18 January 2024
(January 18, 2024 – Yellowknife, NT) The NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines (Chamber) congratulates Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Government of Nunavut and the Government of Canada on executing the historical Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement. This is indeed a momentous milestone in the history of Canada and a positive turning point in Nunavut’s future.
With the Government of Nunavut assuming responsibilities and powers for land and resource management, Nunavummiut now have greater say in how lands and resources are managed, which provides opportunities to strengthen governance and accountability, create new economic opportunities and revenue streams, and ultimately achieve economic self-reliance.
“Maintaining and growing a strong minerals industry is critical to Nunavut’s economic self-reliance,” said Kenny Ruptash, President of the Chamber, “and keeping this economic engine strong is imperative for Nunavut’s continued journey towards economic self-reliance.”
Currently, the mineral development makes extraordinarily significant contributions to Nunavut’s economy, through training, employment, and business. By providing millions of dollars annually in royalties, taxes, and other payments to public governments and Inuit organizations, resource development funds many of the services Nunavummiut rely on. Mineral development is Nunavut’s economic advantage, contributing nearly half of Nunavut’s GDP in 2022, the highest reliance of any jurisdiction in Canada on the resource sector.
“Nunavut is blessed to be naturally endowed with world class mineral potential, on public and Inuit-owned lands, and future benefits from mineral development should be reasonably assured,” added Mr. Ruptash. “On behalf of the northern minerals industry and our Chamber members, we congratulate and celebrate Nunavut at becoming Canada’s youngest and newly minted mineral resource manager, and look forward to working with the government to maintain a strong, beneficial and responsible minerals industry in Nunavut.”
For more information on the NWT and Nunavut mining industries, please visit the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines website at www.miningnorth.com or contact Tom Hoefer, Executive Director at
Tel: 867-873-5281 or email: executivedirector@miningnorth.com.