The North

Boundaries

Northern property rights and their boundaries are demarcated by legal surveys and fall under the responsibility of different organizations depending on the type of land or interest.  The Canada Lands Survey System (CLSS) underpins the location and spatial extent of these rights, whether for mining, oil and gas, real property or comprehensive land claims. CLSS provides access to all official records for these surveys. The international boundaries are mandated and maintained by various federal organizations.

Science

GEM: Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals

The Government of Canada is investing $100 million over five years (2008-2013) in its new Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) program to provide the geoscience knowledge necessary for private sector exploration companies to guide investment decision, as well as for government to inform land-use decisions such as the creation of parks and other protected areas.

Targeted Geoscience Initiative 4: Increasing Deep Exploration Effectiveness

The Targeted Geoscience Initiative 4 (TGI-4) is a collaborative federal geoscience program that provides industry with the next generation of geoscience knowledge and innovative techniques, which will result in more effective targeting of buried mineral deposits.

Remote Sensing Science Program:

The vastness and remoteness of the North presents significant challenges to traditional surface-based monitoring techniques.  The Remote Sensing Science program is developing satellite-based techniques that are capable of effectively monitoring the many seasonal and inter-annual changes occurring in Canada’s North.

Polar Continental Shelf Program

Established in 1958, the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) assists scientists from around the world to better understand Canada’s final frontier: the Arctic. Managed and co-ordinated by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), PCSP provides Canadian and international scientists and research teams with cost-effective logistics and consulting and support services.