Ottawa ponders new water regulations for Nunavut

Public hearings on proposed Nunavut water regulations are coming to Cambridge Bay, Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet this month.

The proposed regulations come from the federal department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, but apply only to Nunavut, under the Nunavut Waters Act.

Dionne Filiatrault, director of the Nunavut Water Board, said the regulations give greater certainty to existing rules, and clean up some duplication.

The board held technical meetings on the proposal this past May, and has already received comments from federal departments, Inuit associations and mining companies.

Hearings are set for Sept. 13 at the Navigator Inn in Iqaluit, Sept. 15 at the Siniktarvik Hotel in Rankin Inlet and Sept. 16 at the Community Hall in Cambridge Bay. All three meetings begin a 9 a.m. local time.

Filiatrault said timeline for the new regulations to come into force depends on the federal government.

The rules don’t require an act of Parliament but do need an order in council, a decision by the federal cabinet, to come into effect.

“My hope is by this time next year we’ve got regulations,” she said.

Documents outlining the regulations are available at www.nunavutwaterboard.org.