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Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)

Mineral Resources Regulations and Implementation of the Mineral Resources Act

The GNWT’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) is developing regulations for the Mineral Rights Act (MRA) that may cover a number of key issues including how mineral claims and mineral leases are obtained, requirements for socio-economic benefits, production licences, and a Mineral Rights Review Board.

A status report on the development of the regulations was released in October 2023.  Here is the latest statement in June 2024 from the Minister of ITI on the status of this work. 

ITI announced the first of four Mineral Resources Act Policy Intentions Engagement Documents for public review and input on October 16, 2025.  This initial document focuses on:

1. Mineral administration, drill core, and removal of minerals policy intentions:
https://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/sites/iti/files/content/MRA_Regulation_Engagement_Document.pdf  

There is a feedback template, which may be a convenient way to submit comments even if it is labelled for industry input:
https://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/sites/iti/files/content/Industry_Feedback_Table.docx

All feedback/comments can be submitted to Implementation MRA_Implementation@gov.nt.ca on by November 26th, 2025 for consideration within the review process for the draft regulations.

Watch the GNWT “Have Your Say” website about future opportunities or contact ITI directly or your MLA for more information.

A phase 2 regulations (online map staking, zones, and temporary restricted areas) is apparently also planned.  When further public information is made available it will be posted to this website.

Federal Government

Fisheries Act

The federal government is developing regulations for the recently amended Fisheries Act, including Oil Sands Mining Effluent Regulations. These regulations seek to set a baseline quality standard that would allow treated water from oil sands operations to be released into the environment. Ask a question, provide a comment about the legislative process, or seek for further information.  Although there is no active public engagement on this topic, some background information is found here.

Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)

Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act

Section 10(2) of the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act outlines the legislated requirements that must be included in the scope of the ten-year review as follows:

• an examination of the operation of the Act;
• recommendations respecting how to obtain public input and advice on expenditures to be made from the Heritage Fund;
• recommendations respecting independent oversight and management of the Heritage Fund, including how it is structured and when it is required;
• recommendations respecting whether the Act should be amended to include a provision requiring a special majority to make further amendments to the Act or to authorize transfers from the Heritage Fund; and
• recommendations respecting any other amendments that should be made to the Act.

Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)

Public Land Act

Regulations are required to bring the Public Land Act into force, passed by the 18th Legislative Assembly. There are nine  existing regulations being reviewed and new regulations being developed dealing with public land grants and dispositions, quarry dispositions, and land use permitting in the Inuvialuit Setlement Region. The Intergovernmental Council (IGC) is participating under the IGC Legislative Development Protocol. 

No specific public engagement opportunities or deadlines have been made public on further development of these regulations.   Watch the GNWT “Have Your Say” website about future opportunities or contact ITI directly or your MLA for more information.

Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)

Public Review of RECLAIM (Model to Calculate Reclamation Liability)

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) is undertaking an update of the RECLAIM 7.0 Model (update to RECLAIM 8.0) and associated User Manual. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is collaborating with CIRNAC on this update. The purpose of the update is to accurately reflect the actual costs and site specific activities as they relate to reclamation security estimates. This update will incorporate a process to account for inflation, and reflect the current standards and costs of remediation projects in the North. Updates have also been drafted to reflect land and water board practices and expectations that have emerged since the model was last updated in 2014, and the User Manual in 2017. 

Nineteen written submissions, totaling 203 comments, were received by CIRNAC and the GNWT by the March 31, 2025 RECLAIM 8.0 public engagement and commenting period deadline. Comments pertained to the general themes of unit rates, policy, indirects, user manual, net present value, and contingency. CIRNAC and the GNWT heard in the January 23, 2025 engagement session the usefulness to hear other’s public feedback and have the opportunity to augment their public feedback accordingly. CIRNAC and the GNWT summarized the first written feedback received in the first RECLAIM 8.0 public engagement and commenting period by April 9, 2025 and posted it on both public online review systems for further feedback. By May 30, 2025, CIRNAC and the GNWT received four additional written submissions, totaling 112 additional comments. These comments pertain to the general themes of unit rates, policy, user manual, and net present value. 

The second summary of written feedback including responses from CIRNAC and the GNWT, revised working copies of the RECLAIM 8.0 Model, associated User Manual, and a summary report highlighting June 16, 2025 proposed changes (Appendix A) including rationale, were uploaded to both the Northwest Territories Online Review System and Nunavut Water Board Public Registry for public review on that date. CIRNAC and the GNWT request further public feedback on the update to RECLAIM 8.0 and the associated User Manual be submitted by August 15, 2025 via the Northwest Territories Online Review System or Nunavut Water Board Public Registry. Written feedback received by August 15, 2025 will inform the October 6 – 10, 2025 workshop agenda.

It is important to note that these are working copies and not the final version of RECLAIM 8.0. Reviewers are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposed changes and note any omissions. Feedback can be submitted using either the Northwest Territories Online Review System or the Nunavut Water Board Public Registry by August 15, 2025. All feedback submitted to the working group via these online review systems will be public.

For further engagement on the RECLAIM update or specific implementation inquiries, please contact Andrew Keim at the CIRNAC Nunavut Regional Office (andrew.keim@rcaanccirnac.gc.ca) or Bill Pain at the GNWT (bill_pain@gov.nt.ca).