December 12, 2012  

 
(check against delivery)

Good afternoon

 NWT Devolution Process and Update

• The Government of the Northwest Territories has a vision of a prosperous and sustainable territory that provides for our residents and contributes to the 
  Canadian economy. Achieving northern control over our own lands, water and resources is essential if we are going to achieve that vision.


• In early 2011, the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories, along with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and Northwest Territory MétisNation signed an Agreement-in-Principle to transfer federal responsibilities for managing public land, water, and resources in the territory to the GNWT.


• In 2012, the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated and Gwich’in Tribal Council also signed the AiP and joined the negotiations for a final agreement.


• This AiP marks the culmination of more than ten years of negotiations between Canada, the GNWT and Aboriginal governments.


• It represents the desires of the people of the Northwest Territories to take control of their destiny by ensuring decisions about our public land, water and resources are made in the North by Northerners for the benefit of all residents.


• Negotiating and implementing a Devolution Final Agreement is one of the top priorities of the 17^th Legislative Assembly.


• We consider it the cornerstone of building a strong and sustainable future for our territory.


• All parties are working hard toward the completion of  a final agreement, , so the benefits of devolution can be brought home the people of the Northwest 
  Territories as soon as possible.


• Discussions with remaining Aboriginal governments on devolution continue in the hope they too will join us in signing the final agreement.

 

 Current Roles and Responsibilities in Respect to Water

• Currently, the Government of the Northwest Territories’ direct legislative mandate on water is limited to drinking water quality and environmental protection -specifically, ensuring residents receive quality drinking water and the prevention of accidental discharges of contaminants into water.


• Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada has overall responsibility for management of water resources in the NWT, similar to the responsibilities that provinces already manage for themselves. 


• These responsibilities will be transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories as a part of Devolution.


• These include:

 

              -  Legislative authorities that the federal government currently holds under the
                  Northwest Territories Waters Act and regulations;

              -  Water data collection and monitoring in collaboration with Environment Canada;

              -  Developing and managing scientific programs;

              -  Developing and managing guidelines and codes of practices for water resources
                  management and monitoring; and,

              -  Providing on-going expert scientific and technical advice to a wide range of 
                 clients in the NWT.

• Although Canada currently has the responsibility for management of water resources, the GNWT hasn’t been standing by. 


• In May 2010, the GNWT and Canada released the Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy Northern Voices, Northern Waters. This strategy, the result of extensive consultation and engagement with northern residents, sets out a clear direction for NWT water management.


• We believe Devolution will allow us to move forward in a more consistent and efficient manner in implementing the Water Stewardship Strategy in a number of key areas, such as finalizing bi-lateral and multi-lateral transboundary water management agreements, developing a comprehensive and collaborative community aquatic water monitoring system and ensuring the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem in the Mackenzie River Basin and throughout the Northwest Territories.

 

 Transboundary Water Agreements

• Residents of the Northwest Territories understand the importance of finalizing transboundary water management agreements to maintaining the health and ecological integrity of our northern waters.


• Development of our interests for trans-boundary water management negotiations included consultations with Aboriginal governments, communities and the public. 


• One of our fundamental interests is to maintain substantially unaltered water quality, quantity and rate of flow.


• This mirrors a commitment in existing land claims agreements.


• Currently negotiations are underway on a bilateral agreement between the Northwest Territories and Alberta. The NWT negotiations team has representatives from both our government and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.


• To date, the GNWT has taken the lead on consultation and engagement with the Aboriginal governments on the development of our interests and positions  for negotiations. As described in “Respect, Recognition and Responsibility, The Government of the Northwest Territories’ Approach to Engaging with Aboriginal Governments”  the GNWT has taken a collaborative and cooperative approach to ensure that Aboriginal governments have a role beyond the minimum tests for consultation set out in legal documents.


• This approach will be central to our management of water resources following Devolution and to establishing our positions for current and future bilateral and multilateral agreements.


• We want to see cooperative management across the entire Mackenzie River Basin and believe consistency in bilateral agreements will be critical in meeting this goal.


• We believe monitoring and trend assessment across the basin is critical to assessing the health of the basin and identifying emerging issues for both the basin and the waters of the Northwest Territories.


• Our position is that legally sound and enforceable bilateral agreements are the best way to achieve our interests and protect the ecological integrity of our northern waters.


• We will continue to push these interests to achieve our goals now and after Devolution.

 

Aquatic Community-based Monitoring

• Our communities recognize community-based monitoring is an important method of addressing their concerns about water quality, quantity and ecosystem health particularly in respect to upstream development and other potential impacts.


• There is widespread support in the Northwest Territories for the full implementation of the world-class monitoring program to ensure the health of ecological integrity of our downstream waters.


• We will be looking to play a more significant role in the monitoring program following Devolution.


• We continue to work with a number of water partners on community-based monitoring initiatives and supporting community involvement in monitoring and research activities.


• There is a strong appetite for these types of programs in all our communities where the health of our waters is directly connected to the health and well-being of all who use it.


• One of our biggest challenges is meeting the demand from communities for these programs.


• Resources, both human and financial, derived from Devolution will help to extend our network of community-based monitoring programs.


• However, we will continue to look to our water partners, such as Wilfrid Laurier University, the Canadian Water Network and others to help up build the capacity and knowledge we need to do this.

 

 Traditional Knowledge

• Traditional knowledge is an important part of the decision-making, programs and services of our Government. 


• I am m pleased the Mackenzie River Basin Board is embracing the importance and need for traditional knowledge in its work.


• The board will soon be providing information on how to collect and apply traditional knowledge in water management and decision-making.


• Traditional knowledge will be used to help inform the next Mackenzie River Basin State of the Aquatic Ecosystem Report.


• This is indeed progress.


• We will continue to champion the use of traditional knowledge in the management of the waters of the Mackenzie Basin including the review of downstream projects which could impact our waters.

 

 Conclusion

• The road to Devolution in the Northwest Territories has been a long one with its share of twists, turns and bumps.


• There are still some details to iron out before a final agreement is signed.


• I am confident we will get over these hurdles and be able to implement our new legislative authority soon.


• Northerners are ready to be the masters of their own destiny.


• We know there are going to be challenges but the ability to determine the nature and  pace of development in our own backyard will be worth it.


• We know, as a large jurisdiction with a limited population, we are going to need the assistance of partners to help us meet those challenges.

 

We look forward to working in partnership with many of you in this room to help us build the capacity and knowledge we need to ensure the ecological integrity of our waters for the benefit of our residents.

Mahsi cho.