The Northern Regulatory Improvements Initiatives was announced by Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians in November 2007. The Minister has appointed Mr. Neil McCrank to lead the initiative and submit a final report to the Government of Canada outlining proposed recommendations for advancing the regulatory regime, after which Canada will develop a strategy for action.
This initiative was lead by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. This section of the reference library is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of all documents and correspondence. Instead, the select documents posted are meant to provide an overview of the Review Board's involvement in the initiative.
Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative
The Review Board sent Neil McCrank the attached letter highlighting the board's concerns about the funding arrangement for the upcoming fiscal year. The letter also references some attachments which offer more information for Neil McCrank's consideration during the Northern Regulatory Improvements Initiative.
This attachment to the January 3rd, 08 letter to Mr. McCrank outlines options to consider that may address the need for stable and adequate funding to support the Review Board’s annual operations. The options range from maintaining the status quo to partial and full solutions to the funding challenges faced by the Review Board.
This attachment to the January 3rd, 08 letter to Mr. McCrank outlines the Review Board’s desire to secure funding to support the participation of parties potentially impacted by proposed developments referred for environmental assessment. The proposed participant funding initiative would include the review, selection and approval of funding applications in a fair, systematic and impartial manner.
This attachment to the January 3rd, 08 letter to Mr. McCrank outlines the capacity and procedural requirements that it needs considered before the Review Board can begin to implement the requirements of the Official Languages Act and to offer equitable aboriginal language services.
This attachment to the January 3rd, 08 letter to Mr. McCrank is the Review Board’s submission to the auditor for the 2005 NWT Environmental Audit.
The Review Board met with Mr. Neil McCrank to provide Mr. McCrank comments and advice regarding the Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative. The Review Board also explained what it estimates to be the cost to fully address its mandate under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
This document summarizes the key messages the Review Board delivered to Mr. Neil McCrank.
INAC provided an update to the Review Board on the plan of action and progress to date for the Northern Regulatory Improvements Initiative. INAC's presentation is attached.
Jan. 22nd, 08 - Letter from Minister Strahl in response to Board Forum's letter on Nov 12, 07 (43.26 KB)
This letter from the Minister thanks the NWT Board Forum for bringing its views on regulatory improvements to his attention.
This letter from the Regional Director General of INAC acknowledges the Board Forum's concerns regarding the enforcement of measures. In the letter the Regional Director General refers back to the relationship building workshop outcomes where action items were listed for the Board Forum, INAC and other government regulator's attention. The Regional Director General feels this is likely the first of many workshops to come in dealing with the issue.
On March 18th and 19th, 2008, Neil McCrank chaired a Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative Workshop, which was held in Yellowknife, NWT. Over the course of the two-day workshop, participants were provided the opportunity, both orally and in writing, to provide suggestions on how to refine and improve the current regulatory process. This report summarizes the workshop.