Quebec wants to extend Plan Nord into Nunavut
Senator sounds alarm over 'urgent' call to extend offshore border
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, December 14, 2015
OTTAWA
Nunavut's senator is sounding the alarm about the province of Quebec's desire to extend its northern border for economic development.
Extending Quebec's offshore border into Nunavut would directly impact the community of Sanikiluaq and several other jurisdictions, Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson said in senatorial chambers Dec. 10.
"I understand that the Government of Quebec believes that having jurisdiction in the offshore will simplify the construction of Plan Nord (Northern Plan) infrastructure on the coast," said Patterson.
"I welcome infrastructure investment anywhere in the Arctic. Infrastructure is notably lacking. However, I want to stress that there are other parties whose interests would be affected by this initiative. And there are larger interests at stake."
Northern coastline borders for Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, established in 1912, end at the high water mark. The islands
and water of Hudson Bay are currently a part of Nunavut's jurisdiction. As Patterson notes, the Nunavut Act, established in 1993, supports the 1912 jurisdictional separation of water and land as the Northern borders of those three provinces. This presents Quebec with problems in fully implementing its billion-dollar northern economic development plan.
"Oct. 8, 2015, in a push to further the maritime strategy that is part of Quebec's northern economic plan, Plan Nord, Quebec Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Jean-Marc Fournier publicly called for an 'urgent' extension of Quebec's northern border," said Patterson.
Patterson quoted Sanikiluaq MLA Allan Rumbolt's member's statement made in the Nunavut legislative assembly Oct. 21, and repeated Rumbolt's claim that the people of Sanikiluaq must be consulted.
"I would like to echo Mr. Rumbolt's statement and add to it," he said. "Not only do I believe that the residents of Sanikiluaq should be consulted, but I believe the Governments of Canada and Quebec must consult with and involve all parties who have a common interest in the clarification of offshore boundaries in Hudson's Bay."
In his statement, Patterson calls for negotiations that would include all aboriginal and Inuit peoples of the provincial and territorial jurisdictions involved, as well as the governments.
"I believe that these discussions, provided they involve all interested parties, could and should lead to inclusive and clearly defined offshore management regimes for all marine regions in the Canadian Arctic, which could give a greater say to the indigenous residents of the region and the duly elected governments of those regions, along with Canada, in how their offshore resources should be developed," he said.
