James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) is the first modern land claim agreement in Canada. Signed in 1975, the JBNQA and its various amendments set out an environmental and social protection regime for Cree (section 22), Inuit and Naskapi (section 23) territories, as well as guarantees for trapping, hunting and fishing activities on their territories (section 24).
The President of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada acts as the Federal Administrator of the JBNQA for development projects under federal jurisdiction, such as defence or air or maritime transport projects. The Federal Administrator has the responsibility of authorizing or rejecting projects based on the recommendations of the assessment and review committees.
The JBNQA differentiates between two federal assessment and review processes depending on the territory impacted:
This section provides an overview of the federal assessment and review process of the JBNQA, as well as the technical and advisory organizations involved. It aims to facilitate access to information on projects being reviewed under the JBNQA, and to help the public better understand the process and to participate, where appropriate.
Useful links
- James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment (section 22)
- Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee (section 23)
- Roles, responsibilities and contact information for the federal process under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
Current projects
- None at this time
Completed projects
- Deception Bay Wharf and Sediment Management
- Review of the Matoush Mine Project