Northern Development Ministers Forum

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will host the next Northern Development Ministers Forum (NDMF) in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in 2024.  The Department of Labrador Affairs will be the lead department on behalf of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Senior Officials Working Group consists of representatives from all northern Jurisdictions in Canada.  During the 2023 NDMF in Manitoba, Ministers approved the following priorities for 2024:

  • Youth Leadership Development (Phase two)
  • Drinking Water Systems in Northern and Arctic Canadian Communities
  • Advancing Economic Reconciliation in Canada’s North

Background

The Forum advances the diverse and common interests of people living in Canada’s North, while raising awareness among decision-makers and the public about the accomplishments, contributions and potential of the North.

Established in 2001, member jurisdictions of the NDMF include the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, and Québec, as well as the Government of Canada.

Labrador Affairs is the lead department for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on the NDMF.

The NDMF’s mandate is to:

  • reinforce cooperation among federal, provincial and territorial authorities in northern regions of Canada;
  • identify with the appropriate federal-provincial / territorial (FPT) table and/or provide leadership on strategic actions that will advance the socio-economic development of the North;
  • exchange information, increase awareness, share best practices on northern priorities; and
  • recommend actions to be implemented by Ministers in accordance with their mandate and within their jurisdictions.

Priority Projects

The NDMF is typically centred on a common “theme” and a series of priority projects as identified by recommendations made by Ministers at previous Forums. Priorities identified can be addressed through various means such as: Expert panels; guest speakers; or site specific visits.

2023 Northern Development Ministers Forum

In May 2023, the NDMF was hosted by the Government of Manitoba in Churchill, Manitoba with the theme, ‘Economic Reconciliation Through Action’. The Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Labrador Affairs and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, attended the proceedings.

Click the links to access the 2023 priority projects:

Click the link to access the 2023 NDMF communique:

Archive