2023-24 Departmental Plan: Main Report

From the Minister

As Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) and Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), it is my pleasure to present to you the 2023-24 Departmental Plan for CanNor.

The economies of the three territories – Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut – are dynamic and reflect the diverse peoples who live there. With their entrepreneurial spirit, Northerners encourage innovation, and provide local expertise to address gaps and foster continued growth to the benefit of everyone. That is why it is so important for the Government of Canada to continue working collaboratively with territorial governments, and in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Our partners know their local needs, understand the challenges, and are best placed to know what is required to address them.

CanNor is uniquely positioned as an advocate for Northerners, and through its tailored suite of programming, provides short- and long-term investment for businesses and organizations to close gaps in economic and social prosperity, support the greening of energy and transportation systems, promote job creation and address food insecurity.

CanNor's Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO) will continue to coordinate federal participation during environmental assessment review processes; convene and provide issues management support to Indigenous organizations, industry proponents and other stakeholders; and maintain the Crown consultation record for major projects in the territories.

Pilimmaksaivik (Federal Centre of Excellence for Inuit Employment in Nunavut) will continue to lead a government-wide approach to implementing Article 23 ("Inuit Employment") of the Nunavut Agreement, which focuses on building a representative public service in Nunavut.

In 2023-24, CanNor will deliver on these objectives and more in order to help create a resilient and dynamic Northern economy for Northerners and businesses in the territories, and for the benefit of all Canadians.

From the President

In 2023-2024, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) will continue to make strategic investments to help Northerners seize economic opportunities, promote innovation and diversification, develop a skilled workforce, and encourage job growth.

Northerners have consistently shown resilience and ingenuity when faced with challenges. The sustained growth of the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem across the territories is proof of this. CanNor is ready to continue its critical role to work with our partners to build diversified and dynamic economies through our programming.

Through the Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North (IDEANorth) program, Northerners can take advantage of economic opportunities that grow, sustain and develop their communities and regions. The Northern Indigenous Economic Opportunities Program (NIEOP) will support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and organizations to advance economic development opportunities in their regions while improving job development, skills training and business creation or expansion. The Northern Isolated Community Initiatives (NICI) Fund will support innovative, community-led projects for local and Indigenous food systems to help improve food security in Canada's territories.

CanNor will keep working with other federal departments to maximize resources we can bring to support projects. Skills development, clean energy, fisheries, resource development and more are all critical areas to develop in the North. Headquartered in Nunavut, CanNor contributes its knowledge and expertise of the North to numerous projects and initiatives.

CanNor's Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO) provides a coordinating and convening role in territorial environmental assessments. Pilimmaksaivik (the Federal Centre of Excellence for Inuit Employment in Nunavut) will continue to identify and address barriers to Inuit employment and advancement by developing and delivering innovative new training and supports for Inuit.

CanNor is ready to continue working with its partners to take advantage of the new opportunities the coming year will bring so we can build a stronger future for the North and Canada.

Plans at a glance

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), one of seven Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in Canada, is the key federal player for developing a strong, diversified, sustainable, and resilient economy for Northerners, Indigenous peoples, communities, and businesses across the territories. By working with partners and stakeholders, CanNor will maintain its support and advocacy for community, territorial, and national level economic development, while fostering growth and innovation, contributing to capacity building, and investing in foundational economic development projects in the territories.

Existing and emerging challenges and opportunities will continue to shape key sectors of the territorial economies in 2023-24. In order to maintain growth and development in the face of global economic uncertainty, instability, and risk, it is more important than ever for the territories to leverage unique competitive advantages while continuing cultivation of the resilient Northern innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

In 2023-24, CanNor will maintain its reliance on the strength of its Pan-Territorial Growth Strategy (PTGS) to guide targeted investments, convene Indigenous, territorial, and federal partners, and contribute to a resilient Northern economy. Aligned with the Government of Canada's whole-of-government framework, the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF), the PTGS has four interrelated areas of action which will foster long-term sustainability and prosperity: strengthening the northern workforce; encouraging infrastructure investments; supporting resource development; and stimulating diversification and innovation. The strength of this growth strategy, and targeted support focused through these pillars of action, will help to further Indigenous economic reconciliation in the territories, in alignment with the whole-of-government approach in advancing this important federal commitment.

CanNor's suite of economic development programs remain in place to help advance these priorities throughout 2023-24. These include targeted investments and the reintroduction of core funding to Indigenous communities through the Northern Indigenous Economic Opportunities Program (NIEOP), support to territorial food systems and food security through the Northern Isolated Community Initiatives (NICI) Fund, and funding provided through the Agency's flagship program, Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North (IDEANorth) which invests in foundational and small-scale economic infrastructure, sector development and capacity building to help position Northerners to take advantage of Canada's innovation economy.

The mineral sector continues to be the primary economic catalyst of the territories. With targeted investments from Budget 2022 supporting northern regulatory processes and with the release of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, the Northern mineral sector is poised for continued growth. To support and sustain such growth potential, it is essential to address structural barriers in the territories that may hinder this progress, including infrastructure deficits and lack of exploration investments. It is equally important that consultation obligations to Indigenous peoples in the North continue to be met especially as an increasing number of development projects undergo environmental assessments. CanNor's Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO), will continue to play a pivotal pathfinding and convening function with industry proponents, regulators, and Indigenous communities while also coordinating Crown consultation for federal regulators during the environmental assessment of new and expanding major projects in the territories.

As the host of Pilimmaksaivik, CanNor will continue its work in coordinating a whole-of-government approach to building a representative federal public service in Nunavut, as described under Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement.

In addition to targeted actions in the territories, CanNor will work with other federal departments to help advance broader Government of Canada commitments, including implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (particularly aspects pertaining to economic development), the continued implementation of the ANPF and the advancement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

For more information on the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's plans, see the "Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks" section of this plan.

Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks

This section contains information on the department's planned results and resources for each of its core responsibilities. It also contains information on key risks related to achieving those results.

Internal services: planned results

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department's planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2023–24 with actual spending for the current year and the previous year.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2020–21 to 2025–26

The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.

Text alternative for Departmental spending 2020-21 to 2025-26

The image shows a stacked vertical band graph on Statutory and Voted amounts, in dollars, by fiscal year:

• 2020-21: Statutory: $6,966,000; Voted: $94,253,000; Total: $101,219,000
• 2021-22: Statutory: $1,837,000; Voted: $86,535,000; Total: $88,372,000
• 2022-23: Statutory: $2,257,000; Voted: $106,874,000; Total: $109,131,000
• 2023-24: Statutory: $2,175,000; Voted: $79,258,000; Total: $81,433,000
• 2024-25: Statutory: $1,785,000; Voted: $49,019,000; Total: $50,804,000
• 2025-26: Statutory: $1,785,000; Voted: $49,019,000; Total: $50,804,000

In 2021-22, actual expenditures reflect a decrease of $11.9 million due to the spending to address economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic being less than expected.

Some pandemic-specific funding measures continue to be reflected in forecast and planned spending, though the sunsetting of said funding measures, the Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (up to $6.4 million), the Northern Adult Basic Education Program ($4.9 million), the Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund ($3 million), and the expiration of the spending authorities for the IDEANorth program, account for the majority of the net decrease in planned spending through 2024-25.

Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023–24 and other relevant fiscal years.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2020–21 actual expenditures	2021–22 actual expenditures	2022–23 forecast spending	2023–24 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2023–24 planned spending	2024–25 planned spending	2025–26 planned spending
Economic Development in the Territories	92,172,174	80,292,203	101,228,150	73,782,232	73,758,232	44,825,188	44,825,188
Subtotal	92,172,174	80,292,203	101,228,150	73,782,232	73,758,232	44,825,188	44,825,188
Internal services	9,047,110	8,079,311	7,902,499	7,674,630	7,674,630	5,978,872	5,978,872
Total	101,219,284	88,371,514	109,130,649	81,432,862	81,432,862	50,804,060	50,804,060

Note: The total expenditures and forecast spending for fiscal years 2020–21 to 2022–23 fiscal year include all Parliamentary appropriation sources: Main Estimates, Supplementary Estimates, and funding from various Treasury Board votes. For the 2022–23 to 2024–25 fiscal years, total planned spending does not include funding through Supplementary Estimates and carry-forward adjustments.

Economic Development in the Territories experiences the greatest variability in actual expenditures, forecast, and planned spending relevant to the current planning year. In 2021-22, the actual expenditure decreased mainly due to spending to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic being less than expected.

The decrease in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 forecast and planned spending is mainly due to expiration of budgetary authorities in 2023-24 for Budget 2021 programs, such as the Tourism Relief Fund, Jobs and Growth Fund and Canada Community Revitalization Fund, meant to support economies in rebounding from the impacts of the pandemic. In addition, two more initiatives will be sunsetting in 2023-24: the Northern Adult Basic Education Program and the Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

The decrease in planned spending in 2024-25 is mainly due to the expiry of budgetary authorities for the IDEANorth program and the Northern Isolated Communities Initiatives Fund. Sunsetting funding is subject to government decisions to extend, reduce, or enhance funding. Outcomes of such decisions would be reflected in the Agency's future budget exercises and Estimates documents.

Corporate information

Reporting framework

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's approved departmental results framework and program inventory for 2023–24 are as follows:

Text alternative for Reporting framework

This Reporting Framework Table demonstrates CanNor's Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2023-24:

• Departmental Results Framework
  • Core Responsibility: Economic Development in the Territories
    • Departmental Result: People and communities participate in the economy in the Territories
      • Indicator: Labour participation rate for women and Indigenous peoples in the Territories
      • Indicator: Amount leveraged per dollar invested in community projects in the Territories
  • Departmental Result: Business are developing in the Territories
    • Indicator: Number of businesses by business locations in the Territories
    • Indicator: Number of investments in clean tech projects supported by CanNor in the Territories
  • Departmental Result: Efficient and Predictable Environmental Review process in the Territories
    • Indicator: Number of companies provided advisory services (Pathfinder) including issues management and support in the environmental assessment and governance processes in the Territories
    • Indicator: Percentage of environmental assessments in the Territories that are completed within the scheduled time frame
• Program Inventory
  • Program: Community Development
  • Program: Business Development
  • Program: Policy and Advocacy
  • Program: Northern Projects Management

Supporting information on the program inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's website:

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus
• United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

Federal tax expenditures

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government-wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.

Organizational contact information

Mailing address
Allavvik Building
1106 Inuksugait Plaza
Iqaluit, Nunavut
X0A 0H0
Canada

Telephone: 1-855-897-2667

Email: infonorth-infonord@cannor.gc.ca

Website(s): Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Website

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A document that sets out a department's priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three-year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A change that a department seeks to influence. A departmental result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that consists of the department's core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department's actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the Government's agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation and fighting for a secure, just, and equitable world.

high impact innovation (innovation à impact élevé)

High impact innovation varies per organizational context. In some cases, it could mean trying something significantly new or different from the status quo. In other cases, it might mean making incremental improvements that relate to a high-spending area or addressing problems faced by a significant number of Canadians or public servants.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

An inventory of a department's programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department's core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the organization's influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.