The Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Regulatory Coordination that strengthens collaboration and alignment in their respective regulatory roles in the Northwest Territories, in partnership with Indigenous governments and organizations.
The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, and the Honourable Jay Macdonald, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories, in the presence of Northwest Territories Premier, R.J. Simpson, signed the MOU during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention in Toronto.
Under the agreement, the two Departments reaffirm their commitment to working together and with Indigenous governments, organizations, co‑management boards, and other federal and territorial Departments and agencies to improve the clarity, predictability, and efficiency in impact assessment and regulatory processes.
Subject to ongoing discussions with partners, key areas of collaboration include:
- Working with Indigenous governments and co‑management boards to strengthen clarity and consistency in legislation, regulations, guidelines, and policies in areas of shared jurisdiction;
- Working with other federal and territorial Departments and agencies to strengthen clarity and consistency in guidelines and policies in areas of federal and/or territorial jurisdiction;
- Exploring opportunities to align federal and territorial funding mechanisms to support the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples and Northerners in impact assessment and regulatory processes.
The new MOU builds on the foundations of resource co-management in the Northwest Territories and reinforces both Departments' commitment to working together in a manner that respects the jurisdictions, authorities, and processes set out in modern treaties.
