The premiers of each territory met today in Kugluktuk, Nunavut for their yearly forum to discuss the shared priorities of northern jurisdictions— namely, developing infrastructure.

All three premiers were in agreement on the need for ongoing investment in projects including new port facilities, airports, highways, housing and energy in the face of aging infrastructure in the North.

According to a statement to the media, federal funding from the Building Canada Plan and other sources has enabled significant progress on improvements to community and transportation infrastructure in the territories.

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna told reporters that today’s meeting came at a very important time, as the nation’s premiers will be congregating in St. John’s next month for the premiers’ annual meeting.

At that conference, the Canadian Energy Strategy will be discussed—something the northern premiers expressed excitement about.

The strategy will enable provinces and territories to work together on their energy priorities for Canada as a whole.

During the forum today, premiers noted that while the North has great potential for energy resources, the high cost of energy and the lack of strategic energy infrastructure inhibit economic growth.

Climate change was also a topic for discussion at the forum.

“Canada’s territories have a minor impact on overall greenhouse gas emissions but climate change has had a significant effect on our communities,” Taptuna said.

The premiers agreed to continue collaborating on an appropriate approach to climate change in a way that won’t impact the northern cost of living, food security or threaten emerging economies.

As a follow-up to last year’s forum, the premiers provided an update on work done on mental health and addiction in their respective territories.

“E-mental health is one of those opportunities where we can use technology to advance mental wellness support,” said Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski.

As an example, he listed psychiatric services as an area that could reach more rural communities if it were technology-based.

Pasloski listed some of the work having been done in the Yukon to address addiction and mental health.

The measures include the Salvation Army Centre of Hope facility for emergency shelter beds, creation of transitional housing, a funding agreement for the healing camps at Jackson Lake, and planning toward replacing the downtown Sarah Steele Building, which houses alcohol and drug services and treatment programs.

The premiers also touched on the call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

When asked if a consensus had been reached about the inquiry during this year’s forum, all three seemed to be in support of it.

Discussion of this will continue at the second National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2016.

The premiers voiced their support for another conversation on the subject — an inaugural roundtable to be held this fall in Manitoba.

The roundtable will hopefully shed light on how co-ordination, information-sharing, and justice responses to these cases can improve among law enforcement bodies, prosecutors and victims services.

Pasloski confirmed that Yukon will host next year’s Northern Premiers’ Forum.