NWT/NUNAVUT - Companies developing projects in the NWT and Nunavut could benefit from the services of the newly operational Northern Project Management Office.

Stephen Van Dine is the associate vice-president of CanNor. The Northern Project Management Office, part of CanNor, will co-ordinate federal regulatory work in the territory and track the regulatory process of projects. - photo courtesy of CanNor

The office, its main location in Yellowknife, is able to help businesses navigate through and keep track of the federal regulatory process in the territories.

Operational since May 3 the office, which is part of Canadian Northern Economical Development Agency (CanNor), will service both federal regulators and project proponents both inside and outside the environmental assessment process.

Stephen Van Dine, the associate vice-president of CanNor, said someone arriving in the territory with the idea to explore and eventually open a mine could be assisted by the new office. It can explain how the regulatory system in territory works and what other government programs might be available to them.

Further along a project, when the application is referred for an environmental assessment, Van Dine said the office's role will be to establish a project agreement, where the timelines for the review will be spelled out.

He added the office would ensure those timelines are met. He also said it is available to mitigate any issue that may arise.

"The Northern Project Management Office is not a regulator. We are very much sort of a client service that we offer to the project proponents and other federal regulators to try and navigate that entire process of bringing a project through," he said.

In the case of Canadian Zinc, the company has already approached the office about its Prairie Creek Zinc project near Nahanni Butte, said the company's chief operating officer, Alan Taylor.

"We've been involved in many environmental assessments and permitting processes and we're looking to expedite our process as best we can because it can take a long time," Taylor said.

"I think it's a step in the right direction where they can bring groups together and possibly expedite the process and any assistance on that matter would be of great value to us."

Canada's Economic Action Plan provided $50 million over five years to support CanNor and the new Northern Project Management Office.

"We have a relatively modest budget," said Van Dine.

All projects requiring an environmental assessment will be navigated through the office, Van Dine added.

The office has its main bureau in Yellowknife has 10 staff members. Two satellite offices, one in Iqaluit and Whitehorse, are each staffed by a senior co-ordinator. Eventually, the main bureau will employ 17 people.