The three parties that must jointly accept a land-use plan for the Nunavut Settlement Area said the 2023 Recommended Nunavut Land Use Plan needs more work and cannot be accepted as currently drafted. The plan was submitted by the Nunavut Planning Commission in 2023 after years of consultation. It would set territory-wide land-use policies and designations, but it has not taken effect. Source↗

An approved plan would guide land use and development across Nunavut, including how proposed activities move through the regulatory system. The joint decision means that territory-wide direction is still unfinished. It comes before April 1, 2027, when the Government of Nunavut is scheduled to take administration and control of Crown lands, natural resources and inland waters under devolution. Source↗

Canada, Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated say they will continue working with the Nunavut Planning Commission toward a final plan. Their July 3 release did not identify the provisions that need to change, set a deadline for a revised plan, or announce a new consultation schedule. Source↗

The 2023 recommended plan is not approved and is not in force. Joint acceptance by Canada, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is required before a plan can take effect. The Nunavut Planning Commission’s 2023 submission described the proposal as the first territory-wide plan for Nunavut. Source↗