By Canadian Press

Ottawa to appoint Virginia Mearns of Iqaluit as Arctic ambassador

Jul 24, 2025 | 8:40 AM

OTTAWA — The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney is naming its Arctic ambassador today as it seeks deeper ties with circumpolar nations at a time of rising security concerns.

The office of Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Virginia Mearns will be the Arctic ambassador and will oversee the foreign policy for the region that Ottawa released last December.

That policy calls for science collaboration across the Arctic, tighter security co-ordination and new consulates in both Alaska and Greenland.

Those pledges came ahead of the government’s announcement of cuts to the foreign service — part of Carney’s plan to finance a massive boost in military spending.

Carney told an event in Inuvik, N.W.T., this morning that he would be officially announcing the appointment later today.

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Mearns lives in Iqaluit and has worked within local Inuit governments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press