Nunavut and the federal government are anticipated to sign a devolution agreement on Thursday, marking the end of nearly 25 years as a territory.
On Thursday, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and representatives of the territorial government will sign the agreement in Iqaluit, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to arrive.
By signing this agreement, the federal government effectively cedes control over Crown lands and waters to the territorial government.
The agreement’s specifics are not yet known to the public, but they will be after it is signed.
It is anticipated that the prime minister will arrive in Iqaluit on Thursday afternoon and sign the agreement on Friday.
Devolution in Nunavut has been a drawn-out process. Canada started giving the territories decision-making authority over areas of government like airports and healthcare in the 1960s.
The governments of Nunavut and Canada, along with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., signed an agreement in principle in 2019. It stipulated that unresolved issues needed to be resolved within three years, and a final agreement needed to be reached within five years.
One of the last topics of discussion at the time was resource development and land and water management.
As land and water rights are transferred, Crown land in the region becomes Nunavut’s responsibility. Employees of the Canadian government currently oversee that land. It was anticipated at the time of the principle agreement that those workers would have the choice of continuing with their position with the Nunavut government or being transferred to another federal position.
