The three parties required to approve a land-use plan under the Nunavut Agreement each concluded that the recommended plan needs further work and cannot be accepted in its current form. The plan had been submitted by the Nunavut Planning Commission in 2023. The decision is a rejection of this version, not approval of a replacement plan.

A territory-wide plan is meant to set policies and land-use designations across Nunavut. The parties say an approved plan is needed for Inuit rights, environmental stewardship, territorial decision-making and regulatory certainty for communities and development. The decision also comes before the Government of Nunavut is scheduled to take administration and control of Crown lands, natural resources and inland waters on April 1, 2027 under the devolution agreement.

Canada, Nunavut and NTI say they will continue working with the Nunavut Planning Commission toward a final plan. The joint release does not identify the outstanding concerns, set a deadline for a revised plan or publish a work plan for the next stage.

The proposed plan would have covered the Nunavut Settlement Area—about one-fifth of Canada’s land mass—and would have been Nunavut’s first territory-wide land-use plan. Under the Nunavut Agreement, it cannot take effect unless Canada, the Government of Nunavut and NTI jointly accept it. ᓇᑭᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ↗