The Northern Regulatory Initiative

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada leads the Northern Regulatory Initiative component of Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy. The Northern Regulatory Initiative provides the resources and support needed to ensure that northern regulatory regimes reflect and respect the unique contexts across Canada's territories.

Table of contents

About

Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have unique environmental and resource management regimes based in modern treaties. The Northern Regulatory Initiative aims to increase confidence and efficiencies in northern regulatory regimes by advancing:

Indigenous participation in Northern resource management

The Northern Regulatory Initiative advances the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act by supporting Indigenous-led studies and participation in resource management processes.

Multi-party regulatory dialogues

Regulatory dialogue forums create opportunities for governments, rights holders and stakeholders to come together to identify and advance common regulatory priorities in each of the 3 territories.

Each regulatory dialogue is unique and dependent on partner priorities. Organizational structure, frequency of meetings and topics for discussion are developed in collaboration with northern partners through steering committees and working groups.

Mackenzie Valley Operational Dialogue

The Mackenzie Valley Operational Dialogue provides an opportunity for partners to convene and discuss operational and regulatory priorities in an open and cross-cutting manner.

Regional, baseline and cumulative effects studies

Regional, baseline and cumulative effects studies are important decision-making tools in northern regulatory regimes. By collecting comprehensive baseline information and investigating different visions that governments, rights holders and stakeholders may have for a region, these studies can inform short-term and long-term decision-making. Studies are being supported in priority areas for critical mineral exploration, development and/or enabling infrastructure projects.

Conducting regional, baseline and cumulative effects studies in collaboration with governments, rights holders and stakeholders is key to supporting more informed and efficient northern regulatory processes.

Slave Geological Province regional study

The Tłı̨chǫ Government formally requested that a regional study be conducted in the Slave Geological Province. Canada is currently collaborating with Indigenous and territorial partners to inform next steps for a regional study in the Slave Geological province.

Yukon: pilot initiative to support Indigenous-led baseline and cumulative effects studies

Canada is supporting the development of proposals for Indigenous-led baseline and cumulative effects studies in areas of critical mineral and/or enabling infrastructure potential in Yukon.

Improved participation in land use planning and impact assessment processes

Land use plans direct how land, water and natural resources will be treated in order to achieve the vision and goals for an area. Funding under this activity will support Indigenous governments and organizations' full and informed participation in land use planning activities. This will contribute to the advancement of land use plans that affect their territories, rights and interests.

Impact assessments are used to assess the potential positive and negative effects of proposed projects. These consider a wide range of factors and propose measures to mitigate projects' adverse effects. The Northern Regulatory Initiative provides financial support to potentially impacted and otherwise unfunded Indigenous governments and organizations to increase their capacity to participate in land-use planning activities. This includes supporting participation in early stages of impact assessment processes, decision-making phases, and post-assessment activities like community-based monitoring initiatives or advisory groups.

Land use planning and impact assessment activities help ensure effective project regulatory oversight. Support is provided on a case-by-case basis. Applicants may contact us to determine eligibility for funding under the Northern Regulatory Initiative.

Critical mineral potential in the North

Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have significant known critical mineral deposits and potential for new discoveries. This includes copper, lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements.

Contact us

Have questions or comments?

Email us at Initiativedereglementationdunord-Northernregulatoryinitiative@sac-isc.gc.ca.

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