Ottawa ups funding for Nunavut groups after lawsuit settlement

Ottawa has dramatically increased funding to six Nunavut groups responsible for the implementation of the territory's land claim.

The multimillion-dollar announcement follows an out-of-court settlement between Ottawa and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

The news release issued by the federal government says the increases in funding are a result of ongoing negotiations for the renewal of the land claim implementation contract for the 2013-2023 period.

Leona Aglukkaq, Nunavut's MP and federal Environment minister, made the announcement on behalf of the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.  

Dollar figures weren't available from the federal government, but the funding increases average more than 45 per cent and appear to represent about $3 million in new money.

The funding increases are as follows: Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal 20 per cent, Nunavut Impact Review Board 55 per cent, Nunavut Water Board 55 per cent, Nunavut Planning Commission 25 per cent, Nunavut Wildlife Management Board 13 per cent for base funding and 33 per cent for Hunters and Trappers Organizations and regional wildlife organizations.

Earlier this month, the federal government announced a tentative agreement in a billion-dollar lawsuit that had been brought by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

The land-claim group alleged that Ottawa had never lived up to its promises to fund a wide variety of activities guaranteed in the 1993 land claim, including wildlife management and development planning.

Details of the tentative agreement have not yet been released.