The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday, March 31, edition that Canada's sudden focus on the Arctic's security and natural resources has come at the right moment for Premier R.J. Simpson and the Northwest Territories. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post reports that the northern region is rapidly losing key economic drivers. Diamond mining is on the decline, as Rio Tinto closes its Diavik mine and Burgundy Diamond Mines lays off hundreds at its Ekati operations. As well, oil production will soon cease, with Imperial Oil planning to close its century-old Norman Wells operation later this year. But Mr. Simpson is not gloomy. A desire by North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries to secure the Arctic and a growing appetite for a broad range of critical minerals, places such as the Northwest Territories are getting a surge of attention. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the capital of Yellowknife to announce $32-billion to shore up Arctic defences. At the same time, the government has sent a series of northern road, port and electricity generation proposals to the Major Projects Office, an entity that helps secure financing for infrastructure projects and shepherds them through regulatory hurdles.