Natural Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to appear before the committee today. I have with me today my colleague, Sara Filbee, assistant deputy minister of lands and economic development at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, as well as--should more detailed informatio

Natural Resources committee  It does refer specifically to the Arctic and it does refer to the full Arctic area.

Natural Resources committee  Not only the Canadian Arctic, the offshore Arctic.

Natural Resources committee  We work from the regime of the regulatory frameworks we have now in the three territories in the north, each of which includes environmental assessment processes, and it is through the environmental assessment processes that one would be attempting to assess impacts on the broade

Natural Resources committee  Yes.

Natural Resources committee  That's correct.

Natural Resources committee  I wouldn't say it's project by project. We have publicly established regulatory frameworks, which include due environmental assessment processes. So those represent the framework we work under. I think the question you're posing might belong better in other departments. We do not

Natural Resources committee  I would just add a comment. The coordinating role being played also respects the mandates of other departments. It does not crosswalk over to the other mandates of departments that may carry responsibilities linked to that.

Natural Resources committee  I understand you had a witness last week from Natural Resources Canada, and anticipate another, so I'm sure you will hear in detail their role in the broader economic development in the north, guided by the northern strategy. There's significant work being done on the part of N

Natural Resources committee  My apologies for misunderstanding. I heard Natural Resources Canada. But perhaps I may respond briefly to that question as well. Natural resources have a significant impact on potential economic development in the north. As you are aware, 20 years ago the revenue stream of the N

Natural Resources committee  There are some significant challenges. The north is quite vast; it's far away and it has a very severe climate. Because of its remoteness, size, and difficulties, infrastructure is a persistent challenge in the north--a full range of types of infrastructure. Capacity, the popul

Natural Resources committee  I can respond and hand it off to Mitch, if he'd like to add anything. I, too, have spent time with pickets up north, so I understand your perspective. With respect to northerners' directly benefiting, it is common business practice now, and good corporate responsibility, for

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, that project lies under the responsibility of my colleague, Sara Filbee, so if I may, I'll turn to her for the response.

Natural Resources committee  Some of that investment is happening now. We have already launched some of the cumulative impact work. So some of it's happening now. As you are aware, we are looking forward to tabling a legislative initiative, the Nunavut project and planning act, which is coming shortly. So w

Natural Resources committee  First, we work with all of our federal colleagues, in terms of effectively managing those timelines, including having consulted quite extensively in terms of proposing certain timelines going forward in the legislation. We broadly consulted with other levels of government, commun