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Letter of TransmittalThe Nunavut Planning Commission has prepared the North Baffin Regional Land Use Plan inaccordance with the procedure for public consultation and government review set out in Part 5,Article 11 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

The plan was submitted to government for final consideration in May, 2000, and was approvedin June, 2000.

In preparing the plan, the Nunavut Planning Commission has attended closely to the viewsexpressed by individuals and communities in the region and by Inuit representatives and theother participants in the planning process. Every effort has also been made to address thecomments offered by government.

We, the undersigned members of the Nunavut Planning Commission, believe that the plancontained in the following pages incorporates the best concepts from all of these sources. Webelieve that with appropriate regard and action by government, Inuit land owners, and allaffected agencies, this plan can guide and direct development in the region for several years tocome.

We wish to sincerely thank all those who contributed their time and thoughts to the preparationof this plan. We also wish to recognize the contribution of our predecessors. David Mablick(Chairperson), Kik Shappa (Vice-Chairperson), David Iqaqrialu, Larry Audlaluk and RobertHornal (Members) served on the Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Commission thatprepared the original Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan submitted in 1989.

Our predecessors on the Nunavut Planning Commission, responsible for the work on this planbetween 1996 and 1999, include Akalayok Qavavau (Vice-Chairperson), Louis Pilakapsi,Loseeosee Aipellie, Jobie Nutaraq and Ron Tologanak (Members).

Louis Pilakapsi,Member

Peter Suwaksiork,Member

Bob Aknavigak,Member

Bob Lyall,Chairperson

Loseeosee Aipellie,Member

Jobie Nutaraq,Member

Akalayok Qavavau, Member

Ministerial ApprovalWe, the undersigned, are pleased to approve, on behalf of the Government of Canada and theGovernment of Nunavut, the North Baffin Regional Land Use Plan 2000 which is effective as ofJune 20, 2000.

Robert NaultMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Government of Canada

Peter KilabukMinister of Sustainable DevelopmentGovernment of Nunavut

Notes to ReadersPrevious PlanThe original Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan was approved by government in 1990.Following the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) in 1993, and theestablishment of the Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC) in 1996, the plan has been reviewedand revised to ensure that it conforms to the NLCA. The review process is described in Chapter 1.This document is the revised plan, the North Baffin Regional Land Use Plan.

AcronymsMany agencies are involved in land management in Nunavut, and virtually all of them are morecommonly referred to by their acronym than by their full name. The same practice is, therefore,followed in this land use plan. Two lists are provided in Appendix A to aid readers who may notbe familiar with some of the acronyms used in land management in Nunavut. The first list issorted alphabetically by acronym, the second is sorted by full name.

DefinitionsA number of terms that are used frequently in land and resource management in Nunavut, andthroughout this land use plan, are defined in Appendix B.

Summary of TermsA number of numerically ordered Terms are developed and discussed in Chapter 3. For easyreference, these are summarized in Appendices C-E.

Cover photo of Mount Herodier on Bylot Island by Mike Beedell.

Acknowledgements and Dedication

The NPC would like to acknowledge all thosewho contributed to the development of theNorth Baffin Regional Land Use Plan: theQikiqtani Inuit Association, all the localHunters and Trappers Organizations, theCommunity Land and Resources Committees,Hamlet Councils, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.,industry, federal and territorial departmentsand agencies, and our staff, both in the BaffinRegion and elsewhere.

The greatest thanks go to the people of theNorth Baffin, who participated withenthusiasm in all stages of this review.

Changes to this plan reflect first andforemost the concerns, goals and objectivesof the people of the region. The members ofthe NPC learned a lot from this review andtrust that the people of the North Baffin willfeel that it has been worthwhile.

This plan is dedicated to the memory ofLouis Pilakapsi, who served his people andhis land in many capacities, includingmembership in the NPC from 1996 to 1999.

The late Louis Pilakapsi, a former NPC board member, served his people and his homeland in many ways. This land use plan is dedicated to his memory.

Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 1 SETTING THE STAGE FOR PLANNING 3

CHAPTER 2 NORTH BAFFIN – PRESENT NEEDS, FUTURE QUESTIONS 11

CHAPTER 3 A PLAN FOR STABILITY, GROWTH, AND CHANGE 27

CHAPTER 4 RESPONSIBILITIES 69

CHAPTER 5 PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, AMENDMENT AND REVIEW 77

CHAPTER 6 REVIEW OF PROJECT PROPOSALS 79

APPENDIX A LIST OF ACRONYMS 81

APPENDIX B LIST OF DEFINITIONS 83

APPENDIX C SUMMARY OF CONFORMITY REQUIREMENTS 84

APPENDIX D SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 88

APPENDIX E SUMMARY OF ACTIONS 92

APPENDIX F INFORMATION RESOURCES 100

APPENDIX G LAND VALUES AND CONCERNS 106

APPENDIX H CODE OF GOOD CONDUCT FOR LAND USERS 109

APPENDIX I DIAND CARIBOU PROTECTION MEASURES 110

APPENDIX J MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL TRANSPORTATION/COMMUNICATIONS CORRIDOR ALTERNATIVE ROUTE ASSESSMENT 112

APPENDIX K MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL TRANSPORTATION/COMMUNICATIONS CORRIDOR GUIDELINES 113

APPENDIX L NPC POLICY ON TRANSLATION 114

APPENDIX M ECOSYSTEM INDICATORS 115

APPENDIX N GUIDELINES TO ESTABLISH, ASSESS AND REVIEW CONSERVATION AREAS IN NUNAVUT THROUGH THE LAND USE PLANNING PROCESS 118

APPENDIX O DEVELOPING A CLEANUP PRIORITY LIST 121

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INTRODUCTIONThe NPC is pleased to present a revisedregional land use plan to guide land use in theNorth Baffin Planning Region. This plan wasdeveloped after more than three years ofpublic consultation with members of allregional communities, Inuit organizations,industry, government and other interestedparties.

At this early stage in the evolution of landuse planning in the Nunavut Settlement Area,the NPC fully expects that the degree ofprecision of this plan is less than future planswill be able to provide. There are manyreasons for this, including the limitedavailability of planning data for such a vastexpanse of land, and the relative newness ofthe requirements of land use planning in thispart of Canada. Another importantconsideration is the importance the NPCplaces upon putting plans into effect inNunavut as early in its mandate as is feasible.Moreover, many of the requirements of thisplan involve commitments for action bygovernments and government agencies. They

do not apply directly to individual projectproposals.

It is also important to recognize that landuse planning in this part of Canada -particularly in the context of the NLCA landand resource management system - does notnecessarily resemble the administrativeprocess by which municipal officialsdetermine the conformity of land useapplications with local zoning by-laws insouthern Canada. Again, Nunavut is vast - thescale of land use planning alone in thisterritory suggests that plans will be broad intheir scope. This territory is subject to landuse and resource distribution patterns moreuncertain and shifting than those thatcharacterize towns and cities. Also, the NPC isnot a permitting agency; land use planningunder the NLCA is a policy-making functionwhose regulatory effect is intended to bebroad. This understanding of the NPC’smandate is confirmed by Section 11.3.1 of theNLCA, which defines a land use plan as a“document ... for the establishment of

We the five communities in the North Baffin, worked on this plan. The time when there was a request for oil exploration onLancaster Sound, we were concerned about our waters and we didn’t want them contaminated. We worked on this plan whenit had no conformity to the Agreement at that time. We needed a treaty because of our animals. Everything is written in theAgreement. In the Agreement it tells us to plan our waters and lands… We Inuit need a policy in our lands that were plannedfor implementation from our ancestors. Because of this reason, this hearing is important to me. Inuit culture is included in thisplan as we had consulted the Elders and people who know this land to implement the plan. Inuit culture should not be exclud-ed in this plan. From my experiences in land use planning, I wish to see this original plan be changed and revised to [complywith] the NLCA…

David IqaqrialuLancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan Review Hearing

Pond Inlet, 27 May 1997

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INTRODUCTION

since the situation in the North Baffin has notchanged appreciably from when that plan wasdeveloped. There is still little likelihood ofmajor industrial development going ahead inthe near future.

The life of the plan is approximately fiveyears. The plan may be amended during thistime. This time period may be extended orshortened depending on the rate of changewithin the region. Most of the recommendedactions should be implemented shortly afterthe plan is approved, through changes ormodifications to current government, industryand community practice. Where this is not thecase, the NPC has made comments as to theappropriate timing.

objectives and guidelines for short-term andlong-term development” (emphasis added).

Making decisions about particular cases on the basis of a set of policies, principles andstandards, rather than specific andpredetermined land use designations, is anestablished method of land use planning.

The original plan was designed to beintegrated with the NLCA land claimsettlement. The NLCA is now beingimplemented and there is a requirement toensure that all existing land use plans complywith its provisions. To that end, the NPC hasreviewed the plan and made revisions toensure that it complies with the NLCA.

In its review, the NPC decided to adhere tothe principles laid out in the original plan,

Guided by public consultation: in Resolute, members of regional Community Lands and Resources Committees discuss archaeological and cleanup sites.

Photo by Jayko Alooloo

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CHAPTER 1SETTING THE STAGE FOR PLANNING

1.1 What is the North BaffinRegional Land Use Plan?

The nature of land use planning has notchanged since the original Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Plan was approved in1990. That plan, which was put together bythe former Lancaster Sound Regional LandUse Planning Commission, pointed out thatthere was no longer pressure for large-scaleindustrial development, as there had been inthe late 1970s. Nevertheless, there continuedto be pressures on the land, water and com-munities in the region:

... renewable resource use, shipping, andresearch are of continuing importance.Activities related to tourism and nationaldefence are increasing. Many land usersare advocating the need for protectedareas. Land claims are being negotiated.1

Since the original plan was approved, theNLCA has come into effect. The NLCA createsthe NPC as an Institution of PublicGovernment and establishes a process of landuse planning throughout Nunavut. Given thenature of land use in the region now and inthe immediate future and the fact that thereare no large-scale development proposalsrequiring specific parcels of land, the NPCfeels it would be inappropriate to allocateland uses to particular areas. Instead, landusers want a balance between uses in theregion. Based on its review and on consulta-tions with people in the communities andother interested parties, the NPC feels thatgeneral direction on how land should be usedand how land users should cooperate in theiruse of the land continues to be the best way toestablish a balance between users. A similarphilosophy is guiding land use planning else-where in Nunavut.

In September 1986, on the advice of the NWT Land Use Planning Commission, the Minister of DIAND and the Minister ofRenewable Resources (GNWT) appointed a six person Regional Commission to prepare a Land Use Plan for the Lancaster SoundRegion. In October 1986, the Ministers gave the NWT Land Use Planning Commission general terms of reference for the RegionalCommission and asked that more detailed terms of reference be prepared for the Regional Commission.

Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Planp. 65.

1 Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan, p. 3.

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CHAPTER 1 SETTING THE STAGE FOR PLANNING

1.2 Principles GuidingDevelopment of the Revised Plan

The primary purpose of the land use plan is toensure the well-being of the communities andpermanent residents of the North BaffinPlanning Region, while still taking intoaccount the interests of all Canadians. Whenthe plan was being prepared, the fundamentalconsiderations were the values and prioritiesof the people of the Region and theimportance of the resources. This planconsiders that the social, economic andcultural aspects of land use are inseparablefrom the biophysical considerations.

The following principles guided review of

the original Lancaster Sound Regional LandUse Plan. The NPC finds that they are stillendorsed by the people of the region andother participants in the process.

Land use planning must be directedtowards supporting and enhancing localknowledge as it relates to the relationshipsbetween land and people.

i) Planning Principles under the NLCA

In conducting its review, the NPC was guided,in particular, by the following principlescontained in the NLCA:• the primary purpose of land use planning in

the Nunavut Settlement Area shall be to

Working on land use planning in Pond Inlet, 1987. Special attention has beendevoted to protecting and promoting the well-being of Inuit and IOL in land use planning.

Photo by Arthur Boutilier

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protect and promote the existing and futurewell-being of those persons ordinarilyresident in communities of the NunavutSettlement Area, taking into account theinterests of all Canadians; special attentionshall be devoted to protecting andpromoting the existing and future well-being of Inuit and Inuit Owned Lands(11.2.1 (b));

• the purpose of a land use plan shall be [inaddition to those stated above] ... toprotect, and where necessary, to restore theenvironmental integrity of the NunavutSettlement Area (11.3.2);

• in the development of a regional land useplan, the NPC shall give great weight to theviews and wishes of municipalities in theareas for which planning is beingconducted (11. 7.3);

• land use plans shall take into account Inuitgoals and objectives for Inuit Owned Lands(11.8.2).

ii) Compliance with the NLCA Regional land use planning is an importantpart of the land and resource managementregime that has been established through theNLCA. The NLCA confirms the importance ofan open planning process and lays out therelationship between the NPC and other co-management bodies. Regional plans will serveas the first level of review for developmentproposals. The Implementation Contract forthe NLCA recognizes that the originalLancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan isa completed plan, but that it requires“review”.

The NPC has revised the original plan inorder to meet the requirements of the NLCA.Where appropriate, institutions and bodiescreated through the land claim have beenreferenced.

iii) Land Use Planning on Inuit Owned Lands

Section 11.8.2 of the NLCA states:

The land use planning process shall applyto Inuit Owned Lands. Land use plansshall take into account Inuit goals andobjectives for Inuit Owned Lands.

It is important to recognize that the generalpolicies in this plan apply to both IOL andother lands in the Nunavut Settlement Area.For that reason, the NPC, Nunavut TunngavikInc. (NTI) and Regional Inuit Associations(RIAs) are working on a comprehensiveapproach that will guide land use planning onIOL. The objectives of this exercise are:• to promote, protect and enhance Inuit

rights and interests on IOL through theconcept of sustainable development; and

• [t]o provide Inuit with rights in land thatpromote economic self-sufficiency of Inuitthrough time, in a manner consistent withInuit social and cultural needs andaspirations. (NLCA, s.17.1.1)

This planning work will be carried out inconjunction with regional planning activities,including land use mapping. The objectivesare:

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• to identify IOL that are of significantenvironmental, cultural or economicimportance to Inuit;

• to ensure the incorporation of Inuittraditional knowledge in the IOL land useplanning process;

• to provide sufficient information anddirection to RIA land managers whenreviewing requests for land use activities;and

• to ensure the co-ordination of land useplanning in Nunavut.

iv) Using Local and Traditional Knowledge

Local and traditional knowledge has beenused throughout the land use plan. This is theknowledge that local people have about theenvironment in which they live - everythingfrom the land and wildlife to the location of sites of spiritual significance andarchaeological importance to communityhealth and economic well-being.

v) Relationship to Municipal PlansThe NPC’s mandate is to plan for land andmarine areas throughout the planning region.Under the NLCA, municipalities remainresponsible for developing municipal plans.The NPC and municipalities are directed tocooperate to ensure that the regional andmunicipal land use plans are compatible. Inrevising the original plan, the NPC has givengreat weight to the views and wishes of themunicipalities, as required by the NLCA.

vi) Sustainable Development(i) Maintaining the BalanceSustainable development is the overridingprinciple guiding the preparation of the NorthBaffin Regional Land Use Plan. The NPC has adopted the following definition ofsustainable development.

Sustainable development is definedgenerally as the management of humanrelationships to the natural environment insuch a way that economic, social andcultural needs are met and ecologicalprocesses and natural diversity aremaintained. For a complete definition ofsustainable development, see Chapter 3.

The people of the region have stated clearlyand consistently over the years that there mustbe a balance between industrial developmentand the environment in order to guarantee thelong-term preservation and conservation ofthe land, wildlife and wildlife habitat.

(ii) Support for Regional EconomicDevelopment

A significant portion of the North Baffinprivate-sector economy is based on some useof the land and natural resources. The mostimportant elements of this economy aremineral exploration, tourism, the harvestingof wildlife, and the provision of services suchas construction. Apart from social services, asignificant number of jobs in the public sectorare devoted to regulating or supporting theseland-related activities. Any land use plan for the North Baffin must therefore take into account the economic impacts of its recommendations and actions.

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Residents would like to see the devel-opment of a stronger local and regionaleconomy that would provide more businessand employment opportunities, particularlyfor youth. At the same time they want tomaintain, as far as possible, the traditionallifestyle of Inuit and would like to see moreeconomic endeavours that combinetraditional elements with wage employmentand business opportunities.

(iii) Encouragement of Multiple Land UsesThe land and resources of the North Baffinshould be available to all users, subject to theprinciple of sustainable development.

1.3 Why a Regional Land Use Plan?

The North Baffin Planning Region has beenthe homeland of Inuit and their ancestors forseveral thousand years. Since the early 1800s,explorers and developers have been visitingthe North Baffin region to look for new kindsof wealth.

In the 1960s and 1970s the pace ofdevelopment accelerated. The Nanisivikzinc/lead mine opened. Oil and gasexploration permits were granted over vastareas, and large quantities of gas and some oilwere identified. The Northwest Passage was

Meeting in an Arctic Bay church, 1987. Mining and oil and gas developments decades ago prompted the first regional study of development options for Lancaster Sound.


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Devon Island

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considered as a possible year-round shippingroute.

During the 1980s development continuedwith the opening of the Polaris zinc/lead mineand the development of the Bent Horn oil fieldas a demonstration project. Oil and gasexploration decreased, however, following adecline in world energy prices. Also in the1980s, a new kind of activity arose as anincreasing number of tourists began to visitthe region.

For many years, the federal and territorialgovernments dealt with each newdevelopment separately. Decisions on landuse were often made with little regionalconsultation. However, the situation began tochange in 1978 when an EnvironmentalAssessment and Review Process (EARP) Panelwas formed to conduct a public review of theproposal by Norlands Petroleum Limited todrill an offshore exploratory well in LancasterSound. The EARP Panel concluded that adecision on drilling in Lancaster Sound couldnot be made until the government hadconsidered the broader issues of all potentialuses of the area.

In the summer of 1979, as a result of theEARP Panel’s conclusion, DIAND announcedthat it would conduct a regional study ofdevelopment options for Lancaster Sound.The result of the study was a Green Paperentitled The Lancaster Sound Region: 1980 -2000, which set out six resource developmentoptions and outlined alternative approachesto regional planning. A public review of theGreen Paper indicated that there was strongsupport for a comprehensive land use

planning process that represented northerninterests and priorities.

In 1981, the federal government announcedthe Northern Land Use Planning Policy. By1983, the federal and territorial governments,the NWT Metis Association, the Dene Nation,the TFN, and later, the Inuvialuit had agreedupon a community-based planning process.

The Minister of DIAND, Government ofCanada, and the Minister of RenewableResources, GNWT, identified the LancasterSound Region as a priority for planning inorder to continue the momentum gained fromthe Green Paper. In September 1986, theLancaster Sound Regional Land Use PlanningCommission was formed and charged with theresponsibility of preparing the original plan.That plan was approved by government in1990.

In early 1997, the NPC began reviewing theplan to ensure that it complies with the NLCA.This review also provided people in the regionwith an opportunity to comment on the planand make suggestions for changes. Staff andboard members visited all of the communitiesin the North Baffin and held public meetingswith members of hamlet councils, HTOs andCLARCs, and with Elders. The NPC then heldan informal public hearing in Pond Inlet inMay 1997, attended by local and regionalrepresentatives and government officials. Oraland written comments on the LancasterSound Regional Land Use Plan (laterrenamed the North Baffin Regional Land UsePlan) were accepted until the end of Augustthat year. The revised North Baffin RegionalLand Use Plan was submitted to the federal

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and territorial governments for review inSeptember 1997. Federal comments werereceived by the NPC in July 1998; territorialcomments followed in September of the sameyear.

Following the NPC reconsideration of therevised plan in light of the commentsreceived, the plan was resubmitted to theministers for final consideration, and thecomments made public. In October 1999,comments on the resubmitted version of theplan were received from the newly establishedGovernment of Nunavut. The NPC made non-substantive edits to the resubmitted plan inlight of these comments.

The Ministers of DIAND and DSD acceptedthe resubmitted plan and the Governments ofCanada and Nunavut approved it in June2000.

1.4 How Often Will the Plan be Revised?

The revised plan outlines principles andobjectives to guide land uses in the future,and actions that are specific to the next fiveyears. After five years, the revised plan will

again be formally reviewed and updated.Monitoring, amendment and review are partof the continual process of land use planning.These steps are described in Chapter 5.

1.5 How Can the Revised Plan Be Used?

The revised plan has been prepared toprovide direction for government, industryand communities on the future managementof the region. The NPC intends that the plan bewidely circulated within communities,government and industry, and that it beconsulted when any land use activity is beingconsidered. It is a document that can assist allusers of the land, not only to realize theirspecific objectives, but also to keep in mindthe goals of the communities.

1.6 What is the Authority of the Plan?

The NLCA requires Executive Council andCabinet approval of land use plans. Theresponsible ministries are DIAND for thefederal government and DSD for theGovernment of Nunavut.

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CHAPTER 2NORTH BAFFIN – PRESENT NEEDS,FUTURE QUESTIONS

2.1 The Planning Region2.1.1 Boundaries The North Baffin Planning Region is a roughlytriangular area in the Arctic Archipelago,comprising about 1.5 million squarekilometres.

To the west, the boundary is the easternlimit of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region(110˚W); to the east, the boundary is theeastern limit of the Outer Land Fast Ice Zone2;to the north, the boundary is the limit ofCanada’s fishing zone; and to the south, theboundary is the southernmost extent ofpresent land use by the communities withinthe region. It is understood that, in the marinearea and the Outer Land Fast Ice Zone of theplanning region, the plan shall be interpretedand applied in a manner consistent withCanada’s international obligations.

2.1.2 A Region of Communities The residents of the North Baffin region live inthe five hamlets of Resolute, Grise Fiord,Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet and Clyde River; in apermanent outpost camp at Creswell Bay; andin a mining community at Nanisivik. Transientresidents occupy a mining complex at Polaris,

on Little Cornwallis Island; and a military baseat Alert and a weather station at Eureka, bothof which are on Ellesmere Island.

Until the 1950s, Inuit lived a nomadic lifeon the land. Although they are now gatheredin settlements, they still have strong ties to theland, ties which are vital to their cultural,physical and economic well-being. Extensiveareas around each community continue to beused regularly for hunting, fishing andtrapping. This link between the people andthe land gives the region its cohesiveness andmakes any activities occurring on the landvery much a concern of its residents. Theoriginal Lancaster Sound Regional Land UsePlan included a map of important areas in theregion (See the Areas of Importance map).

The 1996 Census put the population of thefive hamlets and Nanisivik at 3,132. TheNunavut Bureau of Statistics estimated a 1999combined population of 3,358.

According to the Nunavut Bureau ofStatistics, the region’s population is expectedto grow to 5,193 by 2020, an increase of 55%.In 1999, almost 46% of the residents wereage 19 or younger. As Figure 1 shows, thepercentage of people in this age category ismuch higher than in the rest of Canada. This

2 See NLCA Article 16.

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combination of a young and growingpopulation accentuates the need for morewage employment as well as business andeconomic diversification, related to bothrenewable and non-renewable resources.

2.1.3 Scientific and Community Knowledge

A great deal of scientific information isavailable on the physical, biological,economic and social characteristics of theNorth Baffin region. This information isreadily available from government, industryand academic sources. The documentsconsulted during the original planningexercise and the NPC review are listed inAppendix F: Information Resources.

Local residents have an extensive andintimate knowledge of the land and itsresources. This knowledge was used in theplanning exercise to identify communityconcerns, and was combined with scientificinformation to document and map the naturalresources and cultural features of the region.The NPC will continue to work with people in

the communities to map resources in theregion, including archaeological and heritagesites, wildlife habitat and harvest areas, andabandoned waste sites. Most of this mappingwork will be based on local knowledge.3

2.1.4 Physical SettingThe patterns of land use in the region aredetermined largely by its geography andclimate. Just as the species and distribution ofwildlife are a function of biophysicalconditions, so too are the types, timing andlocation of human use of the land.

The region is made up of islands, ice andwater. The central geographic feature isLancaster Sound, which forms the easternentrance to the Northwest Passage. ThisSound lies between Devon and Baffin islandswhich, along with Ellesmere and Axel Heibergislands, are the main land masses in theregion.

The variety of landforms, from the flat Arcticlowlands in the west to the mountains anddeep fiords of the eastern coasts, providesdiverse habitat, including well-vegetated

3 Where the context permits, the term “local knowledge” in the plan should beinterpreted consistently with the following definition of Inuit Qaujimanituqangnit.Inuit Qaujimanituqangnit (IQ) is first-hand knowledge obtained fromknowledgeable Inuit Elders, pertaining to:

• language;• culture;• values and beliefs;• survival skills;• use of resources;• humane and sustainable harvesting;• understanding of society, ecology and environment.

“IQ” consists of the past, present and future experience, knowledge and values ofInuit society.

IQ Guiding Principles:A Traditional Inuit family and leader/community model with the followingprinciples:

1. Pijitsirniq• leadership role assumes responsibility to serve community;• knowledge and ability-based leadership;• authoritative vs authoritarian;• serves in the interest of community as opposed to pure self-interest.

2. Aajiiqatigiingniq• inclusive decision-making;• ensures that all parties understand each other;• doing different tasks for a common purpose;• ensures wise use of resources.

3. Pilimmaksarniq• skill development to ensure success and survival;• to ensure that all members are able to contribute to the community;• knowledge gained through observation and experience.

4. Piliriqatigiingniq• believes that all members can contribute to the community;• ensures wise use of limited resources;• sharing of resources and collaborative relationships.

5. Avatimik Kamattiarniq• we are part of the environment;• what we put into the environment comes back to us;• vast store of experiential knowledge pertaining to environment and wildlife needs

to be collected and collated to be used in conjunction with Western methods ofresearch and management.

6. Qanuqtuurunnarniq• improvising with what is at hand;• not giving up in the face of obstacles;• reflecting on a problem before acting on a decision.

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lowlands, sheltered bays, steep cliffs andtidewater glaciers.

Perhaps more than the conditions of theland, the complex and changing state of thesea and ice affect the use of the region. Thesechanges are so fundamental to Inuit that theymark the change of seasons by the cycles ofsnow, ice, water and light (Figure 2).

Freeze-up begins in early October. ByDecember, the waters are normally ice-covered. The ice regime is a mix of first-yearice, multi-year ice and icebergs. Landfast iceforms in the more sheltered inlets, fiords,straits and bays, while the ice of Baffin Bayand Lancaster Sound tends to remainunconsolidated, shifting with the winds,currents and tides. Multi-year ice is found

throughout the High Arctic islands, generallyentrapped in landfast ice during the winter,drifting south and east during the summer.

Hundreds of icebergs of varying sizes driftinto the eastern entrances of Lancaster Soundand Jones Sound. Some are taken by currentsas far west as Prince Regent Inlet, while theBaffin Current carries them south along theBaffin coast.

Spring, marked by long hours of sunlightand the widening of cracks and leads, comesin May and June. The open water season,when ice is no longer safe for travel, begins inJuly - although the actual time and length ofthis summer period, and the percentage of icecover remaining, depend on annual weatherconditions.

The intimate knowledge that residents have of the land and its resources was combined with scientific information to map the region’s natural resources and cultural features.


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FIGURE 1: COMPARISON OF AGE STRUCTURE BAFFIN REGION AND CANADA (1999)

Baffin Region

Canada

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70-74

65-69

60-64

55-59

50-54

45-49

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30-34

25-29

20-24

15-19

10-14

5-9

0-4

0.0 3.0 6.0 9.0 12.0 15.0

Percent of Total Population

Ag

e

Source: Annual Demographic Statistics, 1999. Statistics Canada.

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The winter landfast ice, summer openwater, break-up and freeze-up, tidal currents,and advancing and retreating ice edgesinteract in a complex pattern to createpolynyas, shear zones, early leads and floeedges. These unique niches in the otherwiseimpenetrable expanse of ice attract bothpeople and wildlife.

2.1.5 Renewable Resources

Ecosystems of National andInternational SignificanceThe variety in habitat produces a biologicalrichness in the region: deep fiords fornarwhal, shallow bays for beluga, cliffs fornesting seabirds, lowlands for nesting geese,and vegetated river valleys for caribou.

The combination of abundant food sourcesand early open water associated withpolynyas, shore leads and floe edges is

SEAIC

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UPINGAAQAUJAQ

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JULYAUG

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FIGURE 2: ANNUAL SNOW, ICE, WATER & LIGHT CYCLES

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extremely important for returning marinemammals and seabirds. In particular, theshore leads along the south coast of DevonIsland and in the vicinity of Bylot Island makeLancaster Sound important for funnelling themarine mammals and seabirds, concentratedat the floe edge, into their summering areasfurther into the region.

The region’s marine habitat is essential tothe survival of several million seabirds, whichoccur in concentrations not found elsewherein the Arctic. Twenty key habitat sites fornorthern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake,thick-billed murre and black guillemot, aswell as glaucous, Ross’s and ivory gulls, andsnow goose are found across the region.

The North Baffin area is also one of themost important marine mammal habitats inthe eastern Arctic. Eighty-five percent of NorthAmerica’s narwhal, and 40% of its belugawhales, in addition to large populations ofringed, harp and bearded seals, are foundhere. Small colonies of walrus are present,and the endangered bowhead whale summersin the southern part of the region.

Arctic char are found in inland and coastalwaters. The region also supports muskox,polar bear and caribou.

The biophysical richness of the central partof the region around Lancaster Sound makesit an ecosystem of international significance.The importance of wildlife and other assets

The majestic North Baffin landscape, near Clyde River. Landforms here vary from the flat Arctic lowlands in the west to the mountains and deep fiords of the eastern coast.


←ΝLambert Conformal Conic Projection

Central Meridian 95° W Standard Parallels 49° N and 77° N

Grise Fiord

Resolute

102° W

71° N

110° W

73° N

75° N

77° N

79° N

81° N

70° W78° W86° W 62° W

81° N

83° N

77° N

79° N

73° N

75° N

69° N

71° N

62° W

78° W 70° W94° W 86° W

EllesmereIsland

BathurstIsland

Princeof Wales

IslandBaffin Island

Kilometres

0 10050 150 200 250

Arctic BayNanisivik

Clyde River

Devon Island

Seal HabitatAreas of WinterConcentration

Seal HabitatWinter

Pond Inlet

17

CHAPTER 2 NORTH BAFFIN – PRESENT NEEDS, FUTURE QUESTIONSN

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throughout the region has been recognizednationally and internationally. The regionincludes two national parks (Sirmilik andQuttinirpaaq) and one proposed nationalpark (Bathurst Island); two Migratory BirdSanctuaries; one National Wildlife Area; and29 sites identified through the InternationalBiological Program. (See “Catalogue of Areasof Special Interest in the Lancaster SoundPlanning Region”, published as a separatedocument by the former Lancaster SoundRegional Planning Commission).

Wildlife – A Way of LifeThe abundance of marine and terrestrialwildlife has provided food, clothing and

shelter for Inuit and their ancestors forseveral thousand years. Inuit continue to relyon renewable resources for these things, aswell as for their cultural and economic well-being. This reliance forms the basis of aprofound relationship with the land.

Most Inuit spend at least some timeharvesting renewable resources for domesticuse as food, clothing and hunting materials.Some residents derive a portion of theirincome from sport and commercialharvesting, from arts and crafts made withharvested materials, and outfitting andguiding wilderness trips for tourists.

The harvest generally follows the seasonalcycles of wildlife (see Figure 3: North Baffin

Hunters carve up beluga whales in Resolute. The North Baffin has one of the most important marine mammal habitats in the eastern Arctic.

Photo by Lyn Hancock



Grise Fiord

Resolute

102° W

71° N

110° W

73° N

75° N

77° N

79° N

81° N

70° W78° W86° W 62° W

81° N

83° N

77° N

79° N

73° N

75° N

69° N

71° N

62° W

78° W 70° W94° W 86° W

Lancaster Sound

EllesmereIsland

BathurstIsland

Princeof Wales

IslandBaffin Island

Kilometres

0 10050 150 200 250

Arctic BayNanisivik

Clyde River

Devon Island

Seal HarvestWinter

Seal HarvestWinter

Pond Inlet

19

CHAPTER 2 NORTH BAFFIN – PRESENT NEEDS, FUTURE QUESTIONSN

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20Harvesting Cycles). Caribou, seal and Arcticchar are taken year-round as staple foodsources. Spring is a particularly importanttime, as hunters travel to the floe edge and theshore leads, where seal, beluga, narwhal andpolar bear concentrate. Entire familiesparticipate in these spring hunting trips, andsome also move to outpost camps for thesummer.

In addition to the economic and physicalimportance of harvesting, “going out on theland” is a means of spiritual renewal after along, cold, dark winter.

2.1.6 Non-Renewable ResourcesThe known non-renewable resources of the

region include oil, gas, lead, zinc, coal, iron,sand, gravel and carving stone.

Although several small oil fields and largereserves of gas have been found, Bent Horn -formerly the region’s only producing oil field- is now shut down. The Sverdrup Basin andthe eastern end of Lancaster Sound have thehighest known oil and gas potential of thesedimentary basins of the Arctic islands.However, it is unlikely that further oil and gasexploration will be undertaken until world oilprices rise significantly.

Much of the region remains unexplored formineral deposits. To date, the only deposits ofminerals that would be profitable to extract


CARIBOU

MU

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OK WALRUS

NARWHAL, BELUGA

POLAR BEAR

UKIUQ

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UP

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SAA

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SEA ICE; SUN RETURNING;

SEAICE; LA

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SEAIC

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W-FREE

LAND;

OPENWATER

LAKEIC

E;SN

OW

ON

LAN

DSE

AIC

E;D

ARK

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VERY COLD

LON

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AYLIGH

T24

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JA

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APRIL

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YJU

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OCT

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FIGURE 3: NORTH BAFFIN HARVESTING CYCLES

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21are found at the existing zinc/lead mines ofNanisivik and Polaris.

While communities use local deposits ofsand and gravel, large-scale extraction ofthese resources is not foreseen. A large ironore deposit at Mary River is unprofitable tomine, given current world prices. Coal ofgenerally good quality is present in largequantities, but is not extracted commercially.

2.1.7 Cultural ResourcesPeople have been living in the North Baffinregion for several thousand years, but it is thepast hundred years that have broughtdramatic changes. Inuit have had to adapt tochanges brought about by whaling, trade,government, defence activities, non-

renewable resource development andtourism.

There are approximately 2,000 knownarchaeological sites within the region, whichmay represent only 10 to 20% of the actualtotal. These sites are the tangible remains of the ways of life of Paleo-Eskimos (4000 BC to 1000 AD), Thule Inuit (1000 to1600 AD), and Historic Inuit. All that isknown of the Paleo-Eskimos and the ThuleInuit comes from archaeological sites.

The archaeological and historical sites areimportant because they show the movementof ancient Arctic peoples into the morenortherly latitudes and their adaptations tothe environment. Archaeological studies showthat strong Inuit ties to the land can be traced


An ancient sodhouse in Pond Inlet. The thousands of archaeological sites in the region are the only visible remains of historic peoples whose cultures date back as far as 4000 BC.


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22 back to their prehistoric roots. Withappropriate protection, some archaeologicalsites could be developed for tourists who areinterested in Inuit heritage. Archaeologicalprograms and field schools could also takeadvantage of some of these sites.

2.1.8 Regional Income, Employment,and Education4

Value of a Mixed EconomySimilar to other areas in Canada’s North, theNorth Baffin Planning Region has developed,over the last 30 years, a mixed traditional/


wage economy that depends on the use ofrenewable resources, the public sector,service businesses and non-renewableresource exploration and extraction.

In addition to its cultural and socialimportance, the traditional harvest ofrenewable resources contributes significantlyto the regional economy. The dollar value ofthis harvest is calculated as the cost ofreplacing country foods with store-boughtproducts.

Studies have consistently shown that inmany cases subsistence and sport fishing offerconsiderably higher value than thecommercial fishery. As an example, thereplacement value of Arctic char harvested forfood in the Baffin region exceeds $3.00 per

Arctic Bay, like almost all communities in the North Baffin, is closely tied to the land. The traditional harvest of renewable resources is a strong factor in the regional economy.


4 The information for this section is from the 1984, 1986 and 1988 reports of theGNWT Department of Economic Development and Tourism; the 1981, 1986 and1991 national censuses; the 1984 and 1994 NWT labour force surveys; and theNWT Bureau of Statistics.

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development subsidies, social assistance,government employment, and goods andservices sold to government by regionalbusinesses. In 1986, earned wages from thepublic sector made up about half of allincome to the Baffin Region. If all governmentsources are included, the percentage of theregional income rises to 62%.

Income from non-renewable resourcedevelopment is significant in the region,although at present most of this contributioncomes from the mine at Nanisivik.

Oil and Gas Development Although the potential for petroleumdevelopment in the region is high, the futurecontribution of the oil and gas industry is alsoexpected to be largely determined byfluctuating world prices. In 1982, income to

pound, while the commercial value of this fishis between $1.00 and $2.00 per pound.Depending on circumstances, sport fishingmay yield an even higher return, up to $20.00per pound.5

Associated with the traditional harvest is thesmaller portion of the regional income thatcomes from the commercial sale ofrenewable resources such as meat, fur, fishand ivory. Income from the sale of arts andcrafts, and from tourism, is also part of therenewable resource sector.

TourismThe continued development of tourismfacilities, attractions and programs providesan important source of income to the peopleof the North Baffin region. The largest growthis in adventure and naturalist package tours.Visits between June and September haveincreased substantially since the originalLancaster Sound plan was developed. Peoplein the region want tourism development but,as with other forms of development, they arenot in favour of it at any cost.

The further development of the renewableresource sector is of increasing interest, inpart because of the uncertainty of non-renewable resource development activity, andalso because it offers options that are morestable and compatible with the traditionallifestyle.

Sources of Wage Income A major influence in the regional economy isthe income from government economic

You all know about the lack of employment opportunitiesthroughout the north. Employment opportunities that areavailable but a threat to the environment are in areas ofnon-renewable resources exploration. There is a need tointroduce and create job opportunities within the tradition-al aspects of Inuit such as hunting. Pond Inlet caribou is indemand…. There are endless economic developmentopportunities in this area. There are too many unnecessaryrestrictions. For example, seals from Broughton Island andClyde River are said to be quite delectable by people fromother communities. Up to today we’ve never seen sealmeat in a store indicating that it is seal meat fromBroughton Island and this caribou is from Baker Lake andthis aged walrus meat is from Igloolik. This kind of eco-nomic development poses no threat to the environment.

Apitak EnuaraqLancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan Review

Pond Inlet, 29 May 1997

5 “Economic Framework,” Department of Resources, Wildlife and EconomicDevelopment, GNWT.

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the North Baffin region from the oil and gasindustry was $765,000 (3.7%). At the presentlow level of activity, income to the region isnegligible, and little change is anticipated inthe immediate future.

Changes in Labour Force ActivityAccording to the 1999 Nunavut CommunityLabour Force Survey released by the Nunavut Bureau of Statistics, the averageunemployment rate in the communitiesaccording to the ‘National Criteria’ definitionof unemployment6 was 21.4%. This compareswith 20.7% for Nunavut as a whole for thesame period. However, the Survey points outthat this characterization of the labour forceand unemployment is not appropriate fordescribing the labour market in manyNunavut communities where few jobs areavailable, and where the competitions forthose jobs are not advertised within thecommunity. Many unemployed had notlooked for work because they perceived nojobs to be available. Using this ‘No JobsAvailable’ definition, the unemployment ratefor North Baffin communities is actually 30%.

Education and TrainingSince the original plan was developed,education levels have increased throughoutthe region. The extent to which communitiescan take advantage of employmentopportunities is determined to some degreeby the education and skill levels of the

residents. Few students graduated from highschool between 1985 and 1988 in the NorthBaffin communities, and in both 1981 and1986, about 75% of the population aged 15or older had less than a Grade 12 certificate.Most of the 25% who had Grade 12, a tradediploma, some university experience or auniversity degree were transient residents.

Other training programs are available forregional residents. Many residents takeNunavut Arctic College and Adult Educationcourses, and both of the mines offer trainingin conjunction with the Government ofNunavut’s Apprenticeship Program. Allprograms and courses are aimed atincreasing the education and skill levels ofregional residents as communities preparethemselves to take greater advantage of futureeconomic opportunities.

With a limited number of jobs at present ineach community, an already highunemployment rate, a high birth rate, thepresent low levels of education, and noimmediate prospects for ongoing majordevelopment projects to offer employment,the creation of local employmentopportunities is of major concern tocommunity residents, their governments andthe NPC. In the future, it will becomeincreasingly important to identify and assessavailable economic opportunities in eachsector of the economy.

The establishment of Nunavut is bringingwith it increased employment opportunities.Nevertheless, the goal of sustainabledevelopment cannot be achieved in the North6 The percentage of the labour force who are unemployed – that is, persons

available for work during the week prior to the survey who: 1) were without workand had actively looked for work in the previous four weeks 2) had been ontemporary lay-off, or 3) had definite arrangements to start a new job within thenext four weeks.

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Baffin by an increased public sector. It alsorequires a healthy private sector.

2.2 Regional ConcernsThe original Commission met with thecommunities, government, industry andinterest groups to determine their concernsabout land use in the region. In reviewing theLancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan,the NPC held a series of community meetings,followed by an informal public hearing inPond Inlet in May 1997. Interested partieswere also invited to submit written briefs tothe NPC, outlining any changes that wereneeded in the document and itsrecommendations. The results of this processled the NPC to the conclusion that many of the

concerns expressed during the originalplanning exercise were still valid. Thoseconcerns were:• the need to have regional residents

participate in the decision-makingprocesses regarding land use in the region;

• the need to conserve wildlife species,habitat and community harvesting areas;

• the desire for completion of a region-wideprotected areas system;

• the need to ensure that shipping activitiesdo not interfere with hunters and marinemammals;

• the potential consequences on wildlifeharvest of the Government of Canada’spolicy to support year-round shipping;

• the desire for as much of the region as

While years have passed since the original Commission met with the communities, many concerns expressed in those early days are still valid.

Photo courtesy of the NPC

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• the need for economic development withinthe region, particularly more wageemployment, to meet the needs of a youngand growing population; and

• the speed at which tourism is beingintroduced to the region and itsimplications for the communities.

The following section addresses theseconcerns. It has been updated and revised toreflect the priorities and direction establishedfor land use planning under the NLCA, as well as issues raised during the review process.


possible to be open to mineral explorationand development;

• the need to resolve conflicts betweenmineral exploration parties requiringaccess to land, and the wildlife andcommunity uses of that land;

• the desire to conduct offshore oil and gasexploration in North Baffin;

• the need for flexibility to establish safe andeconomical oil and gas operations, whileminimizing the conflicts with wildlife andcommunity use areas;

• the lack of effective oil spill cleanuptechnology, especially in ice-covered watersand strong ocean currents;

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CHAPTER 3 A PLAN FOR STABILITY, GROWTH,AND CHANGE

3.1 A Vision of the Planning Region

To carry out its task of providing guidance forland use in the region, the originalCommission envisioned what it would like theregion to be in the future and then prepared aplan that would attain - or strive to attain - thisvision, through general long-term policiesand specific short-term actions. Afterconsultations with people in the region, theNPC feels this vision remains an importantbasis for resolving potential land use conflictsin the North Baffin.

Several years ago, the former Commissionenvisioned that, in the future, the regionwould ideally have the following features:• The renewable resource-based lifestyle of

the residents will be maintained. Wildlifepopulations will be managed so that theycontinue to meet the needs of the young andgrowing population.

• Research into sustained yield, and into theeffects of development on wildlife, will leadto improved land and resourcemanagement.

• The concept of sustainable developmentwill be widely applied, through theconservation of the region’s natural and

cultural resources, the establishment ofprotected areas, and the promotion of self-reliant, long-term, sustainable economicgrowth in both the renewable and non-renewable sectors.

• Community governments (hamlet councils)will have greater responsibility for decisionsabout land use. This will lead to bettercommunication between hamlet councils,resource developers, government resourcemanagers, community residents andtransportation interests. With improvedcommunication, land use conflicts will bereduced, and those that do occur will bemore readily resolved.

• The TFN land claim will be settled and neworganizations for strengthening resourceand community management will beintroduced into the region.

• The public sector will further decentralize,increasing job and business opportunitiesin the communities.

• The economy of the region will becomemore diverse as both renewable and non-renewable resource developmentcontinues. Well-trained employees andgoods and services will be available fromwithin the region to meet the needs of

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CHAPTER 3 A PLAN FOR STABILITY, GROWTH, AND CHANGE

28

developers. The infrastructure and incomefrom development will encourage furtherdiversification.

• Employment opportunities for the region’sresidents will increase from both therenewable resource base (jobs such asbutcher, country foods store entrepreneur,store clerk, tourist guide, hotel manager,outfitter), and the non-renewable resourcebase (jobs such as driller, miner, resourcemanager, trucker, engineer, expeditor,pilot).

• The education levels of the people in theregion will increase, allowing residents tosuccessfully compete for technical andprofessional jobs in government andindustry.

• Non-renewable resource development and tourism will supplement and reinforcethe harvesting lifestyle by providing wage employment opportunities and byimproving the infrastructure.

• The life of Nanisivik will continue beyondthe life of the mine. The community will beused for other purposes, such as defence,education and research.

While some parts of this vision of the futureremain to be realized, it is still a useful tool tohelp guide land use planning. Indeed, thesettling of the Nunavut land claim provides Inuitthe wherewithal to ensure that some of thisvision becomes reality. The powers of the NPC,as described in the NLCA, mean that land useplanning is a much more effective tool in thisrespect than it was when the Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Plan was developed.

3.2 Turning the Vision into Action

To move the region toward this vision of thefuture, the original Commission developed apolicy framework to conserve land values andto achieve cooperation between land users,while keeping future options for land useopen. Much of this framework is echoed inthe NLCA and in the consultative reviewprocess developed for the North Baffin plan.In the sections that follow, the revised planpresents this framework as principles,objectives and terms directing how landshould be used and regulated, and how landuse decisions should be made. In addition, toguide land users, regulators and decisionmakers, the plan provides detailedinformation on the resources and values ofthe planning region. The plan gives landusers, regulators and decision-makers theflexibility to deal with present, as well asfuture, land use issues.

The NLCA ensures that local people will playa key role in determining land use prioritiesfor their regions. The revised North BaffinRegional Land Use Plan encourages andsupports current initiatives for communityinvolvement in land use decision making, andintroduces new means of accomplishing thisinvolvement. These projects includenegotiations for a proposed national park onBathurst Island, negotiations for theestablishment of a whale sanctuary in IsabellaBay, and any discussions concerning aprotected area system for Nunavut.

The NPC believes that all land use within the

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region should be subject to three basicprinciples. These principles are:

CONSERVECOMMUNICATE

DEVELOP

These principles, and the NPC’s terms forapplying them to land use, are describedbelow. Following these terms, Sections 3.3 -3.13 contain the various categories of landuse and describe objectives and actions foreach.

1. CONSERVEConservation, or the wise use of all resources- both renewable and non-renewable - isessential for the future of the region and is,therefore, the central principle of this plan.Conservation is an ethic and a process that isfundamental to all land uses rather than aspecialized separate activity. It does notnecessarily mean “do not use”.

The NPC, during its community meetingsand its consultations with government,industry and special-interest groups, mappedthe uses of the land by the communities andby wildlife, and recorded the reasons why theland was important to them. It also recordedthe potential disturbances from land uses of

these “land values” that are of concern tocommunities and wildlife managers. The landvalues and concerns are presented inAppendix G. They are grouped according tothe degree of importance to communities andto wildlife. These groupings into areas ofvarying importance are shown on the Areasof Importance map.

Terms7

3.2.1 All land users shall refer to the landvalues and concerns in Appendix G,and to the Areas of Importance map,to determine important land valuesand concerns in areas where theyplan to work, as well as to adjusttheir work plans to conserve thesevalues. [CR] Those who regulate theareas shall ensure through theproject approval process that thesevalues are conserved. [A]

3.2.2 DSD shall continue to develop theNunavut Sustainable DevelopmentPolicy for the land and water areas ofNunavut, currently still in the draftingstages, and shall implement thepolicy when complete. Further,DIAND shall implement itsSustainable Development Strategyand ensure that the interests of theresidents of Nunavut are consideredbefore it is submitted to Parliamentfor approval. [A]

2. COMMUNICATEWhen different activities compete for thesame resources in the region, the NPC

7 Please note: Each planning term is followed by a code which indicates its legalstatus. [A] refers to “actions”, or measures that, on approval of this plan, arerequired to be taken either by government or the NPC pursuant to s. 11.5.9 of theNLCA. [CR] refers to “conformity requirements” that, on approval of the plan, willbe applied by the NPC in determining the conformity of project proposals with theplan under s. 11.5.10 of the NLCA. [REC] refers to “recommendations”, or, inother words, NPC proposals. Recommendations are not legally binding. Inparticular, Cabinet and Executive Council approval of this plan does not make theplan's recommendations legally binding, and does not signify that governmentadopts them. Rather, such approval indicates that government is prepared toconsider the recommendations. Statements followed by more than one code havemore than one status.

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believes that the best way to ensure balanceddevelopment and to resolve conflicts betweenland users is to have continual and effectivecommunication between all parties.

The exchange of knowledge that will comeabout with improved communication willensure that development proceeds in the bestpossible ways. This is happening through thelatest developments in communicationstechnology, such as Internet access, in eventhe smallest communities. Improvedcommunications will allow those people mostlikely to be affected by resource developmentprojects to understand the risks and benefitsso that they can make informed choices.

Communication between communities andother land users, as well as within thecommunities, has improved over the pastdecade. At times, however, communicationhas broken down. The original Commissionwas presented with numerous examples ofinformation which had reached the

community, but not the interested partieswithin the community, or which was not in aformat or language that could be understood.In its 1997 review, the NPC heard that findingways to improve communication remains animportant goal in the region. For example,besides the recommendation below, people inthe communities expressed a strong desire tohave researchers consult with the CLARCs8 todetermine what information needs thecommunity might have. They also want tomake sure enough information is translatedso that people can assess and understand thework being carried out in their area.

Communication among all land users isparticularly important when considering the“Essential Areas” on the Areas of Importancemap.

Terms3.2.3 Community Land and Resources

Committees (CLARCs) have been

8 The following description was provided by Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated:“Community participation is the cornerstone of the Inuit Land ManagementRegime. Community Land and Resource Committees were formed in eachcommunity in Nunavut to advise the RIA Land Managers on matters concerningthe management of IOL within the community’s area of interest. In somecommunities, there has to date been no formal land use activity, and therefore noneed to establish a committee, except for the purpose of training or informationsharing or general consultation. The Committees meet ’as and when required’ toreview and advise whether or not a land use operation should proceed and, ifapproved, what terms and conditions should be imposed. It should be noted thatthe CLARCs are advisory groups to the RIAs; the RIAs retain decision makingauthority for the IOL. The CLARCs participate and provide advice andrecommendations in the following land use areas. They:

• receive and review all IOL use applications;• collect information for the community area of interest;• inform community members of land use proposals as necessary;• convey information and concerns to and from the community, the RIA and NTI;• recommend land use decisions;• recommend any conditions that should be attached where applications are

approved;• assist in monitoring and inspecting land use operations;• participate in land use planning.

RIA Land Administration Departments are responsible for establishing andmaintaining CLARCs in each of the communities in their region, as and whenrequired. The composition and method of selection is regionally determined,therefore they vary slightly from one region to the next. However, the importantresponsibilities of the CLARCs require that the members are Inuit beneficiaries withthe following qualities:

• respected member of the community• long time resident of the community• intimate knowledge of the community and regional:

• lands• wildlife• renewable and non-renewable resources• development activities• archaeological sites• travel routes• hunting areas• trapping areas• fishing sites• traditional camp sites• other areas of social and cultural significance to Inuit.

All CLARCs have five members. All CLARC members are Inuit beneficiaries. MostCLARCs are composed of representatives from the following community groups,with particular emphasis given to Elders from the community:

• RIA, community representative• HTO• Hamlet Council• Youth groups• Women’s groups• Elders.

The operating expenses of the local CLARC are kept to a minimum. Honorarium isgenerally paid on a daily rate when an informal meeting is called by the RIA.”

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appointed for each community. TheCLARCs shall continue to provideinput to regulatory processes and todisseminate information on land usesoutside the community boundary. [A]

3.2.4 The QIA [REC] and DIAND [A] shallcontinue to use CLARCs to dispenseland use-related information in thecommunities.

3.2.5 The CLARCs shall regularly usecommunity radio and other localmedia to inform residents of activitiesin the region. [A]

3.2.6 Provided that a significant andrelevant amount of activity hasoccurred, lands managers, gov-ernment resource managers [A] and

organizations such as the CanadianPetroleum Association and the NWTand Nunavut Chamber of Mines [REC]shall hold annual informationsessions in the region, or provideyearly updates on their activitieswithin the region to each community.Delegates from CLARCs attending suchsessions must inform their homecommunities of the results of thesemeetings over community radio andother local media, and throughpresentations to regular hamletcouncil, HTO and other meetings. [A]

3.2.7 The CLARCs, HTOs, QIA and the NPC,[A] as well as industry and otherinterested parties, should use the

All land use within the North Baffin region should be driven by the principles of conservation, communication, and development.

Photo courtesy of the NPC

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latest Internet and othercommunications media as theybecome available to speed up theacquisition and distribution ofinformation between CLARCs, HTOs,the QIA, industry, government andother interested parties. [REC]

3.2.8 Research carried out in the NorthBaffin shall be translated intoInuktitut and made available to thepeople of the region as soon aspossible. Reports shall be translatedin a format that will be understood bya non-technical person, but notsimplified to the point wheremeaning is lost. At a minimum,researchers shall include a translatedsummary of their work. Researchersshould also endeavour to presenttheir findings orally in communitiesaffected by their work. They shall alsoconsult with the CLARCs to determinewhat other information needs thecommunity might have, and ensurethat any additional materials,including final reports, are translatedinto Inuktitut. [A] [CR]

3. DEVELOPThe Report of the National Task Force on Environment and Economy defined“sustainable development” as developmentthat ensures that the utilization of resourcesand the environment today does not damageprospects for their use by future generations.The NPC concurs with this definition and also

agrees with the Task Force that biophysicaland economic planning are inseparable andcannot be treated independently. The NPC hasdeveloped a definition of “sustainabledevelopment” that reflects northernpriorities:

Sustainable development is definedgenerally as the management of humanrelationships to the natural environmentin such a way that economic, social andcultural needs are met and ecologicalprocesses and natural diversity aremaintained.

Sustainable development considers the well-being of social, ecological and economicsystems and recognizes that quality of lifedepends upon all these. This understandingleads to an integrated approach to planning,decision making and monitoring.

The notion of sustainable development isnot new to Nunavut communities. Rather, itbuilds upon ancient knowledge of how to livein relation to the world. For example, theInuktitut translation of “sustainable” is basedon the word Ikupik. Ikupik means toconserve and not take all at once, what isbrought in from a hunt. Everyone takes asmall piece for the family, always making surethere is enough to go all the way around. Inuitwould call this Ikupingniq.9

It is also not a fixed understanding. Ascommunities change, their understanding ofhow to live in a sustainable relationship withthe land and with each other will also developand evolve.

9 Rachel Uyarasuk, as quoted in the DSD 2000/2001 Business Plan.

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The NPC believes that renewable and non-renewable resource development projectswithin the region should proceed in phases,with strict environmental controls, maximumregional benefits and, when necessary, onlyafter demonstration projects and researchhave proven that the available technologymeets government standards and addressescommunity concerns.

Another kind of development is communitydevelopment. Regional organizations andresidents need to acquire expertise inresource management so that they canpropose modifications to projects to best suitthe goals of the communities.

Terms3.2.9 When development is being planned

for the region, a member of theCLARC from each community nearthe proposed development shallparticipate in regulatory approval tothe fullest extent possible. The NPC,NIRB, NWB, NWMB, QIA, DIAND andother key agencies will provideinformation to CLARCs on an ongoingbasis. [A]

3.2.10 Land managers should refer all landuse permits for activities on IOL tothe CLARCs for review before beingapproved. [REC] All land use permitsfor activities on Crown land should bereviewed by the CLARCs prior toDIAND approval of a permit. [A]

3.2.11 The QIA shall be responsible to inviteand send members of the CLARCs toregional training sessions held by

DIAND and the territorial governmentto learn resource managementtechniques. DIAND and the NunavutGovernment shall give QIA notice ofsuch training; QIA shall provide theresources for the members’ traveland participation. [A]

3.2.12 Community representatives, appoint-ed by the CLARCs, should be includedin DIAND inspections of resourceprojects on Crown land and report totheir home communities the resultsof these inspections. DIAND shouldcontinue working with QIA to trainstaff to carry out similar inspectionson IOL. [REC]

3.3 Renewable Resource Use

Background Renewable resources are the vital threads thatlink Inuit culture and society from the past tothe present and into the future.

Inuit and their ancestors have sustainedthemselves for several thousand years on therenewable resources of the region. Hunting,fishing and trapping continue to provide peoplein the region with food, clothing, shelter, cashand materials for arts and crafts. In recentyears, the more widespread commercialpromotion of country foods, arts and crafts andtourism opportunities has introduced newincome-generating possibilities compatiblewith this renewable-resource based lifestyle.

A main goal of land use planning is toprotect and maintain the health and well-

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being of people, the environment and wildlife.For millennia, Inuit fortunes were linked tothe animals they hunted. Today, a healthywildlife population remains vital to Inuitsocial, cultural and economic well-being.Prior to division, the GNWT stated thatrenewable resources had a value to theterritorial economy in the order of $55million to $60 million annually. Over 70% ofNWT Aboriginal households hunted andfished, and more than 90% consumed foodfrom this harvest.10

The Inuit economy is “mixed”. That is, ithas two components, each dependent on theother: harvesting from the land, and wageemployment. Wage earnings are used tosupplement hunting activities; huntingprovides food, which, among other benefits,replaces expensive imported items.11

Although harvesting is a part-time activityfor most people, production per hunter ishigh. The average hunter in the Arctic takes1000 to 1500 kilograms of meat and fish eachyear. This food has:

...an imputed value of $10,000 to$15,000. These harvest levels are notrestricted to a few smaller communitieslike Broughton Island, Pelly Bay,Baychimo [sic], and Paulatuk. Theyoccur also in such larger centres asBaker Lake, Pond Inlet, andCoppermine.12

In 1988, the average Baffin hunter’s harvestwas about 1500 kilograms. This works out toan average of just over 300 kilograms percapita.13

Country food replaces expensive store-bought food, which can only be purchasedwith cash. “Numerous studies since the mid-1970s have reported that harvestingconsistently provides a higher yield of foodper dollar spent than can be bought withmoney earned from wage labour.”14 Wild foodis also a better source of nutrients, such asiron, magnesium and calcium, than importedfood. Seal meat, for example, has six to tentimes the iron content of beef.15

IssuesCommunities, government and a number ofnational interest groups have identified as amajor issue the need to ensure the wise use ofall wildlife species and habitats in the regionso that wildlife can be used by present andfuture residents of the region.

The communities are particularly con-cerned that no land use activity disturb ordeplete habitat or wildlife to such an extentthat populations could not fulfill continuingharvest needs.

10 GNWT, Department of Renewable Resources, Tradition and Change: A Strategyfor Renewable Resource Development in the Northwest Territories, 1994, p.1.

11 A useful explanation is provided by Gary Kofinas, “Subsistence Hunting in aGlobal Economy: Contributions of Northern Wildlife Co-Management toCommunity Economic Development”, in Making Waves: A Newsletter forCommunity Economic Development Practitioners in Canada, vol. 4, no 3 (August1993):[NOTE: [T]here are actually two sectors of the economy, one formal andanother informal. The formal sector is easily comprehensible to those of usimmersed in western industrialized life... The informal sector is, by definition,difficult to measure. Generally based on non-monetary exchange, privateownership of modes of production, and family, informal economic activitieshave been defined as those transactions which provide for subsistence and donot increase profits or accumulate capital for its own sake... In many nativecommunities of the North American Arctic and Sub-Arctic, the informal sectoris based largely on subsistence hunting and traditional uses of wild foods.]

12 P.J. Usher and Frederick H. Weihs, Towards a Strategy for Supporting theDomestic Economy of the Northwest Territories (Ottawa, 1989), p. 11.

13 Usher & Weihs, p. 12.

14 Environment Canada, “The Inuit Economy - Sustaining a Way of Life: A State ofthe Environment Fact Sheet,” p. 6.

15 “The Inuit Economy”, p. 7.

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additional ways to use renewable resourcesthat will contribute to the economy.

Commercial harvesting may be a possibility,but only when it has been determined that theregional wildlife populations can sustain suchharvesting.

People have expressed concerns over theincreasing pressure on wildlife from thegrowing human population. The wildlifestocks used by North Baffin communities arealso shared with other communities outsideof the region.

Communities and government want to find

Terms3.3.1 All land uses shall be conducted in

keeping with the policy of sustainabledevelopment in order to protect the opportunities for domesticharvesting. All land users shall avoidharm to wildlife and wildlife habitatand damage to community travelroutes through the timing of theiroperations, through careful selectionof the location of their main campsand travel routes, and through othermitigative measures. In order toachieve these ends, all land usersshall follow the Code of GoodConduct contained in Appendix H.[CR]

3.3.2 DSD shall continue to assist the

communities in the development ofeconomic opportunities that arecompatible with the renewableresource-based lifestyle and withinthe limits of sustained use. Theseopportunities include initiatives such as: • environmental protection and

enhancement;• parks and tourism;• community harvester assistance;• sealing industry initiatives;• fur price program; and• commercial fisheries assistance.This assistance must take intoconsideration the training requiredby the communities and thenecessary funding, recognizing that

Objectives

✔ TO PROTECT THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE WILDLIFE FOR THE NUTRITIONAL,ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL NEEDS OF THE PERMANENT RESIDENTS.

✔ TO ENSURE THAT THE EFFECTS OF ANY LAND USE ACTIVITY DO NOT THREATEN THESUSTAINABLE WILDLIFE HARVEST.

✔ TO FIND NEW WAYS OF DERIVING INCOME FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES WHILERECOGNIZING THE NEED TO AVOID OVERHARVESTING.



Pond Inlet

Grise Fiord

Resolute

102° W

71° N

110° W

73° N

75° N

77° N

79° N

81° N

70° W78° W86° W 62° W

81° N

83° N

77° N

79° N

73° N

75° N

69° N

71° N

62° W

78° W 70° W94° W 86° W

Lancaster Sound

Bathurst Island

Baffin Island

CaribouCalving Grounds

CaribouCalving Grounds

EllesmereIsland

Princeof Wales

Island Baffin Island

Kilometres

0 10050 150 200 250

Arctic BayNanisivik

Clyde River

Devon Island

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Government of Nunavut funding maynot be the only appropriate fundingsource. In meeting this requirement,appropriate eligibility criteria for theassistance may continue to beapplied. [A]

3.3.3 The QWB is coordinating researchinto sustainable yields and the lifecycles and habitat requirements ofharvested species. This work shouldcontinue and should be supported by DSD, the NWMB, DFO, andEnvironment Canada. [REC]

3.3.4 DIAND and the NPC shall completethe design and implementation of themonitoring program outlined insection 12.7.6 of the NLCA. Such amonitoring program shall includethe Sverdrup Basin and Lancasterand Jones Sounds. [A]

3.3.5 The NWMB, in conjunction with theQWB, DFO, and the communities,should ensure that research isconducted into migration, winterdistributions and habitat of marinemammals that use the region. Thiswork should involve the HTOs andother community representatives. Anexample of such work is the NWMB’sInuit Bowhead Knowledge Study,released in 2000. [REC]

3.3.6 The QWB and the communitiesshould carry out research on caribouin the region, particularly with regardto calving grounds and migrationpatterns. This work should involvethe HTOs and other community

representatives in order to ensure thebest combination of local andscientific knowledge. [REC]

3.3.7 Development activities shall beprohibited within all caribou calvingareas during calving season, as wellas caribou water crossings in theNorth Baffin region. The QIA andDIAND shall implement caribouprotection measures on Inuit Ownedand Crown lands respectively.[A][CR] These protection measuresshould follow the proposedmeasures found in Appendix I of thisdocument. [REC]

3.3.8 Development activities shall berestricted near polar bear denningareas and walrus haul-outs. [A][CR]

3.3.9 When a land use permit is issued,land users shall be given details byDIAND or the QIA of the importantrenewable resource values in thearea of land in which they operate.Government shall ensure theirassistance in maintaining andreporting on these values. [A]

3.4 Conservation Areas andParks

BackgroundAll land users in the region accept the need tomaintain the genetic diversity and long-termproductivity of the renewable resources, and to preserve related cultural features and values.


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The NPC accepts that there is a need tocomplete a system of conservation areas.According to the NLCA, a “Conservation Area”means any conservation area or protectedarea established by legislation and inexistence at the date of the ratification of theNLCA, and listed in Schedule 9-1, as well asany other area of particular significanceestablished for ecological, cultural,archaeological, research or similar reasons.This is an important distinction, and one thatthe NPC notes is necessary to ensure strictcompliance with the spirit and letter of theNLCA. (For further discussion and detail, seeAppendix N: Guidelines to Establish, Assessand Review Conservation Areas in NunavutThrough the Land Use Planning Process).These guidelines will be used by the NPC to:• determine whether to recommend the

creation of new conservation areas as partof the development of new regional land use plans;

• review the status of conservation areasduring the periodic review of regional landuse plans or the preparation of new plans;and

• determine whether to recommend thecreation of new conservation areas asamendments to existing plans.

The provisions in the NLCA reflect the fact thatidentifying or designating conservation areasis no longer solely a government respons-ibility. Through the NLCA, Inuit now have a

major say in developing conservation areas.The NLCA gives co-management bodies,especially the NWMB, important powers overthe establishment of conservation areas inNunavut.16 The NLCA also requires that theproposed national park in the North Baffinregion (North Bathurst Island) “shall becomea National park on the first anniversary of theconclusion of an IIBA…”17

Within the planning region there are severalsites that have been recognized as beingparticularly important for wildlife and/orhaving significant cultural values. The originalplan grouped these into three categories:1. Specific sites that are presently protected

through legislation:• Bylot Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary

(Migratory Birds Convention Act); • Seymour Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary

(Migratory Birds Convention Act);• Quttinirpaaq National Park (Canada

National Parks Act);18

• Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area (Canada Wildlife Act);

• Prince Leopold Island Migratory BirdSanctuary (Migratory Birds ConventionAct);

• Sirmilik National Park (Canada NationalParks Act);

• numerous known and unknown arch-aeological and historic sites (HistoricalResources Act, NWT Archaeological SitesRegulations, Territorial Land UseRegulations).

2. Specific sites that have been proposed forprotection:• Igaliqtuuq (Isabella Bay) National

Wildlife Area (proposed national wildlife

16 See especially NLCA 5.2.34 and Article 9, which, among other things, defines“conservation area”.

17 See NLCA 8.2.3 and 8.2.4.

18 Parks Canada and the QIA concluded an IIBA in August, 1999.

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area, whale sanctuary and InternationalBiosphere Reserve).

3. Sites recognized by governmentdepartments or other organizations asparticularly significant areas, but having noformal designation at this time:• DSD Wildlife Areas of Special Interest;• CWS Key Migratory Bird Habitat Sites;• DFO Priority Marine and Freshwater

Habitat Areas;• International Biological Program Sites;• historic buildings;• muskox and caribou management areas.

Any activity in the first category is subject tothe regulations under the particularlegislation setting up the site. In the last twocategories, any protection will rely on thecooperation of land users, and on standardresource management practices andlegislation. The location and detaileddescription of the values of these sites havebeen outlined by the interested governmentdepartments and the communities, and canbe found in the “Catalogue of Areas of SpecialInterest in the Lancaster Sound PlanningRegion”, a background document to theoriginal plan. The sites and the resourcemanagers’ concerns for their protection arealso listed in Appendix G: Land Values andConcerns.

IssuesThe conservation of valued renewableresources often requires the delineation ofcertain limited areas where human activitiesand their potential adverse impacts can be

closely controlled and/or restricted. Theseprotection measures may either restrict allother uses, or, if applied to specific timeswhen - and places where - resources are mostsensitive, they may still accommodate thoseother land uses at different times of the year.For example, caribou protection measuresapply only when caribou are on calvinggrounds or at water crossings. At these times,all individual operations - such as mineralexploration - must cease. While thesemeasures may not solve the problem of whatto do about long-term development, they dooffer flexible interim protection. Given thelack of prospective development in theregion, the kinds of measures in Appendix Imay be beneficial.

Protection measures could be implementedat least three different ways: as part of aregional land use plan; through the NWMB(wildlife regulations); and through terms andconditions attached to land use authorizations(land use regulations). For example, theQikiqtani Inuit Association could follow thelead of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association andattach caribou protection measures topermits it grants to companies seeking towork on its lands.

In its draft 1997 Revised North BaffinRegional Land Use Plan, the NPC recognizedthat the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribouherd had prospered since the protectionmeasures were introduced. The NPCcommented on the flexibility of suchmeasures:

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Given the existing level of knowledge, theCommission thinks that the existingcaribou protection measures areadequate. The measures should bereviewed in the future in light of newknowledge. On the one hand, moreprotection might be considered ifresearch indicates that this would berequired to maintain a healthy cariboupopulation; on the other hand, futurechanges in mining technology may reducethe impact of mining activities oncaribou.19

Government departments, within theirparticular mandates, have identified areas ofsignificance, which have not yet receivedprotection. Residents in the region have alsoidentified important areas that supportwildlife on which they depend. At one time,there was no mechanism to protect thesecommunity-identified areas, unless the area

happened to meet criteria for an existing typeof government protection. However, the NLCAprovides for the creation of protected areas.Article 8 sets out provisions to guidedevelopment of national and territorial parksand ensures that communities will have amajor role in this work. Article 9 deals withConservation Areas, and the NPC hasdeveloped guidelines to establish, assess orreview conservation areas in Nunavut. Thisprocess has been designed to work within theland use planning process. Articles 8 and 9deal with the requirement that, in most cases,an IIBA be negotiated before a park orconservation area is established.

Although there are territorial mechanismsfor the protection of tourism values andrecreational areas, it was found that there isno designation available to protect sitesstrictly for ecological reasons.

All archaeological sites, discovered orundiscovered, are protected through federaland territorial legislation. Undiscovered sites,

Objectives

✔ TO DESIGNATE CERTAIN ADDITIONAL SITES FOR IMMEDIATE PROTECTION BECAUSEOF THEIR NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND/OR COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE.

✔ TO SUPPORT A CO-ORDINATED PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING, DESIGNATING ANDPROTECTING AREAS IMPORTANT FOR WILDLIFE AND FOR PRESERVING CULTURALVALUES.

✔ TO PROMOTE THE USE OF SEASONAL OR TEMPORARY PROTECTION FOR CERTAINAREAS, SO THAT THE LAND CAN BE USED AT OTHER TIMES AS LONG AS THE VALUESARE NOT THREATENED.

19 NPC, 1997, p. 71

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because they have not been researchedand/or mapped, are particularly vulnerable todisturbance. The NPC is working with thecommunities to map heritage andarchaeological sites. The NPC has developed aseries of recommendations to respond topeople’s desire to safeguard these importantresources.

Industry is concerned about the possibleproliferation of protected areas whereindustrial activities may be prohibited for partor all of the year. The value of the area toindustry may change over time and industry isconcerned that they may not be able to use theprotected land when they wish.

TermsThe NPC supports the following existinginitiatives, subject to the approval of affectedcommunities and the successful negotiation ofIIBAs (agencies carrying out work in theseareas shall be responsible for ensuring thereis adequate consultation):• Work on assessing the potential for a

national park at Tuktusinqvalik (northernBathurst Island). The people of Resoluteare working on a feasibility study with ParksCanada, the Government of Nunavut, Inuitorganizations and other agencies. Land forthe proposed park was withdrawn fromdevelopment in 1996.

• The work of the Igaliqtuuq SteeringCommittee, the community of Clyde River,

Beautiful Ellesmere Island, home to Quttinirpaaq National Park. Any agency that wishes to create a new conservation area in Nunavut, or change an existing one, must adhere to the provisions of the NLCA.

©1997 Andrew McCoy

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DFO, and other agencies in establishing theNational Wildlife Area and InternationalBiosphere Reserve at Isabella Bay(Igaliqtuuq) to protect the bowhead whale.

• The IHT, in its efforts to clarify theresponsibilities of all land users in theregion regarding the protection ofarchaeological and historical sites, and toeducate land users about the importance ofprotecting these resources.

Since the original Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Plan was approved, onenational park and two important conservationareas have been established. Sirmilik NationalPark in North Baffin opened in August 1999,following the successful conclusion of IIBAnegotiations with Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet.The new park includes a marine component.The Prince Leopold Island Bird Sanctuary wasset up in 1991 and is home to hundreds ofthousands of seabirds, including thick-billedmurres, northern fulmars, black-leggedkittiwakes, and black guillemots. Thissanctuary is in Lancaster Sound, 160kilometres southeast of Resolute and 13kilometres off the northeast tip of SomersetIsland.

A second conservation area, theNirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area on CoburgIsland, was established in 1995. Located offthe southeast tip of Ellesmere Island, it is alsoan important nesting area for seabirds.

The proximity of Coburg Island to year-round openings in the sea ice (polynyas) in

Baffin Bay and Lady Ann Strait providesabundant food for the birds and attractivehabitat for polar bears, ringed and beardedseals, walrus and migrating narwhal andbeluga, and [human] hunters.20

3.4.1 The NLCA sets out procedures toguide the establishment ofconservation areas in Nunavut. Anyagency proposing to create a new - ormodify an existing - conservationarea shall do so in accordance withthe provisions of the NLCA.Proponents are directed to AppendixN of this document. Any proposedconservation or protected areastrategy shall involve a thoroughcommunity consultation process. The NPC endorses importantcommunity-based criteria for anyprotected area system, such as:• maintaining wildlife harvesting

patterns;• protecting wildlife and wildlife

habitat; and• preserving cultural identity and

traditional use of the land. [A][CR]3.4.2 Government resource managers shall

continue to recommend seasonal ortemporary protection of areaswherever possible. At present,seasonal protection is used in CWSMigratory Bird Sanctuaries. [A]

3.4.3 Visitors to the region, and localresidents, shall adhere to the Code ofGood Conduct contained in AppendixH. [REC]

20 Parks Canada, New Parks North: A progress report on natural and culturalheritage initiatives in the North, Newsletter 6, (March 1997), p. 20.

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3.4.4 Caribou protection measures, basedon those suggested in Appendix I -and further developed by DIAND andthe QIA Inuit land managers inconsultation with NWMB, local HTOsand DSD - shall be implemented forall caribou herds in the North BaffinPlanning Region by DIAND and by theQIA. [A]

3.4.5 The NPC, the NWMB, NIRB, DIAND,Inuit land managers and DSD shouldwork together to monitor theeffectiveness of the caribou pro-tection measures and compliance,and to determine whether specialprotected areas for caribou arerequired. [REC]

3.5 Marine and TerrestrialTransportation

BackgroundShipping is central to the economic well-being of the region. Present shipping activityusually occurs between June and November.The types of vessels are: ships carryingcommunity supplies of dry goods and fuel;ore carriers from Nanisivik and Polaris; CCGice-breakers; and research and surveyvessels. Tourist cruise ships and small craft ofvarious descriptions occasionally visit thearea.

Future shipping activity could include oiland/or gas tankers traveling to and from theSverdrup Basin.

Apart from immediate regional con-siderations, shipping in the Arctic has

national and international economic, defence,sovereignty and trade implications. TheGovernment of Canada’s policy is toencourage commercial shipping in the watersof the Arctic Archipelago, subject torequirements ensuring Canada’s sovereigntyand security, the preservation of theenvironment, and the well-being of theresidents of the region. In accordance withinternational law, foreign-flag vessels enjoythe right of innocent passage in Canada’sterritorial sea, and the right of freedom ofnavigation seaward of this 12-mile limit.

Ships navigating in Canadian Arctic watersmust meet or exceed operating standardsdesigned to ensure safe, pollution-freepassage. Canada’s rules for such ships areunusual in that ships of all nations must meetCanadian standards for hull strength andengine power before entering the ArcticZones, and these ships generally leave theZones within the time period set for safenavigation. The Marine Safety Branch ofTransport Canada enforces these standardsthrough regular inspection. The Marine SafetyBranch also requires proof of insurancecoverage for ships carrying any form ofpollutant in large quantities, whether as cargoor fuel. This insurance is in addition to theinternational regime that provides insurancecoverage for laden tankers.

IssuesCommunities, governments and interestgroups are concerned about the potentialeffects of shipping on wildlife. Concernsinclude:


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• the effects of noise, which may alter thebehaviour and distribution of some marinemammals;

• the direct mortality of marine mammals -e.g., the flooding of seal dens near shiptracks;

• the cumulative effects on ecosystems fromvarious shipping activities, including thoseassociated with ports;

• oil spilled from ships and its effects onhabitat, seabirds and marine mammals; and

• premature break-up of fast ice and the floeedges in Lancaster Sound and AdmiraltyInlet with possible changes in wildlifemovements.

Communities, in particular, are concernedabout the adverse effects of shipping onharvesting activities. Concerns include:• inconvenience and risk to hunters crossing

ship tracks;

• loss of equipment through ice broken byships; and

• premature break-up of fast ice and the floeedge, which are essential to the springharvest.

Although only a limited number of shiptransits are made at present, year-roundshipping, with an increased number andfrequency of transits, could intensify anyadverse effects.

For safety and economic reasons, shipsrequire the flexibility to respond to changingice conditions and to have as long anoperating season as safety permits. Reducedflexibility in routing and timing, due toenvironmental and community concerns,could mean greater risks and higher costs toboth the industry and the communities.


Objectives

✔ TO ENSURE THAT ADVERSE EFFECTS ON WILDLIFE AND HARVESTING ACTIVITIES AREMINIMIZED, WHILE SHIPPING RIGHTS, SAFETY AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONSARE RESPECTED.

✔ TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE SHIPPINGINDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT REGULATORS AND THE COMMUNITIES ABOUT ACTIVITIESAND CONCERNS, SO THAT CONFLICT CAN BE RESOLVED.

✔ TO EXCHANGE TRADITIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AS A MEANS OFIMPROVING COMMUNICATION, UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST BETWEEN ALL PARTIES.

✔ TO ENSURE THAT WHEN SHIPPING TAKES PLACE ALL EFFECTS ARE MONITORED SOTHAT FUTURE ACTIVITIES CAN BE IMPROVED.

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TermsThe NPC does not support year-round Arcticshipping because of the uncertainty about itseffects on regional residents and theenvironment and wildlife.

The NPC supports the co-operativeapproach to compensation developed byCanarctic Shipping Company Limited,Nanisivik Mine and the community of ArcticBay to deal with conflicts between shippingand harvesting activities.

The NPC supports the CCG and the Arcticshipping industry in their efforts to hirenortherners as crewmembers and as researchassociates.3.5.1 The Nunavut Marine Council should

address the need for regional Inuitshipping advisory committees and animproved communications system toreduce interference with people andwildlife. It should encourage the useof Inuit monitors on board any shiptravelling through the region. [REC]

3.5.2 The CCG shall meet with the NunavutMarine Council prior to the shippingseason to exchange informationabout ship movements and com-munity concerns. [A]

3.5.3 CCG operations staff shall meet withcommunity representatives in theregion at least once a year to discusstopics of mutual concern. [A]

3.5.4 Whenever safe and practical to do so,all ships shall remain at least 10kilometres from all coastlines in theregion, unless approaching or leavingport. This zone will be plotted on the

maps to be contained in the ArcticSailing Directions. [A]

3.5.5 Whenever safe and practical to do so,all ships shall remain at least 20 to 25 kilometres from the coasts of Lancaster Sound - unlessapproaching or leaving port - to avoiddirect contact with concentrations ofmarine wildlife. This zone will beplotted on the maps to be containedin the Arctic Sailing Directions. [A]

3.5.6 Ship traffic through and around thefloe edges in April, May and June shallbe minimized. Possible ways to protectthe edges (such as having ships travelin convoys), shall be discussed bycommunity representatives and theCanadian Marine Advisory Committee(Northern). [A]

3.5.7 Ships travelling to and from thePolaris Mine shall avoid the floe edgebetween Griffith Island andCornwallis Island whenever it is safeand practical to do so. [A]

3.5.8 The shipping industry, the CCG, DFO,and the communities shall continueto monitor the effects of shippassages. New information onappropriate ways to reduce adverseeffects shall be distributed by the CCGto the shipping industry through theCanadian Marine Advisory Committee(Northern), and to the communitiesthrough the CLARCs. [A]

3.5.9 The CCG shall devise a formal methodof informing ships travelling through


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Essential Areas as shown on the Areasof Importance map, and through andaround floe edges in the spring, aboutcurrent knowledge includingharvesting activities, the knowndistribution of marine mammals, andlocal ice conditions. This formalcommunication system shall also allowfor ships to provide the communitieswith information on ship schedulesand location, particularly in the spring.[A]

3.5.10 While ensuring the respect ofapplicable Canadian internationalobligations in the region, the NPC shall implement the concept of a transportation and/orcommunications “corridor” as a landuse policy having general application,and applying to land and water routesthroughout the region, based on theprocesses outlined in Appendices J andK. [A]

3.5.11 All parties wishing to develop atransportation and/or commu-nications corridor shall submit to theNPC a detailed application for anamendment. This application mustinclude an assessment of alternativeroutes, plus the cumulative effects ofthe preferred route. It shall providereasonable options for otheridentifiable transportation and utilityfacilities. [A][CR]

3.5.12 The NPC, and either NIRB or a panelacting under section 12.4.7 of theNLCA, shall publicly review the

proposed corridor to determinewhether the proposal adequately meetsthe guidelines set out in Appendices Jand K. Once it is determined that aproposal does meet the guidelines, theNPC may request the ministers toamend the plan to include the newtransportation corridor. [A][CR]

3.6 Mineral Exploration andProduction

BackgroundMineral exploration within the region hasproceeded intermittently since the arrival ofEuropeans in the mid-1800’s. Since then, twooperating mines have been developed; severalundeveloped deposits of iron, zinc/lead, andcoal have been identified; numerous deposits ofsand and gravel are known; and thecommunities use several carving-stonequarries. The potential for other deposits isunknown, as the area has not yet beenthoroughly explored.

Of the two mines, Polaris operates as a fly-in/fly-out camp. Nanisivik Mine, owned byBreakwater Resources Ltd., was created by thecompany and government as a townsite for itsemployees and their families. The policy of theGNWT is to discourage the formation of newcommunities in favour of fly-in/fly-out miningcamps. This policy encourages the use ofexisting community infrastructure andfacilitates eventual abandonment of mines whenthe ore reserves are no longer economic. TheNPC supports this approach.

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The HMV Arctic docks in the mining settlement of Nanisivik. Shipping traffic in North Baffin includes ore carriers from Nanisivik and Polaris, community-bound sealift ships, ice-breakers, and research and survey ships.


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In 1995, Nanisivik produced 97,000 tonnesof zinc concentrate. This production wasshipped in four voyages of the HMV Arctic.The Polaris Mine, owned by Cominco Ltd.,shipped over 225,000 tonnes of zincconcentrate and over 45,000 tonnes of leadconcentrate that same year.21 However, Polarisis scheduled to close down in 2002, andNanisivik may close down in the next five toeight years unless new reserves are found.There are no known deposits in the area thatcould replace these operations. However, thepotential for amber, gold, copper, nickel,platinum, zinc and other commodities is highin this region - which accounts for thecontinuing active exploration - and there maybe more mining activity in the future. TheCommission also notes that explorationcompanies, like other agencies operating inthe north, are increasingly sensitive to localcommunity needs.

The industry, through its producing minesand exploration parties, provides employmentfor local people, job training andinfrastructure such as airstrips and docks forall to use. As well, communities will continueto need new sources of carving stone.Exploration parties often find this material.

IssuesMineral exploration requires access to theland to conduct physical surveys of the surfaceand the subsurface. This access must beeconomical, or else mineral exploration

companies will search elsewhere. Whilecommunity residents may welcome theeconomic benefits of mining, they do not wantmineral exploration to threaten their use of thewildlife or the land.

Effective decision making requires goodinformation about, and an understanding of,mineral potential throughout the planningregion.

Communities want to ensure that theyreceive maximum benefits from mineralexploration and production and that they areprepared to take advantage of such economicopportunities, employment and the provisionof goods and services.

Communities and governments want mineabandonment to be planned well in advance ofclosings in order to minimize disruption to theregion and its communities. Abandonment ofexploration camps and, potentially, minesremain a key issue for land use planning.There is a consensus among all parties thatproposals for mining development shouldinclude plans for the eventual closing andrestoration of the site. At the time of writing,DIAND was consulting on an updated policy onmine reclamation in the NWT and Nunavut.22

This policy will provide certainty to mineoperators, while reassuring people in theregion that environmental standards will bemet at any potential mine site.

The NLCA makes Inuit the owners of thecarving stone found in Nunavut. Communitiesneed adequate economic stocks of thisimportant material. Carvers in the communitieswould benefit from the discovery of newdeposits, and exploration and miningcompanies are encouraged to work with local


21 Data from the GNWT Department of Resources, Wildlife and EconomicDevelopment (Minerals, Oil and Gas Division).

22 DIAND. “Mine Reclamation Policy for the NWT.” February 1997.

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people to identify these sites. It should be notedthat, at present, the quarrying of carving stone

remains unregulated and is extremelyhazardous.

TermsThe NPC, recognizing the value andcontribution of mineral exploration anddevelopment to the region and to the nationas a whole, supports industry’s requirementof access to land for exploration, andsupports research needed to determine themineral potential of the region, subject toconservation of the Land Values (AppendixG). For its part, industry needs to be sensitiveto the changed approval process introducedunder the NLCA, the need for adequatecommunication and consultation prior tocommencement of exploration or other work,and the very real desire of the people of the

region to share in the benefits that miningproduces. This issue was raised a number oftimes at the NPC’s public hearing in Pond Inletin May 1997:

In the action about hiring local residents,there’s been problems to that. Since the1994 Agreement was signed by NanisivikMines, and in that Agreement it states thatNanisivik would have 60% Inuitemployees at the mine. Now, it is only18% Inuit-employed. What happens nowthat they did not pursue that employmentlevel that they had agreed to? Are youconvinced that they will follow these

Objectives

✔ TO ENCOURAGE MINERAL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION WHILE PROTECTINGWILDLIFE RESOURCES AND MAXIMIZING ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO THE REGION.

✔ TO IMPROVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF MINERAL POTENTIAL THROUGHOUT THEPLANNING REGION AS PART OF THE NECESSARY BASE FOR EFFECTIVE DECISIONMAKING.

✔ TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES ARE PREPARED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION.

✔ TO ENSURE THAT MINING EXPLORATION, PRODUCTION AND ABANDONMENTPROCEED WITH MINIMAL ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THECOMMUNITIES.

✔ TO INCREASE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOCATION OF CARVING STONE WITHIN THEREGION.

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plans? I know Qikiqtani Inuit Associationdecided recently to look into this matter.I like to hear the NPC’s perspective aboutthis. How do you think you can convinceother existing mining industries and newproposed mining explorers to follow thisaction plan? To the mining explorationproposals, consult with them in advance,before the actual mining development,and give them no other alternative. Wehave to make sure that they keep up totheir Agreement. Inuit are unemployedbecause the mines had not lived up tothem. Perhaps the plan should be moresevere towards the proposals from themining industries when the miningcompanies don’t follow their Agreement.23

3.6.1 The mining industry and governmentshould continue to support thedevelopment of a local industry toservice the needs of explorationcompanies and any future miningventures. [REC]

3.6.2 The NWT and Nunavut Chamber ofMines, on behalf of the miningindustry and with all other land users,should adopt a Code of GoodConduct, as a guide to good land usepractices, at least equal to thatsuggested in Appendix H. [REC]

3.6.3 DIAND shall ensure that, in the future,it has adequate funds to properlyrestore abandoned exploration camps,following, where possible, the

principle of “the polluter pays”. [A]Raising the level of security deposits and increasing the minimum andmaximum fines under the TerritorialLands Act would help ensure that thesites of exploration camps are properlyrestored. [REC]

3.6.4 The NPC is encouraged that DIANDand the NWB have adopted theGuidelines for Abandonment andRestoration Planning for Mines in theNWT that were originally publishedby the NWT Water Board. At the timeof writing, DIAND was consulting onan updated policy on minereclamation in the NWT and Nunavut.[A]

3.6.5 All proposals for miningdevelopments shall include plans,complete with financial guarantees,for the eventual abandonment andrestoration of the site. As a priority,waste sites where risks to humanhealth, safety, the environment orlegal obligations exist shall beaddressed. Toxic waste shall beremoved where possible. [A][CR]Management of the sites shouldfollow the Northern EnvironmentalRisk Assessment Strategy and riskassessment/risk management princ-iples. [REC]

3.6.6 Mining exploration companies andmine operators shall continue tominimize the negative effects of theiractivities on the environment. [CR]


23 Silas Attagotsiak, The Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan Review PublicHearings: English Transcript, (NPC: Pond Inlet, 27 - 29 May 1997), p. 77.

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3.6.7 Mining companies should hire locallyand purchase local goods andservices when possible. Mineralexploration parties should hirequalified local residents as fieldassistants. [REC]

3.6.8 The mining industry is encouraged toassist in identifying local carving-stone deposits. Mineral explorationparties should report any carving-stone locations they discover to theCLARC and land owner. [REC]

3.6.9 Special hunting restrictions at minesites and along transportation routesshall be strictly enforced by mineoperators and land managers toprevent over harvesting of wildlife.[A][CR]

3.7 Oil and Gas Exploration andProduction

BackgroundSince the 1960s, substantial reserves of gasand several small oil fields have been found inthe region. When this plan was originallydeveloped, there was a single working oil andgas production facility in the region at BentHorn. That operation has since been shutdown. The potential for more discoveries inthe Sverdrup Basin, Lancaster Sound andnorth Baffin Bay is high, but potentialdevelopment must wait for a more favourableinvestment climate.24

Since oil prices dropped in the mid-1980s,the rate of exploration has decreased andassociated employment opportunities havedisappeared. This situation is unlikely tochange until there is a rise in the world priceof oil or gas.

IssuesThe Government of Canada considersexploration and production of the oil and gasreserves in the High Arctic to be in thenational interest. At the same time, there is aneed to address the risks that oil explorationand production present to the region’sresidents and to the internationally significantecosystem of North Baffin.

If oil and gas exploration and productionare to proceed, the residents of the regionwant to be sure that they will benefiteconomically and that their use of the landand wildlife will not be threatened.Communities, governments and groups withenvironmental concerns want to be sure thatecological values will not be threatened.

While the pace and scale of exploration anddevelopment is often determined by nationaland international factors, their environmentaleffects are felt most directly by those living inthe region. Residents are interested inmaximizing their economic benefits from oiland gas exploration and development.

As long as the potential of any reserves onthe existing holdings in Lancaster Sound andnorth Baffin Bay remains untested, and thereserves in the Sverdrup Basin remainundeveloped, any benefits to the region andnation remain unrealized.


24 In late 1998, DIAND announced that it wanted to invite oil and gas companiesto start bidding for the right to resume exploration in the High Arctic. At leastone company indicated that it might be interested. Under NLCA Article 27, Inuithave a right to be consulted prior to the issuance of exploration licences, andthis process was getting under way as this plan was being finalized. (NunatsiaqNews, Nov. 19, 1998)

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A great deal of information on predictingand responding to the effects of oil and gasexploration and development has beencollected by various agencies. However, a gapexists between the amount of informationavailable and the communities’ understandingof it. This communication gap intensifies thecommunities’ concerns about the risks.

In spite of continuing research, effectivemethods for cleaning up oil spills in ice-infested waters or in strong ocean currentshave yet to be developed. These spills are of

particular concern to communities in theregion. People in the region have expressedconcern about the impact of large spills aswell as the effects of smaller, more localizedspills. The CCG is coordinating the placementof oil spill response equipment incommunities in the region, as well as trainingpeople in what to do should an oil spill occur.This work is subject to budgetary constraints.

TermsThe Commission believes that oil and gasexploration and production should proceedin accordance with the principles of this planand the conservation of the Land Values(Appendix G).3.7.1 Holders of existing rights in Lancaster

Sound and Baffin Bay may submit aproposed drilling program, forapproval to the National Energy

Board and carry out this explorationprogram involving the communitiesat all stages. If, at the conclusion ofthis program, no significant discoveryhas been made, then no additionalexploration licences shall be issuedin these areas without priorcommunity consultation. [A]

3.7.2 The oil and gas industry shouldconduct further research on oil spill

Objectives

✔ TO REDUCE THE RISK OF OIL SPILLS IN THE REGION.

✔ TO ENABLE COMMUNITIES TO KNOW AND FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE RISKSASSOCIATED WITH OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ARE IDENTIFIEDAND CONTROLLED.

✔ TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION TOTHE REGION’S RESIDENTS BY ENSURING THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO TAKEADVANTAGE OF ALL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH PROGRAMS SUCH AS THECANADA BENEFITS PROGRAM.

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cleanup in ice-infested waters and instrong ocean currents. [REC]

3.7.3 Where budgets permit, the CCG shallcontinue to install oil spill cleanupequipment in the communities andensure that people are trained to useit properly. Equipment shall be storedin an accessible, well-markedlocation. [A]

3.7.4 DIAND and relevant departments ofthe Government of Nunavut shallprovide the communities with the bestinformation available concerning therisks and benefits of oil and gasexploration and production. [A]DIAND and DSD shall encourage theexchange of information betweenlocal residents and others who haveknowledge of, or experience indrilling, in ice-infested waters and instrong ocean currents (e.g., residents,researchers, drilling operators in theBeaufort Sea and the east coastregions). [A]DIAND and DSD shall ensure thatcommunities help set researchpriorities and participate in research;that they have access to independent,as well as government and industry,sources of information; and that theyunderstand the research results. [A]

3.7.5 Prior to further exploration ordevelopment, the oil and gas industryand DIAND shall demonstrate to thecommunities most likely to be affectedhow industry and government wouldrespond to oil spills in ice-infested

waters and in strong ocean currents.[CR] [A]

3.7.6 The oil and gas industry, thecommunities and the federal andterritorial governments shoulddevelop and implement programs to assist the communities to take advantage of economicopportunities. These opportunitiescould be developed through benefit packages, training programsand local hire, joint venturearrangements, and funding pro-grams. [REC]

3.7.7 Oil and gas exploration companiesshall continue to minimize thenegative effects of their activities onthe environment. [CR] Companiesshould be aware of the rights andbenefits accorded Inuit through IIBAsas established in the NLCA. [REC]

3.8 Tourism

BackgroundThe region contains many significant featuresand characteristics that are of interest tovisitors, including majestic scenery,fascinating flora and fauna, historic sites, aunique northern lifestyle and much more. Thenumber of tourists visiting the area to experience the High Arctic, to learn of its people and culture and to takeadvantage of sport hunting and fishing, is increasing.

The tourism industry has becomeincreasingly important to the economy of the


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The Polaris lead/zinc mine in the High Arctic. North Baffin communities welcome the economic benefits of mining – but not if they threaten the use of their wildlife or land.


55

and community lifestyle, or disturb wildlifeunnecessarily. Tourists, on the other hand,like to have the freedom to explore areas oftheir choosing.

The attitude toward the pace and scale atwhich tourism has developed, and willproceed in the future, varies amongcommunities of the region. Some residentswish to quicken the pace, while others wish tolimit it.

At present, there are certain times of theyear, particularly in spring and summer, whenthere are more tourists wishing to visit theregion than facilities and services canaccommodate.

Terms3.8.1 Communities, with the continuing

assistance of Nunavut Tourism andthe DSD, should identify specifictourism facilities and packages thattake advantage of both local andregional features and values. [REC]


region and has the potential to be animportant source of income to localresidents. Tourism is being actively promotedby the Government of Nunavut, by NunavutTourism and by some of the communities inthe region.

Many of the communities are developingtourist facilities such as hospitality andoutfitting services. In addition, somecommunities have identified specific areasthat show the natural beauty of the region,and which could be developed for tourism.

IssuesSome residents are concerned that touristsmay interfere with their harvesting activities

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3.8.2 Communities should identify sites andresources in the vicinity of thecommunities that would be mostsuitable for tourists to visit, either bythemselves or accompanied byoutfitters and guides. [REC]

Objectives

✔ TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AT A PACE AND SCALETHAT RESPECTS THE VALUES, NEEDS, PRIORITIES AND CAPABILITIES OF THECOMMUNITIES.

✔ TO MINIMIZE CONFLICT BETWEEN TOURISM ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES.

✔ TO PROMOTE A MUTUAL AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS ANDVALUES OF TOURISTS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.

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3.8.3 Visits by tourist ships should be co-ordinated by individual communities,with the help of Nunavut Tourism.Arrivals and departures in the region,as well as details of community visits,should be discussed in advancebetween the vessel operators and theparticular community. Operators oftourist ships should ensure that thenecessary licences and permits areobtained from the DSD and that allother requisite permits and licencesare also obtained. [REC]

3.8.4 Tourists should adhere to the Code ofGood Conduct for land users found inAppendix H. [REC]

3.9 Research

BackgroundResearch conducted in the High Arctic, and inthe planning region specifically, has helpedCanada to develop practical technology forcold climates. Research into Arcticecosystems has also advanced theunderstanding of the life systems which theArctic supports, and has suggested techniquesto safeguard these ecosystems from damageby human activities.

The positive value of integrating localknowledge of the environment with scientificknowledge is becoming increasingly apparentto both local residents and the scientificcommunity.

At the beginning of 1995, the ScienceInstitute of the Northwest Territories wasdivided and the eastern portion amalgamatedwith Nunavut Arctic College, becoming SINT-

East and, more recently, the Nunavut ResearchInstitute (NRI). The NRI has been reviewingthe research licensing process to reflect theconcerns of people in Nunavut about the wayresearch is carried out. The review is anattempt to streamline the research permittingprocess - both for researchers applying forlicences and for community and regionalorganizations that must review theapplications. The NRI also wants to ensurethat the results of research get back into thecommunities.

A better consultation process for land useshould be developed by government, Inuitorganizations, the communities and thescientific community. Residents often feel theyare not informed of what is happening on theland. There is a perception that the results ofscientific research are not being sufficientlycommunicated to residents.

Some residents are frustrated with aresearch agenda that they say has little to dowith local needs or priorities. They see theneed to understand and use the immenseamount of local knowledge that is available.

“[Elders] have passed on the knowledge intotal truth to their descendent[s] andtherefore we will continue the tradition andpass on our knowledge as well as all we knowabout the Arctic. It is for that reason that weare now requesting research on managementand marketing of our wildlife and for us torun it. It is because, at present, nothing isgetting done with the research that has beenconducted.”25


25 Pond Inlet Hunters and Trappers Organization, Submission to the NPC, May 29,1997, p. 1.

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IssuesScientific research about the land andresources of the region is recognized asimportant and is generally welcomed by thecommunities. Communities have, however,expressed the desire to be more involved insetting priorities for research, in carrying outresearch, and in sharing the results.

Communities also wish to ensure that theyhave input into the approval of research permitsand that they are well informed about theresearch activities and results.

For communities to participate effectively indecision making, they need access to anindependent assessment of the consequences ofproposed policies and projects that addresstheir concerns.

There is a general concern that thegreenhouse effect, atmospheric pollution andozone depletion will adversely affect thenorthern climate. Rising sea levels and greatlyenlarged areas of open water for longer periodsof time could significantly alter the Arcticecology and related land use patterns andactivities.


Objectives

✔ TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND AND PARTICIPATE IN ALLASPECTS OF RESEARCH, AND TO HAVE INFLUENCE IN SETTING RESEARCH PRIORITIES.

✔ TO IMPROVE THE INTEGRATION OF TRADITIONAL LOCAL KNOWLEDGE WITHSCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE.

✔ TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY, COVERAGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURALRESOURCE BASE, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCEPOTENTIALS.

✔ TO PROVIDE METHODS FOR COMMUNITIES TO OBTAIN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTSOF THE CONSEQUENCES OF PROPOSED POLICIES AND PROJECTS FOR THECOMMUNITIES.

✔ TO ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM RESEARCH ON CHANGING CLIMATE PATTERNS ANDTHEIR EFFECTS ON MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE REGION.

TermsThe NPC supports researchers in theirongoing efforts to better understand the Arctic

ecosystem. The NPC also supports the effortsof the NRI in maintaining a register ofpotential field assistants for scientific

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research, and supports the hiring of suchcandidates whenever possible.3.9.1 The approval process for all scientific

research, including researchconducted by government departmentsand agencies, shall require theinvolvement of local residents. [A]

3.9.2 The NRI shall consult with the QIA andthose CLARCs that have currentmembers to identify community andregional priorities for research, andthen inform the scientific community ofthese priorities. [A]

3.9.3 Researchers shall make their bestefforts to incorporate, where relevantand available, local and traditionalknowledge in their research projectsand ensure that it is integrated with thescientific knowledge. [A] [CR]

3.9.4 Research programs conducted in theNorth Baffin region shall, wherepossible, rely on local services andlocal employment. [A][CR]

3.9.5 Academic and scientific researchersshall consult the NRI concerningresearch topics or fields that would beof benefit and interest to localresidents. Research that will improvethe quality, coverage andunderstanding of the natural resourcebase, including the non-renewableresource potentials, shall be conductedwith the support of the communities.[A][CR]

3.9.6 Applications for scientific researchlicensing should be sent to local HTOsfor review. The HTOs will involve theCLARCs in this review. [A]

3.9.7 Communities, through the CLARCs,should work with the NRI, QIA, theNPC, NIRB and other agencies to clarifyuncertainties about the consequencesof proposed land use projects. [REC]

3.9.8 Existing polar research trainingprograms at Nunavut Arctic College,the Arctic Council, and the PolarContinental Shelf Project, as well as theresearch centres operated by the NRIshould receive the support they need toensure a greater role for northernersin polar scientific research. [REC]These organizations and DIAND shallinvestigate the possibility ofestablishing a national polar researchtraining institute in Nunavut. [A]

3.9.9 Environment Canada and otherrepresentative agencies shouldconduct more research on climatepatterns and related environmentalstudies to develop models of potentialchange in the region. [REC]

3.9.10 By virtue of the Scientist Act,researchers conducting investigationon ice dynamics and/or marinemammals, with the exception of polarbears, are required to consult the NRI.They are also required to consult withcommunities when setting priorities forresearch. [A]


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3.10 Sovereignty and Defence

BackgroundInuit inhabited the North Baffin region longbefore the Dominion of Canada was created.As the first residents of this country, Inuit arevalued citizens. In the early 1950s, theestablishment of the communities of GriseFiord and Resolute Bay helped to strengthenCanadian sovereignty in the High Arctic. Inuithave a large role to play in affirming Canada’snorthern presence.

In every community of the region, Inuitparticipate in the Canadian Ranger Program,which trains them as a local surveillanceforce. The Rangers, in turn, act as guides forand train members of the Canadian Forces inArctic survival.

Long-range Aurora aircraft regularly patrolthe region, providing a military presence aswell as collecting data on non-renewableresource exploration activities, ice movementand wildlife. The Army is also active throughperiodic small-scale tactical exercises.

There have been major changes in defencepriorities since land use planning work firstbegan in the North Baffin region. The threatfrom the Soviet Union that impelled much of

the military buildup in the region throughoutthe Cold War no longer exists. The NorthWarning Stations have been upgradedthroughout Nunavut (although none exist inthe planning region). Canada does not sendsubmarines through the Arctic, and thegovernment has decided not to build a Class Aicebreaker because it was too expensive.Some military training continues, however,and DND needs to be aware of the effect of its activities on the environment. The militaryneeds to follow proper procedures andensure that any mess it makes on the land is cleaned up.

IssuesFor the most part, the communities acceptcurrent military activities and associated landuses if they are advised in advance, areconsulted about the timing and type ofactivities, and are given the opportunity tobenefit whenever possible.

Year-round shipping, with an increasedfrequency and number of transits, couldintensify adverse effects on wildlife andharvesting activities.


Objectives

✔ TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES AND THE MILITARY TOENSURE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS.

✔ TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO MAXIMIZE BENEFITS AND MINIMIZE ADVERSE EFFECTS OFMILITARY DEVELOPMENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION.

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TermsThe NPC supports the Government ofCanada’s efforts to involve Inuit and otherlocal residents as much as possible indefining and implementing strategies tostrengthen national security and sovereigntyin the region.

The NPC believes that Canada hassupported its claim to sovereignty over theCanadian Arctic by negotiating, signing, andnow implementing the NLCA, whichrecognizes traditional and existing Inuit landuse and occupancy.

The NPC supports DND in involving thecommunities of Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet andNanisivik in their Initial EnvironmentalEvaluation for the proposed NorthernTraining Centre. The NPC welcomes the policythat all major defence-related projectsproposed for the region will be subjected toenvironmental impact assessment pro-cedures. It also notes DND’s commitment to“give an undertaking to try to give reasonablenotice of its intentions, where it does notcompromise its operational requirements.”26

3.10.1 If new military facilities are requiredin the region, DND should considerexisting regional facilities for theestablishment of new defenceinstallations. The communities, QIAand other relevant Nunavut bodies,such as the NPC and NIRB, should beconsulted before any newconstruction. [REC]

3.11 Heritage Resources

BackgroundInuit are very concerned that heritage sites bepreserved. For years, archaeologists from theCMC and the Prince of Wales NorthernHeritage Centre have endeavoured to identifyarchaeological sites in the region, but largenumbers remain unrecorded. Properidentification of heritage sites is viewed as thefirst step toward protecting them. Thefollowing section from the NLCA underscoresthe importance of this effort:

The archaeological record of the NunavutSettlement Area is of spiritual, cultural,religious and educational importance toInuit. Accordingly, the identification,protection and conservation ofarchaeological sites and specimens andthe interpretation of the archaeologicalrecord is of primary importance to Inuitand their involvement is both desirableand necessary.27

The NLCA also defines an archaeological siteas “a site or work within the NunavutSettlement Area of archaeological,ethnographic or historical importance,interest or significance or a place where anarchaeological specimen is found, andincludes explorers’ cairns…” An archaeo-logical specimen is “an object or specimenfound in an archaeological site ofarchaeological, ethnological or historicalimportance, interest or significance andincludes explorers’ documents.” 28

26 “Consolidated Federal Comments, Revised Draft North Baffin Regional Land UsePlan - by page and section,” July 1998, pg. 5.

27 NLCA, Section 33.2.2, p. 226.

28 NLCA, Section 33.1.1, p. 225.

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IssuesIdentification of archaeological sites isimportant both for mapping Inuit heritageresources and developing land use plans.This work has begun in the West Kitikmeotand the Keewatin. Using information from theCMC and from Inuit in the communities, theNPC has created maps and a database of the

archaeological sites in the West Kitikmeot.Similar work is well under way in theKeewatin and beginning in the North Baffinregion.

TermsNew information will be added to thedatabase and maps as it is collected. The

Visitors ford the glacial run-off. In order to preserve Nunavut’s pristine environment, tourists should adhere to the Code of Good Conduct for land users found in this land use plan.

©1997 Andrew McCoy

Objectives

✔ TO PRESERVE THE NORTH BAFFIN’S RICH INUIT AND NON-INUIT HERITAGERESOURCES.

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gathering of this information will be guided bycriteria provided by the CMC and CLEY. Thesecriteria consider any relevant cultural orhistoric feature made before 1945 to be anarchaeological site. In order to analyze thesites in a consistent manner they have beenclassified according to their type and timeperiod. The site types, time periods andcultural designations used are listed here:

Site Types:• Campsite• Trading Post• Sacred• Village• Unknown• Findspot (a site or a spot where a single

tool or artifact was found, or where veryfew were found)

• Killsite (a site used for killing animals)• Lookout (a site used to watch for

animals)• Workshop (a site where there is evidence

of work to create or repair tools,weapons, etc.)

Time Periods:• Pre-Contact• Post-Contact • European• Undetermined

Cultural Designation:• Inuit• Non-Inuit

It should be noted that it is difficult toestablish the exact chronological date for

each category, since European influence wasnot consistent across groups and regions.

Considerable concern has been expressedabout the effects of potential development onheritage sites. For that reason, the NPC isrecommending an additional level ofprotection for sites of special historical orcultural importance to Inuit. Such specialprotection would complement legislativeprotection that currently applies to the sites,and would not preclude further legislationprotection. Through the planning process,and by way of an amendment, it will bepossible to designate areas of sufficient size toprotect the integrity of the site. Thisdesignation will be included in thearchaeological site mapping work now beingconducted with the assistance of people fromthe communities.3.11.1 Museums for archaeological artifacts

should be established in Nunavut.[REC]

3.11.2 The NPC and the communities shallcontinue to record the locations ofheritage and archaeological sites, andshall involve the CMC, the IHT, andCLEY on the documentation of thesesites. This information shall bereferred to by CLEY when land useproposals are considered. Theappropriate communities shall beconsulted on the approval ofarchaeologists’ applications beforepermits are issued. [A]

3.11.3 The CMC shall continue to hold acentral registry of archaeologicalsites, and the NPC, in coordination

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with the IHT, shall continue tomonitor land use activities to protectthese sites. Information about thelocation and identity ofarchaeological sites in specific areas,and the measures necessary toprotect them, shall be included inland use permits. Land users shallreport the discovery of all suspectedarchaeological sites or artifacts toCLEY. [A][CR]

3.11.4 Any review of legislation protectingburial, historical and archaeologicalsites shall ensure that these sites aremore fully protected. [A]

3.11.5 The NPC shall consider requests toamend the plan to designate specialareas for cultural, traditional orhistorical reasons. No developmentactivities shall be permitted withinsuch areas or within an area ofsufficient size to protect the integrityof the site. [A]

3.12 Cumulative Effects andEcosystems Monitoring

The identification and monitoring ofcumulative environmental effects areimportant elements of land use planning andenvironmental management. The NLCA guidesthe NPC in both of these roles.

Cumulative Effects AssessmentTwo articles of the NLCA relate to land useplanning provisions and the cumulative

environmental effects of development. Thesetwo articles refer to a process designed toinclude the assessment of cumulative effectsof projects in relation to other developmentactivities.

Article 12.3.3 states that the NPC may referan exempted project to NIRB for screening“where the NPC has concerns respecting thecumulative impact of that project proposal inrelation to other development activities in aplanning region.”29 Article 13.4.4 states that“Where the NPC has concerns respecting thecumulative impact of development activities ina planning region, it may refer waterapplications to NIRB for screening eventhough the application falls within Schedule12-1.” 30

General MonitoringArticle 12.7.6 of the NLCA guides the role ofthe NPC in the establishment of a generalmonitoring program, stating that there is:

...a requirement for general monitoringto collect and analyze information on thelong-term state and health of theecosystemic and socio-economicenvironment in the Nunavut SettlementArea. Government, in cooperation withthe NPC, shall be responsible fordeveloping a general monitoring plan andfor directing and coordinating generalmonitoring and data collection. The NPCshall:

(a) in accordance with the plan, collateinformation and data provided by


29 NLCA, Section 12.3.3, p. 106.

30 NLCA, Section 13.4.4, p. 126. (Schedule 12-1 lists project proposals which areexempt from NIRB screening.)

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industry, government departmentsand agencies, amongst others;

(b) in accordance with the plan, reportperiodically on the ecosystemic andsocio-economic environment of theNunavut Settlement Area; and

(c) use the information collected underSub-sections (a) and (b) to fulfill itsexisting responsibilities under Article11.

As an initial step toward fulfilling thisobligation, the NPC and DIAND jointlysponsored a Conceptual Design Workshop inCambridge Bay in April 1997 to begindeveloping indicators to be monitored in theWest Kitikmeot. The plan is to develop a set ofindicators that can be used throughoutNunavut.

Cumulative effects assessment and generalmonitoring can be seen as two sides of thesame coin. The former takes place before aproject or projects take place; the latter isconducted on an ongoing basis once projectsare in place.

The following comes from the CanadianEnvironmental Assessment Research Council:

Cumulative effects can be characterizedas impacts on the natural and socialenvironments which:

1) occur so frequently in time or sodensely in space that they cannot be“assimilated,” or

2) combine with effects of other activitiesin a synergistic manner.31

Environment Canada has a slightly differentdefinition:

The effect on the environment that resultsfrom the incremental impact of aproposed action when added to otherpast, present, and reasonably foreseeablefuture actions.32

Cumulative effects assessment grew out of a realization that individual, limitedenvironmental impact assessments could saylittle about the combined effects ofdevelopment on the intricate workings of theecosystem. Traditionally, these assessmentslooked at “the biophysical and socio-economic impacts induced directly orindirectly by either small or large scaledevelopments.”33 Assessing cumulative effectsrequires a different approach.

Instead of on a project-by-project basis,assessment could be part of regionalplanning, to be done before any projects mayoccur, in the hope that serious environmentalproblems could be avoided. This approachimmediately required the need to look at verylarge areas and at many projects at the sametime.34

The concept of cumulative effects has alsomade its way into legislation, such as theCanadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Most, if not all environmental effects can beseen as cumulative because they occur in


31 Quoted in N.C. Sonntag, et. al. Cumulative Effects Assessment: A Context forFurther Research and Development [background paper prepared for theCanadian Environmental Assessment Research Council], (Ottawa: Minister ofSupply and Services, 1987), p. 5.

32 Environment Canada, The State of Canada's Environment Infobase.

33 David Marshall, et. al., Environmental Management and Impact Assessment:Some Lessons and Guidance from Canadian and International Experience, p. 1.

34 GeoNorth Ltd. And Axys Environmental Consulting Ltd. Identifying ResearchPriorities to Refine the West Kitikmeot Slave Study Research Framework: FinalReport, Appendix I, p. 1.

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environments already stressed by humanactivities. Yet cumulative environmentaleffects are different. The key difference liesnot in the effects themselves, but in how theyare perceived.35

In order to maintain ecological balance, itis necessary to monitor change over both theshort and long term. What follows is a list ofpotential Ecosystem Indicators for use in ageneral monitoring program in the WestKitikmeot Planning Region. These indicatorscan serve not only as the “backbone” for ageneral monitoring program, but as keyelements in a “language” for periodicallydescribing Nunavut’s “state of theenvironment”. While this list was developedspecifically for the West Kitikmeot, it is likelythat many of the indicators will be useful andrelevant elsewhere in Nunavut.

The NPC also sponsored a technicalworkshop in April 1998 at which participantsgrappled with the list of indicators andselected a number that could be used as a pilot project. The data analysis for theNunavut General Monitoring Program isunder way and a prototype of the project hasbeen accessible via the Internet since early1999.

The challenge is to find measurableindicators that can be used in impact

predictions and in monitoring. In order todetermine the accuracy of impact predictions,and to monitor impacts and cumulativeeffects, it is necessary to measure changebetween baseline (or pre-project) conditionsand future conditions. A recent study oftransboundary river systems within theMackenzie River Basin provides usefulexamples of attempts to identify measurable“ecosystem maintenance indicators.” Similarwork is being conducted in other parts of theArctic where attempts are being made toassess the potential impact of industrialdevelopment on the ecosystem.36

Terms3.12.1 DIAND, in cooperation with the NPC

and other appropriate agencies, shallcomplete the design and implem-entation of the monitoring programoutlined in Section 12.7.6 of theNLCA. [A]

3.13 Clean Up and Monitoringof Waste Sites

BackgroundA major environmental problem nowconfronts governments, Inuit land owners andall residents of Nunavut: How can we clean uphundreds of abandoned exploration camps,military installations, outpost camps andother facilities? People also want somethingdone about the dumps in their communities -dumps that have been used for years and arethought to contain hazardous waste.

35 Federal Environmental Assessment Review Office, Addressing CumulativeEnvironmental Effects: A Reference Guide for the Canadian EnvironmentalAssessment Act, p. 2.

36 One such region is the “1002 Lands” in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,which the U.S. Congress is considering opening to oil development. For example,see Thomas R. McCabe, “Assessing values of Arctic wildlife and habitat subjectto potential petroleum development” in Landscape and Urban Planning, no.28(1994), pp. 33-45. Information taken from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,“Preliminary Review of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Coastal PlainResource Assessment: Report and Recommendation to the Congress of theUnited States and Final Legislative Environmental Impact Assessment,August 29, 1995”.

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The problem of abandoned waste is notunique to Nunavut. Cleaning up the Arctic isrelated to wider issues of environmentalprotection faced by indigenous peoplesthroughout the circumpolar region. Theimportance of the Arctic environment wasrecognized by eight circumpolar nations,including Canada, that signed the ArcticEnvironmental Protection Strategy inRovaniemi, Finland, in 1991.37 This strategy isa wide-ranging declaration on the protectionof the Arctic, and it identifies the monitoringand assessment of contaminants as a majorpriority.

At the review hearing, the NPC heard a greatdeal of concern about the need to clean up

abandoned waste sites throughout the region.Many of these sites appear to be old miningexploration camps; others are outpost campsset up by people from the communities. TheNLCA addresses the issue of waste sitecleanup:

The NPC shall identify and priorize therequirement to clean up waste sites in theNunavut Settlement Area, includinghazardous waste sites, inactive miningsites, abandoned DEW line sites, and non-hazardous sites near communities. TheNPC shall consider waste sites in theKitikmeot region on a priority basis. Tothe extent possible, this initiative shall beco-ordinated with the development ofland use plans.38

While the NLCA requires that the NPC makethe Kitikmeot the priority region for cleanup,


An archaeological dig of Thule winter houses near Resolute, conducted by the CMC with the support ofthe Polar Continental Shelf Project. Proper identification of heritage sites is the first step toward protecting them.


37 The eight nations were: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, theUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America. The InuitCircumpolar Conference, Nordic Sami Council and the USSR Association of SmallPeoples of the North assisted in preparing the strategy and had observer statusat this initiative. Further declarations in Nuuk (1993) and Inuvik (1996) havebuilt on the Rovaniemi Agreement.

38 NLCA, s. 11.9.1, p. 99.

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there are long-standing problems in the NorthBaffin which must also be addressed. As partof its ongoing mapping work, the NPC willconduct a community consultation andinformation gathering exercise similar to theprocess that took place in the West Kitikmeot.The goal of this process will be to develop aninventory of cleanup sites in the North Baffinregion. The first step will be to gatherinformation from residents on the location ofwaste sites. Government records will also beused to develop a database. Included will beinformation on location, kinds of waste, whocreated the site, who is responsible forcleanup, and whether the site is on Inuit orCrown land. Out of this process will come arevolving list of waste sites on Crown, InuitOwned or hamlet lands. This inventory will bepublic and will be continually updated as newinformation is gathered, and as old sites arecleaned up.

The NPC recognizes that the mainresponsibility for cleanup lies withgovernment and that there is not a lot ofmoney these days to conduct this work in asystematic fashion. Once the inventory iscompiled, the NPC will cooperate withgovernment to ensure the accuracy of the sitesand their contents. Once an inventory of thesites is complete, the NPC shall work withgovernment and other interested parties to (i)maintain and update the list and (ii) developa short list of priority sites for cleanup. Itshould be pointed out that this inventory willnot constitute a systematic analysis of sitecontents, especially those where hazardouswastes are known or suspected. In cases

where hazardous waste is identified, a siteanalysis requiring specialized training willhave to be carried out. The list does notaddress the issue of who will pay to clean upthese sites.

Work has begun on this project and willcontinue over the next couple of years.

Terms3.13.1 All users of the land shall follow the

Code of Good Conduct in Appendix Hto ensure that no new waste sites arecreated. [CR]

3.13.2 The principle of “the polluter pays”shall apply to a strategy for cleaningup the environment. Where it ispossible to identify the person,company or agency responsible forcreating an abandoned or inactivewaste site, they shall be maderesponsible for site cleanup andrestoration. [A][CR]

3.13.3 When identification is not possible,the government agency (or itssuccessor) that had regulatoryresponsibility for the site at the time itwas active shall be responsible forsite cleanup and restoration. [A][CR]

3.13.4 The NPC shall work withcommunities, QIA, government,industry and other interested partiesto develop an inventory of waste sitesand a short list of cleanup prioritiesin keeping with the NPC’sresponsibilities assigned in NLCASection 11.9.1.


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report old waste sites they maycome across on the land, andwhich may not be on the inventorylist and maps. [A] [REC]

3.13.5 DIAND, as the lead agency for Canadain this region, shall review thePriority List of Cleanup Sites and, inconsultation with the QIA and theNPC, prepare a remedial action planto be completed six months followingdevelopment of the priority list. [A]

3.13.6 The DSD, as the lead agency for theGovernment of Nunavut, shall reviewthe Priority List of Cleanup Sites and,in consultation with the QIA and theNPC, prepare a remedial action planto be completed six months followingdevelopment of the priority list. [A]

3.13.7 DND and DIAND shall clean up anyabandoned military facilities asquickly as possible, ensuring thatlocal people are consulted aboutcleanup priorities, and prepare aremedial action plan to be completedsix months following development ofthe priority list. [A]

3.13.8 New occurrences of pollution,garbage and contamination caused byanyone shall be prevented. Landusers shall ensure that all drums aresafely recovered. [A][CR]


a) Once an inventory of the sites iscomplete, the NPC shall work withall interested parties to (i)maintain and update the inventoryand (ii) develop a Nunavut-Settlement-Area-wide short list ofpriority sites for cleanup. [A]

b) Community residents in particular,and all land users in general, shallbe actively involved in planningand conducting cleanupoperations, whenever possibleand practicable. [A][CR]

c) Refuse, such as fuel drums andscrap metal, shall be recycledwhere possible. [A][CR]

d) Sites containing toxic materialsshall be given priority for cleanup,and the location of these sitesshall be widely publicized to warnresidents.[A][CR]

e) Sites within or near cariboucalving grounds, near water andnear communities shall also begiven priority for cleanup.[A][CR]

f) The short list of cleanup sites forthe North Baffin region shall becontained in an amendment to thisplan. [REC]

g) Mining and exploration companiesare particularly encouraged to

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CHAPTER 4RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1 The Environment,Renewable Resources and Conservation

QIA is the DIO responsible for themanagement of IOL within the region. Its roleis to safeguard, administer and advance therights and benefits of Inuit of the BaffinRegion.39

QWB is a management board created underthe NLCA. It oversees the 13 HTOs in Baffin

communities. It also works closely with DFO,DSD, and the NWMB.40

DIAND, on behalf of the federalgovernment, is the manager of Crown land.Commissioner’s land - which is mostly withinmunicipal boundaries and does not includethe subsurface - has been transferred to thehamlets in the North Baffin.

There are five Institutions of PublicGovernment, or co-management bodies,established under the NLCA. Each hasresponsibilities when it comes to land useplanning.

The NPC works with the people of Nunavut, HTOs, and other community-based groups, government, industry and other stakeholders to develop land use plans.

Photo courtesy of NPC

39 Source: QIA literature.

40 Source: QIA literature.

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• The NPC works with the people of Nunavut,the HTOs and other community-basedgroups, government, industry and otherstakeholders to develop land use plans thatguide resource use and development inNunavut. The NPC recommends land useplans to the Ministers of DIAND and DSD. Italso determines whether project proposalsconform to approved regional land useplans. Members of the NPC are nominatedby Inuit organizations and the governmentsof Canada and Nunavut. The size andmakeup of the membership of the NPC mayvary, but the federal government and theterritorial government each recommend atleast one member and the DIO nominates anumber of members equal to the totalnumber recommended by government. Afurther member is appointed asChairperson from nominations provided bythe NPC.

• Under the NLCA, the NWMB is the maininstrument of wildlife management in theNunavut Settlement Area and the mainregulator of access to wildlife, subject onlyto the government for wildlife management.As a co-management body, the NWMB isdedicated to enabling and protecting thebeneficial use of Nunavut’s wildlife for andby the beneficiaries of the NLCA, and otherresidents, consistent with the soundprinciples of conservation, sustainabilityand integrity of the ecosystem. The NWMBconsists of four members appointed byDIOs, four members appointed bygovernment, and a Chairperson appointedfrom internal nominations. The NWMB has

discretionary powers related to themanagement and protection of wildlife andwildlife habitat and the direction of wildliferesearch. Under the NLCA, Section 5.2.34,the NWMB may approve the establishmentof wildlife reserves and protectionprograms.

• NIRB is responsible for environmentalassessment in the Nunavut Settlement Area.The mandate of the NIRB is to use bothtraditional Inuit knowledge and recognizedscientific methods in ecosystem analysis toassess and monitor, on a site-specific andregional basis, the environmental, culturaland socio-economic impacts of thoseproposals over which it has responsibility.The task of the board is to determinewhether proposals should proceed todevelopment and, if so, under whatconditions. NIRB is required to: screenproject proposals; define the extent ofregional impacts; review environmental andsocio-economic impacts of projectproposals; and determine whether or notprojects should proceed and under whatconditions. NIRB also attaches specificterms and conditions to land use permits.NIRB is composed of nine members, four appointed by the DIO, four fromgovernment, and a Chairperson appointedfrom nominations provided by NIRB.

• The NWB has responsibilities and powersover the use, management and regulation ofwater in the Nunavut Settlement Area.According to the NLCA, all water uses andwaste disposal, except for domestic oremergency purposes, are to be approved by

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the NWB. The NWB holds a public hearingbefore approving any water licenceapplication, but it may waive thisrequirement when there is no publicconcern expressed. The NWB issues andadministers water licenses in Nunavut. TheNWB seeks advice from governmentagencies, including DIAND, the Governmentof Nunavut, and Aboriginal organizationswhen it drafts water licences. DIAND alsoprovides inspection services to the NWB.The NWB is composed of nine members,four appointed from nominations submittedby the DIO, four from government, and aChairperson appointed from nominationsprovided by NWB.

• The Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal isa dispute-resolution body that is activatedupon application when the parties cannotagree on access to the surface of the land oron compensation for wildlife. TheTribunal’s role is one of an arbitrator ofdisputes. It is a quasi-judicial body,independent of the influence of any party,including government, Inuit organizationsand industry. Its responsibilities include: (a) issuing entry orders subject to the

payment of an entry fee; (b) holding hearings to determine

compensation payable to surface rightsholders;

(c) periodically reviewing the level ofcompensation payable under an entryorder;

(d) terminating an entry order, after ahearing, where lands are no longer beingused for the purpose authorized; and

(e) settling disputes for claims for wildlifecompensation.

DIAND uses a number of tools to manageCrown land, including land use permits,quarrying permits and surface leases. DIANDissues mineral rights on Crown land, and onIOL where the Crown retains ownership of thesubsurface. DIAND also administers the bedsof waterbodies. DIAND is responsible forconducting land use inspections as animportant element of monitoring andenvironmental management. TheDepartment’s waste management program isresponsible for the cleanup of abandonedwastes. DIAND seeks advice from otherfederal government departments, from theGovernment of Nunavut and from Aboriginalgroups. The Arctic Waters AdvisoryCommittee, which has members from thefederal and territorial governments andAboriginal groups, provides advice asrequested to DIAND on the environmentalconsequences of marine industrial activitiesin Arctic waters. The Government ofNunavut uses similar tools onCommissioner’s land.

Environment Canada has a generalmandate to preserve and enhance the qualityof the natural environment.

The Environmental Protection Branchis responsible for the protection of theenvironment both through legislation andthrough a number of programs. The Branch isresponsible for the administration of theCanadian Environmental Protection Act,including ocean disposal provisions, andsection 36 of the Fisheries Act. Environmental

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protection programs include enforcement,assessment and pollution prevention, as wellas environmental emergency protection,preparedness and response.

CWS oversees wildlife matters that are theresponsibility of the federal government.These include the protection andmanagement of migratory birds, nationallysignificant habitat and endangered species, aswell as work on other wildlife issues ofnational and international importance. Inaddition, CWS does research in many fields ofwildlife biology. The CWS is also responsiblefor protecting other migratory animals, suchas polar bear and caribou. It cooperates withthe provinces, territories, and Parks Canadain carrying out wildlife research andmanagement projects within theirjurisdictions.

The Environmental ConservationBranch is responsible for conservingmigratory birds and endangered wildlife inCanada and managing migratory birdsanctuaries and national wildlife areas.

The Atmospheric EnvironmentalBranch is responsible for providingclimatological and hydrometric data forplanning purposes, and observations andforecasts of weather, ice, sea state and airquality.

CEAA is responsible for the CanadianEnvironmental Assessment Act. This is a self-assessment process that requires the federalgovernment to complete an environmentalassessment where projects involve federallands, money or regulatory authorities, orwhere the federal government is a proponent

itself. Environment Canada, DIAND and otherlicensing/reviewing agencies meet theirenvironmental assessment obligationsthrough close consultation with NIRB, andthey provide advice in a technical capacity to ensure comprehensive environmentalscreenings of all projects are conducted.

DFO, which now includes the CCG,manages Canada’s oceans and navigablewaterways. It also ensures the sustainable useof fisheries resources and facilitates marinetrade and commerce. The management andprotection of fish and marine mammals andtheir habitats is achieved primarily throughthe Fisheries Act. This act contains provisionsto protect fish habitat and to prevent pollutionof habitat (the latter responsibility isadministered by Environment Canada onbehalf of DFO), and through theenvironmental assessment process describedabove. Under the NLCA, DFO co-manages fish,marine mammals and marine resourcesthrough the NWMB. The department isresponsible for the protection of marineecosystems under the new Canada OceansAct. This includes the establishment of marineprotected areas.

Although Environment Canada isresponsible for managing migratory birds,and DFO is responsible for fish and marinemammals, DSD manages, regulates andencourages the sustainable use of all otherwildlife species. Several federal agencies areresponsible for regulating pollution of Arcticwaters through the Arctic Waters PollutionPrevention Act. These include DFO for


Central Meridian 95°W Standard Parallels 49° N and 77° N

Pond Inlet

Grise Fiord

Resolute

Lancaster Sound

BathurstIsland

Existing and Proposed

Protected Areas

Northern Bathurst Island National Park Proposal

Creswell Bay Area Under Study

Quttinirpaaq National Park

Fossil Forest Area Under Study

Igalirtuuq National Wildlife Area (Proposed)

Sirmilik National Park

Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area

Prince Leopold Island Bird Sanctuary

Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area

2

5

4

1

3

2

1

3

4

5

6

7

7

66

68

9

8

9

EllesmereIsland

Princeof Wales

Island

0 10050 150 200 250

Arctic BayNanisivik

Clyde River

Devon Island

Baffin Island

Seymour Island Bird Sanctuary10

10

Kilometres

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shipping activities and DIAND for non-shipping activities.

The Geological Survey of Canada is partof Natural Resources Canada. It mapsbedrock and surface geology, conductsresearch on the natural environment,permafrost, mineral technology and theimpact of development on northernecosystems. It is also responsible for carryingout Mineral and Energy ResourceAssessments, in consultation with othergovernment departments, when withdrawalsof federal Crown lands for national parks arebeing seriously considered.

The NEB issues authorizations for oil andgas drilling and controls pollution fromoffshore oil and gas exploration anddevelopment. The NEB also ensures thatonshore operations are safe andenvironmentally sound, including technicalapprovals of drilling programs, seismicsurveys, and pipeline construction. It isresponsible for making sure that therequirements of the NLCA and the CEAA arefulfilled prior to making regulatory decisions.

Transport Canada is responsible forregulating the transport of dangerous goods.A number of federal and territorial agencieshave responsibilities for preventing,containing and cleaning up spills ofhazardous substances on land and in water.These include CCG, DIAND, DFO,Environment Canada and the NEB on federallands, and the Government of Nunavut onCommissioner’s land.

DSD is responsible for three inter-relatedaspects of healthy community life in Nunavut.

DSD directs its efforts through its programsand services to:• provide the support needed for people and

Inuit organizations to use their capacitiesand participate fully in decisions ondevelopment;

• provide the support needed for people topursue sustainable livelihoods both in thetraditional and wage economy;

• ensure the wise use of our resources in amanner that will protect and enhance ourenvironment now and for futuregenerations.

DSD’s responsibilities include:1. Working in partnership with industry,

government and non-government agenciesto foster sustainable economic activities inour communities in sectors that include:• community economic development;• parks and tourism; • mining (oil and gas);• fisheries; • arts and crafts;• manufacturing;• trade and services; • wildlife harvesting and household

production;• transportation, communications and

information technologies;• construction;• public sector; and• third sector.

2. Co-managing our wildlife and habitat withInstitutions of Public Government througha balanced effort of monitoring, goodscience, Inuit qaujimajatuqangit and

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agreements with those with whom we shareour wildlife.

3. Providing and maintaining a quality systemof parks and conservation areas.

4. Managing the environment through publiceducation and the Environmental Pro-tection Act and Environmental Rights Act.

5. Providing leadership when there is conflictover resource use.

DSD legislation includes:• Wildlife Act• Nunavut Development Corporation Act• Nunavut Business Credit Corporation Act• Environmental Protection Act• Environmental Rights Act• Travel and Tourism Act• Co-operative Associations Act• Credit Unions Act

4.2 Mineral DevelopmentDIAND currently has the major responsibilityfor managing mineral exploration anddevelopment on Crown lands, subject to theenvironmental protection responsibilitiesoutlined above. NTI manages mineralexploration and development on subsurfaceIOL. NTI is responsible for issuing explorationlicences, concession agreements and leaseson subsurface IOL. The Qikiqtani InuitAssociation is responsible for issuing Inuitland use permits, leases and other surfaceinstruments as they pertain to the surfaceestate of IOL.

DIAND is responsible for issuingprospecting permits, for registering mineral

claims and mineral leases on Crown land, andfor granting exploration rights for oil and gas.

4.3 Transportation and RegionalInfrastructure

The Government of Nunavut Departmentof Public Works and Services took overArctic sealift operations from the CCG, anagency of DFO, in 2000. However, the CCG isstill responsible for providing marine servicesin Arctic waters including ice-breaking,navigational aids, search and rescue, boatingsafety, vessel traffic management, the Arcticports infrastructure program, andenvironmental response. Transport Canadaand the CCG share responsibility forcoordinating response to marine spills.Environment Canada chairs the ArcticRegional Environmental Emergencies Team,which provides co-ordinated information andadvice concerning environmental impacts,resource sensitivities, environmentalforecasting, cleanup techniques, andpriorities for responding to environmentalemergencies.

Transport Canada is responsible for thedevelopment and regulation of a safe andefficient national transportation system, and ithas a particular mandate to regulate air andsea transportation in the North.

The Government of NunavutDepartment of Community Governmentand Transportation has the mandate toplan, design, build, operate and maintainpublic transportation infrastructure inNunavut. This includes community airports,docks and roads. DIAND retains

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responsibility for the construction of highwaysystems outside of municipal boundaries.

Nunavut Power Corporation isresponsible for providing power tocommunities.

4.4 Heritage ResourcesArchaeological sites are protected in anumber of ways. The NWT ArchaeologicalSites Regulations apply throughout theterritories. The Territorial Land UseRegulations apply on federal Crown lands.The Historical Resources Act pertains toCommissioner’s land.

CLEY issues archaeological permits toqualified individuals to conduct investigationsof archaeological sites that may include thesystematic recovery of artifacts. It is alsoresponsible for ensuring that sites areinvestigated, recorded and salvaged prior to any development. CLEY also reviews allproject proposal applications and advisesNIRB on conditions necessary to preservearchaeological sites within the permit area.

Parks Canada is responsible forestablishing and managing national parks and

national historic sites and monuments. Itconsults and gets advice from the Institutionsof Public Government, especially NWMB andNPC.

DSD has the mandate to establish territorialparks. Parks Canada administers thenational secretariat for the CanadianHeritage Rivers Board, while responsibilityfor the Heritage Rivers program falls jointly toDIAND and DSD.41

4.5 Scientific ResearchAll researchers require permits beforeconducting research. CLEY issues permits toarchaeologists under the NWT ArchaeologicalSites Regulations. DSD issues permits toscientists researching wildlife (except forresearch into migratory birds, which isregulated by Environment Canada, and fishand marine mammals, which is regulated byDFO).

The NRI licenses all other researchers.Permits are also required for non-beneficiaries who want access to nationalwildlife areas or migratory bird sanctuaries.

41 Responsibilities assumed by the Government of Nunavut Department ofSustainable Development after April 1, 1999.

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CHAPTER 5PLANIMPLEMENTATION,MONITORING, AMENDMENT ANDREVIEW

5.1 Plan ImplementationPlan implementation is largely the responsibilityof government departments and Inuitorganizations. Preparation of detailedimplementation plans will follow approval of theland use plan. Implementation plans should beprepared by DSD, on behalf of all Governmentof Nunavut departments and agencies, andDIAND, on behalf of all federal departments andagencies, QIA and NTI. Implementation plansshould include the implications of the plan,clearly defined roles and responsibilities, andcost estimates. This will not only aid in theapproval process, but will hasten actualimplementation. Industry will implement the

plan by developing project proposals andundertaking land uses that conform to the plan.

Communities will implement the plan, ingeneral, by increasing their involvement andcapabilities in land use and resourcemanagement decision making, and byincreasing community awareness andunderstanding of land use activities and theirimplications. Specific actions requireimplementation by community governments.

The NPC’s role in implementing the plan willbe to publicize it and to review land useproposals for conformity with the land use plan.Where proposed land use activities do notconform to the plan, and in the event that theproponent has applied to the appropriate

Upon approval by Cabinet and the Executive Council, the plan shall be implemented on the basis of jurisdictional responsibility. All federal and territorial government departments and agencies shall conduct their activities and operationsin accordance with the plan as approved.

NLCA Section 11.5.9

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minister for an exemption, the NPC will ensurethat the project proposal is screened, whererequired, by NIRB.42

It will also review the implementation plans ofDIAND, DSD, QIA and NTI as well as fulfillingthe functions outlined below.

5.2 MonitoringThe NPC will monitor the implementation of theplan and issue annual reports to the Ministers ofDIAND and DSD and to the DIO (Section11.4.4[m]). The report will includeinformation on the status of the plan’simplementation, identify problems and

successes, and provide recommendations to theMinisters on possible improvements.

5.3 Plan Amendment and Review Article 11, Part 6 of the NLCA governsamendment and review of land use plans. The NPC will consider all recommendations foramendments and will recommend those that itconsiders suitable to the Minister of DIAND andthe Minister of DSD. Such recommendations foramendments to this plan can come from thefederal and territorial governments, QIA, NTI,the communities, industry or land users. Thesection referred to above provides for publicreview of proposed amendments to the plan.

Reviews of land use plans will normally takeplace every five years, unless circumstanceswarrant more or less frequent review.

42 Section 11.5.11 of the NLCA reads:Where the NPC has determined that a project proposal is not in conformity withthe plan, the proponent may apply to the appropriate Minister for exemption.The Minister may exempt the project proposal from conformity with the plan andshall, subject to Sections 12.3.2 and 12.3.3, refer it to NIRB for screening. Non-conforming project proposals shall not be sent to NIRB until such exemption isobtained or a variance has been approved. See also Article 12, Part 3:Relationship to the Land Use Planning Provisions.

Studying maps in Resolute. By virtue of their increased involvement in land use and resource management decision making, communities play a key role in implementing this plan.

Photo by Jayko Alooloo

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6.1 Introduction Under the NLCA, the NPC has the authority andresponsibility to review any project proposalwithin the region to ensure that it conforms tothis plan and to make a determinationaccordingly. Section 11.5.10 states:

The NPC shall review all applications forproject proposals. Upon receipt and reviewof a project proposal, the NPC or membersthereof or officers reporting to the NPCshall:

(a) determine whether the projectproposals are in conformity with plans;

(b) forward the project proposals with its determination and anyrecommendations to the appropriatefederal and territorial agencies.

Under the NLCA, proposals that do not conformto an approved land use plan and that areneither approved pursuant to a minor variancenor exempted from the plan’s requirements bythe Minister responsible may not be forwardedto NIRB for screening (s.11.5.11). Water

Skipping ice pans in Grise Fiord. Any project proposal in the North Baffin region must meet conformity requirements that safeguard the land and its people.

Photo by Jennifer Headley

CHAPTER 6REVIEW OF PROJECTPROPOSALS

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licences, in particular, may not be issuedrespecting such proposals (s. 13.4.2).

It is important to note that this planincorporates requirements for governmentaction pursuant to s. 11.5.9 of the NLCA, inaddition to conformity criteria applicable toproject proponents. (In Chapter 3, require-ments for government action are identified bythe designation “[A]”.)

A project proposal will be determined toconform to this plan if it meets the conformitycriteria set out below. Principally, these are the specific requirements concerningconservation, communications, renewableresource use, conservation areas, trans-portation, mineral and oil and gas development,research, heritage resources and waste cleanupthat flow from the NPC’s analysis in Chapter 3. Itbears emphasizing that any transportationcorridor requires the specific approval of theNPC pursuant to Chapter 3, following theprocess, and in accordance with the guidelines,set out in Appendices J and K.

6.2 Conformity CriteriaA project proposal conforms to this plan if: 1. it satisfies the “conformity requirements”

identified in Chapter 3; and 2. it involves land use of a type

a) engaged in or previously contemplatedby the communities and land useauthorities in the North Baffin region, or

b) not previously engaged in orcontemplated, yet the proposal isconsistent with the principles identifiedunder heading 6.3.

A proposal not meeting these criteria does notconform to the plan.

6.3 Principles and FactorsGuiding Interpretation

The foregoing conformity criteria will beinterpreted by the NPC in accordance with theprinciples that have guided development of thisplan. These principles are described in full inChapter 1. For convenience, they may besummarized as:• the planning principles stated in the NLCA,

including promotion of the well-being ofNunavut residents and consideration for otherCanadians, as well as protection and, wherenecessary, restoration of environmentalintegrity;

• the requirement of compliance with the NLCA;• special attention to protecting and promoting

the well-being of Inuit and IOL;• compatibility of this plan with municipal land

use plans;• the principle of sustainable development;• support for regional economic development;• encouragement of multiple land uses, subject

to the principle of sustainable development;and

• consideration for the overlapping planninginterests of other regions.

In addition to these principles, the goals andobjectives specific to each topic of conformityrequirements addressed in Chapter 3 will alsoguide the NPC’s interpretation of the criteria.

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List of Acronyms Sorted by AbbreviationCCG Canadian Coast Guard

CEAA Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

CLARC Community Land and Resources Committee

CLEY Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, Government of Nunavut

CMC Canadian Museum of Civilization

CWS Canadian Wildlife Service

DFO Department of Fisheries and Oceans

DIAND Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

DIO Designated Inuit Organization

DSD Department of Sustainable Development, Government of Nunavut

GNWT Government of the Northwest Territories

HTO Hunters and Trappers Organization

IHT Inuit Heritage Trust

IIBA Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement

IOL Inuit Owned Land

NEB National Energy Board

NIRB Nunavut Impact Review Board

NLCA Nunavut Land Claims Agreement

NPC Nunavut Planning Commission

NRI Nunavut Research Institute

NTI Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated

NWB Nunavut Water Board

NWMB Nunavut Wildlife Management Board

NWT Northwest Territories

QIA Qikiqtani Inuit Association

QWB Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board

RIA Regional Inuit Association

TFN Tungavik Federation of Nunavut

APPENDIX A

List of Acronyms

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List of Acronyms Sorted by Full NameCanadian Coast Guard CCG

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency CEAA

Canadian Museum of Civilization CMC

Canadian Wildlife Service CWS

Community Land and Resources Committee CLARC

Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, Government of Nunavut CLEY

Department of Fisheries and Oceans DFO

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development DIAND

Department of Sustainable Development, Government of Nunavut DSD

Designated Inuit Organization DIO

Government of the Northwest Territories GNWT

Hunters and Trappers Organization HTO

Inuit Heritage Trust IHT

Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement IIBA

Inuit Owned Land IOL

National Energy Board NEB

Northwest Territories NWT

Nunavut Impact Review Board NIRB

Nunavut Land Claims Agreement NLCA

Nunavut Planning Commission NPC

Nunavut Research Institute NRI

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated NTI

Nunavut Water Board NWB

Nunavut Wildlife Management Board NWMB

Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board QWB

Qikiqtani Inuit Association QIA

Regional Inuit Association RIA

Tungavik Federation of Nunavut TFN

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APPENDIX B

List of DefinitionsCONSERVATION A way of managing renewable, non-renewable and heritage resources so that long-term benefits can be

enjoyed by present and future generations.

CONSERVATION AREA Refers to any conservation area or protected area established by legislation and in existence at the dateof the ratification of the NLCA, and listed in Schedule 9-1 of the NLCA, as well as any other area ofparticular significance established for ecological, cultural, archaeological, research or similar reasons.

DEVELOPMENT Defined by the World Conservation Strategy as “the modification of the biosphere (thin covering of theplanet that contains and sustains human life) and the application of human, financial, living and non-living resources to satisfy human needs and improve the quality of human life.”

ECOSYSTEM A community of organisms, and the environment in which they live.

HAZARDOUS WASTE The term “hazardous” usually means waste that has at least one dangerous property. It can be flammable;corrosive (acids); reactive or explosive when combined with other substances; or toxic or poisonous, evenin small doses. Also describes other substances, such as asbestos, PCBs and some heavy metals that do notfall into these categories, but which pose special hazards to the environment or human health.

ENVIRONMENT The total biosphere including ecological, physical, and human systems. Social, economic, legal, political,institutional and cultural endeavours are therefore part of the total environment.

LAND Includes land, inland waters and the offshore.

LAND USE The human use of any natural resources in the planning region.

LAND USE ACTIVITY Any human activity that uses the land or is associated with use of the land.

LAND USE PLANNING Land use planning is a systematic process of decision making relating to the conservation, development,management and use of land and resources, including inland waters and the offshore. The land use plan-ning process includes implementation of land use plans and the monitoring of land use conflicts. Social,cultural and economic interests of people are central to policies that guide land use planning.

NON-RENEWABLE Finite (limited) resources that cannot be replaced or renewed once they have been extracted, includingRESOURCE all minerals, aggregates and fossil fuels.

PLANNING REGION The area for which a planning process is carried out and for which a land use plan is made.

POLICY A series of statements and a process providing a definitive direction for decision making, which specifiescourses of action for achieving goals and objectives. Policy is a way of defining a problem so that it canbe solved. Policy principles, goals, objectives and actions are therefore part of an ongoing process.

PRESERVATION A form of conservation that involves minimal levels of environmental manipulation, so that existingfeatures and processes are safeguarded for the future.

RENEWABLE Natural resource that comes from an essentially inexhaustible source (such as solar energy) or thatRESOURCE can be replenished by natural or human-devised cyclical processes if it is not used faster than it is renewed.

SUSTAINABLE The management of human relationships to the natural resources and the environment in such a wayDEVELOPMENT that economic, social and cultural needs are met and ecological processes and natural diversity are main-

tained.

List of Definitions

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APPENDIX C

3.2 Turning the Vision intoAction

3.2.1 All land users shall refer to the landvalues and concerns in Appendix G,and to the Areas of Importance map,to determine important land valuesand concerns in areas where theyplan to work, as well as to adjust theirwork plans to conserve these values.

3.2.8 Research carried out in the NorthBaffin shall be translated intoInuktitut and made available to thepeople of the region as soon aspossible. Reports shall be translatedin a format that will be understood bya non-technical person, but notsimplified to the point wheremeaning is lost. At a minimum,researchers shall include a translatedsummary of their work. Researchersshould also endeavour to presenttheir findings orally in communitiesaffected by their work. They shall alsoconsult with the CLARCs to determine

what other information needs thecommunity might have, and ensurethat any additional materials,including final reports, are translatedinto Inuktitut.

3.3 Renewable Resource Use3.3.1 All land uses shall be conducted in

keeping with the policy of sustainabledevelopment in order to protect theopportunities for domesticharvesting. All land users shall avoidharm to wildlife and wildlife habitatand damage to community travelroutes through the timing of theiroperations, through careful selectionof the location of their main campsand travel routes, and through othermitigative measures. In order toachieve these ends, all land usersshall follow the Code of GoodConduct contained in Appendix H.

3.3.7 Development activities shall beprohibited within all caribou calving

Summary of Conformity Requirements

Note to Readers: This Appendix contains specific conformity requirements listed in Chapter 3: A Plan for Stability, Growth andChange. The heading numbers correspond to headings in that chapter, and the number of individual conformity requirements is thenumber by which they are listed in the document. The numbers are not sequential because not all of the listed terms in Chapter 3constitute conformity requirements.

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APPENDIX C SUMMARY OF CONFORMITY REQUIREMENTS

areas during calving season, as wellas caribou water crossings in theNorth Baffin region. The QIA andDIAND shall implement caribouprotection measures on Inuit Ownedand Crown lands respectively.

3.3.8 Development activities shall berestricted near polar bear denningareas and walrus haul-outs.

3.4 Conservation Areas3.4.1 The NLCA sets out procedures

to guide the establishment ofconservation areas in Nunavut. Anyagency proposing to create a new - ormodify an existing - conservationarea shall do so in accordance withthe provisions of the NLCA.Proponents are directed to AppendixN of this document. Any proposedconservation or protected areastrategy shall involve a thoroughcommunity consultation process. TheNPC endorses important community-based criteria for any protected areasystem, such as:• maintaining wildlife harvesting



traditional use of the land


3.5.11 All parties wishing to develop atransportation and/or commu-

nications corridor shall submit to theNPC a detailed application for anamendment. This application mustinclude an assessment of alternativeroutes, plus the cumulative effects ofthe preferred route. It shall providereasonable options for otheridentifiable transportation and utilityfacilities.

3.5.12 The NPC, and either NIRB or a panelacting under section 12.4.7 of theNLCA, shall publicly review theproposed corridor to determinewhether the proposal adequatelymeets the guidelines set out inAppendices J and K. Once it isdetermined that a proposal doesmeet the guidelines, the NPC mayrequest the ministers to amend theplan to include the newtransportation corridor.

3.6 Mineral Exploration andProduction

3.6.5 All proposals for miningdevelopments shall include plans,complete with financial guarantees,for the eventual abandonment andrestoration of the site. As a priority,waste sites where risks to humanhealth, safety, the environment orlegal obligations exist shall beaddressed. Toxic waste shall beremoved where possible.

3.6.6 Mining exploration companies andmine operators shall continue to

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minimize the negative effects of theiractivities on the environment.

3.6.9 Special hunting restrictions at minesites and along transportation routesshall be strictly enforced by mineoperators and land managers toprevent over harvesting of wildlife.

3.7 Oil and Gas Exploration andProduction

3.7.5 Prior to further exploration ordevelopment, the oil and gas industryand DIAND shall demonstrate to thecommunities most likely to be affectedhow industry and government wouldrespond to oil spills in ice-infestedwaters and in strong ocean currents.

3.7.7 Oil and gas exploration companiesshall continue to minimize thenegative effects of their activities onthe environment.

3.9 Research3.9.3 Researchers shall make their best

efforts to incorporate, where relevantand available, local and traditionalknowledge in their research projectsand ensure that it is integrated withthe scientific knowledge.

3.9.4 Research programs conducted in theNorth Baffin region shall, wherepossible, rely on local services andlocal employment.

3.9.5 Academic and scientific researchersshall consult the NRI concerningresearch topics or fields that wouldbe of benefit and interest to local

residents. Research that will improvethe quality, coverage andunderstanding of the naturalresource base, including the non-renewable resource potentials, shallbe conducted with the support of thecommunities.

3.11 Heritage Resources3.11.3 The CMC shall continue to hold a

central registry of archaeologicalsites, and the NPC, in coordinationwith the IHT, shall continue tomonitor land use activities to protectthese sites. Information about thelocation and identity ofarchaeological sites in specific areas,and the measures necessary toprotect them, shall be included inland use permits. Land users shallreport the discovery of all suspectedarchaeological sites or artifacts toCLEY.

3.13 Cleanup and Monitoring ofWaste Sites

3.13.1 All users of the land shall follow theCode of Good Conduct in Appendix Hto ensure that no new waste sites arecreated.

3.13.2 The principle of “the polluter pays”shall apply to a strategy for cleaningup the environment. Where it ispossible to identify the person,company or agency responsible forcreating an abandoned or inactivewaste site, they shall be made

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responsible for site cleanup andrestoration.

3.13.3 When identification is not possible,the government agency (or itssuccessor) that had regulatoryresponsibility for the site at the time itwas active shall be responsible forsite cleanup and restoration.

3.13.4 The NPC shall work withcommunities, QIA, government,industry and other interested partiesto develop an inventory of waste sitesand a short list of cleanup prioritiesin keeping with the NPC’sresponsibilities assigned in NLCASection 11.9.1. b) Community residents in particular,

and all land users in general, shallbe actively involved in planningand conducting cleanupoperations, whenever possibleand practicable.

c) Refuse, such as fuel drums andscrap metal, shall be recycledwhere possible.

d) Sites containing toxic materialsshall be given priority for cleanup,and the location of these sitesshall be widely publicized to warnresidents.

e) Sites within or near cariboucalving grounds, near water andnear communities shall also begiven priority for cleanup.

3.13.8 New occurrences of pollution,garbage and contamination caused byanyone shall be prevented. Landusers shall ensure that all drums aresafely recovered.

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3.2 Turning the Vision into Action

3.2.4 The QIA shall continue to use CLARCsto dispense land use-relatedinformation in the communities.

3.2.6 Provided that a significant andrelevant amount of activity hasoccurred, organizations such as theCanadian Petroleum Association andthe NWT and Nunavut Chamber ofMines shall hold annual informationsessions in the region, or provideyearly updates on their activitieswithin the region to each community.

3.2.7 Industry and other interested partiesshould use the latest Internet andother communications media as theybecome available to speed up theacquisition and distribution ofinformation between CLARCs, HTOs,the QIA, industry, government andother interested parties.

3.2.10 Land managers should refer all landuse permits for activities on IOL tothe CLARCs for review before beingapproved.

3.2.12 Community representatives, appoint-ed by the CLARCs, should be includedin DIAND inspections of resourceprojects on Crown land and report totheir home communities the resultsof these inspections. DIAND shouldcontinue working with QIA to trainstaff to carry out similar inspectionson IOL.

3.3 Renewable Resource Use3.3.3 The QWB is coordinating research

into sustainable yields and the lifecycles and habitat requirements ofharvested species. This work shouldcontinue and should be supported by DSD, the NWMB, DFO, andEnvironment Canada.

3.3.5 The NWMB, in conjunction with theQWB, DFO, and the communities,should ensure that research isconducted into migration, winterdistributions and habitat of marinemammals that use the region. Thiswork should involve the HTOs andother community representatives. Anexample of such work is the NWMB’s

APPENDIX D

Summary of RecommendationsNote to Readers: This Appendix contains recommendations listed in Chapter 3: A Plan for Stability, Growth and Change. Theheading numbers correspond to headings in that chapter, and the number of individual recommendations is the number by whichthey are listed in the document. The numbers are not sequential because not all of the listed terms in Chapter 3 constitute recommendations.

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APPENDIX D SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Inuit Bowhead Knowledge Study,released in 2000.

3.3.6 The QWB and the communitiesshould carry out research on caribouin the region, particularly with regardto calving grounds and migrationpatterns. This work should involvethe HTOs and other communityrepresentatives in order to ensure thebest combination of local andscientific knowledge.

3.3.7 The caribou protection measures tobe implemented by the QIA andDIAND on Inuit Owned and Crownlands respectively should follow theproposed measures found inAppendix I of this document.

3.4 Conservation Areas and Parks

3.4.3 Visitors to the region, and localresidents, shall adhere to the Code of Good Conduct contained inAppendix H.

3.4.5 The NPC, the NWMB, NIRB, DIAND,Inuit land managers and DSD shouldwork together to monitor theeffectiveness of the caribou pro-tection measures and compliance,and to determine whether specialprotected areas for caribou arerequired.

3.5 Marine and Terrestrial 3.5.1 The Nunavut Marine Council should

address the need for regional Inuitshipping advisory committees and an

improved communications system toreduce interference with people andwildlife. It should encourage the useof Inuit monitors on board any shiptravelling through the region.

3.6 Mineral Exploration and Production

3.6.1 The mining industry and governmentshould continue to support thedevelopment of a local industry toservice the needs of explorationcompanies and any future miningventures.

3.6.2 The NWT and Nunavut Chamber ofMines, on behalf of the miningindustry and with all other land users,should adopt a Code of GoodConduct, as a guide to good land usepractices, at least equal to thatsuggested in Appendix H.

3.6.3 Raising the level of security deposits and increasing the minimum andmaximum fines under the TerritorialLands Act would help ensure that thesites of exploration camps are properlyrestored.

3.6.5 Management of waste sites shouldfollow the Northern EnvironmentalRisk Assessment Strategy and risk assessment/risk managementprinciples.

3.6.7 Mining companies should hire locallyand purchase local goods andservices when possible. Mineralexploration parties should hire

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qualified local residents as fieldassistants.

3.6.8 The mining industry is encouraged toassist in identifying local carving-stone deposits. Mineral explorationparties should report any carving-stone locations they discover to theCLARC and land owner.

3.7 Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

3.7.2 The oil and gas industry shouldconduct further research on oil spillcleanup in ice-infested waters and instrong ocean currents.

3.7.6 The oil and gas industry, thecommunities and the federal andterritorial governments shoulddevelop and implement programs to assist the communities to take advantage of economicopportunities. These opportunitiescould be developed through benefit packages, training programsand local hire, joint venturearrangements, and fundingprograms.

3.7.7 Oil and gas exploration companiesshould be aware of the rights andbenefits accorded Inuit through IIBAsas established in the NLCA.

3.8 Tourism3.8.1 Communities, with the continuing

assistance of Nunavut Tourism andthe DSD, should identify specifictourism facilities and packages that

take advantage of both local andregional features and values.

3.8.2 Communities should identify sites andresources in the vicinity of thecommunities that would be mostsuitable for tourists to visit, either bythemselves or accompanied byoutfitters and guides.

3.8.3 Visits by tourist ships should be co-ordinated by individual communities,with the help of Nunavut Tourism.Arrivals and departures in the region,as well as details of community visits,should be discussed in advancebetween the vessel operators and theparticular community. Operators oftourist ships should ensure that thenecessary licences and permits areobtained from the DSD and that allother requisite permits and licencesare also obtained.

3.8.4 Tourists should adhere to the Code ofGood Conduct for land users found inAppendix H.

3.9 Research3.9.7 Communities, through the CLARCs,

should work with the NRI, QIA, theNPC, NIRB and other agencies toclarify uncertainties about theconsequences of proposed land useprojects.

3.9.8 Existing polar research trainingprograms at Nunavut Arctic College,the Arctic Council, and the PolarContinental Shelf Project, as well asthe research centres operated by the

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NRI should receive the support theyneed to ensure a greater role fornortherners in polar scientificresearch.

3.9.9 Environment Canada and otherrepresentative agencies shouldconduct more research on climatepatterns and related environmentalstudies to develop models of potentialchange in the region.

3.10 Sovereignty and Defence3.10.1 If new military facilities are required

in the region, DND should considerexisting regional facilities for theestablishment of new defenceinstallations. The communities, QIAand other relevant Nunavut bodies,such as the NPC and NIRB, should beconsulted before any newconstruction.

3.11 Heritage Resources3.11.1 Museums for archaeological artifacts

should be established in Nunavut.

3.13 Clean Up and Monitoringof Waste Sites

3.13.4 The NPC shall work withcommunities, QIA, government,industry and other interested partiesto develop an inventory of waste sitesand a short list of cleanup prioritiesin keeping with the NPC’sresponsibilities assigned in NLCASection 11.9.1. f) The short list of cleanup sites for

the North Baffin region shall becontained in an amendment to thisplan.

g) Mining and explorationcompanies are particularlyencouraged to report old wastesites they may come across on theland, and which may not be on theinventory list and maps.

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3.2 Turning the Vision into Action3.2.1 [With reference to the conformity

requirement that “All land users shallrefer to the land values and concernsin Appendix G, and to the Areas ofImportance map, to determineimportant land values and concernsin areas where they plan to work, aswell as to adjust their work plans toconserve these values,”] …those whoregulate the areas shall ensure throughthe project approval process that thesevalues are conserved.

3.2.2 DSD shall continue to develop theNunavut Sustainable DevelopmentPolicy for the land and water areas ofNunavut, currently still in the draftingstages, and shall implement the policywhen complete. Further, DIAND shallimplement its Sustainable DevelopmentStrategy and ensure that the interests ofthe residents of Nunavut areconsidered before it is submitted toParliament for approval.

3.2.3 Community Land and ResourcesCommittees (CLARCs) have beenappointed for each community. The

CLARCs shall continue to provide inputto regulatory processes and todisseminate information on land usesoutside the community boundary.

3.2.4 DIAND shall continue to use CLARCs todispense land use-related informationin the communities.

3.2.5 The CLARCs shall regularly usecommunity radio and other localmedia to inform residents of activitiesin the region.

3.2.6 Provided that a significant and relevantamount of activity has occurred, landsmanagers and government resourcemanagers shall hold annualinformation sessions in the region, orprovide yearly updates on theiractivities within the region to eachcommunity. Delegates from CLARCsattending such sessions must informtheir home communities of the resultsof these meetings over communityradio and other local media, andthrough presentations to regularhamlet council, HTO and othermeetings.

APPENDIX E

Summary of ActionsNote to Readers: This Appendix contains actions listed in Chapter 3: A Plan for Stability, Growth and Change. The heading num-bers correspond to headings in that chapter, and the number of individual actions is the number by which they are listed in thedocument. The numbers are not sequential because not all of the listed terms in Chapter 3 constitute actions.

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APPENDIX E SUMMARY OF ACTIONS

3.2.7 The CLARCs, HTOs, QIA and the NPCshould use the latest Internet and othercommunications media as theybecome available to speed up theacquisition and distribution ofinformation between CLARCs, HTOs,the QIA, industry, government andother interested parties.

3.2.8 Research carried out in the NorthBaffin shall be translated into Inuktitutand made available to the people of theregion as soon as possible. Reportsshall be translated in a format that willbe understood by a non-technicalperson, but not simplified to the pointwhere meaning is lost. At a minimum,researchers shall include a translatedsummary of their work. Researchersshould also endeavour to present theirfindings orally in communities affectedby their work. They shall also consultwith the CLARCs to determine whatother information needs thecommunity might have, and ensure thatany additional materials, includingfinal reports, are translated intoInuktitut.

3.2.9 When development is being plannedfor the region, a member of the CLARCfrom each community near theproposed development shallparticipate in regulatory approval tothe fullest extent possible. The NPC,NIRB, NWB, NWMB, QIA, DIAND andother key agencies will provideinformation to CLARCs on an ongoingbasis.

3.2.10 All land use permits for activities onCrown land should be reviewed by theCLARCs prior to DIAND approval of apermit.

3.2.11 The QIA shall be responsible to inviteand send members of the CLARCs toregional training sessions held byDIAND and the territorial governmentto learn resource managementtechniques. DIAND and the NunavutGovernment shall give QIA notice ofsuch training; QIA shall provide theresources for the members’ travel andparticipation.

3.3 Renewable Resource Use3.3.2 DSD shall continue to assist the

communities in the development ofeconomic opportunities that arecompatible with the renewableresource-based lifestyle and within thelimits of sustained use. Theseopportunities include initiatives such as: • environmental protection and

enhancement;• parks and tourism;• community harvester assistance;• sealing industry initiatives;• fur price program; and• commercial fisheries assistance.This assistance must take intoconsideration the training required bythe communities and the necessaryfunding, recognizing that Governmentof Nunavut funding may not be the onlyappropriate funding source. In meetingthis requirement, appropriate eligibility

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criteria for the assistance may continueto be applied.

3.3.4 DIAND and the NPC shall complete thedesign and implementation of themonitoring program outlined insection 12.7.6 of the NLCA. Such amonitoring program shall include theSverdrup Basin and Lancaster andJones Sounds.

3.3.7 Development activities shall beprohibited within all caribou calvingareas during calving season, as well ascaribou water crossings in the NorthBaffin region. The QIA and DIAND shallimplement caribou protectionmeasures on Inuit Owned and Crownlands respectively.

3.3.8 Development activities shall berestricted near polar bear denningareas and walrus haul-outs.

3.3.9 When a land use permit is issued, landusers shall be given details by DIANDor the QIA of the important renewableresource values in the area of land inwhich they operate. Government shallensure their assistance in maintainingand reporting on these values.

3.4 Conservation Areas and Parks3.4.1 The NLCA sets out procedures

to guide the establishment ofconservation areas in Nunavut. Anyagency proposing to create a new - ormodify an existing - conservation areashall do so in accordance with theprovisions of the NLCA. Proponents aredirected to Appendix N of this

document. Any proposed conservationor protected area strategy shall involvea thorough community consultationprocess.

The NPC endorses importantcommunity-based criteria for anyprotected area system, such as:• maintaining wildlife harvesting



traditional use of the land. 3.4.2 Government resource managers shall

continue to recommend seasonal ortemporary protection of areaswherever possible. At present, seasonalprotection is used in CWS MigratoryBird Sanctuaries.

3.4.4 Caribou protection measures, basedon those suggested in Appendix I - andfurther developed by DIAND and theQIA Inuit land managers inconsultation with NWMB, local HTOsand DSD - shall be implemented for allcaribou herds in the North BaffinPlanning Region by DIAND and by theQIA.


3.5.2 The CCG shall meet with the NunavutMarine Council prior to the shippingseason to exchange information aboutship movements and communityconcerns.

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3.5.3 CCG operations staff shall meet withcommunity representatives in theregion at least once a year to discusstopics of mutual concern.

3.5.4 Whenever safe and practical to do so,all ships shall remain at least 10kilometres from all coastlines in theregion, unless approaching or leavingport. This zone will be plotted on themaps to be contained in the ArcticSailing Directions.

3.5.5 Whenever safe and practical to do so,all ships shall remain at least 20 to 25 kilometres from the coasts of Lancaster Sound - unlessapproaching or leaving port - to avoiddirect contact with concentrations ofmarine wildlife. This zone will beplotted on the maps to be contained inthe Arctic Sailing Directions.

3.5.6 Ship traffic through and around thefloe edges in April, May and June shallbe minimized. Possible ways to protectthe edges (such as having ships travelin convoys), shall be discussed bycommunity representatives and theCanadian Marine Advisory Committee(Northern).

3.5.7 Ships travelling to and from the PolarisMine shall avoid the floe edge betweenGriffith Island and Cornwallis Islandwhenever it is safe and practical to do so.

3.5.8 The shipping industry, the CCG, DFO,and the communities shall continue tomonitor the effects of ship passages.New information on appropriate ways

to reduce adverse effects shall bedistributed by the CGG to the shipping industry through the Canadian MarineAdvisory Committee (Northern), and tothe communities through the CLARCs.

3.5.9 The CCG shall devise a formal methodof informing ships travelling throughEssential Areas as shown on the Areasof Importance map, and through andaround floe edges in the spring, aboutcurrent knowledge includingharvesting activities, the knowndistribution of marine mammals, andlocal ice conditions. This formalcommunication system shall also allowfor ships to provide the communitieswith information on ship schedulesand location, particularly in the spring.

3.5.10 While ensuring the respect ofapplicable Canadian internationalobligations in the region, the NPC shall implement the concept of atransportation and/or communications“corridor” as a land use policy havinggeneral application, and applying toland and water routes throughout theregion, based on the processesoutlined in Appendices J and K.

3.5.11 All parties wishing to develop atransportation and/or commu-nications corridor shall submit to theNPC a detailed application for anamendment. This application mustinclude an assessment of alternativeroutes, plus the cumulative effects ofthe preferred route. It shall providereasonable options for other

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identifiable transportation and utilityfacilities.

3.5.12 The NPC, and either NIRB or a panelacting under section 12.4.7 of theNLCA, shall publicly review theproposed corridor to determinewhether the proposal adequately meetsthe guidelines set out in Appendices Jand K. Once it is determined that aproposal does meet the guidelines, theNPC may request the ministers toamend the plan to include the newtransportation corridor.

3.6 Mineral Exploration and Production

3.6.3 DIAND shall ensure that, in the future,it has adequate funds to properlyrestore abandoned exploration camps,following, where possible, theprinciple of “the polluter pays”.

3.6.4 The NPC is encouraged that DIAND andthe NWB have adopted the Guidelinesfor Abandonment and RestorationPlanning for Mines in the NWT thatwere originally published by the NWTWater Board. At the time of writing,DIAND was consulting on an updatedpolicy on mine reclamation in the NWTand Nunavut.

3.6.5 All proposals for mining developmentsshall include plans, complete withfinancial guarantees, for the eventualabandonment and restoration of thesite. As a priority, waste sites whererisks to human health, safety, theenvironment or legal obligations exist

shall be addressed. Toxic waste shallbe removed where possible.

3.6.9 Special hunting restrictions at minesites and along transportation routesshall be strictly enforced by mineoperators and land managers toprevent over harvesting of wildlife.

3.7 Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

3.7.1 Holders of existing rights in LancasterSound and Baffin Bay may submit aproposed drilling program, forapproval to the National Energy Boardand carry out this exploration programinvolving the communities at all stages.If, at the conclusion of this program,no significant discovery has beenmade, then no additional explorationlicences shall be issued in these areaswithout prior community consultation.

3.7.3 Where budgets permit, the CCG shallcontinue to install oil spill cleanupequipment in the communities andensure that people are trained to use itproperly. Equipment shall be stored inan accessible, well-marked location.

3.7.4 DIAND and relevant departments of theGovernment of Nunavut shall providethe communities with the bestinformation available concerning therisks and benefits of oil and gasexploration and production. DIANDand DSD shall encourage the exchangeof information between local residentsand others who have knowledge of orexperience in drilling, in ice-infested

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waters and in strong ocean currents(e.g., residents, researchers, drillingoperators in the Beaufort Sea and theeast coast regions). DIAND and DSDshall ensure that communities help setresearch priorities and participate inresearch; that they have access toindependent, as well as governmentand industry, sources of information;and that they understand the researchresults.

3.7.5 Prior to further exploration ordevelopment, the oil and gas industryand DIAND shall demonstrate to thecommunities most likely to be affectedhow industry and government wouldrespond to oil spills in ice-infestedwaters and in strong ocean currents.

3.9 Research3.9.1 The approval process for

all scientific research, including research conducted by governmentdepartments and agencies, shallrequire the involvement of localresidents.

3.9.2 The NRI shall consult with the QIA andthose CLARCs that have currentmembers to identify community andregional priorities for research, andthen inform the scientific community ofthese priorities.

3.9.3 Researchers shall make their bestefforts to incorporate, where relevantand available, local and traditionalknowledge in their research projects

and ensure that it is integrated with thescientific knowledge.

3.9.4 Research programs conducted in theNorth Baffin region shall, wherepossible, rely on local services andlocal employment.

3.9.5 Academic and scientific researchersshall consult the NRI concerningresearch topics or fields that would beof benefit and interest to localresidents. Research that will improvethe quality, coverage andunderstanding of the natural resourcebase, including the non-renewableresource potentials, shall be conductedwith the support of the communities.

3.9.6 Applications for scientific researchlicensing should be sent to local HTOsfor review. The HTOs will involve theCLARCs in this review.

3.9.8 Existing polar research trainingprograms at Nunavut Arctic College,the Arctic Council, and the PolarContinental Shelf Project, as well as theresearch centres operated by the NRI,and DIAND shall investigate thepossibility of establishing a nationalpolar research training institute inNunavut.

3.9.10 By virtue of the Scientist Act,researchers conducting investigationon ice dynamics and/or marinemammals, with the exception of polarbears, are required to consult the NRI.They are also required to consult withcommunities when setting priorities forresearch.

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3.11 Heritage Resources3.11.2 The NPC and the communities shall

continue to record the locations ofheritage and archaeological sites, andshall involve the CMC, the IHT, andCLEY on the documentation of thesesites. This information shall be referredto by CLEY when land use proposalsare considered. The appropriatecommunities shall be consulted on theapproval of archaeologists’ applica-tions before permits are issued.

3.11.3 The CMC shall continue to hold acentral registry of archaeological sites,and the NPC, in coordination with theIHT, shall continue to monitor land useactivities to protect these sites.Information about the location andidentity of archaeological sites inspecific areas, and the measuresnecessary to protect them, shall beincluded in land use permits. Landusers shall report the discovery of allsuspected archaeological sites orartifacts to CLEY.

3.11.4 Any review of legislation protectingburial, historical and archaeologicalsites shall ensure that these sites aremore fully protected.

3.11.5 The NPC shall consider requests toamend the plan to designate specialareas for cultural, traditional orhistorical reasons. No developmentactivities shall be permitted within suchareas or within an area of sufficient sizeto protect the integrity of the site.

3.12 Cumulative Effects andEcosystems Monitoring

3.12.1 DIAND, in cooperation with the NPCand other appropriate agencies, shallcomplete the design andimplementation of the monitoringprogram outlined in Section 12.7.6 ofthe NLCA.

3.13 Clean Up and Monitoring ofWaste Sites

3.13.2 The principle of “the polluter pays”shall apply to a strategy for cleaning upthe environment. Where it is possibleto identify the person, company oragency responsible for creating anabandoned or inactive waste site, theyshall be made responsible for sitecleanup and restoration.

3.13.3 When identification is not possible, thegovernment agency (or its successor)that had regulatory responsibility forthe site at the time it was active shall beresponsible for site cleanup andrestoration.

3.13.4 The NPC shall work with communities,QIA, government, industry and otherinterested parties to develop aninventory of waste sites and a short listof cleanup priorities in keeping withthe NPC’s responsibilities assigned inNLCA Section 11.9.1. a) Once an inventory of the sites is

complete, the NPC shall work withall interested parties to (i) maintainand update the inventory and (ii)develop a Nunavut-Settlement-Area-

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wide short list of priority sites forcleanup.

b) Community residents in particular,and all land users in general, shallbe actively involved in planning andconducting cleanup operations,whenever possible and practicable.

c) Refuse, such as fuel drums andscrap metal, shall be recycled wherepossible.

d) Sites containing toxic materials shallbe given priority for cleanup, andthe location of these sites shall be widely publicized to warnresidents.

e) Sites within or near caribou calvinggrounds, near water and nearcommunities shall also be givenpriority for cleanup.

g) Mining and exploration companiesare particularly encouraged toreport old waste sites they maycome across on the land, and whichmay not be on the inventory list andmaps.

3.13.5 DIAND, as the lead agency for Canadain this region, shall review the PriorityList of Cleanup Sites and, inconsultation with the QIA and the NPC,prepare a remedial action plan to becompleted six months followingdevelopment of the priority list.

3.13.6 DSD, as the lead agency for theGovernment of Nunavut, shall reviewthe Priority List of Cleanup Sites and, inconsultation with the QIA and the NPC,prepare a remedial action plan to becompleted six months followingdevelopment of the priority list.

3.13.7 DND and DIAND shall clean up anyabandoned military facilities as quicklyas possible, ensuring that local peopleare consulted about cleanup priorities,and prepare a remedial action plan tobe completed six months followingdevelopment of the priority list.

3.13.8 New occurrences of pollution, garbageand contamination caused by anyoneshall be prevented. Land users shallensure that all drums are safelyrecovered.

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APPENDIX F

Information ResourcesArchaeological Survey of Canada. 1979. The

Paleo Eskimo Occupations of PortRefuge, High Arctic Canada. Ottawa:National Museums of Canada. Paper No.92.

Canada. Consolidated Federal Comments,Revised Draft North Baffin RegionalLand Use Plan - by page and section [July1998].

Canada. Department of Canadian Heritage.Parks Canada. 1997a. Charting the Course: Towards a MarineConservation Areas Act [January 1997].

______. 1997b. Submission to the NPCReview of the Lancaster Sound RegionalLand Use Plan. [March 1997].

Canada. DFO. 1979. Seasonal Movementsand Numbers of Cetaceans Summeringin Lancaster Sound, Arctic Canada.Sergeant, D.E. Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue.

Canada. DIAND. 1976. Inuit Land Use andOccupancy Project [Vols. One, Two andThree]. Prepared by Milton FreemanResearch Ltd. Ottawa.

_____. 1977. Land Use Information Seriesmaps. Ottawa.

_____. 1981. People, Resources and theEnvironment: Perspectives on the Useand Management of the Lancaster SoundRegion: Public Review Phase. Prepared byP. Jacobs. Ottawa: Lancaster SoundRegional Study.

_____. 1982a. The Lancaster SoundRegion: 1980-2000 Green Paper. H.J.Dirschl, ed. Ottawa: Lancaster SoundRegional Study.

_____. 1982b. The Lancaster SoundRegion: Data Atlas. [H.J. Dirschl, projectmanager]. Ottawa: The Working Group forthe Lancaster Sound Regional Study andJames Dobbin Associates.

_____. 1983. The Lancaster SoundRegional Study, Public Review: PublicProspect. [P. Jacobs and J. Palluq, co-chairmen]. Ottawa: Lancaster SoundRegional Study.

_____. 1984. Report of the Task Force onNorthern Conservation. Ottawa.

_____. 1986a. A Review of Legislative andRegulatory Processes Relevant to LandUse Planning in the NorthwestTerritories. Yellowknife: Northern LandUse Planning Office.

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APPENDIX F INFORMATION RESOURCES

______. 1986b. General Terms ofReference for Planning in LancasterSound. Ottawa.

______. 1986c. Issues, Information, andInterests Catalogue for the LancasterSound Region. Yellowknife: Northern LandUse Planning Office.

_____. 1987a. Minutes of Lancaster SoundCommunity Visits, February 1987 andNovember 1987. Yellowknife: NorthernLand Use Planning Office.

______. 1987b. An Assessment of Socio-Economic Environments of theLancaster Sound Region. Yellowknife:Northern Land Use Planning Office.

______. 1987c. Minutes of LancasterSound Community Workshops, March1987. Yellowknife: Northern Land UsePlanning Office.

______. 1987d. Compilation of WrittenComments on “Proposed Land Uses inthe Lancaster Sound Planning Region”.Yellowknife: Northern Land Use PlanningOffice.

_____. 1987e. Proposed Land Uses in theLancaster Sound Planning Region.Yellowknife: Northern Land Use PlanningOffice.

______. 1987f. Dimensions of Socio-Economic Environment of the LancasterSound Region: An AnnotatedBibliography. Yellowknife: Northern LandUse Planning Office.

______. 1987g. Reports of LancasterSound Regional Planning WorkingGroups: • Conservation and Archaeology • Shipping • Oil and Gas • Renewable Resources• Tourism and Economic Development• Sovereignty and Defence• Mining• Scientific Research• Communication• Plan Implementation, Review, and

Revision. Yellowknife: Northern Land Use PlanningOffice.

______. 1987h. Issues, Opportunities, andConstraints Matrix. Yellowknife: NorthernLand Use Planning Office.

______. 1987i. Summary of the LancasterSound Issues and OpportunitiesWorkshop, April 29-May 1, 1987,Resolute Bay, NWT. Yellowknife: NorthernLand Use Planning Office.

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______. 1987j. Non-Renewable Resourcesin the Lancaster Sound Land UsePlanning Region: An Inventory andAssessment. Yellowknife: Northern LandUse Planning Office.

______. 1987k. Regional and CommunityProfiles for the Lancaster SoundPlanning Area. Yellowknife: NorthernLand Use Planning Office.

______. 1988a. Minutes and Records ofDecisions (1986-1988), Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Planning CommissionMeetings. Yellowknife: Northern Land UsePlanning Office.

______. 1988b. Catalogue of Areas ofSpecial Interest in the Lancaster SoundPlanning Region. Yellowknife: NorthernLand Use Planning Office.

______. 1988c. Compilation of WrittenComments on “First Draft LancasterSound Regional Land Use Plan”.Yellowknife: Northern Land Use PlanningOffice.

______. 1988d. Present Regulatory System:Notes from Resolute Bay Workshop,January 24-26, 1988. Yellowknife:Northern Land Use Planning Office.

______. 1997. Submission to the NunavutPlanning Commission Informal Hearingto Review the Lancaster Sound RegionalLand Use Plan Under the NLCA. April 10.

Canada. DIAND and NWT, Department ofRenewable Resources. 1983. NorthernLand Use Planning, NorthwestTerritories, Basis of Agreement.Yellowknife.

Canada. Environment Canada. 1976.Observation of Marine Mammals at CapeHay, Bylot Island during the summer of1976. Greendale, R.G., and C. Brousseau-Greendale. Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue:Technical Report No. 680.

______. 1979a. Migratory Sea MammalPopulations in Lancaster Sound.Sergeant, D.E. and K. Hay. CWS / ESCOMReport No. AI-21.

______. 1979b. Ringed Seal BreedingHabitat in Viscount Melville Sound,Barrow Strait, and Peel Sound. Smith,T.G., K. Hay, D. Taylor, and R. Greendale.CWS / ESCOM Report No. AI-22.

______. 1979c. Caribou and MuskoxenHabitat Studies. Russell, R.H., E.J.Edmonds and J. Roland. Ottawa: CWS /ESCOM Report No. AI-26.

Canada. Statistics Canada. 1981. Census ofCanada. Ottawa.

______. 1986. Census of Canada. Ottawa.

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Canadian Council of Resource andEnvironment Ministers. 1987. Report ofthe National Task Force on Environmentand Economy. Ottawa.

______. 1979. Report: Lancaster SoundDrilling. Ottawa: FEARO Report No. 7.

______. 1980. Arctic Pilot Project,Northern Components. Ottawa: FEAROReport No. 14.

______. 1981. Polynyas in the CanadianArctic. [I. Stirling and H. Cleator eds.]Edmonton: CWS. Occ. Paper No. 45.

______. 1982. Distribution of WinteringMarine Mammals off West Greenlandand in South Baffin Bay and North DavisStrait. Prepared by LGL Ltd. andEnvironmental Resource Associates.

______. 1984a. Beaufort Sea HydrocarbonProduction and Transportation. Ottawa:FEARO Report No. 25.

______. 1984b. Key Migratory BirdTerrestrial Habitat Sites in the NorthwestTerritories. Yellowknife: CWS.

______. 1987a. Information: NorthBaffin/Lancaster Sound Park Proposal.Yellowknife.

______. 1987b. Northern Perspectives mapNo. 2. Caribou of Canada’s NorthernLands. Ottawa: Lands Branch.

Canada. Natural Resources Canada. 1980.Non-hydro-carbon mineral resourcepotential of parts of northern Canada.Ottawa: GSC Open File 716.

_____. 1981. Mineral and hydrocarbonresource potential of the proposednorthern Quttinirpaaq National Park,District of Franklin, N.W.T. (Phase I).Ottawa: GSC Open File 786.

______. 1987. Resource Geology andPotential of Proposed National Park, Bylotand N.W. Baffin Island Area. Jackson, G.D.and D.F. Sangster. Ottawa: GSC Paper 87-17.

______. 1997. Comments on the SpecialIssues Related to The Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Plan. May 30.

Canadian Commission for the InternationalBiological Programme. 1975. EcologicalSites in Northern Canada. [D.N.Nettleship and P.A. Smith, eds.] Ottawa.

Consolidex Magnorth Oakwood LancasterSound Joint Venture. 1983. Local andRegional Issues - Social and EconomicConcerns CMO Resources Plan. Preparedby Boreal Ecology Services Ltd.,Yellowknife.

Consolidex Magnorth Oakwood LancasterSound Joint Venture and Pallister ResourceManagement Ltd. 1983. ResourceManagement Plan for Lancaster SoundHydrocarbon Development. Calgary.

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______. 1984. Response to the LancasterSound Regional Study “Green Paper -The Lancaster Sound Region: 1980-2000”. Calgary.

Griffiths, F., ed. 1987. Politics of theNorthwest Passage. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Heming, R., ed. 1986. Northwest TerritoriesData Book 1986-87. Yellowknife: OutcropLtd.

International Union for Conservation ofNature and Natural Resources.1980. WorldConservation Strategy: Living ResourceConservation for SustainableDevelopment. Gland, Switzerland.

Mackenzie Delta Beaufort Sea Regional LandUse Planning Commission. 1988. DetailedTerms of Reference. Inuvik.

McGhee, R. 1978. Canadian ArcticPrehistory. Toronto: Van NostrandReinhold.

Northwest Territories. Bureau of Statistics.1985. 1984 Labour Force SurveyPreliminary Report. Yellowknife.

Northwest Territories, Department ofRenewable Resources. 1987. WildlifeAreas of Special Interest to theDepartment of Renewable Resources.Yellowknife.

______. 1988. Land-Use ManagementImplications for the Protection of PolarBears and their Habitats; Land-UseManagement Implications for theProtection of Muskoxen and theirHabitats. Notes Prepared by B. Ferguson.Yellowknife.

Northwest Territories, Department ofRenewable Resources, DIAND,Environment Canada. 1987. Proceedingsof the Northwest TerritoriesConservation Workshop, August 10-12,1987. Yellowknife.

Northwest Territories. Department ofEconomic Development and Tourism.1984. A Baffin Region EconomicBaseline Study. Yellowknife.

______. 1986a. An Economic Review of theBaffin Region for 1986. Iqaluit.

______. 1986b. Regional EconomicDatabase, A Users Guide. Iqaluit.

______. 1988. Tourism and Parks, BaffinRegion, Presentation to the TourismIndustry Association Annual Meeting,October 1988. Yellowknife.

Northwest Territories Land Use PlanningCommission. 1987. Terms of Reference,Lancaster Sound Land Use PlanningCommission. Yellowknife.

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Nunatsiaq News. “NTI, Ottawa meet to setrules for High Arctic drilling.” November19, 1998.

Nunavut Planning Commission. 1997a. DraftWest Kitikmeot Regional Land Use Plan.[September]. Taloyoak.

______. 1997b. The Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Plan Review PublicHearing [May 27-29]. English transcript.Pond Inlet.

______. 1997c. Revised Keewatin RegionalLand Use Plan [April]. Taloyoak.

Pond Inlet Hunters and TrappersOrganization. 1997. Submission to theNunavut Planning Commission FormalReview of the Lancaster Sound RegionalLand Use Plan. [May 29]. Pond Inlet.

Qikiqtani Inuit Association. 1997.Submission to the NPC Formal Review ofthe Lancaster Sound Regional Land UsePlan. [May 27-29]. Pond Inlet.

Tungavik Federation of Nunavut. 1987. InuitLand Identification maps. Prepared by R.Riewe. Ottawa.

World Commission on Environment andDevelopment. 1987. Our Common Future.New York: Oxford University Press.

World Wildlife Fund. 1986. Whales Beneaththe Ice: Final Report, Conclusions andRecommendations Regarding the Futureof Canada’s Arctic Whales. Toronto.

______. 1987. The Bowhead and the Bay:A Community-based ConservationStrategy for Isabella Bay, Baffin Island. [AProposal to DIAND, DFO, and GNWTRenewable Resources]. Toronto.

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1.0 Land Values in Areas of Importance

Land values are elements of the PlanningRegion identified by communities and/orwildlife managers as being important; forinstance, wildlife species harvested by acommunity, travel routes, types of wildlifehabitat, or archaeological sites.

As part of the consultation process duringpreparation of the original Lancaster SoundRegional Land Use Plan, the NPC asked eachcommunity, as well as wildlife managers, tomap areas that are important to thatcommunity and/or to wildlife (see the Areasof Importance Map).

An area falls into one of four possiblecategories of importance:

1. Essential Areas

Criteriaa) The area is essential to the community for

hunting, fishing and/or trapping. Thecommunity cannot survive without thearea.

b) The area is essential to the biologicalproductivity of wildlife because:• wildlife needs the habitat to survive, and

alternative habitat (e.g. calving areas,nesting areas, polynyas or migrationroutes) is not available;

• the habitat supports rare, threatened orendangered species, or concentrationsof wildlife; and/or

• the habitat is scarce.c) The area is either protected by legislation

or has been proposed by government,other agencies, or communities for formalprotection.

In most cases, these areas have a highdiversity of values and meet more than onecriterion.

2. Important Areas

Criteriaa) The area is of great importance to the

community for hunting, fishing and/ortrapping. Much of the harvest comes fromthe area.

APPENDIX G

Land Values and ConcernsThis Appendix corresponds to Appendix B in the original Lancaster Sound Regional Land Use Plan.

Appendix B of the original Lancaster Sound plan contains tables presenting in detail the four categories of Areas of Importancedescribed in this Appendix and shown on the Areas of Importance Map. Those tables are not reproduced in this Appendix. The read-er is referred to Appendix B of the Lancaster Sound plan for the Land Values and Concerns that apply within each Area. The Readeris also referred to the original Areas of Importance Map accompanying Appendix B of the Lancaster Sound plan for the locationcorresponding to each Value and Concern. Copies of the Lancaster Sound plan can be obtained from the Nunavut PlanningCommission, as can information regarding the Values and Concerns that apply at these locations.

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APPENDIX G LAND VALUES AND CONCERNS

b) The area is of great importance to wildlife;however, alternative habitat could be used,if it were available - e.g., fox denning areasor caribou winter grazing areas.

Generally, there is a greater diversity ofvalues in these areas than in the General UseAreas, but not as great a diversity as in theEssential Areas.

3. General Use Areas

Criteriaa) The area is of general use to the

communities for hunting, fishing and/ortrapping. A smaller proportion of theharvest comes from these areas than fromthe Essential Areas and Important Areas.

b) The area may be used by only one or twowildlife species for general purposes such

as feeding, and wildlife could findalternative habitat to which to relocate ifdisturbed - e.g., summer caribou grazingareas.

Generally, there are fewer numbers ofwildlife and a lower diversity of values in theseareas than in the Essential or Important Areas.

4. Areas of Unknown or Little Known Importance

Criteriaa) The area is not used much by the

community.b) Little information is available on these

areas, so their importance cannot beassessed; the area may, or may not, beimportant to wildlife.

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APPENDIX G LAND VALUES AND CONCERNS

Reference only. Original map is available from the NPC.

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APPENDIX H

1. The landscape of each camp and other landuse sites will be restored to its originalcondition to the greatest degree possible.Water quality will be preserved, and nosubstances that will impair water qualitywill be dumped in water bodies. Whenpossible and feasible, old sites will berestored to the natural state.

2. All land users shall assist communities andgovernment(s) in identifying andprotecting archaeological sites andcarving-stone sites, as required by law.

3. Generally, low-level flights by aircraft at lessthan 300 metres should not occur wherethey will disturb wildlife or people. If suchflights are necessary, they should only takeplace after consultation with theappropriate communities. All land usersare responsible for reporting to the landmanagers any illegal or questionable low-level flight.

4. All activities on the land will be conductedin such a fashion that the renewableresources of the area in question areconserved.

5. Whenever practicable, and consistent with

sound procurement management, land-users will follow the practice of localpurchase of supplies and services.

6. Land users will establish workingrelationships with local communities andrespect the traditional users of the land.

7. During the caribou calving, post-calvingand migrating seasons, land use activitiesshould be restricted to avoid disturbingcaribou, in general, and activities will begoverned more specifically by caribouprotection measures such as thosecontained in Appendix I.

8. Artifacts must be left where they are found.All land users are responsible for reportingthe location of, or any removal ordisturbance of artifacts, to CLEY.

9. The mining industry is encouraged to assistin identifying local carving-stone depositsand report any discoveries to the QIA.Industry is also encouraged to identify andreport old waste sites that need to becleaned up.

10. All land users shall obey the laws ofgeneral application applying to land use.

Code of Good Conduct for Land Users

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APPENDIX I

1. (a) The Permittee shall not, withoutapproval, conduct any activity betweenMay 15 and July 15 within the CaribouProtection Areas depicted on the mapcertified by the Engineer as the“Caribou Protection Map” andannexed to this Land Use Permit.

(b) A Permittee may, upon approval by theLand Use Inspector, operate within thesaid Caribou Protection Areas beyondthe May 15 deadline set out in 1(a),provided that, when monitoringinformation indicates that cariboucows are approaching the area ofoperation, the Permittee willimplement 1(c).

(c) On cessation of activities pursuant to1(a) or 1(b), the Permittee willremove from the zone all personnelwho are not required for themaintenance and protection of thecamp facilities and equipment, unlessotherwise directed by the Land UseInspector.

(d) The Permittee may commence or

resume activities prior to July 15 withinthose parts of the Caribou ProtectionAreas released by the Land UseInspector for the reason that cariboucows are not expected to use thoseparts for calving or post-calving (note1).

2. (a) In the event that caribou cows calveoutside of the Caribou ProtectionAreas, the Permittee shall suspendoperations within the area(s) occupiedby cows and/or calves between May 15and July 15.

(b) In the event that caribou cows andcalves are present the permittee shallsuspend:(i) blasting;(ii) overflights by aircraft at any

altitude of less that 300 metersabove ground level; and

(iii) the use of snowmobiles and ATVs(all-terrain vehicles) outside theimmediate vicinity of the camp.

NOTE 1. The Land Use Inspector’s decision will be based on the existing caribou information.

2. Concentrations of caribou should be avoided by low-level aircraft at all times.

DIAND Caribou Protection Measures

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APPENDIX I DIAND CARIBOU PROTECTION MEASURES

3. (a) During migration of caribou, thePermittee shall not locate anyoperation so as to block or causesubstantial diversion to migration.

(b) The Permittee shall cease activities thatmay interfere with migration, such asairborne geophysics surveys ormovement of equipment, until themigrating caribou have passed.

4. (a) The Permittee shall not, between May15 and September 1, construct anycamp, cache any fuel, or conduct anyblasting within 10 kilometres of any“Designated Crossing” as outlined on

the map certified by the Engineer as the“Caribou Protection Map” andannexed to this Land Use Permit.

(b) The Permittee shall not, between May15 and September 1, conduct anydiamond drilling operation within 5kilometres of any “DesignatedCrossing” as outlined on the mapcertified by the Engineer as the“Caribou Protection Map” and annexedto this Land Use Permit.

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APPENDIX J

Applicants wishing to develop a trans-portation and/or communications corridor inthe North Baffin region are required toprovide the NPC with the followinginformation:

1. A description of the proposed corridor,including its use, its general routing, thepossible environmental and social impacts,and any seasonal considerations that maybe appropriate.

2. A comparison of the proposed route with alternative routes in terms ofenvironmental and social factors as well astechnical and cost considerations.

3. An assessment of the suitability of thecorridor for the inclusion of other possiblecommunication and transportationinitiatives (roads, transmission lines,pipelines, etc.). This assessment shouldinclude:• the environmental, social and terrain

engineering consequences, and thecumulative impacts of the project, and

• the environmental and social impact ofthe project on nearby settlements or on nearby existing and proposedtransportation systems.

Marine and TerrestrialTransportation/CommunicationsCorridor Alternative Route Assessment

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APPENDIX K

The following planning guidelines will beused in the assessment of a newtransportation / communications corridorproposal:

1. The corridor width shall be a function of:• the number and type of identified

facilities within the corridor;• physical and biophysical conditions;• availability of detailed engineering data

for one or more transportation modeswithin the corridor;

• safe distances between different facilitieswithin the corridor; and

• aesthetics.

2. Corridors shall:• minimize negative impacts on community

lifestyles;• improve access to other resources having

high potential for development, while stillmaintaining the shortest practicabledistance between the primary resourceareas and the trans-shipment location;

• be designed in accordance with existingand prospective land use capabilityincluding topography, soil, permafrostand wildlife; and

• be designed in accordance with theavailability of granular supplies.

3. In keeping with existing legal andlegislative requirements, including theNLCA, corridors shall not negativelyimpact:• community business, residential and

projected expansion areas;• important fish and wildlife harvesting

areas;• key habitat for fish and wildlife species,

especially areas used by endangeredspecies;

• areas of high scenic, historic, culturaland archaeological value.

Marine and TerrestrialTransportation/CommunicationsCorridor Guidelines

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APPENDIX L

All materials submitted to the NPC, includingletters, formal submissions, reports and anyother written material used in the land useplanning process, shall be translated into theappropriate dialect of Inuktitut.

The cost of translation shall be borne by theparty submitting the information.

This policy applies to federal and territorialgovernment departments and agencies,Crown corporations, DIOs and any otherlegally constituted body wishing to participatein the land use planning process.

Translations shall be provided at the sametime as English versions.

This policy does not apply to individuals.

NPC Policy on Translation

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The following list of indicators is taken froma draft workshop report entitled NunavutGeneral Monitoring Program: EcosystemIndicators for the West Kitikmeot PlanningRegion. This report is part of thedevelopment of an ecosystemic and socio-economic monitoring pilot project beingconducted in the West Kitikmeot. It isexpected that this project will operatethroughout the Nunavut Settlement Area.

According to the NLCA, the generalmonitoring program must include indicatorsof all “environmental” components - air,land, water and wildlife - as well as the socialand cultural environment and heritageresources. The following focus areas havebeen identified:

Natural Environment

Landscape• eskers / landforms • wetlands• “important” calving/denning areas• contaminated sites• presence of contaminants from long-range

atmospheric transport

Fresh Water• surface water flow• surface water quality• lake/river ice: break-up / freeze-up

• presence of contaminants from long-rangeatmospheric transport

• contaminant spills

Marine• sea ice: break-up / freeze-up • underwater contaminated sites• contaminant spills

Atmosphere• weather• climate change• stratospheric ozone (UV damage)• deposition of contaminants from long-

range transport

Biotafor each species below: population size,health, reproduction rates, habitat, etc.• polar cod• char• seals• wolves• wolverines• fox• rabbit• polar bear • caribou• muskox• waterfowl, migratory birds• raptors• endangered species

Ecosystem Indicators

APPENDIX M

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• presence of contaminants from long-rangeatmospheric transport

Economic EnvironmentAs specified in the NLCA, the generalmonitoring program is to include indicatorsof the social environment. This is presumed toinclude economic factors. Four focus areasare outlined below: (i) natural resourceharvesting, (ii) employment, (iii) commercialand industrial activity, and (iv) consumption.

Natural Resource Harvesting• catch statistics• hunter support programs• resource availability near communities

(link with environmental indicators)

Employment• employment rates• average weekly earnings

Commercial and Industrial Activity• retail sales• mineral activity• marine shipping• industry, by type

Consumption• energy use • household expenditures

Community EnvironmentSeven focus areas have been selected toaddress issues of community environment: (i)demographics, (ii) services, (iii) health care,(iv) education, (v) public participation, (vi)

culture, heritage, and recreation and (vii)environmental protection. The main focus ofthis theme area is on attributes of thecommunities themselves.

Demographics• historical population trends• net migration• number of households• birth and death rates

Services• water supply, sewage and waste disposal • public transportation (airlines) and

infrastructure (roads, airports,piers/docks)

• information (telephone, radio, TV,newspapers, Internet)

• housing• law enforcement (RCMP, fish/wildlife)• social services

Health Care• number of doctors and nurses• number of hospital beds• rural health care

Education• basic education level• enrollment rates (school, training

programs)• what happens to graduates

Public Participation• community institutions and participation• community “control” of government funds

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APPENDIX M ECOSYSTEM INDICATORS

Culture, Heritage, Recreation• heritage sites• Aboriginal language(s) in active use• traditional knowledge• recreation facilities and programs

Environmental Protection• protected areas• wildlife management• waste management• (additional indicators could be provided by

NIRB or DIAND)

Cultural Environment The NLCA does not specifically call for thegeneral monitoring program to includeindicators of what life is like for an individualliving in Nunavut. However, this is a naturalextension of the other areas described above,and an important facet to be included if themonitoring program is to adopt a holistic,ecosystemic approach. In this context, fourfocus areas have been selected within thistheme: (i) individual health, (ii) social equity,(iii) personal safety and (iv) quality of life.

Individual Health• consumption of traditional foods• quality of country foods (presence of

contaminants)• mental health• reportable diseases• drug and alcohol consumption

Social Equity• number of people on social assistance• female average wages and unemployment• residents living below low-income cut-off

Personal Safety• crime rate• child abuse

Quality of Life• participation in traditional pursuits

(hunting, fishing)• use of Aboriginal language(s)• suicide rate• number of people per residence• drug and alcohol abuse

APPENDIX N

Definition of Conservation AreaIn this land use plan, “Conservation Area”means any conservation area or protectedarea established by legislation and inexistence at the date of the ratification of theNLCA and listed in Schedule 9-1 of the NLCA,as well as any other area of particularsignificance established for ecological,cultural, archaeological, research or similarreasons.

These guidelines apply to conservationareas in marine areas, as outlined in NLCAsections 15.2.1 and 15.2.2.

Purpose These guidelines will be used by the NPC to:• determine whether to recommend the

creation of new conservation areas as partof the development of new regional landuse plans;

• review the status of conservation areasduring the periodic review of regional landuse plans or the preparation of new plans;and

• determine whether to recommend thecreation of new conservation areas asamendments to existing plans.

Guidelines1. The establishment of new conservation

areas shall follow the procedures outlinedin the NLCA . The NLCA defines the contentsof a land use plan in Section 11.3.1 as ... a document containing text, schedules,figures and maps for the establishment ofobjectives and guidelines for short-termand long-term development, taking intoaccount factors such as the following:...(g) environmental considerations,including Parks and Conservation Areas,and wildlife habitat. .. .

2. When a conservation area involves wildlife,the approval of the NWMB is required, asoutlined in Section 9.3.2.

3. Existing conservation areas listed in NLCASchedule 9-1 shall be incorporated into

Guidelines to Establish, Assess and Review Conservation Areas in Nunavut Through the Land Use Planning Process

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APPENDIX N GUIDELINES TO ESTABLISH, ASSESS AND REVIEW CONSERVATION AREAS IN

NUNAVUT THROUGH THE LAND USE PLANNING PROCESS

existing or draft land use plans as they aredeveloped.

4. The NPC shall consider proposals for newconservation areas once it has beendemonstrated that the proposal:• has been initiated by, or is supported

by, local community and regionalorganizations;

• blends traditional and local knowledge ofecosystems with scientific information;

• considers economic and social values;• considers existing land use planning and

wildlife management regimes; and • provides interim protection, preferably

for no more than five years.

5. For the purposes of these guidelines, asponsor is deemed to be a DIO, other Inuit

organization, government department oragency, non-governmental organization,industry or individual.

6. Sponsors of proposed conservation areasshall ensure that candidate sites:• focus on a representative sample of

northern lands and waters which canconserve the processes needed tomaintain healthy ecosystems;

• consider other areas with outstandingnatural and cultural features importantfor conservation, tourism, recreation,heritage, research and education;

• recognize land claim agreements,traditional Aboriginal uses and third-party interests; and

• fully take into account access to mineralresources and, through the use ofmineral and energy resource assessments(MERA), development potential.

Part 1: Definition

9.1.1 In this Article:

“Conservation Area” means any

Conservation Area in existence at the date of

ratification of the Agreement listed in

Schedule 9-1, and any of the following areas

when established under legislation:

(a) National Wildlife Areas;

(b) Migratory Bird Sanctuaries;

(c) International Biological Program

Ecological Sites/Ecological Areas;

(d) Man and the Biosphere Reserves;

(e) World Heritage Convention/Natural and

Cultural Sites;

(f) Wildlife Sanctuaries;

(g) Critical Wildlife Areas;

(h) National Historic Sites;

(i) National Historic Parks;

(j) Wetlands of International Importance for

Waterfowl (Ramsar);

(k) Canadian Landmarks;

(l) Canadian Heritage Rivers;

(m) Historic Places; and

(n) other areas of particular significance for

ecological, cultural, archaeological,

research and similar reasons.

From the NLCA, Article 9: Conservation Areas

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Part IMigratory Bird Sanctuaries established pursuant to

the Migratory Birds Convention Act, migratory bird

sanctuary regulations:

1. Bylot Island Bird Sanctuary

2. Dewey Soper Bird Sanctuary

3. East Bay Bird Sanctuary

4. Harry Gibbons Bird Sanctuary

5. McConnell River Bird Sanctuary

6. Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary

7. Cape Dorset Bird Sanctuary

8. Seymour Island Bird Sanctuary

Part IINational Wildlife Areas established pursuant to the

Canada Wildlife Act, wildlife area regulations:

1. Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area

Part IIITerritorial Game Sanctuary established pursuant to

the territorial Wildlife Act:

1. Bowman Bay Game Sanctuary

Part IVCanadian Heritage Rivers, designated by the Minister

of Environment, Canada, the Minister of Indian Affairs

and Northern Development, Canada, and the Minister

of Sustainable Development, Government of Nunavut:

1. Kazan River (Lower Reaches only)

2. Thelon River (Lower Reaches only)

NLCA Schedule 9-1: Existing Conservation Areas (Section 9.1.1)

Part 1: Principles15.1.1 This Article recognizes and reflects the fol-

lowing principles:

(a) Inuit are traditional and current users of

certain marine areas, especially the land-

fast ice zones;

(b) the legal rights of Inuit in marine areas

flowing from the Agreement are based on

traditional and current use;

(c) Canada’s sovereignty over the waters of

the Arctic archipelago is supported by

Inuit use and occupancy;

(d) Inuit harvest wildlife that might migrate

beyond the marine areas;

(e) an Inuit economy based in part

on marine resources is both viable and

desirable;

(f) there is a need to develop and co-ordinate

policies regarding the marine areas; and

(g) there is a need for Inuit involvement in

aspects of Arctic marine management,

including research.

Part 2: Application15.2.1 If a Park or Conservation Area is established

and that Park or Conservation Area partially

extends beyond the marine areas, Article 8 or

9, as the case requires, shall apply to that

entire Park or Conservation Area.

15.2.2 Articles 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 27, 33,

and 34 shall apply to marine areas subject to

any qualifications contained in those Articles.

NLCA Article 15: Marine Areas

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APPENDIX O

The following process was developed, in themid-1990s and through community con-sultation, to assign cleanup priorities to morethan 190 sites mapped in the West Kitikmeot.A similar approach is proposed for mappingsites in the North Baffin region. The maps thatare developed will be based on informationprovided by people in the region, as well asfrom data available from various governmentagencies.

Site IdentificationSites containing waste are first mapped basedon general information gathered from localinformants. Once these sites are plotted, themaps are taken back to the communities forvalidation. This mapping continues as newsites are identified.

Site Status To determine cleanup priorities, all knownsites are divided into three parallel “streams”:Assessment, Monitoring, and Hazardous.

The Assessment Stream includes all sitesthat are not suspected of containinghazardous waste and which are not underactive land use permits. The majority of sitestypically fall into this category. If a site isunoccupied, abandoned or “orphaned,” it isincluded in the cleanup database and

proceeds through the steps in this stream. Anabandoned site can enter the HazardousStream immediately should hazardous wastebe suspected.

The Monitoring Stream includes sites thathave active and valid land use permits. Thepermit-granting agency, either government ora DIO, monitors activities at these sites.

These are not cleanup sites per se, althoughthey are included in an overall cleanupdatabase. Sites in this stream re-enter theAssessment Stream should the license holderabandon them or not clean them up properly.

The Hazardous Stream includes any sitesuspected of containing hazardous waste.Placing a site in the Hazardous Streamautomatically pushes it into the "urgent"range of the priority list. Its final ranking onthe list depends on the relative ranking ofother sites on the list in general, and withinthat range in particular. Hazardous wasteidentified at any stage of the classificationprocess is grouped in this stream.

An annual review of the database will beconducted in order to track any sites whichhave changed status.

Type of WasteThe purpose here is to document the kind(s)of waste at a site. As noted above, general

Developing a Cleanup Priority List

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information about the content of these sites isprovided by people in the region who knowthe land and what is on it. Since the mostcommon form of hazardous waste is fuel, it ispossible, on the basis of information gatheredfrom local informants and without furtherinvestigation, to classify those sites where thissubstance is known to be present. When theinformation is incomplete or unclear,however, a follow-up environmental analysisis done.

When hazardous waste is identified,government regulators should be informed. Itis important to note that once hazardousmaterials are removed, the site may stillrequire cleanup and would thus re-enter theclassification process.

Information GatheringDetailed information is gathered for all sitesin both the Assessment and HazardousStreams. However, the level of technical detailrequired for classification is not as great forthe former. The following parameters havebeen identified by workshop participants asimportant in information gathering:• What kind of waste is at the site (chemicals,

fuel, buildings, old machinery, etc.)? • Who is responsible for the site?• Is there a land use permit?• What area is affected?• What was the land used for? What will it be

used for?• How close is waste to water sources

(surface, drinking water, other)?• What animal populations use the area

(caribou feeding areas or calving grounds,migration routes, etc.; bird habitat; other)?

• How much waste is at the site?• Is the site in an area of frequent, regular or

irregular Inuit land use?• Is the area close to a community or within a

hamlet boundary?• Are there aesthetic concerns (i.e. are

people complaining about the mess)?• Are there other community concerns?• Have there been previous cleanup efforts or

containment measures?• Other information.Besides community informant reports andsurveys, this information is gathered from:• Owner files• Regulatory agency files, including those

held by institutions of public government inNunavut

• Land use history• Aerial photography• Archival records• Site plans and drawings• Insurance plans• Review of industrial practices• Anecdotal reports from past employees• Other sources.

Site AssessmentAn assessment may be carried out to assist inthe development of the cleanup priority list.Wastes in the Hazardous Stream requiretechnical analysis. A methodology has beendeveloped by the Canadian Council ofMinisters of the Environment and used byDND to assess DEW Line sites for cleanup. NTIhas used the same methodology to prioritizeDEW Line sites.

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The following section outlines the methodthe NPC has developed for classifyingpotential cleanup sites. The categories havebeen developed based on public input and aredesigned to assist people in the North Baffinin developing a cleanup priority list.

Each category is subdivided and anumerical value is attached. These values willbe totaled and the sum attributed to the site.All sites are then organized based on thisranking. The numbering system will assistfurther discussions about assigning priority tothe sites. (This assessment will also result inhazardous waste being put at the top of thepriority list.)

Potential cleanup sites will be assessedusing the following criteria:• Degree of Human Use (US) refers to

how often a site is used. A scale ofcontinuous (3), seasonal (2), infrequent(1) or none (0) is estimated based uponinformation collected from thecommunities.

• Risk to Human Health (LI) is anotherfactor that has to be estimated. Risks tohealth are rated according to the followingscale:• The presence of hazardous materials (3) • No hazardous materials, but extensive

debris (2)• No significant risk to human health (1).

• Degree of Site Contamination (CN).Significant Contamination (3) refers to sitesthat are already seriously contaminated, orwhere there is a significant potential forfuture contamination based on an initialassessment. Moderate Contamination (2) is

said to occur when some localizedcontamination is present. The final twocategories are Low Contamination (1) andNo Contamination (0).

• Status of Contaminants (ST) refers tothe condition of the various substances atthe site. If a contaminant is known to bepresent, or it is strongly suspected that it ismigrating into the food chain, drinkingwater, etc., then the site is assigned the mostserious rating (3) for this criterion. If noone is sure about what is happening to thecontaminants, the site is assigned a value of(2) in this category. If the contaminants arestable and are not likely to enter watersources, the site is evaluated as (1).

• Proximity to Community (PR). During ameeting about cleanup sites in CambridgeBay in May 1996, participants said theywere more concerned about sites closer totheir communities than about those fartheraway. Each site is assigned a value of (3) ifit is close to the community, a value of (2)if it is at an intermediate distance and avalue of (1) if it is far away.

• Level of Public Concern (CO). Thiscategory deals with the degree of concern asite creates. In this category, any site that creates Nunavut-wide concern is given a value of (3). Those causing concern throughout the planning regionare assessed as (2), while local concernsget a (1).

Total of Assigned ValuesOnce all of the sites have been given numbersfor each of the criteria previously described,

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the values assigned to each site are totaled,and the sums are used to rank the sites.

US + LI + CN + ST + PR + CO = R

Since this is an initial assessment, there maybe a number of sites with equal priority.However, this total will be enough to “weigh”

the sites and place them in one of three broadcategories. Each sum is then used to place asite in a range (R), which, in turn, is used todetermine the cleanup priority. The rangesare:

• (13-18) Urgent• (7-12) Serious• (6 or less) Moderate

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