Nunavut Kivalliq Land Withdrawal Order

Summary#

The federal government made the Withdrawal from Disposal of Certain Tracts of Territorial Lands in Nunavut (Kivalliq area) Order on May 9, 2024 and it was published on May 22, 2024. It temporarily removes about 19,277 km² of territorial land in the Kivalliq region from being disposed of for 10 years to help finish Indigenous land claim agreements.

What it does#

• Withdraws the surface and/or subsurface rights to the tracts shown on the 1:250 000 Territorial Resource Base Maps agreed by the parties.
• The withdrawal lasts 10 years from the day the Order is made.
• Repeals the previous withdrawal Order from 2019 and replaces it with this new 10‑year withdrawal.
• Keeps in place a number of exceptions so some existing activities and legal interests can continue, including:
  • disposal of quarry materials under the Territorial Quarrying Regulations;
  • recording and conversion of mineral claims or related leases where an application or recorded claim existed before the Order, under the Nunavut Mining Regulations;
  • certain petroleum licences and production authorizations under the Canada Petroleum Resources Act;
  • issuance of surface leases needed to exercise existing claimed rights; and
  • renewals of existing interests.
• Confirms that these lands will remain federal Crown land and will not transfer to the Government of Nunavut under the pending Nunavut devolution agreement.

Who's affected#

• Athabasca Denesųłiné and Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene, whose land claims are being negotiated and who are named in the Order.
• Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Kivalliq Inuit Association, which are participating in negotiations.
• Holders of existing mineral claims, petroleum interests, surface leases and similar recorded rights in the withdrawn area. Those existing rights can continue under the Order’s exceptions.
• Prospectors, mining and oil and gas companies who might want new rights in the withdrawn area; new disposals or transfers will generally be restricted while the withdrawal is in place.
• The general public and local communities—access is expected to continue, and existing uses are not broadly removed by this Order.

Why it matters#

• The withdrawal protects the specific lands while negotiations near their conclusion. That reduces the risk of new sales or transfers that could complicate the final land claim agreements.
• If the agreements succeed, the withdrawn lands are expected to be transferred to the Indigenous claimants, giving them clearer control over land and harvesting rights in the region.
• The Order aims to provide certainty for negotiators by setting a 10‑year timeframe so further short-term renewals are not needed.
• Existing rights and everyday access are largely preserved, and the government says there are no direct financial or environmental assessment impacts from this interim withdrawal.