Action Canada

Northern Policy Papers

Economic Development on Haida Gwaii

The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical and contextual foundation to under- stand economic development on Haida Gwaii. While the islands are unique, the pressures and opportunities residents face from a development perspective are common with other rural locales. Truly understanding economic development on Haida Gwaii requires both perspectives: the local and the global. This paper begins with an overview of the development context in BC and Haida Gwaii. This is followed by background information on rural development. The paper includes First Nations context and history (central to understanding economic development on Haida Gwaii), but leaves substantive discussions of these issues to the other working papers in this series. The main section of the paper is next, outlining the theory and practice of place- based development. This section also highlights a variety of examples from Haida Gwaii that illustrate the concept of “place.” Finally, the paper includes a series of questions Action Canada participants can reflect upon in anticipation of their visit and discussions with those really in the know – the people of Haida Gwaii.

DOWNLOAD: Economic Development on Haida Gwaii: ”Ounces, not Pounds“

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed herein are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, or the Government of Canada. Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, and the Government of Canada make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, reliability or currency of any information in this paper and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display, publication or use.

People, Land & Sea: Environmental Governance on Haida Gwaii

This document begins with a brief history of people and place summarizing how environ- mental governance on Haida Gwaii changed with European contact through the late 1800s into the 1900s, followed by three major course of events affecting environmental governance insti- tutions. Moving forward into the 1970s, the first event is the Athlii Gwaay (Lyell Island) conflict that eventually led to the creation of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site with signing of a landmark co-management agreement between the Haida Nation and the Government of Canada. Second came the Haida Gwaii land use planning process and concur- rent reframing of relationships between the islands’ communities, galvanized by widespread recognition that the rate of industrial logging was not sustainable over the long-term. Third, following on the heels of land use planning was initiation of marine use planning and conse- quent shifting seascapes of marine management for the islands. A synthesis of environmental governance for Haida Gwaii today – the people, land and sea, and the plants and animals that call the archipelago home – concludes the document.

DOWNLOAD: People, Land & Sea: Environmental Governance on Haida Gwaii

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed herein are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, or the Government of Canada. Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, and the Government of Canada make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, reliability or currency of any information in this paper and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display, publication or use.

Six definitions of aboriginal self-government and the unique Haida model

For centuries, colonial authorities and settler governments have been negotiating treaties with indigenous nations in the Americas. In the 19th century, Canada signed a series of numbered treaties as railroads and settlers crossed the country towards the West Coast. In 1973, Prime Minister Trudeau sent negotiators into regions without treaties in northern Quebec, the north- ern territories, and British Columbia. Canada amended its constitution in 1982 to add Section 35:

The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby
recognized and affirmed.
In this Act, &rdquoAboriginal Peoples of Canada&ldquo includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
For greater certainty, in subsection (1) &rdquotreaty rights&ldquo includes rights that now exist by way of
land claims agreements or any that may be acquired in the future.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the aboriginal and treaty rights referred to in subsection (1) are guaranteed equally to male and female persons.

Canada, British Columbia, and the First Nations Summit created the British Columbia Treaty Commission (BCTC) in 1992 to facilitate land claims and aboriginal self-government negotiations in the province. Self-government negotiations are often a secondary process to land claims settlements. Though on Haida Gwaii, governance negotiations have moved forward without any settlement of the land question, making the situation there unique.

DOWNLOAD: Six definitions of aboriginal self-government and the unique Haida model

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed herein are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, or the Government of Canada. Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, and the Government of Canada make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, reliability or currency of any information in this paper and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display, publication or use.

Making Best Use of the Lower Churchill: The Muskrat Falls Development

This essay will deal with the Lower Churchill hydroelectric developments in Labrador, downstream from the large Churchill Falls project which was completed in 1976 and most of the power of which is sold by Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation to Hydro Quebec under contractual obligations that end in 2041. There are two proposed generation facilities on the lower reaches of the Churchill River, one at Gull Island and the other at Muskrat Falls. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador recently announced its plan to begin development of the smaller of these two facilities, located at Muskrat Falls, just 18 km upriver from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The proposed Muskrat Falls facility is rated at 824 megawatts (MW) and 4.9 million megawatt hours (MWh) of energy per year. The combined capacity of Gull Island and Muskrat Falls is 3,074 MW2 while the combined energy is 17 million MWh of electricity per year.

DOWNLOAD: Making Best Use of the Lower Churchill: The Muskrat Falls Development, Northern Policy Paper 2011, Action Canada

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed herein are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, or the Government of Canada. Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, and the Government of Canada make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, reliability or currency of any information in this paper and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display, publication or use.

Land Claims Agreements and Aboriginal Governance Issues in Labrador: the Nunatsiavut Experience

There are three aboriginal nations calling Labrador home: the Inuit of the central and northern coast as well as the central region of Happy Valley/Goose Bay/ Mud Lake/North West River, the Innu of the Western and Northern expanse of Labrador to the Quebec border and the NunatuKavut Community Council (Labrador Metis Nation) of Central and Southeastern Labrador. Each has its own distinct history and culture. Moreover, each is at a different stage in negotiations with the Canadian and provincial governments. As a result, the implications for governance relations are somewhat different for each resulting in both shared yet distinctive forms of governance with each other as well as external governments and other organizations. Since the system of governance is most advanced and extensive with the Labrador Inuit, they are taken as the most useful point from which to discuss issues of aboriginal governance.

DOWNLOAD: Land Claims Agreements and Aboriginal Governance Issues in Labrador – The Nunatsiavut Experience, Northern Policy Paper 2011, Action Canada

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed herein are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, or the Government of Canada. Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, and the Government of Canada make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, reliability or currency of any information in this paper and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display, publication or use.

An Overview of Mining Activity in Labrador

In 2009 the contribution of mining to Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) GDP was estimated at $1,566 million (6.7%) second only to offshore oil extraction and support activities (27.5%) of industries in the goods producing sector (GNLDF 2011).

Mining in NL is dominated by iron ore production in western Labrador and nickel ore production at Voisey’s Bay on Labrador’s northeast coast (Figure 1). The forecasted Gross Value of Mineral Shipments (GVMS) for 2011 for NL as a whole is $4.7 billion of which approximately $3 billion will be from iron ore and $1 billion from nickel. Projected increases in shipments of iron ore and the opening of Labrador Iron Mines operation at the Québec/Labrador border near Schefferville in 2011, the end of the strike at Voisey’s Bay and a general increase in commodity prices are the main contributory factors that should see the highest GVMS on record (GNL 2011).

DOWNLOAD: An Overview of Mining Activity in Labrador, Northern Policy Paper 2011, Action Canada

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed herein are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, or the Government of Canada. Action Canada, Action Canada Foundation, and the Government of Canada make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, reliability or currency of any information in this paper and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display, publication or use.

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