordability challenges and food insecurity.

Carney is also scheduled to meet with local leaders in Fort Smith about the impact of wildfires in the N.W.T.

Though this wildfire season has been relatively calm so far, the territory has been hit hard by fires in recent years, including the evacuation of Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife in 2023.

Carney was born in Fort Smith and lived in the southern N.W.T. town until his family moved south when he was about six years old. 

He will be in Inuvik on Thursday, where he will visit the local community centre and meet with Natan Obed, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Duane Smith, the chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

He’s expected to discuss Bill C-5, the federal government’s major projects legislation. 

The federal government said it would hold a series of “summits” over the summer with First Nations, Inuit and Métis to discuss the Building Canada Act, which gives the government the power to fast-track projects and bypass certain laws, government regulations and environmental assessments if an industry project is deemed in the national interest. 

The legislation has been controversial, with many First Nations groups saying it is a violation of their treaties and constitutional rights.