The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) has received $300,000 in federal funding for its Marine Program Coordinator project.
In announcing the funding Thursday, NWT MP Michael McLeod points out that Indigenous coastal communities share ties to Canada’s oceans that span generations.
They value them as a source of livelihood, food security, and transportation.
The Oceans Protection Plan is providing Indigenous peoples with new opportunities to protect, preserve, and restore Canada’s oceans and sea routes.
The funding will allow for longer-term Indigenous participation in engagement activities linked to Oceans Protection Plan initiatives or Canada’s marine safety system.
This funding will support:
• Building local capacity and expertise to help Indigenous communities take a greater role in the design and implementation of aspects of the transportation system and environmental protection measures.
• Fostering federal-Indigenous and multilateral partnerships that will lead to greater participation in engagement of marine safety and environmental protection activities.
The government says the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways.
This national plan is creating a world-leading marine safety system that provides economic opportunities for Canadians today, while protecting our coastlines and clean water for generations to come.
This work is being done in close collaboration with Indigenous peoples, local stakeholders and coastal communities.
“Initiatives like the Indigenous and Local Communities Engagement and Partnership Program help bring our communities in the Northwest Territories together,” says McLeod. “Through the Oceans Protection Plan we will continue to encourage Indigenous participation in engagement activities.
Since the Oceans Protection Plan started in November 2016, over 50 initiatives have been announced in the areas of marine safety, research and ecosystem protection that span coast-to-coast-to-coast.