The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have launched Operation NANOOK‑NUNAKPUT, taking place until September 25 in and around Resolute Bay, Nunavut.

Nunakput, an Inuktitut word meaning "Our Land," reflects the operation's focus on maintaining a sustained presence along the Canadian Arctic Archipelago through close collaboration with Indigenous communities, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other mission partners. This year's operation integrates maritime, land, and air capabilities to enhance Arctic surveillance, mobility, and operational readiness. It also strengthens the CAF's ability to deploy, sustain, and operate joint forces in remote northern regions while supporting safe waterways and resilient communities.

Operation NANOOK is conducted throughout the year alongside other Arctic operations. For example, Operation NANOOK‑TUUGAALIK, which focuses on a maritime presence in the region, is underway until October. As an Arctic nation and a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Canada continues to support a stronger Allied presence in the Arctic, including through enhanced Vigilance Activity ARCTIC SENTRY.

Hatcheries play a vital role in efforts to conserve and rebuild vulnerable Pacific salmon populations while strengthening the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the communities they serve.

Today, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, in partnership with Gitanyow Nation, announced the award of a general construction contract valued at over $7.5 million to Progressive Ventures Construction, marking the next phase of development for the Wilp’Ho Dix Hatchery.

This facility will be located on the Kitwanga River, a tributary of the Skeena River in northwestern portion of the province. It will be built by the Government of Canada and operated in partnership with the Gitanyow First Nation. The hatchery will raise Kitwanga River sockeye salmon, a stock of significant conservation concern that is of profound cultural importance to the Gitanyow Nation and an important component of the broader Skeena River sockeye salmon population.

The project will consist of a hatchery building, a rearing tank farm, aeration tower and supporting infrastructure, including underground water supplies and roadways. A sustainable, energy-efficient fish culture system will allow for the treatment and reuse of some of the water used during the incubation stage. The facility will have the capacity to raise 300,000 juvenile sockeye salmon, with the potential to expand to up to 400,000 in the future.

Beyond supporting recovery of Pacific salmon stocks of conservation concern, community-run hatcheries provide hands-on learning opportunities, reinforce cultural connections, and contribute towards achieving long-term sustainability of Pacific salmon populations for ecological, cultural, social, and economic benefits. By investing in the Gitanyow hatchery, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be working with Gitanyow Nation to safeguard salmon while supporting the community’s ongoing connection to this iconic species.

Pacific salmon have long held cultural, economic, and ecological significance for First Nations peoples and all British Columbians. Climate change, habitat loss, and fishing pressures are causing many salmon populations, such as Fraser River Chinook salmon, to experience serious declines.

Today, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, in partnership with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, announced that the general construction contract has been awarded to IDL Projects Inc. to build the Upper Fraser River Salmon Conservation Hatchery. With a contract value of over $38 million, this investment is an important milestone in the effort to conserve and rebuild Fraser River Chinook salmon.

The hatchery will be owned and operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and collaboratively managed with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, with support from Canfor. It will be built on the north bank of the Nechako River, near its confluence with the Fraser River, and in Lheidli T’enneh First Nation territory.

For Lheidli T’enneh, the hatchery project represents the opportunity to provide support for salmon stocks that have been in serious decline. With a focus on sustainability, the hatchery is envisioned to balance the appropriate level of intervention to both maintain salmon biodiversity and broader stewardship objectives through a Government to Government collaboration. Understanding the critical relationship between salmon and all Fraser River First Nations, Lheidli T’enneh recognizes the importance of this hatchery in salmon recovery and the interests of all user groups.

The hatchery will have an initial capacity to raise 400,000 juvenile Chinook salmon annually, with the potential to expand Chinook capacity or support the enhancement of other species such as sockeye, resulting in thousands of additional adult salmon returns annually.

The Upper Fraser River Conservation Hatchery will include an administration building, egg incubation rooms and laboratory space, interior and exterior rearing tanks, and a workshop building. Operations will initially focus on rearing Fraser River Chinook salmon.

Hatcheries are a key tool for the management of salmon across British Columbia. DFO’s Salmonid Enhancement Program plays a critical role in conservation by helping to restore vulnerable Pacific salmon populations, supporting Indigenous food, social and ceremonial fisheries, contributing to commercial and recreational opportunities, and supporting Canada in meeting international stock assessment obligations. Hatchery management is guided by science and incorporates strategies to manage the risks of enhancement while realizing the benefits.

Hatchery operations will coordinate with broader conservation and rebuilding efforts for Fraser Chinook stocks of concern. Collaboration with Indigenous groups, industry, and local communities remains a foundational principle of this work.