The Northwest Territories will spend the next year merging two departments that govern public land, the environment, and the territory’s climate change response.
The merger of the Department of Lands and Department of Environment and Natural Resources is expected to be completed by April 1, 2023, according to a Tuesday news release.
Devolution spurred the Department of Lands’ creation in 2014 to assume administration of public land from the federal government. In 2005, the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development split into two. The other was Industry, Tourism and Investment.
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ENR had 343 employees as of March 31, 2013, the latest date for which figures were available, and Lands had only 105.
They currently share the same minister, Shane Thompson.
In February, Yellowknife North MLA Rylund John raised the possibility of merging the two departments, though in a somewhat flippant manner.
Responding to the territory’s proposed budget in the legislature, Johnson said the territorial government had been “losing the communications battle from day one” and needed “some headlines [to] build the political capital to make those tough decisions.”
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His list of suggestions for “flashy headlines” included tying the minimum wage to inflation, creating a new holiday, and renaming the Mackenzie River or Mackenzie Mountains “in the interest of reconciliation.”
He added: “Perhaps we can merge ENR, Maca and Lands to save us a few million dollars. They all have one minister.”
Maca was not affected by Tuesday’s announcement.
More follows.
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