 Alberta Premier Alison Redford, left, and N.W.T. Premier Bob McLeod discuss northern development in Enoch, Alberta on October 4, 2012. (PERRY MAH/QMI Agency)
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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will travel to Yellowknife on Monday, where he is expected to seal a highly anticipated devolution deal with the government of the Northwest Territories.
The agreement - which involves handing over federal power of lands and resources from Ottawa to Yellowknife - has been in the works for at least four decades.
As talks heated up between the territory and feds in late January, N.W.T. Premier Bob McLeod told QMI Agency he had "no hesitation" about the proposed terms of an agreement that will enable the territory to control its lands and resources.
McLeod also believed the deal would help the N.W.T. to recognize its place as an "economic powerhouse."
The federal government has said the benefits of a devolution agreement are clear because Yukon signed such a deal and now has one of the "more robust economies in the country."
In 2003, the feds handed over control of natural resources to the Yukon.
The Conservatives also believe the move will help northerners control their "economic and political destinies."
Due to their different place in Confederation, the N.W.T. and the Yukon are governed by federal acts which dictate their powers.
Unlike provinces, territorial powers are not divided by the terms of the Constitution, which carves out different federal and provincial responsibilities.
McLeod said all of the "easy programs have been devolved" to the territory already, but land, resources and royalties are the most complex.
Five of seven aboriginal groups in the N.W.T. endorse devolution.
Kristy.Kirkup@sunmedia.ca
@kkirkup
