Key Players

The Giant Mine Remediation Project is co-managed by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT).

A Giant Mine Oversight Committee was established in 2005 upon the signing of a 10 year Cooperation Agreement between INAC and the GNWT. It has equal federal and territorial representation, and is the vehicle by which the two government departments make joint decisions about the remediation project. The Regional Director General of INAC NWT Region and the Deputy Minister of Environment, Natural Resources (GNWT) provide strategic direction and guidance to the project through the Oversight Committee.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada was assigned a caretaker role for the pre-existing condition of the site including the underground arsenic trioxide dust when Royal Oaks Mine went into receivership in 1999. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is the lead federal government department for the remediation of Giant Mine and will be overseeing the remediation of the site to industrial standards in co-operation with the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Other Federal Government Departments

Environment Canada, Health Canada, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have all played a role in providing expert advice and assessment to INAC. Public Works and Government Services Canada handles all contracting and procurement related to the care and maintenance contracts at Giant Mine.

Government of the Northwest Territories

The Giant Mine site resides on Commissioner's Land and its administration falls to the GNWT. The GNWT will be engaged in the long-term development of the site after the remediation is complete. The lead GNWT department for the remediation of Giant Mine is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are also involved in the project.

City of Yellowknife

Giant Mine resides within the city limits of Yellowknife, and the Municipality of Yellowknife   was granted a lease for the former Giant Mine townsite in 2000. The City of Yellowknife maintains a boat dock adjacent to Giant Mine.

Yellowknives Dene First Nation

The area surrounding Giant Mine is in the traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. The Yellowknives Dene First Nation is in the process of negotiating a land, resource and governance agreement with the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada — known as the Akaitcho Process — which may deal with the loss of their traditional hunting and fishing grounds.

Giant Mine Community Alliance

The Giant Mine Community Alliance was established in 2003 to assist the public by sharing information about the project and relaying public concerns and issues about the remediation of Giant Mine. Its members include the mayor of Yellowknife, and a representative from the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, the NWT Mine Heritage Society, the Northern Territories Federation of Labour, the North Slave Metis Alliance, and the general public. The Yellowknives Dene First Nations also participate in Giant Mine Community Alliance meetings as observers.

Technical Advisor

In 2000 SRK Consulting Inc.   won an international competition to become lead technical advisor to INAC on the management of the arsenic trioxide dust.

Independent Peer Review Panel

An Independent Peer Review Panel consisting of nine recognized experts in the fields relevant to the remediation of Giant Mine was initially appointed in 2002 to provide technical review of the Arsenic Trioxide Management Alternatives Report and subsequently to provide technical review of the Remediation Plan for Giant Mine.

Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board

The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board   (MVLWB) was created in 1998 under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. Its mandate is to regulate the use of land and waters, and the deposit of waste so as to provide for the conservation, development and utilization of land and water resources. The MVLWB issues land use permits and water licences throughout the Mackenzie Valley under the NWT Waters Act, and has a key role to play in the regulatory process for the Giant Mine Remediation Plan.

Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board

The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board   (MVEIRB) is responsible for conducting environmental impact assessments and environmental impact reviews throughout the Mackenzie Valley. MVEIRB maintains a public registry of all preliminary screenings conducted by Regulatory Authorities and makes recommendations to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development for rejection or approval of projects.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) — Environment

Local environmental organizations like Ecology North, Canadian Arctic Research Council (CARC) and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) have an important role to play in terms of ensuring that the government's process remains open and transparent. With their singular focus on the environment, these non-governmental organizations ask pertinent questions and ensure that all aspects of environmental impact have been carefully considered in the planning process — for both immediate and long-term purposes.