Departmental Results Report 2020 to 2021

Departmental result 1: Indigenous peoples determine their political, economic, social, and cultural development

The Government of Canada recognizes that all relations with Indigenous peoples need to be based on the affirmation and implementation of their inherent right to self-determination, including the inherent right of self-government. The 2020–21 results are outlined below.

In 2020–21, CIRNAC established 12 new discussion tables to co-develop modern treaties, self-government agreements and other constructive arrangements, which brought the total number to over 160 discussion tables. These discussions explored shared priorities and joint propositions for mandates to advance interests, foster self-determination and work towards closing socio-economic gaps. Results stemming from these discussions included the signature of 5 new preliminary-type agreements (such as memorandum of understanding and letters of understanding), and 1 reconciliation framework agreement. As well, 3 interim financing fiscal agreements were signed with the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan and the Métis Nation of Ontario. These agreements form part of Canada's commitment to renewing the nation-to-nation and government-to-government relationship with the Métis based on affirmation of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership in line with the Métis government recognition and self-government agreements.

CIRNAC continued ongoing work with Indigenous partners to redesign the Comprehensive Land Claims and Inherent Right Policies through: distinctions-based processes; leveraging innovations that are co-developed at negotiation tables; applying lessons learned from past engagements with Indigenous partners; and building public service capacity to advance culture change in alignment with the affirmation and implementation of rights. In 2020–21, the department engaged with the AFN to co-develop a work plan toward redesigning the Comprehensive Land Claims and Inherent Right policies.

In Spring 2020, CIRNAC also provided funding to treaty commissions to continue the work undertaken to raise awareness and improve understanding of pre-1975 Treaties in the country. Through this funding, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan reached over 4,000 individuals, institutions, agencies, ministries, corporations and organizations to advance public awareness on treaties. This included international outreach in the US, Australia and the UK, as well as the establishment of new partnerships with a range of organizations on reconciliation through 10 Reconciliation Circles across Saskatchewan. In addition, the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba:

• introduced on-camera and audio interviews with Elders
• engaged in building on "We Are All Treaty People" presentations for Treaty 150 celebrations set for August 2021
• widened outreach to audiences about Treaties through social media
• held community events led by the Commissioner and Elders via radio and on the Canadian Multiculturalism Day

CIRNAC also engaged in ongoing discussions with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs around the implementation of pre-1975 Treaties.

The department continued to listen to perspectives regarding the review, maintenance and enforcement of Canada's treaty obligations, including the design and establishment of a National Treaty Commissioner's Office. Canada collaborated with the AFN on the development of a pre-engagement strategy. This strategy was part of a co-developed funding proposal, where Canada transferred funds to the AFN to develop a questionnaire to canvass First Nations from Numbered Treaties and potentially with other pre-1975 Treaty First Nations, and to develop a discussion paper to support the pre-engagement process.

In 2020–21, the Recognition and Reconciliation of Rights Policy for Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia continued to be implemented by Canada, British Columbia and the First Nations Summit. The parties co-hosted a Tripartite Negotiators' Session in March 2021, bringing together negotiators and policy analysts to provide opportunities to learn and train together to develop a common understanding of how the policy can be used to enable rights recognition, reconciliation, and co-development of mandates.Additionally, federal negotiators from CIRNAC and other government departments received awareness training on the policy to consider how their mandates and approaches may need to adjust.

Tripartite work to address Schedule A: Commitments to further work of the Recognition and Reconciliation of Rights Policy for Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia is ongoing as the parties continue to work together to implement the Policy.

One way that Canada has advanced the Crown-Indigenous relationship is through the forgiveness and reimbursement of all comprehensive land claims negotiation loans. The use of loans has often been a barrier to Indigenous participation in negotiations and to concluding subsequent agreements. Forgiving outstanding loans and reimbursing those groups who repaid their loans has benefited more than 200 Indigenous communities, allowing them to invest in governance, infrastructure, and economic development opportunities.

In 2020–21, CIRNAC worked with representatives of the AFN, ITK and the Métis National Council through the permanent bilateral mechanisms to advance joint priorities despite the challenges created by the pandemic.

The AFN-Canada Permanent Bilateral Mechanism held 2 senior officials meetings and regular meetings between the department and the AFN Chief Executive Officer and senior officials. In collaboration with the AFN, participating departments, such as Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Public Safety Canada, Justice Canada and Canadian Heritage, made progress on the joint priorities. A key example is the tabling of C-15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in December 2020 and its subsequent Royal Assent on June 21, 2021.

In 2020–21, the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) held 4 meetings, 2 for senior officials and 2 for leaders. The ICPC working groups and sub-working groups held over 50 meetings, and 22 meetings were held between CIRNAC and ITK in order to advance the 10 joint priorities (2 priorities added in 2020–21). While the pandemic impacted the joint work to address the priorities, progress continued and resulted in the creation of stand-alone Arctic Regions and the co-development of an Inuit Nunangat Policy. The ICPC reflects a self-determination approach by focusing on Inuit-led solutions to respond to the most immediate needs, such as developing a National Inuit Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Inuit Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ towards the implementation of the 46 Inuit-specific Calls for Justice, and prioritizing infrastructure projects (including housing) deemed most appropriate to advance.

Métis Nation and Government of Canada representatives were able to advance efforts on some key priorities. While only one meeting was held in January 2021, significant work was accomplished at various technical-level working groups.

Notable advances include:

• the Métis Nation Governing Members reported on the progress of the Métis Nation Housing Strategy as it reached year 3 of its implementation and co-developed a results framework for years 4 to 10.
• the Canada-Métis Nation Joint Committee on a new fiscal relationship co-developed approaches to streamline funding, including a single-window funding approach aimed at decreasing the administrative burden and delays in providing funding to Métis recipients.

CIRNAC continued to work on the development of a post-Daniels reconciliation strategy, which will further support Métis and Non-Status Indian^{Footnote 1} organizations and communities in determining their political, economic, social and cultural development.

During the year, CIRNAC contributed funding to enable capacity building and maintain a relationship based on trust and respect between Métis people and the Government of Canada. To help Indigenous organizations seeking section 35 recognition, the department helped to disburse contributions to 6 Métis Nation representative organizations. In addition, the Powley program supported, for example, ongoing establishment of objective and verifiable Métis member and harvester identification systems.

In Spring 2020, CIRNAC officials commenced trilateral discussions with the Alberta government and representatives of the Métis settlements in Alberta to explore their respective visions for the long-term sustainability of the settlements. In 2020–21, 6 trilateral meetings took place to explore solutions in support of priorities identified by the settlements, including infrastructure, emergency needs due to the pandemic, and access to longer-term social service supports. The Métis settlements in Alberta, represented by the Métis Settlements General Council, are unique in Canada as they are the only Métis communities with a recognized land base and are protected by provincial legislation through the Métis Settlements Act. These settlements represent a population of about 6,000 individuals.

As part of the COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, CIRNAC supported the development of authorities and coordination of funding agreements for Métis Nation Governing Members, the Métis Settlements General Council, and other Métis community groups, through the Indigenous Community Support Fund, managed by ISC. These funds provide Indigenous communities and organizations with resources to implement their own solutions, informed by public health guidance. In addition, throughout the spring and fall of 2020, the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs called a range of witnesses and collated evidence on the impacts of the pandemic on Indigenous peoples across Canada. Pan-Indigenous leaders and various organizations spoke on key issues arising from the federal government's pandemic response and recovery efforts.

The department advanced shared priorities and interests with modern treaty and self-governing partners through the Canada-Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations Forum. More specifically:

• to modify the Interpretation Act, by introducing a common non-derogation clause to better promote and protect section 35 rights, CIRNAC and the Department of Justice engaged modern treaty and self-government agreement partners, with a view to developing options for legislative changes.
• to collaboratively consider the proposal by modern treaty Indigenous signatories for a Modern Treaties Implementation Review Commission, the department co-developed a forward agenda of workshops with partners and participated in workshops from December 2020 to March 2021 on the contents of the proposal. Work on this proposal is continuing in 2021–22. Discussions with partners regarding an implementation policy was deferred with the aim of building on the information developed during the workshops.
• to maintain ongoing relationships, the department facilitated whole-of-government engagement with every self-government and modern treaty partner on the ongoing implementation of their agreements through various forums, including regular Implementation Committee meetings and agreement renewals. In addition, CIRNAC negotiated more than 100 amendments to treaty and self-government fiscal arrangements in 2020–21 to support improvements to programs and services in treaty and self-government communities. The department is continuing monthly meetings with partners in the Collaborative Fiscal Policy Development Process. This process is widely recognized as a best practice for engaging and collaborating with self-governing Indigenous governments. Through these varied approaches, the department has advanced a wide range of initiatives reflecting self-determination priorities of partners, including $517.7 million in infrastructure investments.

In 2020–21, the Evaluation of the Cabinet Directive on the Federal Approach to Modern Treaty Implementation was also released and recommended strengthening the Deputy Ministers' Oversight Committee's role by establishing a supporting governance structure, strengthening the issues management regime, and tightening the participation of Deputy Ministers and partners to ensure meeting efficiency. These recommendations are currently being implemented.

In response to the pandemic, the department pivoted modern treaty training to virtual platforms. In 2020–21, 355 federal officials received training. In collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service and the Land Claims Agreements Coalition, 5 12-hour modern treaty courses were delivered to federal public servants. Furthermore, 15 tailored training sessions on the assessment of modern treaty implications and other modern treaty implementation questions were also provided to federal organizations.

Further training was also given by the department to support a whole-of-government approach to consultation and accommodation through enhanced guidance and coordination that ensures the Crown meets its constitutional obligations and commitments to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. More specifically:

• The annual federal-provincial-territorial workshop, organized by CIRNAC, had over 60 attendees from all provinces and territories (more than previous years since all meetings were held virtually). The workshop focused on best practices and policies for reliance on provincial and territorial jurisdictions with respect to meaningful duty to consult approaches.
• The department advanced ongoing negotiations and implementation of 17 consultation protocols and also delivered Aboriginal Treaty Rights and Information System training to 250 federal officials through 63 webinars and coaching sessions.

• Discussions on the need for a coordinated approach to consultation and for consultation capacity support funding, as well as on the importance of relationships took place during an annual Indigenous partnership event. CIRNAC worked closely with one of the consultation protocol holders to host the event, which brought together Chiefs, Indigenous community members, consultation practitioners, academics and federal participants.

Significant advancement was made to renew the relationship with off-reserve Indigenous peoples represented by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) and its affiliates, through the launch of 6 policy tables and the Canada-CAP Accord Implementation Forum which includes multiple federal departments. The policy tables and Accord Implementation Forum provide a mechanism to support the capacity for off-reserve Indigenous peoples to determine their political, economic, social and cultural development on a range of issues. The focus of these tables is on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Justice, Post-Secondary Education, Family Programs, Indigenous Languages, and Housing.

CIRNAC has also fostered a number of new relationships with regional Indigenous women's organizations, such as the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network, the Quebec Native Women Inc. and the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, to discuss priorities and build linkages between them and other government departments.

Departmental result 2: Indigenous peoples advance their governance institutions and regimes

Renewal of the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationships, including treaty relationships, is expressed by putting in place effective mechanisms to support the transition away from colonial systems of administration and governance through support to Indigenous peoples to advance their governance institutions. The 2020–21 results are outlined below.

As of March 2021, there were 313 First Nations scheduled to the First Nations Fiscal Management Act regime, resulting in these First Nations to transition away from the Indian Act. Of these, 205 have developed financial administration laws and property taxation regimes and are collecting taxes. Furthermore, 45 First Nations are not only collecting taxes, but have also achieved certification of their financial management systems, and 74 First Nations, out of the 205, have borrowed a combined total of over $1.3 billion through the First Nations Finance Authority for infrastructure projects within their communities.

A Working Group was established with the First Nations Fiscal Management Act institutions (the First Nations Tax Commission, the First Nations Finance Authority, and the First Nations Financial Management Board) to co-develop improvements to the legislation, in order to address gaps exposed by the pandemic in the overall operations of the regime.

Work is also well underway to advance regulations that will expand access to the regime to Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations. Due to the pandemic, the regulations for service delivery organizations were delayed to 2021–22.

On June 2, 2020, the Government of Canada announced $17.1 million to provide interest relief to First Nations with existing loans under the First Nations Finance Authority. This critical financial relief supported borrowing First Nations impacted by the pandemic to maintain financial stability, so that they could focus on the health and safety needs of their communities. This investment was necessary for the stability of the overall First Nations Fiscal Management Act regime.

Since 2019–20, 25 new First Nations were added to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, which brings the total of participating First Nations to 178. With these 25 additions over the first 2 years of the 5-year process, CIRNAC and First Nations partners are well underway to meet the objective of adding 50 First Nations over 5 years. In 2020–21, 13 new First Nations were added to the Framework Agreement. Work was also undertaken to add 16 more First Nations to this Framework with the final steps to be completed in 2021–22. The department was successful in increasing the number of participants due in part to its cooperation with ISC, as well as its collaboration with the Lands Advisory Board.

Since receiving Royal Assent in December 2018, the amendments to the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, the Addition of Lands to Reserves and Reserve Creation Act and the First Nations Land Management Act continued to be implemented. CIRNAC collaborated with the Lands Advisory Board and ISC officials to define processes in areas such as environmental management and to develop an agreed upon approach to repeal the First Nations Land Management Act to replace it with more concise legislation. This new legislation, once in place, would continue the ratification of the nation-to-nation Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management and better support the Agreement as the central authority on land management.

In 2020–21, the Government of Canada worked closely with the AFN to advance a bilateral lands policy table, established in January 2021, to work with First Nations on the issues of expediting additions to reserves. This table will help to redesign the 2016 Policy on Additions to Reserve and Reserve Creation by developing a joint work plan with the goal of engaging on a joint review of the current policy and creating a suite of options that can better support First Nations in converting lands to reserve.

Departmental result 3: Past injustices are recognized and resolved

Assimilationist policies and practices have led to the denial of Indigenous rights in the past. To resolve grievances, Canada remains committed to pursuing dialogue, mutual cooperation, partnerships and negotiation as positive means of advancing reconciliation. This is an ongoing process which requires affirmation of rights, acknowledgement of past wrongs, knowing the colonial history of Canada and working with Indigenous peoples to co-develop solutions. The 2020–21 results are outlined below.

CIRNAC supported Justice Canada in the engagement process that led to the enactment of Bill C‑15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which came into force on June 21, 2021. The Act affirms the Declaration as a universal international human rights instrument with application in Canadian law, and provides a framework to advance the Government of Canada's implementation of the Declaration. The Act provides a federal pathway for the fulfillment of calls to action 43 and 44 in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples.

CIRNAC worked on the establishment of a Transitional Committee, which includes former members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Interim Board, which will lead engagement with Indigenous partners and stakeholders on draft legislation to create the National Council for Reconciliation (call to action 53). The Committee will develop recommendations on the feedback heard from the engagement, as well as formally constitute the National Council under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.

During the year, CIRNAC concluded 17 out-of-court settlements, including settlements of Aboriginal and Treaty rights litigation, as well as childhood claims litigation. Childhood claims settlements continue to focus on balancing individual compensation with forward-looking investments in healing, wellness, education, language, culture and commemoration. This progress was demonstrated through the ongoing implementation of the Sixties Scoop Settlement Agreement (Status Indians and Inuit) and the Federal Indian Day Schools Settlement Agreement (McLean), as well as through the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation and the McLean Day Schools Settlement Corporation in their work to support survivors.

The Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat completed its mandate and closed on March 31, 2021. A total of 38,278 Independent Assessment Process (IAP) claims were received, including those submitted by Kivalliq Hall claimants. One of the complex track files which was resolved under the provisions of the IAP remains before the court. All other files have been resolved. The department is now working to ensure that Canada continues to implement the commitments of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. In addition, CIRNAC closely collaborated with and supported the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement All Parties Table and the Department of Justice regarding a Covenant of Reconciliation to advance call to action 46. This work is to be aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples legislation and the establishment of the National Council for Reconciliation.

CIRNAC collaborated with partners on the advancement of calls to action 72 to 76 – Missing Children and Unmarked Burials. Funding was received to support the implementation of calls to action 72 and 73 and engagement on calls to action 74 to 76. This included signing a 2-year contribution agreement with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to review millions of documents in its collections for the National Residential School Student Death Register. Furthermore, discussions began on the establishment of a National Cemetery Register. For calls 74 to 76, the department held 16 virtual national engagement sessions in the summer and fall of 2020 to develop a national approach for implementation. CIRNAC received authorities for implementation in February 2021.

In 2020–21, the Government of Canada made significant progress on its commitment to lead and coordinate the development of the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. An Indigenous-led group of over 100 representatives of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations, distinctions-based groups, provinces and territories, and the federal government worked together on this National Action Plan, which was published on June 3, 2021. In addition, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, made substantial progress on the development of the federal government's specific contribution to the National Action Plan: The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. This is a whole-of-government effort to respond to this national tragedy.

Throughout the year, CIRNAC continued to strive, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, towards the reform of the specific claims process to respect the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and supported the implementation of the Principles Respecting the Government of Canada's Relationship with Indigenous Peoples and the Attorney General of Canada's Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples. This reform is needed in order to:

• pursue an approach to litigation that promotes resolution and settlement, and seeks opportunities to avoid litigation
• honour Canada's lawful obligations to Indigenous peoples, consistent with the Constitution
• work collaboratively to settle outstanding claims and litigation

Increased engagement with First Nations during key stages in the specific claims process ensured a more collaborative approach to negotiating settlements. Joint research initiatives between First Nations and CIRNAC also advanced the resolution of claims and have positively impacted interest of coming to a common understanding of claims.

An AFN reform proposal for the establishment of an independent process was shared with the department in December 2020. Canada and the AFN-Canada Joint Technical Working Group convened 6 times to discuss details of the independent process. This collaboration has informed a proposal for specific claims policy reform that will be brought forward for Cabinet consideration in 2021–22.

Overall, in spite of pandemic restrictions, CIRNAC was able to sustain collaborative negotiations through virtual meetings, by processing funding requests, by facilitating access to archival documents, and by being flexible for deferred activities and reporting timelines. These efforts continue to support negotiated outcomes as the preferred alternative to litigation.

Departmental result 4: Arctic and northern leadership and prosperity are advanced

Canada recognizes the need for federal leadership in the Arctic as well as northern regions to develop solutions to northern challenges and ensure regional needs and priorities are addressed. Building capacity in regional organizations is also a key part of developing leadership. The 2020–21 results are outlined below.

The Government of Canada is on track in advancing from the Agreement-in-Principle to working with the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (the Parties) towards final agreement negotiations with respect to devolution. As an early commitment from the Agreement-in-Principle, a Transitional Human Resources Development Strategy was developed and approved by the Parties in September 2020. The Parties commenced negotiations towards a devolution final agreement in October 2020. During 2020–21, there were 12 negotiation table meetings, which exceeded our goal of 8 to 10. Furthermore, 6 working groups were established to support final agreement negotiations.

CIRNAC supported and pursued regulatory frameworks in the North by:

• working with Indigenous governments and groups in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, and territorial governments on developing Administrative Monetary Penalty Regulations under the Territorial Lands Act, the Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal Act and the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, to help provide resources for sound management decision-making
• consulting with Indigenous groups in the Northwest Territories as well as the Government of the Northwest Territories to modernize the Preliminary Screening Requirement Regulations and the Exemption List Regulations under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act
• consulting with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Nunavut Impact Review Board and the Government of Nunavut in an effort to populate Schedule 3 of the Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act, as part of the implementation activities associated with the Act

Building on the 2019 launch of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF), CIRNAC advanced its collaborative work and governance objectives with Indigenous, territorial and provincial ANPF partners. On November 24, 2020, during the ANPF All-Partners Leadership Committee meeting, partners affirmed an approach to national governance which defines how partners will collaborate to share information and assess progress on the ANPF. The meeting also provided an opportunity for partners to identify regional priorities in the context of the pandemic. In line with the co-development approach of the ANPF, the department and partners have begun to identify regional governance options and implementation plans to be finalized in 2021–22.

The department launched the Task Force on Northern Post-Secondary Education in October 2020, initially announced in Budget 2019. The Task Force has advanced work on finalizing an engagement plan to commence consultation and engagement during Spring 2021. In addition, work advanced to support the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, the construction of a science building at Yukon College and its transition to Yukon University. The Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning has modified its programming approach to accommodate for the pandemic, and Yukon University is looking towards commencing construction of the science building in 2021.

In support of Inuit self-determination in research, the Northern Contaminants Program Management Committee (members include: northern Indigenous partner organizations, federal departments, and territorial and northern regional governments) decided to establish a new regional contaminants committee in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR). The Committee will carry out the social-cultural review of project proposals and updates specific to the ISR, provide region-specific advice, and facilitate communication. The governance structure now includes a regional committee in each of the 4 regions of Inuit Nunangat, as well as in Yukon and Northwest Territories (covering regions other than the ISR). The Chair of the new ISR Contaminants Committee will become a member of the program's Management Committee – its decision-making body.

Departmental result 5: Northern and Indigenous communities are resilient to changing environments

Canada's North and its residents are exposed to the impacts of changing environments due to a number of factors, including rapid climate change, remoteness and inaccessibility, cold climate, aging and inefficient infrastructure, and flooding. CIRNAC is working to ensure that Indigenous and northern communities are resilient to these changing environments, which will allow them to respond better to these challenges in the future. Many remote Indigenous and northern communities also continue to rely on imported diesel fuel for heat and electricity; however, as continued reliance on fossil fuels is resulting in negative environmental, social and health-related impacts, many communities are now pursuing cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy. Investments in wind, hydro and solar energy is a vital opportunity for ensuring clean growth while generating skilled jobs and advancing Indigenous self-determination. The 2020–21 results are outlined below.

In support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan, Northern REACHE (Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity program) invested over $4 million in 35 clean energy projects and capacity building initiatives in 30 communities across the territories and Inuit Nunangat in 2020–21. CIRNAC supported the complete ecosystem of community-driven clean energy projects, including small-scale solar installations, energy efficiency retrofits, waste heat recovery systems, biomass heating, renewable energy resource assessments and regional energy coordinators. In 2020–21, projects supported by Northern REACHE resulted in diesel reductions of 366,000 litres. The department worked closely with federal partners to implement a 'no-wrong-door' approach to coordinate support and access for Indigenous and northern communities. The department is on track to meet the March 2023 target of 2 million litres of diesel reduced.

CIRNAC invested over $25 million to enable Indigenous and northern partners to better understand and respond to the challenges of climate change, and build capacity and resilience while promoting skills development. These projects provided support in areas such as: identification, prioritization and costing of climate change adaptation options, hazard identification with a particular focus on flood plain mapping, implementing adaptation measures and community-based climate monitoring. In 2020–21, the department:

• funded 118 projects with Indigenous and northern communities, territorial governments, and regional governments and supported them in completing climate change vulnerability and risk assessments, hazard maps, adaptation plans, and adaptation planning exercises to prioritize options, and in implementing structural/non-structural adaptation measures to make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
• funded 48 community-led projects that supported First Nations in assessing climate change impacts through risk and adaptation assessment projects, flood plain mapping and drainage assessments. The program also enabled First Nations to participate in regional watershed management initiatives.
• funded 56 self-determined, Indigenous-led projects that apply Indigenous Knowledge Systems and science, towards tracking climate and the impacts of climate change.

In 2020–21, CIRNAC worked collaboratively with partners to further improve the retail subsidy and the Harvesters Support Grant components of Nutrition North Canada (NNC). NNC extended its list of subsidized food and essential items to include products like cleaning and personal hygiene products. These changes were informed by feedback during engagement with Indigenous partners, the Indigenous Working Group, and NNC Advisory Board. By increasing subsidy rates and providing additional subsidies on a broad range of items, NNC adapted to the needs of residents in northern isolated communities and developed relationships with other organizations involved in pandemic response to ensure continued access to food and to plan improvements for the future.

Changes to NNC also contribute to the achievement of the ANPF goal, where Canadian Arctic and northern Indigenous peoples are resilient and healthy. As well, they support the Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy (led by Economic and Social Development Canada), and a Food Policy for Canada developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

While essential, non-perishable items shipped by surface transportation were added to the retail subsidy in 2019, the repercussions of COVID-19 safety measures and emergency support provided to northern isolated communities highlighted the complexity of demand and supply in the North. As shelves emptied quickly resulting in item shortages, there was an increased dependence on air transportation to resupply quickly. Consequently, CIRNAC was not able to assess progress on NNC's expansion to surface transportation.

Upon its launch in Spring 2020, the Harvesters Support Grant provided funding support to harvesting activities in eligible communities, and the program delivered full funding to 90% of recipient organizations. In 2020–21, all 108 eligible communities benefitted from grant funding. However, the pandemic had a profound impact on northern isolated communities and significantly restricted the degree to which NNC could engage with communities and their vulnerable Indigenous population. Lockdowns, travel restrictions and a focus on COVID-19 response efforts were the priority of communities and their representative organizations. Consequently, other initiatives, such as the development of performance indicators for the Grant, were delayed to prioritize community health and safety. Although NNC continues to engage with its Indigenous partners, the importance of harvesting and its links to culture and traditions requires that discussions on a joint measurement strategy be conducted respectfully and in person.

Working towards sustainable food systems in Inuit Nunangat, and discussions between NNC and the Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group are ongoing and are led by ISC and ITK. The shared Food Security Workplan was approved by leaders on December 17, 2020. CIRNAC continues to share general updates about NNC with the Working Group and works collaboratively with partners to co-develop policy options to further improve NNC.

Departmental result 6: Northern lands and resources are sustainably managed

Many remote Indigenous and northern communities are facing environmental and socio-economic challenges associated with environmental and economic changes. Dealing with these challenges requires increasing participation of Indigenous organizations and Northerners in resource management policies and decisions, and strengthening nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationships with Indigenous peoples based on affirmation of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership. The North also has a number of contaminated sites, abandoned by previous occupants, that include legacy contamination, primarily from private sector mining, oil and gas activities as well as Government military activities. The 2020–21 results are outlined below.

The department managed high-priority contaminated sites in the North, which included care, maintenance, planning, remediation and monitoring activities. Remediation was fully completed at one site in 2020–21, while risk reduction and remediation planning activities continued at the other contaminated sites. For example, at the Rayrock Mine in the Northwest Territories, a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) was prepared and finalized in August 2020, and a Water License Application and Land Use Permit Application were submitted for the project in September 2020. As the RAP was being developed, technical and engagement sessions with the Tłįchǫ communities and Kwetı̨ı̨ɂaà Elders were conducted.

In 2020–21, the Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program was established to address the long-term management of the department's 8 largest mine reclamation projects in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. While these projects have largely been in care, maintenance, and remediation planning for several years, important regulatory milestones were achieved in 2020–21. The department also made progress in finalizing the transfer of the Mount Nansen Mine to the private sector.

CIRNAC continued care and maintenance work and remediation planning at its 2 largest sites in the Northwest Territories:

• Faro Mine: the department advanced the project through the regulatory process, after having submitted its project proposal to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board in 2019. Furthermore, CIRNAC completed construction of the realigned North Fork Rose Creek. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the flow of clean water through the diversion channel was held at site, respecting COVID-19 protocols.
• Giant Mine: the final water license was issued by the Mackenzie Valley land and Water Board on September 18, 2020. The license will be in effect for 20 years. The department was also able to refine substantive designs for engineering work packages, including the completion of an Early Work Implementation Plan, as the project moves closer to its implementation phase. Early remediation work will begin in 2021–22.

CIRNAC successfully engaged Northerners and scientists in monitoring and research on contaminant levels in the environment, traditional/country foods and people, and furthered the transfer of knowledge through $4.8 million in funding support for 72 projects working throughout Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, across Canada and internationally. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, and due to the strong capacity and partnerships built in participating communities, most of the department's core monitoring projects successfully collected samples and measured contaminants in air, seawater, and key species of importance to Northerners including caribou, ringed seals, beluga, polar bears, burbot, Arctic char and lake trout. Community-based research also included moose, narwhal, and other species of interest to communities. In-person workshops had to be cancelled, but many projects pivoted to virtual engagement and outreach.

The department administered funding for research and monitoring of plastic pollution in the North, as part of implementing Canada's Plastics Science Agenda under the Towards Zero Plastic Waste horizontal initiative. Efforts to develop a research and monitoring strategy for plastics and microplastics in the North focused on the collaborative pan-Arctic initiatives under the Arctic Council. A pan-Arctic monitoring plan and technical monitoring guidelines were developed to guide national and regional monitoring initiatives towards achieving a coordinated pan-Arctic plastics monitoring program.

CIRNAC data and information continued to be used by health authorities, regulatory bodies, and the general public. In one instance, a re-analysis of levels of particular 'forever chemicals', perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in caribou monitored by the department in light of new international guidelines, identified elevated concentrations in animals from Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, leading to dietary advice being issued by the Government of Nunavut Department of Health. In another instance, CIRNAC is contributing to the development of Environment and Climate Change Canada's "Metals Monitoring and Metals Performance Evaluation Strategy", a series of public reports that will provide information on the extent and performance of monitoring programs for specific metals across Canada, including the North.

The department led and coordinated Canada's engagement in the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) on issues of chemical and plastic pollution, health, and climate change, and will take on the role of AMAP Vice-Chair from 2021 to 2023. The main focus in 2020–21 was contributing to the completion of a series of scientific assessments and related summaries for policy-makers reports, 7 of which were presented at the 12th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in May 2021.

To support environmental decision making, CIRNAC supported 24 Indigenous and northern groups to participate in 3 environmental assessments in Yukon and Nunavut. The department provided funding to all Indigenous groups that could be affected by major projects undergoing environmental assessments in the territories. Moreover, all of the determinations made by co-management boards in 2020–21 incorporated the views of the Indigenous groups who participated in the environmental assessments.

On January 30, 2021, CIRNAC announced the entry into service of the Nunavut Map Selection system, Nunavut's first online mining rights administration system, allowing for online acquisition of mineral claims on Crown lands in Nunavut. It eliminates the need to travel to the field for physical ground staking, thereby lowering the costs of obtaining mineral claims. Most major mining jurisdictions in Canada such as Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec have implemented similar systems.

Financial statement highlights

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2021 (dollars)

Expenses

Total expenses were $8,639 million in 2020–21. The main expenses represent transfer payments for a total of $6,472 million (75%), of which $2,950 million related to First Nations and $2,621 million related to the provision for contingent liabilities. Operating expenses represent a total of $2,167 million (25%), of which $955 million related to payments for court awards and other settlements and $843 million related to the provision for contingent liabilities.

Revenues

Total revenues for 2020–21 were $31.4 million, which are mostly related to the provision of shared internal support services to ISC.

Significant changes

The $3,238 million increase in expenditures is mainly due to an increase in the provision for contingent liabilities ($3,648 million) and an increase in transfer payments made to First Nations ($1,420 million). This was partially offset by the decrease in the provision for environmental liabilities ($1,270 million) and a decrease in payments for court awards and other settlements ($1,129 million).

Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2021 (dollars)

Liabilities

Total net liabilities were $31,454 million at the end of 2020–21. The provision for contingent liabilities associated with claims and litigation represents the largest portion of liabilities at $23,968 million (76%). Other significant liabilities include environmental liabilities of $4,070 million (13%) and account payable and accrued liabilities of $3,358 million (11%).

Net Assets

Total net financial assets at the end of 2020–21 were $1,337 million and included the amount due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $1,324 million (99%).

Total non-financial assets include tangible capital assets of $179 million and land held for future claims settlements of $39 million.

Significant changes

The change in liabilities is primarily due to a net increase in contingent liabilities of $4,415 million offset by a decrease of $615 million in accounts payable and accrued liabilities and a decrease of $266 million in environmental liabilities.