Development projects in Nunavik can be assessed through multiple environmental and social impact assessment processes. Depending on the type of project and its location in the region, up to four processes can be applied at the same time. These impact assessments are governed by the Government of Canada’s Impact Assessment Act, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (which provides for one process for projects under provincial jurisdiction and another for those under federal jurisdiction), and the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement. You can find more information about impact assessment in Nunavik, including a reference guide for the procedures, on the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee (KEAC) website at: https://keac-ccek.org/en/impact-assessment-in-nunavik/.
These impact assessment processes must all consider the social implications of development projects. Social impacts can include things like employment and training opportunities, infringement on subsistence activities, improved infrastructure, discrimination, etc. As part of its mandate to examine environmental and social impact assessment and review mechanisms and procedures, the KEAC questioned the challenges associated with taking social impacts into account during impact assessments. The committee therefore decided to commission the “Secrétariat international francophone pour l’évaluation environnementale” to study how social impacts are considered under the four processes and to identify the best practices used in environmental assessment.
The results of the study are now available on the KEAC website (https://keac-ccek.org/en/). Essentially, this report highlights that integration of social impact evaluation is still imperfect. The lack of a standardized methodology, the difficulty in obtaining reliable data for the Nunavik territory, and the complex system of administrative structures are among the main obstacles identified.
To address these challenges, a number of areas for improvement have been identified, such as: the use of a standardized methodology in social impact assessment; improved quality and accessibility of information; and better communication between the various authorities involved in the impact assessment process. Moving forward, the KEAC will initiate discussions with the provincial, federal and regional governments as well as review boards to determine how best to improve the consideration for global impacts of development projects in Nunavik.
