Perpetual Care Plan

The Perpetual Care Plan (PCP) is being developed to ensure the Giant Mine site remains safe, secure, and responsibly managed long after active remediation is complete. The Plan  will provide clear, long-term direction for how the site will be maintained, monitored, and communicated about into the future.

The PCP is required under the Giant Mine Remediation Project Environmental Agreement, signed in 2015 by the Government of Canada, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, North Slave Métis Alliance, City of Yellowknife, and Alternatives North.

Under Section 4.2 of the Agreement, the Giant Mine Remediation Project (GMRP) is required to:  “…develop a comprehensive Perpetual Care Plan that must address improvements in records management, communication with future generations, long-term access to funds for the Project, and analysis of different possible scenarios that might affect the Perpetual Care of the Project.”

The PCP will act like an owner’s manual for the site. It will ensure the people responsible for the site in the future, whether that’s government, Indigenous governments or Indigenous organizations or other entities, have the knowledge and tools they need.

Environmental Resources Management (ERM), a consulting company with experience in long-term environmental planning, has been contracted to lead the development and drafting of Version 1 of the Perpetual Care Plan (PCP) for the Giant Mine site.

What the PCP covers

While Version 1 will introduce and begin work on each of these topics, it may not capture them in full detail. Instead, it will highlight what is already known, what still needs to be developed, and how future work will continue to build on this foundation. The PCP will include information on:

• PCP Governance
  Defines how the site will be governed after closure, including roles, responsibilities, and processes to update governance over time.
• PCP Implementation (Post-Closure)
  Outlines how the PCP will be put into action after remediation is complete. This includes clear implementation processes, timelines for updates, and connections to other key plans.
• Long-Term Commitment
  Describes how funding responsibilities will be met over the long term, and how financial risks will be identified and addressed to ensure continued site care.
• Risk Management Framework and Plans
  Explains how post-closure risks will be assessed, monitored, and mitigated using tools like the Risk Registry and Quantitative Risk Assessment. This also includes planning for unforeseen risks in the future.
• Records and Information Management
  Ensures essential site information is preserved, accessible, and protected — including Indigenous Knowledge, technical documents, and oral histories — for future caretakers.
• Engineered Structures
  Documents all surface and underground structures (e.g., freeze system, water treatment plant, soil covers) and explains how they will be monitored and maintained in perpetuity.
• Climate Change
  Shows how site management will stay flexible and responsive to evolving climate science, with regular updates to planning assumptions and infrastructure design as the climate changes.
• Human and Ecological Health
  Links findings from human and ecological risk assessments to long-term health and safety communications, including signage and public awareness strategies.
• Emergency Management and Response
  Provides future caretakers with procedures and tools to respond to emergencies at the site, including capacity requirements and long-term response planning.
• Communicating with Future Generations
  Develops approaches to ensure site risks and responsibilities are understood far into the future — even as language, technology, and culture evolve.
• PCP Communications and Engagement
  Ensures that local Indigenous rights holders, stakeholders, and community members are involved in the development and future updates of the PCP, and that the Plan reflects their values and priorities.

A Perpetual Care Plan Task Force has been established to guide the development of the Plan. The Task Force includes representatives from:

• Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN)
• North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA)
• City of Yellowknife
• Alternatives North
• Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)
• CIRNAC
• Giant Mine Oversight Board (Observer)

Current status (spring-fall 2025)

Spring to Fall 2025

• Engagement Plan and Task Force Terms of Reference have been revised to current standards
• Interviews and data have been gathered for each PCP topic. ECC is drafting Current State Summaries

March 13, 2025: Workshop Held in Yellowknife
 A full-day hybrid (in-person/virtual) workshop was held with the Task Force to:

• Review and validate the 10 PCP topic areas
• Provide initial feedback on the draft Engagement Plan
• Discuss workshop and engagement objectives, sequencing, and participant roles

Expert Interviews and Data Gathering
Between Spring 2025 and early 2026, ERM and the GMRP team are conducting interviews with technical experts, project staff and our rights holders and stakeholders.
These conversations are designed to:

• Fill information gaps
• Integrate lived experience and Traditional Knowledge
• Provide input for the draft content of each PCP topic

 Two foundational documents have been advanced to support the development of the Perpetual Care Plan:

• Terms of Reference (TOR) for the PCP Task Force
• Draft Engagement Plan Reviewed

Version 1 of the PCP

Version 1 of the PCP will be a starting point — not a complete manual, but a strong foundation for long-term care of the Giant Mine site. It will outline how those decisions will be made, by whom, and when. It will help organize future work, highlight what’s known, and identify what still needs to be decided. It will grow and evolve as the project moves toward and beyond closure.

It will include:

• An overview of the 11 core topic areas that must be addressed over time (such as governance, funding, communication, risk, and climate change)
• A summary of key linkages to other important site documents, like the Post-Closure Monitoring and Management Plan
• A schedule and roadmap for when key tasks, updates, and community engagement should happen
• A clear identification of gaps where more information or decisions are still needed
• Supporting materials such as research summaries, technical notes, and interviews to inform future work
• A proposed structure and layout for how the full Plan will be built in future versions

What’s Next

Early to Mid-2026

• Topic-specific working sessions with the Task Force
• In-person workshops targeting key communities and topic areas
• Development of draft recommendations

Late 2026 to 2027

• Community-wide engagement on the full Version 1 draft of the PCP
• Public input and review period
• Finalization of Version 1 of the PCP, expected by late 2027