Quebec’s Northern Plan will roll ahead under Premier Philippe Couillard but in a much less grandiose way than originally envisaged in 2011 by his predecessor Jean Charest.
Couillard’s Liberals are obliged to publish their version of the plan by January but all signs indicate that it will be far more modest than originally planned.
Couillard favours a plan that lasts only five years and focuses on practical projects, according to Natural Resources Minister Pierre Arcand, who spoke to The Canadian Press on a break from the Arctic Circle conference in Reykjavik Friday.
Premier Charest touted a 25-year plan that would generate public and private investment of over $80 billion, generating mining royalties that would bring prosperity to generations to come.
Despite the amounts of investment required, Quebec has never made a cost-benefit analysis of the whole project but Arcand says that he is convinced that profits can be significant.
Arcand said that in spite of the narrower five-year mission, the broader timetable set in 2011 remains in place.
Premier Couillard arrived in Reykjavik late Friday to prepare for a speech Saturday morning describing his vision of the development of northern Quebec.
Hundreds of speakers from 30 countries were among the 1,300 participating in the summit, which discussed climate change, shipping, sovereignty issues, exploitation of natural resources and energy as well as the role of indigenous peoples.
The event, now in its second year, is sponsored by a non-profit organization and was created through the initiative of Iceland’s President Olafur Grimsson.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the conference via video linkup Friday morning, former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard will speak Saturday afternoon and Christina Figueres, Executive Secretary of the Convention United Nations Framework on Climate Change will speak Sunday.
Quebec is participating in two workshops, one on energy and another on the Northern Plan.
Matthew Coon Come, Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, will also participate.
