Roland attended the Arctic Council’s ministerial meeting in Tromsø on April 29th as part of the Canadian delegation. Impressed by the expertise behind the Arctic Council and the involvement of the universities of its member countries, Floyd expressed the wish to establish a Northern University in the Northwest Territories. “When you look at those countries (on the Arctic Council), their universities are heavily involved in this process,” Roland told The Slave River Journal. “I met with an individual for a discussion of the University of the Arctic, and it came up how we in the NWT can be involved. (A Northern university) is something I think needs to be discussed.”

Roland’s ambition was furthermore spawned by visiting the University of Tromsø being world’s northernmost university, which despite initial reservations towards its establishment has grown and thrived. Due to the growing importance of the Arctic, the northern parts of Canada should no longer be seen as a backyard, but rather as a frontyard, Roland said. The experiences from Tromsø should be used in Canada as well.

The original press release can be found here.