Our conversation explores Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement of five nation-building projects generating $60 billion for the Canadian economy, supported by eleven Indigenous leaders with exceptional credentials appointed to the Indigenous Advisory Council. Rob details how these transformative initiatives, from LNG Canada's Phase Two expansion doubling liquefied natural gas production in Kitimat to the Darlington New Nuclear Project's small modular reactor development, create launching pads for equity ownership and responsible resource management through meaningful Indigenous participation.

The five designated projects include LNG Canada's Phase Two in Kitimat, British Columbia, doubling production capacity; the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Clarington, Ontario, pioneering small modular reactor technology; the Contrecoeur Terminal Container Project expanding Montreal's port infrastructure; the McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine Project in Saskatchewan; and the Red Chris Mine expansion in northwestern British Columbia. Each project embeds Indigenous economic participation as fundamental to approval and development processes.

Our conversation explores specific multi-billion dollar projects, including the Grays Bay Road and Port development and the Kivalliq Hydrofibre Link, designed to open mineral corridors and transform energy infrastructure. President Obed details how these nation-building initiatives create launching pads for natural resource extraction whilst maintaining environmental standards and Indigenous rights protection.Key insights include the strategic importance of Arctic sovereignty investments, the role of development corporations in facilitating partnerships, and how efficiency improvements in environmental assessments are accelerating project timelines without compromising standards. This conversation reveals why going "through the front door" with Indigenous partners isn't just ethical, it's the pathway to successful returns in Canada's emerging Arctic economy.

Michael Bonshor, CPA, CMA, and newly appointed board chair of the Canadian Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation (CILGC), discussed the organisation's role in providing enabling affordable capital for Indigenous Nations. The CILGC, initially funded at $5 billion, was expanded to $10 billion by Prime Minister Mark Carney. With one deal completed and a number of applications received, the CILGC aims to support Indigenous economic opportunities across sectors. The CILGC's mandate now includes all sectors except gaming, and it plans to collaborate with other loan guarantee programmes to maximise funding utilisation.