Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think it will have a higher-quality process if it's managed properly and efficiently. It comes down to the ability of the board or boards to manage the process effectively. As I was referring to earlier, there's a good pool of talent amongst the three boards, or four boards, that are there now, so I'm optimistic that will take place.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It was intended to speak for itself. There are, obviously, projects of different sizes. Major projects, such as the development of a major diamond mine, are going to take more time and a more detailed and extensive process compared to a small advanced exploration project. The assessment process should be tailored to the size and the impact of the project.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I can't speak to offshore resources. Mining is done onshore.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If there is a restructuring of the boards, my impression—it's as much a guess as a hope—is that they will draw from the existing people who have been involved with the boards. The staff has grown and matured. There are some very competent technical people involved with all of the boards, so there is an excellent source of talent to draw from.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Not in the Northwest Territories.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'll lead off. I think it has the potential to do that if it's well managed. It's like any government process. If a process for environmental assessment and permitting takes place effectively and efficiently and is timely, then it will improve what I was referring to before as the “investment climate” in the territory.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think that's true from my perspective and from the mining industry's perspective, although I'll defer to my colleague. The changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act that are proposed, we see them as positive. I want to make a point of clarification on that. The points that I pointed out are what I referred to as opportunities for improvement.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Certainly it would be a concern if litigation came forward as a result of this move in terms of restructuring. However, we believe there are opportunities with respect to restructuring. You're right that it's intended to sort of freeze the process for the next five years, but five years can be a relatively short time.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. For the record, my name is Rick Meyers. I'm vice-president of technical and northern affairs for the Mining Association of Canada. Previously, between 1998 and 2007, I was director of mineral resources for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. My presentation today is based on a joint submission by the Mining Association of Canada, the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, and the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada that was presented to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in October of 2013.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If I could add to Pierre's comment, coming out of each land claim settlement there have been new boards created. Altogether we have something like 17 boards in the Northwest Territories right now, including the four water boards plus the other boards and what's in the Inuvialuit region.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  While we understand that the surface rights board act is a commitment under land claims agreements, I think it's an important last resort, if you like, in terms of dispute resolution in access to land. It applies more appropriately to the junior exploration sector in the mining process.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It doesn't apply to unsettled lands because it is in Nunavut and there's only one land claim and it's settled. I don't think it applies to unsettled lands.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would hope so. There's no reason that it shouldn't. The boards, both in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, are products of land claim agreements—very important land claim agreements. When boards on both sides of that border, if you like, came into being, they had less capacity.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If I could add to that, it's the responsibility of our colleagues with the Nunavut Planning Commission to ensure that stakeholders' interests and values are considered, and we have faith that they will certainly do that.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I don't know the exact number. It was about four or five over about a year and a half. They were day-long or two-day meetings—fairly comprehensive work sessions. We went through aspects of the bill from top to bottom. I would compliment the government for taking us through that and allowing us the time to provide the comprehensive responses we have submitted over the years.