Ministers and officials representing Canada’s northern jurisdictions are joining together this week (June 17-18) in Ottawa, Ontario, to participate in the Northern Development Ministers Forum (NDMF).

This year’s forum, themed Building Capacity in the North for the North, will be hosted by the Honourable Lela Evans, Minister of Labrador Affairs. Discussions will focus on priority areas including clean drinking water systems, youth leadership and economic reconciliation.

The Northern Development Ministers’ Forum provides federal, provincial and territorial ministers representing Canada’s North an opportunity to advance common interests, raise awareness of northern issues and accomplishments, and learn from experiences across jurisdictions.

At the close of the meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (NDT), the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) will issue a communiqué and hold a news conference at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent Street.

Members of the media are invited to join the news conference in person or via videoconference. To register, please contact Krista Dalton at kristadalton@gov.nl.ca. Please confirm your participation by Thursday, June 18, at 10:00 a.m.

The final communiqué will be posted online at scics.ca.

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