Legislation advancing responsible co-management of natural resources in North receives Royal Assent

Bill C-88 cancels merger of land and water boards in the Northwest Territories, moves towards responsible co-management of Arctic offshore oil and gas resources and certainty for industry.

June 22, 2019 — Ottawa, ON — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

The Government of Canada is taking action to respect the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples, protect Canada's rich natural environment, and support a resilient and sustainable Canadian natural resource sector.

Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced the passage into law of Bill C-88, An Act to Amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, on June 21, 2019.

Bill C-88 amends two main pieces of legislation: the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act. The amendments to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act address concerns raised by Indigenous governments and organizations in the Northwest Territories over the land and water board amalgamation provisions of the 2014 Northwest Territories Devolution Act and the related injunction from the the Northwest Territories Supreme Court in March 2015. The bill confirms the continuation of the Sahtu, Gwich'in and Wek'èezhìi boards with the jurisdiction to regulate the use of land and water and deposit of waste in their regions.

Bill C-88 also amends the Canada Petroleum Resources Act to allow the Governor in Council to prohibit oil and gas activities, when in the national interest, and to freeze the terms of existing licenses to prevent them from expiring while the moratorium on the issuance of new Arctic offshore oil and gas licences is in place. These changes are necessary to allow the Government to establish a path forward for the strategic management of Arctic offshore oil and gas resources in collaboration with partners.