Question Period Note: Amendments to the Territorial Lands Act

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• Amendments to the Territorial Lands Act would be intended to provide Canada the authority to take specific actions on Crown land in Nunavut for reasons of national interest.
• These changes would be aimed at protecting Nunavut’s land and resources, ensuring they are not held or used in a manner undermining our economic and security objectives.
• Exploration and mining contribute significantly to Nunavut’s socio-economic well-being; if it moves forward, use of this new authority would have limited use.

In Budget 2025, the Government announced its intention to introduce amendments to the Territorial Lands Act to protect and advance the national interests of Canada and the interests of Inuit in Nunavut. The objective of the amendments would be to help ensure Canada’s resources are not taken up or used in a manner that diminishes its own economic and security objectives, or interfere with other national interests. The amendments would benefit Inuit and other Northerners in Nunavut by supporting resource development initiatives that advance local and national interests.
The approach being taken in Nunavut through the proposed legislative amendments is intended to be consistent with approaches to addressing the free entry system issue being undertaken or considered in other provinces and territories across Canada. The department is consulting with the Government of Nunavut and Indigenous governments on these amendments. Timing remains to be determined but would need to be aligned with the implementation of the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement.

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