Nunavut Planning Commission

Iqaluit, Nunavut (April 11, 2022). The Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC) will hold additional public hearings in the journey towards a final Land Use Plan for the territory, thanks to additional funding from the Government of Canada. Once finalized, the Plan will encompass one-fifth of Canada’s land mass, encompassing 3.3 million square kilometers including land, freshwater, and marine areas, and will be the largest land use plan of its kind in the world. The NPC applied for $5.5 million to fund community engagement meetings and two additional public hearings at Pond Inlet and Iqaluit in the Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin) region which will allow for completion of the final phase of the consultation process toward an historic first comprehensive Land Use Plan for Nunavut.

“We applaud the vision of the federal government and Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal to fund these additional hearings and ensure that all the people of Nunavut are fully consulted,” said Commission Chair Andrew Nakashuk. “The funding is a crucial step towards fulfilling the vision of Inuit self-determination as required in the Nunavut Agreement and national reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.”

“This funding demonstrates Canada’s commitment to fulfill the terms of the Nunavut Agreement which requires Inuit-led land use planning as a key piece of self-determination,” said NPC Executive Director Sharon Ehaloak. “It also supports efforts to work together to create a final plan that will protect the Inuit way of life, Nunavut’s unique environment and wildlife while also creating economic opportunities for Nunavummiut.”

Please click on the link below to download the full News Release.