CanNor and the Community Readiness Initiative: mining and discourses of development in the North

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, economic development

Principal Investigator: Holtby, Dana (1)
Licence Number: 15689
Organization: Carleton University
Licensed Year(s): 2015
Issued: Jun 16, 2015

Objective(s): To study how Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency’s (CanNor's) Community Readiness Initiative has influenced changes in planning for resource development in Nunavut, and more broadly in the North.

Project Description: Through this project the Principal Investigator (PI) will explore how Canadian Northern Economitc Development Agency’s (CanNor's) Community Readiness Initiative (CRI) has influenced changes in planning for resource development in Nunavut, and more broadly in the North, through the following questions: 1) What are the origins and objectives of the CRI, and how do these extend, depart from, or otherwise relate to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)/ CanNor’s broader objectives? 2) What governmental possibilities do programs like the CRI open for the federal government and for extractive industries in the North? 3) How does the CRI structure the participation of community, government, and industry in northern development policy and/or encourage partnership between these actors? Representatives from the federal government (CanNor, Northern Projects Management Office, ANNDC), the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the Hamlet of Kugluktuk, and industry will participate in semi-structured interviews in their professional capacities. Interviews will take place in their places of work or by phone/Skype. The focus will be on interviews with CanNor, NPMO and industry representatives. Follow-up questions will be asked based on participant responses. It is likely that through these interviews, participants will identify other possible participants. All participants will be sent an introductory email that includes background information on the project. The PI will also be examining publicly available government documents that pertain to the Community Readiness Initiative to understand how the program was developed and what the stated objectives of the CRI are. This will include statements made on CanNor’s websites, the Memoranda of Understanding signed between CanNor and participating Aboriginal and territorial governments, as well as the CRI templates provided to consultants working on the project. Local involvement will be primarily through participation in interviews. This research will contribute to a greater understanding of the operations and protocols of mining development policies in the North. Research results will provide feedback on the programming and planning processes of extractive industry projects and of northern development processes more broadly. Transcriptions of interviews will be made available upon request of interviewees. As this research is part of a Master's degree, the final thesis will be made publicly available through the Carleton University, as well as upon request via the primary researcher. Research participants will also be informed via email should research result in academic publication. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 17, 2015 to December 31, 2015.