Parks

Pursuant to the Agreement concerning Block Funding for the Kativik Regional Government (Sivunirmut Agreement)and related provincial legislation, the development of each park in Nunavik involves certain major phases. First, the KRG is responsible for gathering information concerning the physical, natural and human contexts in the study area and for compiling this information in a status report. The status report is used by the ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (sustainable development, environment and parks, MDDEP) to prepare a draft master plan and by the KRG to conduct an environmental and social impact study. Pursuant to the Parks Act, the MDDEP then holds public hearings before making an official recommendation to the Québec government concerning the creation of the park. Each park project is also subject to the environmental and social impact assessment and review procedure contemplated in Section 23 of the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement and the Environment Quality Act. Finally, with the creation of each new park, the transfer of responsibility to the KRG of the park’s management, including the preparation of operational plans, staffing and infrastructure, is negotiated by the KRG and the MDDEP.

Ongoing consultation and information sharing is also a very important component of park development and operation. For each park project, the KRG hires a local liaison officer and creates a working group of community representatives that include Makivik Corporation, KRG and Québec-government participation. With the creation of each park, a harmonization committee including a variety of community representation is established to deliver advice on the park’s operations. The parks development mandate under the Sivunirmut Agreement also provides for a liaison committee comprised of KRG and MDDEP representatives to monitor the implementation of the KRG’s park development and management responsibilities.

For more information on the national parks and park projects in the region, the Department operates the website www.nunavikparks.ca in Inuktitut, French and English.