CHALLENGE
In 2020, new protected areas in Nunavik were added to Québec’s Register of Protected Areas. They cover a total surface area of 29,800 km². Before these areas gained a permanent, official protected status, a vast process of public information and consultation was undertaken in Nunavik. This project is in line with consultations on protected areas held with all the communities concerned in 2011-2012.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
MU Conseils worked closely with the members of the advisory committee to the Protected Areas Working Group, which brought together provincial department authorities, representatives of Nunavik communities and the Kativik Regional Government. The team designed an extensive public consultation process aimed at mobilizing the entire population of Nunavik in getting more information and expressing their views on the process that led to the current definition of the protected areas network, its relevance and its representativeness. While the information campaign was launched in mid-September 2022 with the deployment of a website and a Facebook page, the MU Conseils team undertook several rounds of consultation in Inuit communities, from November 2022 to May 2023.
RESULTS
- Simple, accessible factual information tools, designed to support the informed and effective participation of as many people as possible;
- A flexible consultation approach, adjusted to the multiple circumstances of Nunavik and specifics of each of the 16 villages targeted by the process;
- Diversified, easily accessible outreach channels for the various stakeholders involved;
- Ultimately, with a report to come later, sound foundations for planning the next phase of the process, allowing to continue the work meant to ensure the network’s development and vitality.
For more details, visit: https://nunavikprotectedareas.com
Photo credit: David Béland
