Northern Low-Impact Shipping Corridors

Official title: OPP: Northern Low-Impact Shipping Corridors

Closed Policy & Studies Environment & Climate Indigenous & Northern Transportation
The federal government worked with Indigenous partners to figure out where ships should and shouldn't go in Canada's North. The goal? Protect wildlife and culturally sensitive areas while making Arctic shipping safer. This consultation ran from April 2021 to July 2022 and is now closed.

Why This Matters

Live in the North? This affects how shipping traffic moves through your waters. Indigenous communities had a direct say in protecting areas important for hunting, fishing, and cultural practices. The corridors could also bring better navigation services to remote coastal communities.

What Could Change

New shipping corridors could direct vessel traffic away from sensitive wildlife habitats and culturally important areas. A governance framework would give Indigenous partners ongoing input into how Arctic shipping is managed. Investment priorities for navigation services in the North would be shaped by this input.

Key Issues

  • What governance structure should manage the low-impact shipping corridors?
  • Which areas should be prioritized for navigation service improvements?
  • How can shipping corridors minimize effects on wildlife and culturally sensitive areas?

How to Participate

  1. This consultation is now closed. It ran from April 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022. For questions about the initiative, contact dfo.ccgcorridors-corridorsdelagcc.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

What Happened

The consultation engaged Inuit, First Nations, and Métis organizations and governments, along with territorial and provincial governments, industry, NGOs, and academia. Input gathered will be used to establish a governance structure to design and manage the low-impact corridors.