About the Project

What is the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor (AESC)?

The Arctic Economic and Security Corridor (AESC) is an Indigenous-led, nation-building initiative to construct a ~400 km all-season transportation corridor linking the Northwest Territories to the Nunavut border. This transformative project will connect to the Grays Bay Road and Port in Nunavut, creating a strategic land route to a deepwater Arctic port on the Northwest Passage.

By improving access to mineral-rich regions and enabling year-round transportation, the AESC will strengthen community connections, open economic opportunity, and support Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.

A Dual-Use Corridor

The AESC’s primary role is to connect communities, support industry, and improve access to essential goods, services, and emergency response across the North. The project would also establish a critical transportation corridor to a deepwater port and airfield at Grays Bay, which creates potential for dual-use (civilian-military) opportunities.

Our Vision

The AESC is guided by the shared vision of its Indigenous co-leads:

"The AESC is an Indigenous-led, nation-building project that connects Southern Canada to an Arctic port, strengthening Canada’s Arctic sovereignty, unlocking access to critical resources, supporting healthy caribou herds, creating economic opportunities for communities, and ensuring sustainable prosperity for future generations."

Why This Project Matters

The Government of Canada referred the AESC to the Major Projects Office in March 2026, recognizing it as a project of national interest receiving federal project support.

The AESC addresses critical challenges facing the North, including:

Seasonal Access Limitations: current reliance on short-season winter roads and air transport limits economic growth, increases costs, and creates uncertainty for industries and communities.
Climate Change Impacts: warming temperatures are reducing the reliability of winter roads and other seasonal infrastructure.
Economic Transition: as legacy resource operations mature, the Northwest Territories faces an urgent need for new infrastructure to support economic diversification and long-term growth.

The AESC will provide a lasting solution by establishing reliable, all-season infrastructure supportive of communities, industries, and Canada’s strategic interests in the Arctic.

Key Benefits

The AESC will deliver significant social, economic, and strategic benefits, including:

Environmental stewardship: Caribou are the top priority. Traditional Knowledge and environmental studies guide the work to reduce and manage impacts over the long term.
Economic Growth: enabling access to critical mineral deposits essential for Canada’s energy transition and industrial competitiveness that support sustained benefits and a strong northern long-term economy for Indigenous peoples.
Community Well-being: improving access to goods, services, and opportunities for remote northern communities.
Arctic Sovereignty: enhancing Canada’s presence, mobility, and operational readiness in the North.

Traditional Knowledge at the Foundation

Traditional Knowledge from Tłı̨chǫ and Yellowknives Dene Elders and Knowledge Holders is integrated into every stage of the AESC — from route selection to environmental assessment to monitoring. This is not consultation as an afterthought; it is foundational.

Traditional Knowledge informs how the project understands caribou migration, watercourse protection, culturally significant sites, and seasonal patterns on the land.

Combined with western science and engineering, Traditional Knowledge will contribute to shaping a project that reflects both technical rigour and the deep, place-based knowledge of the Nations who have stewarded this land for generations.

How We’re Moving Forward

The AESC is being developed through a thoughtful, phased approach prioritizing meaningful engagement, environmental responsibility, and Indigenous leadership at every stage.

The Nations have identified a proposed corridor, a major step within this phase. The corridor is proposed, not final. The precise route within it will be set through the engineering, environmental and regulatory work still ahead.

Across these phases, current work includes:

Corridor Selection: multi-path analysis combining technical data on construction costs, critical mineral proximity and environmental factors with Traditional Knowledge from Elders and Knowledge Holders to identify the optimal route.
Environmental Assessments: corridor selection work and related studies are gathering the data that will inform a future review by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB) under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act (MVRMA) that will consider the integration of environmental, social, cultural, and cumulative impacts, and Indigenous Knowledge will be integrated throughout.
Socio-Economic Impact Assessment: identifying opportunities to maximize benefits for Indigenous and northern communities.
Capacity Building: developing training and employment programs to support local participation in construction and operations.

Shared Commitment to Reconciliation and Sustainability

The AESC is a collaboration between the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the Tłı̨chǫ Government, and the Government of the Northwest Territories, with support from the Government of Canada. Together, we are committed to:

Reconciliation: ensuring the project reflects the priorities, values, and Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous communities.
Sustainability: balancing economic opportunity with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.