5 Pressures - Human Activity

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Introduction 

 

Pressures – Human Activity

Although population density in the Northwest Territories is very low, disturbance can still be measured and tracked. This focal point provides indicators on human activities, including human travel, that may cause direct but fleeting or short-term disturbances to the environment. Indicators related to medium and long-term effects from human activities on the environment are in the Landscape Changes focal point. Indicators related to direct effects of human activities on wildlife populations are in the Wildlife focal point.

Air traffic, NWT. © GNWT

5.1 Trends in shipping in the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea

This indicator tracks the number of complete transits made by ships through the Northwest Passage and the number of ships working in the Beaufort Sea each year.

Image CCGS Amundsen during the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study in 2003-04. Photo courtesy of © CASES web site – photo gallery.

The type of ship is identified to provide information on differences with respect to potential impacts to ice and the environment, wildlife, marine animals. These impacts may include, for example, pollution, ice break-up in ship’s wakes, noise and wildlife disturbance. Small boats and yachts (less than 20 m long) may have considerably less environmental impact than larger vessels because they are not capable of breaking up ice, have fewer emissions, are less noisy, among other differences. Passages made by icebreakers are noted as these ships can navigate in more difficult conditions using more northern routes and can open leads in the sea ice.

This indicator was prepared by the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Climate Change, using information obtained from NORDREG, Iqaluit (Ref. 1), with additional information from the Arctic Council (Ref. 2, 3).

Figure 1: Zones of marine activity within the Arctic Ocean. Arctic Data by Arctic Council CAFF/PAME. 2011

NWT Focus

This indicator tracks changes in the level of human activity in Arctic waterways, including the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea. All full transits of ships through the Northwest Passage include a transit through the Northwest Territories (NWT) portion of the Beaufort Sea. Ships usually enter the NWT portion of the Northwest Passage from the east through a southern route along the main coast – the Amundsen Gulf – or through two northern routes, either north of Banks Island or south-east of Banks Island (Figure 1).

Shipping in Arctic waters is predicted to increase due to climate change and an associated decrease in sea ice (Ref. 5). Potential environmental effects of increased shipping activities in the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea include higher risk of oil or waste spills, changes in ice conditions due to leads caused by ship wakes and impacts on wildlife and marine species (Ref. 2).

 

Current view: status and trend

Transits through the Northwest Passage

Over the last decade, the number of full transits in the Northwest Passage has been steadily increasing, averaging around 23 transits per year in the last five years. In 2017 there was a record number of vessels transits (35) followed by a significant drop in transits in 2020 primarily due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (Figure 3, Ref. 1).

Since the first transit of the Northwest Passage by Amundsen in 1906, few ships (less than 1 every 10 years on average) had successfully completed the full passage until 1969, when the oil tanker SS Manhattan, fitted with an ice-breaker bow, crossed the Passage from east to west, and then returned east. That trip resulted in ten transits being recorded that summer, as four icebreakers escorted the oil tanker. The number of completed trips through the Arctic Ocean increased in the late 1970s, mostly due to the availability of icebreakers and other ships capable of navigating in difficult northern waters.

From the 1980s on, voyages through the Passage have become an annual event. This is particularly the case for increases in Arctic tourism (Ref. 4). The number of transits increased from 4 per year in the 1980s to 20-30 per year in 2014-2019 with a significant decrease to 8 transits during 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (Figure 3, Ref. 1). These transits are mostly completed by icebreakers on coast guard and research duties, small vessels or adventurers, passenger ships offering Arctic tourism opportunities, and tug and supply vessels, some with barges (Figure 2, Ref. 1). Other types of ships completing the passage include oil/fuel tankers, drill ships, seismic vessels, cable vessels, and buoy tenders (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Types of ships in the Northwest Passage (2014-2019) (Data source from NORDREG Arctic Region Canadian Coast Guard / Fisheries and Oceans / Government of Canada; Map created by ECC – GNWT).

 

The vast majority of ships making the trip through the Northwest Passage take one of the southern routes, though Amundsen Gulf close to the Arctic mainland. Only 8% of transits enter/leave the Beaufort Sea through the northern routes around Banks Island. The only northern transits through the difficult ice-choked McClure Strait occurred in 1993 (twice), 1998, and 1999, all by an icebreaker, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. Saint-Laurent. Two of the four large cruise ships operating in the Arctic tourism industry in recent years are icebreakers and are capable of navigating the easier alternative northern route east around Banks Island.

Figure 3: Transits through the Northwest Passage by type of ship. Source: NORDREG; Canadian Coast Guard; Data for 2018 is incomplete, data complete for 2019 and 2020 (Data source from NORDREG Arctic Region Canadian Coast Guard / Fisheries and Oceans / Government of Canada; Map created by ECC – GNWT).

 

Beaufort Sea

Detailed information on shipping activities is available for the Beaufort Sea (Ref. 1), but data is not reported systematically, and this affects the way the data is represented. The 2014 records are complete with ship locations (tracks) in and out of the Beaufort Sea (Figure 4). During this typical year in 2014, most ships were present in the area in September, when ice cover is at its lowest. One icebreaking bulk carrier crossed the Beaufort Sea via the Prince of Wales Strait (east of Banks Island) on its way to Asia from a nickel mining operation in Nunavik (Quebec). Passenger ships did not enter the area, and research vessels, small vessels, and supply tugs remained near coastlines. In 2014, Canadian Icebreakers were present from August to October. Four Canadian Coast Guard ships (CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Louis St-Laurent, Amundsen, Nahidik) were in the Beaufort Sea in 2007-2008 conducting research as part of the International Polar Year.

Figure 4: Transits through the Beaufort Sea in 2014 by type of ship and month (Data source from NORDREG Arctic Region Canadian Coast Guard / Fisheries and Oceans / Government of Canada; Map created by ECC – GNWT).

By 2020, only ships that remained in the Beaufort Sea were tracked (Figure 5). During 2020, most vessels active in the Beaufort Sea were sailing in August and September. Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers have been navigating the Beaufort Sea on an annual basis since 2002, providing navigational aid and conducting research. In 2020, Canadian icebreakers were present from August to October, and were the only type of vessel navigating in the northernmost part of the Beaufort Sea at the edge of, or in, the ice pack. There were no passenger ships or research vessels during 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) while few small vessels, supply tugs and cargo ships remained near coastlines.

Figure 5: Beaufort Sea ship locations in 2020 (Data source from NORDREG Arctic Region Canadian Coast Guard / Fisheries and Oceans / Government of Canada; Map created by ECC – GNWT).

 

Annual commercial use of the Northwest Passage by tug/supply that have icebreaking capacity or that are escorted by icebreakers has been a reality since at least the 1980s. This type of annual commercial use, in addition to Arctic tourism, is increasing rapidly (Ref. 6). The slowdown experienced in 2020 is expected to be short in duration (see Figure 3).

A further increase in shipping, especially for industrial, commercial and tourism use, is predicted as the open water season extends and Arctic sea ice shrinks (See The Big Picture: A Changing Planet focal point). However, the Canadian Ice Service (Environment and Climate Change Canada) warns that caution needs to be taken when making assumptions about the accessibility of shipping routes in Arctic waters:

“…predictions of an ice-free Arctic may lead many into a false sense of optimism regarding the ease of future shipping. Sea ice is highly variable and there will still be summers of occasional heavy ice conditions. Future navigation in the Northwest Passage may see a blockage of routes by the southern shift in pack ice and an increase in drifting Old Ice creating choke points in narrow channels and navigation hazards.” Quote from Shipping in the Canadian Arctic Other Possible Climate Change Scenarios (Ref. 5).

Even if relatively ice-free in late summer, the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea remain difficult to navigate with their unmarked shallow areas, shifting sand-gravel bars, fog, and dangerous weather. Increasing shipping in the region requires a high preparedness for potential environmental incidents. The GNWT is working with federal partners at the Arctic Council to further our interests related to environmental protection and Arctic marine shipping

In 2009, the Arctic Council developed a first Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment and made several recommendations to ensure marine safety and marine environmental protection in fragile Arctic waters, including Canadian Arctic waters. Canada, as part of the Arctic Council, endorsed the assessment (Ref. 2).

In 2022, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation developed a comprehensive management plan for reducing and mitigating the environment and social impacts of cruise ships using the Northwest Passage (Ref. 7).

 

Looking Around

The number of ships navigating eastern Arctic waters, especially in Baffin Bay is higher than in the western Arctic Ocean (Ref. 3). Many of these ships are for fishing operations and medium to large cruise ship tourism operations.

 

Find More

To find out more on Arctic Shipping regulations and programs, go to Transport Canada at http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/debs-arctic-menu-303.htm

To find out more about the Arctic Council go to https://arctic-council.org/en/

Live maps of Marine traffic are available at http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/

See indicators on sea ice extent in the Coasts and Oceans focal point.

 

References:

Ref 1. NORDREG. 2021 Northwest Passages – update to 2020, and Beaufort Sea Passages – update 2020. Responsible officer, Centre SCTM/Nordreg Canada. Iqaluit NU, Canadian Coast Guard. Officer (Ops Transition), Arctic Region Canadian Coast Guard / Fisheries and Oceans / Government of Canada.

Ref 2. Arctic Council. 2009. Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment 2009 Report. Original report and follow up on implementation can be found at https://arctic-council.org/en/news/following-up-on-the-arctic-marine-shipping-assessment/

Ref 3. Arctic Council. 2021. Shipping in the Northwest Passage: comparing 2013 with 2019. Arctic Shipping Status Report (ASSR) #3, April 2021. Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment. 24 pages. Available at https://arctic-council.org/en/news/report-on-shipping-in-the-northwest-passage-launched/

Ref 4. Stewart E.J., D. Draper, and M.E. Johnston. 2005. A review of tourism research in the Polar regions. Arctic 58:383-394

Ref 5. Wilson K.J., J. Falkingham, H. Melling, and R. De Abreu. 2008. Shipping in the Canadian Arctic Other Possible Climate Change Scenarios. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings. 2004 IEEE International Volume 3, Issue, 20-24 Sept. 2004:1853-1856

Ref. 6. Pizzolato et al, 2013. Changing sea ice conditions and marine transportation activity in Canadian Arctic waters between 1990 and 2012. Climate Change, DOI 10.1007/s10584-013-1038-3.

Ref. 7. Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. 2022. Inuvialuit Settlement Region Cruise Ship Management Plan. 2022-2025. IRC 55pp. Available at https://irc.inuvialuit.com/sites/default/
files/ISR_Cruise_Ship_Management_Plan.pdf.

 

 

5.2 Trends in road traffic

This indicator tracks trends in road use as an index of short-term disturbances due to land-based traffic. The metrics used for this indicator are vehicle kilometres travelled, defined by the total number of vehicles for a specific road segment multiplied by the length of the highway. Other metrics include registered vehicles and registered drivers. The indicator also provides a measure of traffic along one selected winter road in the NWT.

Bison on the road in NWT – photo credit GNWT

Roads in the NWT are classified into four types: highways (paved or gravel), access roads, winter roads, and private roads. Most private roads in the NWT are at mine sites and are not accessible to the public. The amount of road traffic along these roads is not recorded.

This indicator was prepared by the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Climate Change, using information obtained from Highway Traffic Annual Reports (Ref. 1) published by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Department of Infrastructure (INF).

 

NWT Focus

The types of potential disturbances caused by traffic differ with the type of road. Disturbances along paved highways may include noise and increased stress to wildlife from high-speed vehicle traffic. Dust deposition along untreated gravel highways and access highways may be an additional disturbance, specifically altering forage and habitat quality. Disturbances along the NWT’s winter roads are restricted to one season but may include impacts to fish habitat near portages and increased human access for other activities in areas that are remote even during the ice free season.

Increased road traffic, and the associated increase in noise and human activity, can be linked to a reduction in effective habitat availability for some wildlife species. Increased road traffic is also linked to increased wildlife collisions and mortality. This kind of mortality can have a significant impact on some wildlife populations, such as small slow-moving species like snakes and amphibians, and species attracted to the road surface and ditches, such as bison, cranes and some shorebirds, waterfowls, and grouse. Efforts to reduce travel speed, to modify the availability of forage near roads that attract large herbivores, and to increase driver awareness of the possible presence of wildlife, can greatly reduce the rate of wildlife mortality.

 

Current View: status and trend

Road traffic, as measured by vehicle kilometres travelled, is increasing on Highways 1, 3 (between Behchokǫ̀ and Yellowknife), 5 and 8 (Figure 1, Ref. 1). Traffic is heaviest near larger communities such as Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik. The average daily number of vehicles can reach 1000+ on the Highway 4 (Ingraham Trail), Highway 3 (Yellowknife to Behchokǫ̀), and near Hay River, where many people commute every day (Ref. 1).

Figure 1 - Estimated vehicle kilometres travelled on NWT highways. Reproduced from Department of Infrastructure’s Highway Traffic Annual Report 2019. (Ref. 1)

Road travel and the number of registered vehicles are increasing faster than the NWT population and the number of registered drivers (Figure 2, Ref. 1).

Data on the recently opened Tlicho Highway are not available and will be included in the next report.

Figure 2 - NWT-wide road traffic, number of vehicles registered, number of licensed drivers, and NWT population trends. Reproduced from the Department of Transportation’s Highway Traffic Annual Report 2019. (modified from Ref. 1)

Figure 3 - Tibbitt-Contwoyto winter average number of trucks per day (2-ways) for 1998 to 2020. . Source of data Tibbitt to Contwoyto Joint Venture. Change in truck traffic on the Tibbitt-Contwoyto winter road has occurred in various phases over the years: (a) BHP Billiton diamond mine went into production in October 1998, (b) Diavik Diamond Mine began construction in 2000, (c) DeBeers Ltd. Snap Lake diamond mine began construction in 2004, and (d) the very short winter season in 2006 resulted in more loaded trucks in the 2007 season. There was a sharp decline in traffic in 2008 (e) associated with the economic slowdown, followed by increase in traffic in 2011 (f) with more production at existing diamond mines and exploration work at DeBeers Ltd Gahcho Kue diamond project. There was a slight decrease in 2013 (g) due to a drop in the value of diamond production followed by a significant increase (h) in truckloads over the next few years. This is a result of a significant increase in production in August 2016 at DeBeers Ltd Gahcho Kue diamond mine. Since 2017 there has been an overall downward trend in average number of truckloads per day (i) which is a result of production ramping down at Diavik Diamond Mine, DeBeers Ltd. Snap Lake Mine, and Ekati Diamond Mine. Chart produced by ECC, data source: Ref. 2.

Seasonal truck traffic along the Tibbitt-Contwoyto winter road can increase substantially depending on mine construction requirements. This road is an extension of the Highway 4 (Ingraham Trail) and serves the diamond mines north of Yellowknife. Data on use of other ice roads in the NWT are not available.

Looking around

In 2009, the average vehicle kilometres travelled in the NWT was 200 million. This was the second lowest in Canada after Nunavut (30 million), and below Yukon (400 million). In Alberta the average was 41,700 million and the highest was in Ontario at 116,100 million vehicle kilometres travelled (Ref. 3).

Looking forward

Road travel and the number of registered vehicles are increasing faster than the NWT population and the number of registered drivers. A reduction in road use due to the pandemic in 2020 is not expected to be significant or long lasting, as most trips are taken by NWT residents for local transportation, and for commercial and industrial reasons that are still ongoing despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Road traffic is expected to vary in the future along with commodity prices, mining activity and economic development.

 Road traffic related to tourism is expected to increase in the future (Ref. 4).

Find out more

Find out more about road traffic statistics at https://www.inf.gov.nt.ca/en/transportation

 

References

Ref. 1. Infrastructure. 2019. Northwest Territories Highway Traffic Report, 2019. Department of Infrastructure. Government of the Northwest Territories. 46 p.

Ref. 2. Tibbitt to Contwoyto Joint Venture 2021. Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road, unpublished data. Information available at http://www.jvtcwinterroad.ca/

Ref. 3. Transportation Canada. 2009. Road Transportation. Table R04 (2009). Available at https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/policies/road-transportation-0 Note that the Canadian Vehicle Survey, 2009 Annual Averages was terminated in 2011. Motor vehicle activity data are no longer available in Canada beginning with the 2010 reference

Ref.4. GNWT. Tourism 2025: Roadmap to recovery. April 2021. Available at https://www.ntassembly.ca/sites/assembly/files/td_368-192.pdf.

 

5.3 Trends in air traffic in NWT ecozones

This indicator tracks changes in daily local air traffic, defined as the number of aircraft take-offs and landings averaged per year, at each airport within each NWT ecozone. Local air traffic is presented per airport for local aircraft types (helicopters, piston and turboprop fixed wing aircraft). Jet movements are available but are not tracked in this indicator as they fly only at low altitudes for very short periods in the immediate area near airports.

Image: Piston aircraft flying over the Southern Arctic © R Gau/GNWT

Major airports in the NWT have either a control tower (Yellowknife, Ref. 1) or a Flight Service Station (Inuvik and Norman Wells, Ref. 2) where all aircraft landings and take-offs are recorded every day. Airport personnel may record aircraft movements at all other airports, but only for some days (Ref. 3).

This indicator was prepared by the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Climate Change, using information obtained from annual reports published by Statistics Canada (Ref. 1,2,3), which compiles information from NAV Canada, Transport Canada, and regional airport personnel reporting to the Aviation Statistics Centre. Data are available up to 2018.

Image: Helicopter landed on the Taiga Plains © PAS/GNWT

NWT Focus

Local aircraft types have regional flight range and can perform relatively low altitude flying. These aircrafts are considered most likely to be associated with local air traffic disturbance to people, wildlife (for example on caribou, (Ref.4) and the environment, as they are capable of low level flights (Ref. 5).

Air traffic can have negative impacts on wildlife. Low-flying aircrafts are a sensory disturbance that is stressful to terrestrial and aquatic wildlife (Ref. 4). Although some wildlife is affected by air traffic more than others, low-flying aircrafts can lead to changes in behavior, abandonment of preferred habitats, increased susceptibility to predation, lower reproduction success and survival, as well as indirect or direct mortality (Ref. 5).

Ecological Regions

For some indicators, data and information are organized according to the major ecological regions of the NWT. These regions are also called Ecozones. The NWT has diverse ecosystems found in six ecozones (see map below). More information about these regions is available online in https://www.ecc.gov.nt.ca/en/services/ecosystem-classification

Current View: status and trend

The following figures show daily local air traffic at all airports in the Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic and Taiga Cordillera (Figure 1,2,5, Ref. 6). These airports are without a control tower or a Flight Service Station so data is missing for more recent years when the number of days-per-year with available recording personnel was too low.

Local air traffic is declining in the two largest airports in the Taiga Plains (Inuvik, Norman Wells) (Figure 3, Ref. 7). These airports serve as transportation hubs for a wide range of human activities including exploration, mine or oil-gas development, tourism, hunting, fishing, and others. Most aircraft used for these activities are helicopters, turboprops and piston aircrafts. The timing of the declines (and increases) in NWT airport activities correlates with the economic trends, and changes in exploration activities and tourism in the NWT.

Local air traffic is highest in the NWT near the Yellowknife airport. Traffic increased until 2008, and stabilized pre-pandemic. Data for 2019 and 2020 are not available yet but sharp reductions in traffic, especially at airports used most for tourism activities are expected due to the COVID 19 pandemic and a sharp reduction of number of visitors from outside the NWT.

Figure 1 - Local air traffic in the Northern Arctic. Data from Transport Canada. Data not available from 2012-2018.

Figure 2 - Local air traffic in Southern Arctic. Data from Statistics Canada. Data not recorded at these airports from 2014-2018.

Figure 3 - Local air traffic in Taiga Plains. Data from Statistics Canada. Airports with missing data have no marker, and data not available for some airports from 2015-2018.

Figure 4 - Local air traffic in Taiga Shield. Data from Statistics Canada. Airports with missing data have no marker

Figure 5 - Local air traffic in Taiga Cordillera. Data from Statistics Canada. Data not recorded at the airport from 2015-2018.

 

Looking around

In 2018, 10 Canadian airports without air traffic control towers accounted for 36.9% of the activity during the year. None of these are in the NWT. Of these, Peterborough, ON (125 movements per day); Goose Bay, NL (76 per day); Trois-Rivières, QC (74 per day) were the busiest (Ref. 6).

In Canada, there were 132,621 local movements (flights that remain in the vicinity of the airport) recorded at 77 airports without air traffic control towers in 2018. Peterborough, ON remained the busiest airport with 41,314 movements (Ref. 6).

Find out more

Find out more about air traffic statistics at http://www.tc.gc.ca/

Technical Notes

Lost data for some days with low traffic can occur at small airports with neither tower nor flight service station. Data were not used in the indicator if air traffic was recorded for less than 100 days during a given year at a specific airport. Some historical and some recent data were not readily available.

References

 

Ref. 1. Statistics Canada. 2018 Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV Canada and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report. Available at https://doi.org/10.25318/2310002501-eng

Ref. 2. Statistics Canada. 2018. Aircraft movement Statistics TP577, Statistics Canada.

Ref. 3. Statistics Canada. 2019 Aircraft movement statistics: Small airports – Annual report, 2018 and Table 23-10-0252-01 Itinerant movements, by weight group and type of power plant, airports without air traffic control towers, annual. (formerly CANSIM 401-0038).

Ref. 4. Kunc, H.P. and R. Schmidt. 2019. The effects of anthropogenic noise on animals: a meta-analysis. Biology Letters, 15: 20190649.

Ref. 5. Churchill, B. and B. Holland. 2003. Wildlife and Aircraft Operation: Assessment of Impacts, Mitigation and Recommendations for Best Management Practices in the Peace Region. Prepared for the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection, Government of British Columbia. Fort St. John, BC. Available at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/wildlife-wildlife-habitat/regional-wildlife/northeast-region/best-mgmt-practices/aircraft_operations_wildlife_mitigation_report.pdf

Ref. 6. Environment and Climate Change. 2015. Flying low? Think again. GNWT Pamphlet. Availalble at https://www.ecc.gov.nt.ca/sites/enr/files/resources/128-flying_low_brochure_vip_small_curve.pdf

Ref. 7. Conference of Management Authorities. 2020. Recovery Strategy for Barren-ground Caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) in the Northwest Territories. Conference of Management Authorities, Yellowknife, NT. Available at https://www.nwtspeciesatrisk.ca/sites/enr-species-at-risk/files/barren-ground_caribou_recovery_strategy_final_8april2020.pdf

 

5.4. Trends in development activities requiring a permit or licence in the NWT

This indicator tracks permitting for activities related to development. It tracks activities related to any land use requiring a permit or licence in the NWT, with additional data and information on mining and oil-gas activities.

Image: Building a camp requires a land-use permit © GNWT

This indicator identifies provides information on the level of potential disturbance that may result from the identified development activity. Some of these activities result in changes to the landscape resulting in footprints of various sizes. This may in turn fragment the landscape and associated habitat. Development related footprints are tracked using other indicators in the Landscape Changes focal point.

This indicator was prepared by the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Climate Change, using information obtained from all organizations involved in development permitting process in the NWT, including the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.

Land tenure for mineral and oil-gas development

Information on the total annual amount of land rights [1] issued for mineral and oil-gas development activities in the NWT is compiled using several types of permits and licences. These include:

For Mineral Development – from least to greatest potential for environmental disturbance (see side bar):

  • prospecting permits
  • mineral claims
  • mineral leases
[1] Refers to subsurface rights, not surface land tenure
 

For Oil-gas Development – from least to greatest potential for environmental disturbance (see side bar):

  • oil-gas exploration licences
  • significant discovery licences
  • production licences
  • geophysical operations authorization

Information and data on the land rights issued for minerals and associated activities was obtained from Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), Mining Recorder’s Office, Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), GNWT (Ref 1, 2) , Data for onshore oil and gas development was obtained from the Petroleum Resources Division (Ref. 3) ITI, GNWT and data for offshore oil and gas development was obtained from CIRNAC Oil and Gas Directorate, Oil and Gas Annual reports (Ref 4, 5). The data includes Nunavut prior to 1999, except where noted.

 

Land use activities

Information on the annual number of permits issued for a variety of land uses is provided as an indicator of disturbance. Industrial activities performed within lands permitted for mineral or oil and gas development are also included in the list of land use permits. For example, if seismic activities that take place on land allocated under an oil and gas exploration licence require a land use permit, they will be included as an activity in the land use information.

Activities requiring a permit have varying potential for causing disturbance to the environment. Enough information for each type of activity is provided to assess potential impact levels, but the actual or realised levels of disturbance themselves are not recorded. If the “end results” of each activity have a medium or long-term footprint (such as the seismic lines that result from seismic activities), they are included in the Landscape Changes focal point.

For the NWT south of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (here called the Mackenzie Valley), data on land use permits were obtained from the Online Registry – Land and Water Boards of the Mackenzie Valley (Ref 6, 7). Data on land use for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is obtained from the Environmental Impact Screening Committee, Online Registry (Ref. 8).

The information is not readily tabulated for each NWT ecozone at this time, but this may be available in the future.

 

Water use activities

Water licences are necessary for activities that require the use of water or the deposit of waste that exceeds specific thresholds established by the Northwest Territories Waters Regulations (Ref 9, 10). These thresholds ensure the activity does not harm the environment or people. Examples of uses usually requiring a water licence include industrial (oil and gas exploration or production), mining and milling (advanced exploration or mining operations), power generation (hydro or geothermal), municipal (water use and deposit of solid waste/sewage), recreational (fishing lodges) or other miscellaneous activities. Licences are issued by regulatory boards in the NWT (Ref. 11) (see Technical Notes).

 

NWT Focus

Tracking land right issuance for mineral and oil-gas development using licences provides insights on where industrial activities occur each year. Tracking land use permits provides insights on what types of related activities occur each year. Together, this information produces an indicator that allows us to track changes in activity levels, hence in potential for disturbance, across the NWT.

In terms of the environment, tracking the location of development activities and the types of permits that are applied for annually also provides insight on potential cumulative effects which may result from current and potential future developments.

 

Current View: status and trend

Land for Mineral Development Activities

Figure 1 Active mineral leases, mining claims, prospecting permits, and coal exploration licences. SID Online GIS, CIRNAC. Data downloaded 15 February 2021. Map created by NWT Centre for Geomatics.

 

Prospecting and mineral claims

Figure 2. Area of land (ha) allotted to Prospectors permits and claims (in good standing) per year for the Northwest Territories from 1961-2020. Source of data: CIRNA, NWT Region (prior to 2014), Mineral Development Division and GNWT-ITI, Mining Recorder’s Office. NWT includes NU prior to 2002. 1,000,000 ha = 10,000 km2.

Land under prospecting and mineral claims in the NWT reached a peak in the 1990s during the diamond staking rush in the Southern Arctic and Taiga Shield north of Yellowknife. At this time approximately 22 million hectares (an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom, 220,000 km2) of land were held under claims. After this claims rush, the number of hectares under mineral claims steadily declined to a low in 2001-2004. The most recent rush in exploration was related to renewed exploration for diamonds, in addition to more exploration for other minerals such as gold, base metals, rare earth elements, and uranium. In 2005-2006, exploration had diversified and occurred in all NWT ecozones, with some focus on the Thelon Basin, and lands northeast of Great Bear Lake. Both exploration and mineral claims have declined since 2008.

Figure 3 Area of land (ha) rights issued for Leased Claims (in good standing) per year for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut from 1987-2020 Source of data: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) NWT Region, Mineral Development Division, and GNWT-ITI, Mining Recorder’s Office. NWT includes NU prior to 2002. 1,000,000 ha = 10,000 km2. Note the scale difference with prospecting and claims graph.

 

The total land under mineral leased claims, typically for active mines, is very small compared to land allocated to prospecting and claims, but it increased by about 3.5 times between 1987 (2,500 km2) and 2007 (8,700 km2; about 0.7% of the NWT). The greatest increases have been subsequent to 2001, when area under mineral leased claims had more than doubled in six years, mostly in the Southern Arctic. This increase was mostly due to diamond mines.

 

Land allocations for Oil and Gas Development Activities

Figure 4 Oil and Gas Rights. Data source for offshore: CIRNAC, Northern Oil and Gas Directorate, onshore: GNWT, ITI, Petroleum Resources Division, Registrar. SID Online GIS, CIRNAC. Data downloaded 17 February 2021 but rights locations have not changed since 2017. Map created by NWT Centre for Geomatics.

Figure 5: Total area (ha) allocated to oil and gas exploration licences, significant discovery licences and production licences in 2003-2020 in three areas of the NWT. A: Beaufort sea, Source: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNA) (Ref.4.5). B: Mackenzie Delta and Arctic Islands, Date source: prior to 2014: CIRNAC (DIAND), Northern Oil and Gas Directorate Annual reports (Ref.4.5). Data after 2014: GNWT Registrar, Petroleum Resources, ITI (Ref. 12). C: Mackenzie Valley: Data from CIRNAC are displayed for entire area prior to 2014 (Ref.4) and data from ITI are detailed for central and southern NWT areas after 2014 (Ref.12). Note that scale differ for each region; production licences areas are so low that they may not show. 1,000,000 ha = 10,000 km2

 

Since 2003, the greatest increases in oil and gas exploration (both exploration licences and significant discovery licences) in the NWT have occurred in the Beaufort Sea. The Mackenzie Valley, near Norman Wells has been the location for the majority of production licences. Production licences in the Mackenzie Delta have allocated only 2,500 ha of land (too small to show on the graph) compared to almost 2 million ha in the Mackenzie Valley. Production licences in the Arctic Islands amount to 1,224 ha. Since 2014, there has been a significant drop in oil and gas licences in all regions except the Beaufort Sea which maintains significant exploration licences.

Figure 6 Number of land use permits and water licenses with identified activities as issued in the Mackenzie Valley by the GLWB, SLWB, WLWB, and the MVLWB and in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region by the ILA. Sources: ECC database from available registries. Information on types reproduced as retrieved from the sources. Miscellaneous types include bridge construction, remediation work at contaminated sites, and a large variety of other activities.

Figure 7 Number of land use permits and water licenses by issue type related to industry-type activities issued in the Mackenzie Valley by the GLWB, SLWB, WLWB, MVLWB and in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region by the ILA. Sources: Online Registries compiled by ECC.

Nearly all land use permits are Type A permits, even for small projects like small-scale mineral exploration projects. Typical examples of projects requiring a Type A water licence include mines, oil and gas development and large hydroelectric projects. Type B water licences are generally for smaller projects with less impact on the environment. Typical examples include advanced mineral and oil and gas exploration, private road construction and municipal water treatment facilities for smaller communities. The terms in issue water licences and land use permits may vary and these differences can explain part of the large annual variations in Figure 7. Land use permits can be issued for a maximum term of five-years, with one possible two-year extension. Should a land use permit continue to be required, a new permit application must be submitted.

Type A water licences numbers remain low. The amounts of Type B water licences and land use permits have remained relatively steady since 2015. Large Type A land use permits are gradually declining but remain the largest portion of the annual permitting issued in the NWT.

 

Seismic Types

Figure 8 Graph depicting the land used by seismic programs 1998-2018 Two Dimensional (2D) land use is in linear kilometres (km) and Three Dimensional (3D) land use is in km2. Source: AANDC – Northern Oil and Gas (prior to 2014), and GNWT-ITI, Petroleum Resources Division.

Seismic programs occur in areas where exploration permits are already in place. The total amount of land used in seismic surveys is not in addition to land allotted to exploration licences. However, the nature of seismic activity may have a different impact on the landscape, especially when the seismic program is located in treed areas and requires clearing of vegetation.

 

Seismic survey programs

Programs involving sensors and sound or energy sources such as thumpers and hydro-pulses used to better understand the layout of under-ground materials, and potentially detect resources, such as oil and gas reservoirs. On land, these programs may require cutting a line through the vegetation to allow survey vehicles access to specific areas.

 

Three Dimensional (3D) seismic activity peaked in 2001 (7,893 km2), the majority of which was focussed on the Mackenzie Delta region. In 2006-2011, 3D dropped off to little or no activity, until 2012, when 3D activity focused in the central Mackenzie Valley and the Beaufort Sea. There were no 3D seismic programs in 2007, 2010 and 2011 and has not been any 3D seismic activity since 2012.

Two Dimensional (2D) seismic programs were at approximately 446 km per year in 2003-2005 and then increased to 13,000 km in 2008. Seismic surveys in 2006-2008 focussed mainly on the Beaufort Sea. Only 59 km of 2D seismic were cut in 2011, 71 km in 2013, and none have been conducted since 2013.

Looking forward

Mineral and oil-gas activities typically follow a boom and bust pattern linked closely to the price of commodities (see the Economy focal point). Activities related to the mineral industry increased in 2005-2007 to levels higher than the “diamond staking rush” of the late 1990s. When global markets make the extraction of these materials economically feasible, it is expected that prospecting and claim staking activities will continue to be an important industrial activity in the NWT. However, reduced commodity prices and difficulties in financing projects in remote areas of the NWT can result in decreases in the human activities related to mineral and oil-gas development.

Oil and gas activities vary greatly by region. It has been suggested that the NWT could hold as much as 37 percent of Canada’s light crude oil resources and 35 percent of its marketable natural gas resources. Because of these reserves, it is likely that in the future there will be an increase in land held for oil and gas exploration and production in the Mackenzie Valley, the Delta and the Beaufort Sea.

Light oil and liquefied natural gas could help reduce GHG emissions during the transition to cleaner energy. Development of light oil in the NWT could reduce Canada's reliance on heavy oil (such as that developed from Alberta oils sands). Compared to light oil, heavy oil produces comparatively higher carbon emission during processing for production of gasoline, kerosene and other products. It is expected that future developments could include developing cleaner resources, such as natural gas for the production of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The use of LNG is a step towards reducing the world’s reliance on coal and diesel as the world transitions to cleaner energy sources.

 

Find out more

For more information on land administration in the NWT go to https://www.ecc.gov.nt.ca/en

For more information on industrial development in the NWT go to ITI, GNWT: https://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/en/services/oil-and-gas-rights-management and https://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/en/mines-and-mineralsand Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Northwest Territories Region at https://www.canada.ca/en/crown-indigenous-relations-northern-affairs.html

 

Technical Notes

Land Allocation Permitting for Oil-Gas Development

 

Exploration Licence: gives the right to explore for a maximum of 9 years and gives exclusive right to drill and test for oil and gas; gives exclusive right to develop allocated lands to produce petroleum. Additional land and water use permits are required depending on the type of activities undertaken.

Significant Discovery Licence: in addition to the rights in an exploration licence, it confers exclusive rights, for a time specified in the licence, to obtain a production licence on allocated lands. Additional land and water use permits are required depending on the type of activities undertaken

Production Licence: in addition to the rights conferred in a significant discovery licence, it confers exclusive right to produce oil and gas on allocated lands, and title to the petroleum so produced for 25 years. Additional land and water use permits are required depending on the type of activities undertaken.

Geophysical Operation Authorization: in addition to the rights conferred in a geophysical operation authorization, it confers the right to seismic test for one or two years depending on the program area. Additional land and water use permits are required depending on the type of activities undertaken

Financial Responsibility: In addition to the rights of an Oil & Gas Authorization, the applicant shall provide proof of financial responsibility in the form of a letter of credit, guarantee or indemnity bond or in any other form satisfactory to the Regulator.

 

Land Allocation Permitting for Mining Development

 

Prospecting Permit: allows prospecting activities in a large area without competition for a period of 3-5 years; give exclusive rights to stake a mineral claim within an area.

Mineral Claim: gives exclusive mineral exploration and prospecting rights. Remains active only if ‘representation work” is done such as stripping, drilling, trenching, sinking shafts and driving adits or drifts, geological or other exploratory work, surveying, constructing roads or airstrips to provide access to the claim. Mineral claims expire after 10 years if there is no application for a lease. Additional land and water use permits may be required depending on the type of work undertaken. (3)

Mineral Lease: gives right to undertake activities to extract and remove minerals from the site.(3)You need a lease to sell or otherwise dispose of minerals or ore with a gross value of more than $100,000 in one year. Additional land and water use permits are required depending on the type of activities undertaken.

In 2014, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) obtained jurisdiction over most public land (now called Territorial Land, previously called Crown Land) in the NWT. Lands with surface and/or sub-surface rights held by Aboriginal organizations (settlement lands) are subject to the provisions of land claims agreements and administered by land claims organizations.

In terms of land use permitting processes, the NWT can be viewed as two general areas, each with a different regulatory framework: (1) In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), land use permits are issued by the Inuvialuit Land Administration for activities on Inuvialuit-owned lands. For activities on public lands, land use permits are issued by the GNWT. Under the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, the Inuvialuit Environmental Impact Screening Committee is involved in environmental screening for public lands as well as Inuvialuit owned lands. For this region, the number of activities screened is used as an indicator for land use in lieu of a land-use permit issued. (2) In the 'Mackenzie Valley', land use permits are issued for activities in each area with a settled land claim by the appropriate regional Land and Water Board (Gwich'in Land and Water Board, Sahtú Land and Water Board, Wek’èezhìi Land and Water Board). For activities in areas without a settled land claim, or for activities affecting more than one of these areas, land use permits are issued by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. The land use permitting regime in the Mackenzie Valley applies to both public land and Aboriginal settlement lands.

 

References

 

Ref 1. Mining Recorder’s Office.2021. Available at http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/infopage/mining-recorders-office

Ref. 2. MacFarlane, K.E., Goff, S.P. and Irwin, D. 2007. Northwest Territories Mineral Exploration Overview, NWT Geoscience Office, 16 pp. Available at http://www.miningnorth.com/_rsc/site-content/library/NWT_Exploration_Overview_2007.pdf

Ref. 3. Oil & Gas: Laws and Regulations. 2021. Available at http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/infopage/laws-regulations

Ref. 4. CIRNAC. 2021. Oil and Gas Development NWT Annual Reports, Northern Oil and Gas Directorate of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Ref. 5. CIRNAC. 2021. Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas. Available at https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1535571547022/1538586415269

Ref. 6. Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board Land Use Permit Process. 2020. https://mvlwb.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/lwb_guide_to_the_land_use_permitting_process_-_final_-_sep_16_20.pdf

Ref. 7. Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. Online Registry. 2021.Land and Water Boards of the Mackenzie Valley. MVLWB, GLWB, SLWB, WLWB.

Ref. 8. Environmental Impact Screening Committee. 2021. Online Registry

Ref. 9. GNWT. 2014. NWT R-019-2014 .Government of the Northwest Territories Water Regulations. https://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/en/files/legislation/waters/waters.r1.pdf

Ref. 10. GNWT. 2015. Water Management and Monitoring. https://www.ecc.gov.nt.ca/en/services/water-management-and-monitoring/fa....

Ref. 11. Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board (MVLWB) 20200. Water Licensing Process. . https://mvlwb.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/lwb_guide_to_the_water_lic...

Ref. 12. Industry, Tourism and Investment. 2021. Oil and Gas Rights Management , Mineral and Petroleum Resources Division. Inuvik, NT. https://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/en/services/oil-and-gas-rights-management/oil-...