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German president ending visit to Canada in Northwest Territories

Apr 26, 2023 | 2:03 AM

YELLOWKNIFE — Germany’s president is to arrive in the Northwest Territories today to begin the final leg of his four-day official visit to Canada.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to be welcomed at the Yellowknife airport by territorial commissioner Margaret Thom and Mayor Rebecca Alty.

He is set to join Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at Joint Task Force North headquarters for a tour and briefing with senior officials.

They will then head north to the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk where they are to meet with Indigenous leaders and members of the community.

While in Tuktoyaktuk, they plan to visit the shore of the Arctic Ocean to learn about the effects of climate change and view homes that were relocated due to coastal erosion.

They are also scheduled to attend a presentation on the Smart Ice Project which combines traditional knowledge with modern technology to monitor ice, as well as dog sledding and ice fishing demonstrations.

They will end their time in Tuktoyaktuk by attending a community event at Kitti Hall before returning to Yellowknife via Inuvik.

Steinmeier arrived in Ottawa Sunday, where he attended events including a reception held by the German ambassador during which he spoke about the importance of liberal democracies.

He was in Burnaby, B.C., and Vancouver on Tuesday, where he toured fuel cell company Cellcentric and attended a roundtable discussion with German and Canadian business representatives.

Steinmeier is to depart Canada for Germany on Wednesday evening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2023.

Emily Blake, The Canadian Press