For Inuit, this Arctic landscape is home, its lands and waters the source of life and tradition. Far from being “inhospitable” or “desolate”, the region provides the plants and animals that give food, shelter, culture, and clothing. The traditional relationship between people and our environment places us as part of the landscape, not apart from it. Nunavut’s landscapes are places that have value and meaning for people – for cultural or archaeological values, as parts of our home or their hunting grounds, favorite places to camp, sites with outstanding landscape features, or places we value for their role in providing habitat for wildlife.
These places are also important parts of our experience on the land. Many value their relationship to the land in the same way we value relationships with other people – the places that are important to us help convey a sense of who we are. Developing an awareness of these places can help build respect for the landscape and its resources; increase our knowledge and understanding of its parts; and foster responsible behaviour and stewardship.
Nunavut’s landscape is threatened by numerous stresses. From explorers and European whalers in the sixteenth century, fur trappers in the 1800s, and miners, oilmen and even tourists in the twentieth century, profit-seekers and adventurers have looked to the north leaving threatened or disrupted wildlife populations, loss of habitat, contaminated lands requiring clean-up, overused trails, and damaged archaeological and cultural sites. Today, Nunavut’s population growth, which is more than three times that of the rest of Canada, is placing new demands on the landscape and its resources. Mineral exploration and development is ‘removing’ lands from protection – over 1,000 exploration permits were issued in Nunavut in 2005 and more than 1,500 in 2004 committing more than 400,000 km2 (more than 20% of Nunavut) to development. Nunavut’s landscape is also being altered by rising temperatures, retreating sea ice, and thawing permafrost – changes no one could have predicted even ten years ago.
Inuit have long been stewards of the fragile arctic environment, and the practice of development in balance with environmental protection is enshrined in the new territory’s government and land claim agreement. Accepting the importance of these economic activities, the challenge is how to develop without such effects, and importantly, in a way that respects the importance of protecting the landscape and resource itself, and its inherent worth.
In Canada, the idea of parks and special places is not new. It has been around since Banff National Park was established in the late 1800s, and in Nunavut, since the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary was first recommended for protection in the 1920s. In parts of the country where expanding economic activity has left few areas untouched, the designation of protected areas is obviously important for environmental and other reasons. However, most of Canada’s north, including Nunavut, remains close to its natural state, which invites important questions regarding parks and special places.
Historically, and not unlike anywhere else in North America, the growth of Nunavut’s parks, conservation areas, and other protected areas was driven more by opportunity than design, scenery rather than science, and economy rather than ecology. However, our increased knowledge and understanding of conservation and wildlife, cultural landscapes, tourism, and recreation; combined with the continued recognition of other valid land uses mandates a new approach to parks and special places.
Parks and special places also provide safe and sustainable recreational opportunities – enhanced by conservation officers and visitor services, registration systems and emergency response, and support facilities such as emergency shelters and camping sites which are used by residents and tourists alike.
There are also other indirect benefits that may be more difficult to measure, but are no less important. Parks and special places protect natural and cultural heritage values for everyone to appreciate, learn from, and enjoy. More so than other sectors, parks and parks-related tourism have considerable ability to promote, strengthen and support Inuit culture, improve quality of life, and develop positive role models. This is because opportunities more closely reflect cultural traditions on the land and are at the community level. As such, they have the potential to stimulate pursuit of traditional activities and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). By protecting and interpreting these important values and sites, parks encourage a sense of responsible stewardship in both individuals and communities.
Parks and special places are a means for people to protect their natural and cultural heritage, and traditional ways of life. Designating an area a ‘park’ means that it will be protected against unwanted or unplanned development; and safeguards the value for which the area is protected. By planning and managing these places in a way that reflects the traditions and aspirations of local communities, they become important sources of local pride and identity and give visitors and residents alike an increased appreciation of those things that define us as Nunavummiut.
As such, they are valuable educational and heritage appreciation tools which strengthen Inuit culture and help communities express and share their culture proudly. Through collection and documentation of oral histories, development of interpretive displays and park visitor centres, and developing and supporting community based programs, Park programs provide interpretive and educational benefits to communities through summer science camps, visitor centres and signage programs, and for visitors, act as windows to enhanced appreciation of Inuit culture.
Nunavut Parks collects the information related to parks from these reports, and any other information that may be available from other Federal and Territorial government departments, wildlife officers, hamlets, Hunters and Trappers Organizations, or agencies such as the Inuit Heritage Trust, or the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. This information is put into a Preliminary Park Resource File which provides background information on the cultural and natural resources and the recreational and economic opportunities that a potential territorial park may include and determines and documents potential benefits of park development. Nunavut Parks presents the Preliminary Park Resource File to the community, and discusses the concept of a park or other related ideas with them.
If there is potential for a park, and the community approves the park concept, a Parks Advisory Committee (PAC) is established. The PAC includes members from the Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO), Elders, Hamlet, Community Lands and Resources Committee (CLARC), Youth, and other interested organizations.
With guidance from the advisory committee, Nunavut Parks completes a Feasibility Study which includes an initial inventory and overview of area resources including cultural and archaeological sites, wildlife, habitat, and vegetation, landscape and geological information, preliminary mineral assessment, place names, and other area values. The Feasibility Study also documents economic development needs and opportunities, tourism and recreation opportunities, and determines the potential for various park scenarios.
In addition to participating in the collection of information and review of the Feasibility Study, the PAC also receives and review comments and concerns from residents and assists in local consultations. Through the committee, Nunavut Parks interviews elders and other residents; hosts open houses and community radio shows; and distributes newsletters and updates to ensure everyone is involved and informed on the project’s progress and have opportunity to participate. Preliminary discussions are also held with Nunavut Planning Commission to ensure the proposed park is in conformity with the existing regional Land Use Plan.
The end result of the feasibility study is a recommendation, by the community, of a Park Concept supported by the community that considers park boundaries, natural values, cultural heritage, tourism and recreation values, community development needs, and park operational and development requirements. The park concept may include Inuit Owned Lands, or other Federally managed lands such as water and coastal areas; but recognizes that final boundaries and management approaches will have to include consideration of IOL and Federal responsibilities.
Based on its review of all the information presented in the Feasibility Study, and comments from consultations within the community, the community is asked to approve the Park Feasibility Project, and recommend a Park Study Area for consideration by the Minister, Department of Environment. The PAC also invites letters of support from residents, community groups, associations, the hamlet, and others interests. Nunavut Parks and the PAC also present their recommendations to the Regional Inuit Association for their information and support of the project.
The Minister examines the park feasibility study, the community’s recommendations, and the support the project has received. If he supports the concept, the Minister asks Nunavut Parks to proceed with Park Planning and Establishment in keeping with the Umbrella Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement for Territorial Parks (IIBA). The IIBA is an umbrella agreement that applies to all existing, proposed, and future territorial parks, and requires consideration of parks-related matters such as educational and employment benefits; park information; visitor use; and park natural, cultural, and mineral resources.
The IIBA also identifies a joint management approach at both the local and territorial levels, which is established for any specific park through a Park Specific Appendix (PSA) which ‘adds’ the park to the IIBA.
In keeping with the IIBA, a Park Specific Appendix (PSA) is negotiated by the GN, NTI and the relevant RIA and is intended to recognize the planning and management approach and related decisions made for a park in keeping with the IIBA such as those related to carving stone, outpost camps, cabins and access to minerals. It may be decided that the park may not require a PSA, or that it can be added to an existing PSA that may have already been created for a similar group or class of park.
Because it may also include park management decisions, the PSA cannot be finalized until after the planning processes have been completed. So, in approving the park feasibility study, the Minister directs Nunavut Parks to initiate the negotiation of a PSA with NTI and the relevant RIA to set up the co-management structure which will provide advice and recommendations on the park planning, management, and operations, which will be described below.
The Park planning and management process is expected to take several years. To allow time for Nunavut Parks and the community to complete the more detailed inventories and assessments of park resources that are described in the IIBA, and are required to finalize park boundaries, and complete Park Master and Management Plans the Minister also asks Canada to set aside lands in the proposed park study area through an Interim Land Withdrawal request. If approved by Canada, the Interim Land Withdrawal sets the study area aside from other uses that may affect a future park, for an agreed upon period of time.
The Minister’s approval is not the final approval by the Minister or Cabinet needed to proclaim the area as a Territorial Park. It is important for the Minister to formally recognize that a park will be developed in the area, though the extent, boundary, management and other planning decisions will be developed through the Park Planning and Park Establishment processes.
Nunavut Parks works with the CJPMC, residents, and others interested (including the Inuit Heritage Trust, Geoscience Office, Regional Inuit Associations, Regional Wildlife Organization, etc.) and Inuit field assistants in developing an Inventory of Park Resources that includes:
• archaeological and Culturally Significant sites;
• cultural heritage, including oral histories and other historical information;
• Inuktitut place names for the park and for locations of interest within the park;
• wildlife populations, vegetation and important wildlife areas that may require special protection or management efforts; and
• geological and mineral resources.
The extent of the inventory must, at minimum, meet the objectives and the requirements of the IIBA and the Territorial Parks Act. In developing these inventories, Nunavut Parks and the CJPMC will first consider information collected during the feasibility phase, and identify areas where additional inventory and assessment work may be required.
Nunavut Parks and the CJPMC use this information to determine park boundaries, appropriate Inuktitut place names, and park interpretive programs. The information is also used to develop Park Master Plans and Park Management Plans. These plans are based on frameworks that are created to ensure a consistent approach to park planning and management throughout Nunavut. These frameworks ensure that completed plans include clear park purpose statements and related management goals; define park boundaries; identify and protect culturally significant sites, important wildlife areas, and recreational areas through ‘zoning’ or other tools; describe what facilities are needed for the park; and describe specific plans for ensuring the park’s important resources and related opportunities will be maintained.
As with earlier phases, community consultation and involvement is an important component of development of park master and management plans. Through the CJPMC, Nunavut Parks hosts community open houses and radio shows; interviews elders, youth and other residents; develops newsletters and other types of information to ensure residents and others interested in the park have the information to make knowledgeable decisions on park planning and management.
Some Management Plans may include sections related to wildlife, which must be reviewed by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB) to ensure they are in keeping with any wildlife management harvesting or any other wildlife related programs; and to ensure that NWMB is aware of park management decisions made by communities.
Once the CJPMC approves the completed plans, they must also be approved by a Nunavut Joint Planning and Management Committee (NJPMC) who makes sure the plan is consistent with the IIBA, and the intent of the park. In its review, the NJPMC may ask the CJPMC and Nunavut Parks to do further work, refine management statements, or revise the plan to reflect any new information they may have concerning the park and re-submit the plan to the NJPMC. Once they are satisfied that the plans are complete, they then forward the approved plan to the Minister, Department of Environment. Similarly, the Minister may also ask the NJPMC to review or revise the plan to reflect any new information he may have.
To transfer the park lands to the GN, the Minister, Department of Environment must apply to Canada to formally withdraw the approved park lands from ‘Crown Lands’ which are managed by Canada, and transfer management responsibility for those lands to the ‘Commissioner’ on behalf of the Government of Nunavut to be managed under the Territorial Parks Act. Some park lands may already lie within ‘Commissioner’s Lands’ as part of municipal lands and may simply require a transfer between GN departments. Similarly, some identified park lands may include Inuit Owned Lands, which are jointly administered by NTI and the relevant Inuit Association. Though there are currently no formal procedures for park lands on IOL, the lands could be jointly managed in keeping with park management plans, they could be leased to the GN for park purposes, or other similar arrangements may be established.
Land transfers may also involve the preparation of a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Nunavut Impact Review Board to make sure that protection or management measures, development and operations requirements, visitor use, socio-cultural considerations, and resource management decisions respect the requirements of Nunavut’s Environmental Assessment Process and the NLCA. The park lands are also reviewed by the Nunavut Planning Commission to ensure the park conforms to the region’s Land Use Plan.
For Territorial Parks, these lands are surveyed (or ‘described’) and withdrawn under the Territorial Parks Act as one of several different types of territorial parks allowed for in the legislation, such as natural environment parks, outdoor recreation parks, or historic parks. Together with the Parks and Special Places program, the Territorial Parks Act describes the purposes for parks, sets out ‘rules’ for park operation and use; and clarifies the links between territorial parks, territorial conservation areas, and other ‘special places’ such as Heritage Rivers. The Act also requires that parks continue to be managed jointly with communities and that communities benefit from the establishment of the park.
Similarly, each park has ongoing maintenance and operations needs which are described in Park Operations Guidelines. These guidelines include registration systems, maintenance requirements, emergency response plans, and staffing requirements. In some cases, park staff is hired on a full-time, casual or seasonal basis to ensure park facilities are kept in good shape for visitor and resident use. In addition, operations staff ensures park users are using facilities properly and are adequately prepared for safe and sustainable travel in Nunavut.
Coral Harbour (Salliq) is known as the gateway to the incredible wildlife resources of Southampton Island, located in northern Hudson Bay; such as walrus, beluga, seals, polar bears and migratory birds. The community was named for the fossilized coral found in the harbour and at Fossil Creek. The area’s wildlife provides a source of arts and crafts inspiration and materials – ivory, whalebone, and seal. Coral Harbour is also in close proximity to migratory bird sanctuaries, such as the East Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary (70 km to the east) and the Harry Gibbons Migratory Bird Sanctuary (140 km southwest of the community), with additional bird watching opportunities at Coats Island (130 km south of Coral Harbour).
Potential park development areas around Coral Harbour have been identified at Kirchoffer Falls (15 km west) for scenery and wildlife – primarily fox, caribou and snowy owls; North Coats/Bencas Island (150 km south) for wildlife, scenery, and archaeology; and Native Point (65 km southeast), a large archaeological site often called “the Lost City of the North” for its long history of Inuit habitation until the 1960s. There remain old sod huts from the original Sallirmiut inhabitants of the island. European and American whalers exploiting the waters around Southampton Island in the late 19th Century encountered the Sallirmiut. Disease effectively wiped out the Sallirmiut by 1903, but the remains of their camp at Native Point and their legends continue to represent the culture. In 1924, a local hunter lead the introduction of a Hudson’s Bay Co. trading post on Southampton Island at the present site of Coral Harbour. The post attracted Inuit from around Hudson Bay and settlement around the post began. An American military base served European flights during the Second World War, and functioned later as a depot during the construction of DEW line stations in the high arctic.
The Study makes several recommendations for attractions, including the development of a regional park, the improvement of community parks like the Fish Weir Park, environmental education, and outdoor education camp, and support for local tourist programs and packages.
The next steps in the development will be working with the Hamlet towards the establishment of a Tourism committee, oral histories and traditional knowledge studies. This information will help refine the recommendations from the study, quantify support for development, and describe how the attraction should be developed.
A feasibility study has been initiated investigating the potential for a territorial park attraction in the Clyde River area’s, and exploring the significance of increased tourism on the community of Clyde River and the areas natural and cultural resources. The feasibility study will identify the geographic locations where an attraction may be realized, the type of attraction(s) that may be developed, the support facilities required for the attraction(s), as well as identifying the potential benefits of the proposed tourism attractions to the community of Clyde River.
The Hamlet of Hall Beach (Sanirajak) is located on the east shore of Melville Peninsula, on the western side of Foxe Basin, approximately 80 km south of the community of Igloolik. The characteristically flat tundra topography of the Melville Peninsula provides an interesting contrast to the more mountainous regions of Baffin, and provides more plentiful vegetation and populations of wildlife. The area is an excellent destination for fishing expeditions and wildlife viewing, such as walrus, seals and waterfowl. Prior to the establishment of the Foxe Main DEW Line site in the mid-1950s (no longer in service, but the 70 foot radar screens are still a major landmark in the area) there was no permanent settlement on the current site of the Hamlet. The area around the current settlement displays evidence of traditional Inuit hunting camping sites of ancient Inuit cultures. The first Europeans, Captains Parry and Lyon, visited the area in 1822-23, and the American explorer Charles Hall lived and traveled with the Inuit of the area in the 1860’s.
During 2010 work at Kekerten Park saw the removal of all existing fourteen interpretive signs (many of which were damaged), the fabrication of new signage pedestals, and the renovation of the HBC Blubber Station Boathouse. During 2011, twenty two new interpretive signs will be fabricated and installed in the park. These include 8 new panels that directly relate to the reconstruction of the Scottish Whaling Station completed in 2008.
This project was identified in the Sylvia Grinnell Park Master Plan as a means of joining Qaummaarviit Territorial Park and Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. The bridge, and trail development between the two parks, would be a significant addition to the Trans Canada Trail in Nunavut, and be a significant component of the expanded Park.
The NLCA ensures that Inuit can continue to do everything they could do on the land before the NLCA was signed. It makes sure Inuit can continue to hunt and fish in parks, and gives Inuit an active role in decision-making concerning things like harvesting, carving stone, and management of parks and conservation areas. Meeting these NLCA obligations are an important first step in developing a Nunavut Park Program.
The completion of the IIBA meets an obligation under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. It will formalize the role of Inuit in joint park management and planning, both at a territorial and community level, and it will ensure a productive partnership between the government and Inuit for the development and implementation of the Nunavut Parks Program.
Highlights of the agreement include:
• The development of Inuit tourism strategies and the creation of training programs and funding initiatives targeted to build Inuit tourism expertise and capacity.
• Protection of Inuit rights to continued land use for harvesting, outpost camps, carving stone and other purposes.
• Ensuring that Inuit within communities throughout Nunavut are involved in the selection, establishment and management of territorial parks.
• Ensuring the protection and greater appreciation of the archaeological, cultural and natural heritage of the territory.
• Ensuring the involvement of youth and the incorporation of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and oral history along with conventional knowledge into park management.
• Promoting greater Inuit involvement in the delivery of goods and services needed for the establishment and operation of Nunavut’s park program.
The signed agreement concludes two years of negotiations, and has established procedures and mechanisms for Parks and Tourism that will replace interim protocol agreements on park capital planning and development, and allow us to again work with communities in establishing and developing parks in areas that are meaningful and important to them, and that protect and interpret Nunavut’s natural, cultural, and recreational heritage.
|Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.||Nunavut|
|Kitikmeot Inuit Association||
|Kivalliq Inuit Association||
|Qikiqtani Inuit Association||
• Creating Place [.pdf – 1.4MB] About Nunavut’s Parks and Special Places, their benefit and value to Nunavut, and a summary of current park projects
• Establishing a Territorial Park in the Nunavut Settlement Area [.pdf – 3.8MB] Describes the process towards park establishment, planning and operation in keeping with the IIBA