Quebec’s AI institute is partnering with a Halifax-based company to use AI to forecast sea-ice levels in Canada’s High Arctic.
The news: Mila announced it is entering into a partnership with PolArctic Canada to bring the research institute’s AI expertise to sea-ice monitoring in Canada’s northern waterways. The partnership was announced on Thursday at Mila’s 2026 Indigenous AI Gathering.
Under the agreement, PolArctic will have access to Mila’s network of AI researchers, as well as recruitment opportunities for “top-tier AI talent.”
From the source: Climate change has had profound impacts on Canada’s Arctic, not only reducing overall levels of sea ice, but contributing to thinner, less predictable ice. Federal government reports have shown a steady decline in sea ice in the decades since monitoring began. That has led to environmental impacts, as well as impacts for industry and people living in the North.
Following the thread: PolArctic, which is itself a joint venture between technology and engineering firm Elutiq Technologies and the Arctic Economic Development Corporation, is led by CEO Leslie Canavera, an Indigenous entrepreneur born and raised in Alaska. The company uses satellite data, AI, ocean science, remote sensing technology, and traditional Inuit knowledge to forecast sea-ice conditions in the Arctic. The intelligence PolArctic compiles has use cases for shipping industries, fisheries, and for navigating the Arctic amid a rapidly changing environment in the North.
Final thought: Partnership between Mila and PolArctic aligns with both Canada’s AI strategy, as well as the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, a 2019 federal strategy for investing in the Canadian North. Beyond that alignment, the partnership also reflects the national focus on sovereignty building beyond defence. In statements issued yesterday, Canavera explicitly called the partnership a sovereignty-building effort, saying next-generation forecasting tech would protect Arctic environments, shore up supply chains, and empower Northern communities amid climate change.
BetaKit’s Prairies reporting is funded in part by YEGAF, a not-for-profit dedicated to amplifying business stories in Alberta.
Feature image courtesy Unsplash. Photo by Dave Meckler.