Partners announce Arctic Summit 2026: Securing Sovereignty and Investment

Sep 19, 2025

This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.

The Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, with the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security and northern collaborators, is proud to announce Arctic Summit 2026: Securing Sovereignty and Investment. This landmark event will take place February 23 to 25, 2026, in Whitehorse with the support of the Government of Yukon through the Trade Resilience Program.

This event will convene leaders, investors and policymakers from across Canada’s North, Alaska, Greenland and the broader circumpolar Arctic that will drive strategic collaboration and northern-led investment solutions.

Arctic Summit 2026 will feature three days of programming, with a free public day and Arctic Expo held on February 24 at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. The Expo will showcase businesses from across the North and include presentations on technology and innovation as they relate to sovereignty, security and economic development.

Key outcomes from Arctic Summit 2026 include the formation of new business-to-business and government-to-business relationships, acceleration of pan-northern infrastructure and trade initiatives, advancement of regional security and economic resilience and mobilization of investment aligned with northern values and priorities. The Summit will also reinforce cross-border partnerships across the circumpolar Arctic and highlight Indigenous-led economic models and governance frameworks that are actively shaping the future of the North. Together, these outcomes will contribute to a shared vision for Arctic development rooted in sovereignty, sustainability and strategic co-operation.

As geopolitical tensions rise and the economic stakes in the Arctic intensify, Arctic Summit 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment. This summit will forge pan-Arctic collaboration, reinforce sovereignty and security and channel investment into infrastructure, critical sectors and communities that reflect northern priorities. Indigenous governments and northern innovators are shaping the economic and governance frameworks that define our Arctic future – resilient, self-determined and globally relevant.

Early-bird registration opens in October 2025. We invite businesses and organizations from across the Arctic to connect with us to help shape the programming, participate in the Expo or explore sponsorship opportunities.

For more information and the latest updates on Arctic Summit 2026, contact info@ourarcticsummit.ca.

Arctic Summit 2026 is about more than conversations – it’s about action. Together, we’ll bring voices from across the circumpolar world to advance sovereignty, security, and investment on northern terms. Our government is proud to stand with partners to ensure that the North isn’t just at the table but leading it. This is our moment to shape a strong, resilient Arctic future.

Premier of the Yukon Mike Pemberton

This summit is not just timely, it is essential. When we bring together leaders from the circumpolar world to confront geopolitical realities, we are not only advancing northern participation in the security and defence industries, but we are strengthening our collective ability to shape a stable and resilient Arctic future. The Government of Yukon is proud to support Arctic Summit 2026. We are excited to work directly with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce through the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security to provide an expansive program here in the North.

Minister of Economic Development Ranj Pillai

Arctic Summit 2026 is a call to action. As global interest intensifies, we must ensure that investment in the Arctic reflects northern priorities and values, strengthens our communities and secures Canada’s sovereignty. This summit is about building economic resilience through partnerships that recognize the strategic importance of investing in northern infrastructure and critical sectors to shape, and contribute to, our national future. The North is no longer a frontier – it’s a foundation and we’re looking forward to a summit that puts northern leadership at the center of Arctic development.

Co-Chair of the Arctic Summit 2026 Anne Lewis

Quick facts

• Through the Trade Resilience Program, the Government of Yukon has  provided $50,000 towards this event.
• Essential themes for this summit include:
  • sovereignty, security and defence;
  • Indigenous governance and economic sovereignty;
  • trade, infrastructure and economic resilience;
  • critical minerals, energy and strategic resources; and
  • technology, communications and digital infrastructure

Media contact

Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
Laura.Seeley@yukon.ca

Taylor Harvey
Communications, Economic Development
867-667-8980
taylor.harvey@yukon.ca

Andrei Samson
Executive Director, Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce
(867) 667-7545
info@whitehorsechamber.ca
www.whitehorsechamber.ca

NT4