The Agency's Focus

The 2008 Speech from the Throne committed to establishing a new stand-alone agency focused on northern economic development, a key deliverable under the government’s integrated Northern Strategy  . Budget 2009: Canada ’s Economic Action Plan   provided $50 million over five years to establish the new Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor).

CanNor is a tangible acknowledgement that the federal government places the North higher on its agenda than ever before. Its objective is to help provide the foundation for a prosperous economic future for those who live, work and support their families in the North.

Strengthening economic activity in the North will broaden the economic base of each territory, improving Northerners’ ability to take advantage of economic opportunity and increasing coordination among economic partners and programs.

The Agency’s primary focus is the provision of integrated business services north of 60. In particular, CanNor will:

• oversee the $90 million Strategic Investments in Northern Development Program;
• manage the $11.8 million in annual funding supporting economic development in Northern Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal businesses and entrepreneurs in the North;
• manage investments made in the North through the Municipal-Rural Infrastructure Fund, the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and Recreational Infrastructure Canada; and
• oversee the $33 million allotment for the territories contained in the Community Adjustment Fund – the new, two-year program that helps Northern communities create job opportunities and adjust to changing economic and market conditions.

In September 2009, the Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO) was established as a core program within the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), with its mandate to support economic development in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

In May 2010, NPMO opened its doors to begin the work of coordinating federal regulators, tracking projects, providing pathfinding guidance, and maintaining the Crown consultation record for Northern resource development projects in its portfolio.

Bringing a customer service approach, NPMO will work with project proponents, federal departments, regional regulators and other authorities to address process bottlenecks and improve the timeliness, predictability and transparency of federal regulatory participation. Its work will support economic drivers in the territories by creating more certainty for industry and helping to ensure environmental assessments and permits proceed smoothly on northern projects.