Land and Environment
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) has a wide variety of responsibilities in Nunavut. Land, water, and mineral resources on Crown land are managed through the Operations directorate. The Intergovernmental Affairs and Inuit Relations directorate looks after Inuit interests as they pertain to their development, economic development, and the implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. The Contaminated Sites directorate handles the management and remediation of contaminated sites in Nunavut under CIRNAC's responsibility.
Regional employees also perform internal functions related to finance, human resources, informatics, contracts and administrative services, and information management.
Overseeing and coordinating all of these programs, services and operational responsibilities in Nunavut is the Executive Office, which includes the Regional Director General, advisors, policy and planning, and communications. The Executive Office maintains a close reporting relationship with CIRNAC headquarters in Ottawa.
Operations Directorate
5 divisions operate within this directorate:
- The Environment division coordinates regional environmental and land use planning activities associated with Article 11 and 12 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement in order to guide resource use and development in Nunavut
- The Land Administration division is responsible for the management of surface and subsurface rights on Crown land in Nunavut to ensure the wise use of land resources through legislation and policies
- The Mineral Resources division manages sustainable mineral resource development on Nunavut's Crown land
- The Water Resources division's role is to conserve, protect and increase understanding of Nunavut's water resources
- The Field Operations division inspects and enforces leases, licences, and permits issued by the department in Nunavut
Contaminated Sites Directorate
The Contaminated Sites Directorate manages contaminated sites located on Crown land in Nunavut that fall under CIRNAC's control. This is done by identifying waste/contaminated sites located on Crown land for which the department is liable, assessing environmental impacts, cleaning up and managing contaminated sites on a priority basis, providing advice to Northerners and educating Nunavummiut on contaminants.