The Giant Mine Oversight Board observes the work of a number of Committees involved with the Giant Mine remediation process. These include the:
Giant Mine Working Group (GMWG)
The Giant Mine Working Group (GMWG) was formed in August 2013. This working group provides a forum for parties to discuss and make recommendations on technical, operational, and project activities regarding the remediation of Giant Mine. Its members include Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), Environment Canada (EC), Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Alternatives North (AN), Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN), North Slave Metis Alliance (NSMA), Health Canada (HC) and the City of Yellowknife. GMWG is co-chaired by CIRNAC and GNWT.
YK Health Effects Monitoring Program (YKHEMP)
In 2014, the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board completed its seven-year assessment of the Giant Mine Remediation Project to address public concerns about the impact the mine’s clean-up activities may have on the local populations’ health. One of the requirements by the Review Board was to design and implement a Health Effects Monitoring Program in Ndilo, Dettah, and Yellowknife. The purpose of the program was to make sure the remediation activities that will take place at Giant Mine will not have a negative impact on people’s health. The program has been designed to establish current or baseline levels of arsenic exposure among residents in Ndilo, Dettah, and Yellowknife before remediation work begins. Then, during remediation, new monitoring results will be compared to the baseline to ensure participants’ arsenic levels are not increasing because of work being done at Giant Mine. This study is led by Dr. Laurie Chan, University of Ottawa, with advice and input from; The Health Effects Monitoring Program Advisory Committee made up of the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Health Canada, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, North Slave Métis Alliance, Giant Mine Oversight Board, the City of Yellowknife with additional support from the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research.
Giant Mine Remediation Project (GMRP) Socio-Economic Working Group
The Socio-Economic Working Group is responsible for implementing and coordinating activities in support of the multi-year GMRP Socio-Economic Strategy (2016/17 to 2020/21), which includes objectives, outcomes, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities (i.e. reporting and monitoring on progress). The Working Group is also responsible for the creation, maintenance and review of an annual GMRP Socio-Economic Implementation Plan, which identifies priorities and key activities on an annual basis.
Giant Mine Remediation Project (GMRP) Socio-Economic Advisory Body
The SE Advisory Body’s mandate is to provide strategic advice to the GMRP Socio-Economic Working Group and act as senior government champions for the implementation of the GMRP Socio-Economic Working Group’s approach. While the Advisory Body provides advice to the GMRP, it does not constitute a formal decision-making body or retain accountability for the GMRP’s approach to socio-economic benefits.
Aquatic Advisory Committee (AAC)
The Aquatic Advisory Committee is a representative group of rights holders and stakeholders who provide ongoing input to the Giant Mine Remediation Project Team about the design and monitoring of water-related components of the Giant Mine Remediation Project.
Hoèła Weteèts’eèdeè Advisory Committee (HWAC)
The Hoèła Weteèts’eèdeè Advisory Committee is a representative group of rights holders and stakeholders who contribute to the various aspects of development and implementation of a stress assessment to evaluate the psychological, social, physical, mental health impacts of stress in the population currently living in proximity to Giant Mine and other local areas impacted by arsenic from historic gold mining activity. The Committee is involved with study design, data collection, analysis, communication, and reporting, with their diverse expertise and knowledge of health, mining, and local issues and populations.
Giant Mine Advisory Committee (GMAC)
Through the Giant Mine Advisory Committee, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation are able to express concerns they have about the project and receive updates about the project from the Giant Mine Remediation Project Team who, in turn, obtain traditional knowledge input and receive feedback from YKDFN.
Giant Mine Education Committee
The Giant Mine Education Committee is a representative group of rights holders and stakeholders formed to develop an education module of the legacy of Giant Mine and the current remediation process. The Committee works with input from the Department of Education GNWT.
Perpetual Care Task Force
The Perpetual Care Task Force is responsible for input into the development of the required Perpetual Care Plan for the Giant Mine site. The Task Force provides input and makes recommendations regarding the Perpetual Care Plan to the Giant Mine Remediation Project Working Group, whose members include signatories to the Environmental Agreement.
Past committees:
Health Study Advisory Committee (HSAC)
The Health Study Advisory Committee (HSAC) was formally established in June 2016. Its purpose is to provide advice and make recommendations to the Principal Investigator and the Project Team in the development and implementation of the Health Effects Monitoring Program Advisory Committee (HEMPAC) by utilizing expertise and knowledge of regional and community level issues. Its member includes Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), the Chief Public Health Officer GNWT, Health Canada, City of Yellowknife, Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN) and the North Slave Metis Alliance (NSMA). Meetings are held when required, with an attempt to schedule two face-to-face meetings per year. The Giant Mine Remediation Project Team (GMRP) is responsible for coordinating these meetings.
Communicating with Future Generation (CFG)
The Communicating with Future Generations (CFG) Working Group was formed in February 2015 but no longer meets. It was established to facilitate information sharing among key stakeholder and the governments managing the site, with a focus on strategies for communicating with future generations about the management needs of the site. Its membership included the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN), North Slave Metis Alliance (NSMA), Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), the City of Yellowknife and the NWT Mining Heritage Society. The Toxic Legacies Project coordinated these meetings.
Giant Mine Community Alliance (GMCA)
Giant Mine Community Alliance was established as a community liaison committee in June 2003 by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), to assist the public by sharing information about the project and relaying public concerns and issues about the remediation of Giant Mine. This Committee is not currently active. Its membership included the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN), North Slave Metis Alliance (NSMA), Public Health GNWT, NWT Mining Heritage Society, Ecology North, Northwest Territories Federation of Labour, Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, City of Yellowknife, Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). The Giant Mine Remediation Project Team (GMRPT) Team coordinated these meetings when required.