Meetings are open to the public:

As an institution of public government, the NWMB is committed to an overall policy of openness and transparency, and to conducting as much of its wildlife management business as possible on the public record.  Accordingly, all Board meetings – except in camera and internal in camera meetings - are open to the public.

Scheduling, Conduct and Location of Quarterly Meetings:

Generally, the NWMB holds quarterly in-person meetings during the second week of June, September, December and March, unless circumstances require that it meet at another time. Additional meetings may be scheduled as required.

The NWMB shall, whenever practicable, meet within the NSA (Nunavut Agreement 5.2.16). Because of efficiency, time, infrastructure and budgetary considerations, Iqaluit - the capital of Nunavut and the territorial headquarters of the NWMB, DFO, the GN, CWS, ANAC and NTI – is generally the most practical and economic location to hold NWMB meetings. The Board’s June quarterly meeting serves as the annual “regional meeting” of the NWMB, and rotates through the three Nunavut Regions.

In order to be as efficient and effective as possible, the NWMB places time limits on each meeting agenda item, and requires presenters to adhere to those time limits. In addition, only those items that, in the opinion of the Board, require face-to-face discussions and/or decision-making will be addressed at in-person meetings. All other items will be addressed at NWMB conference calls or through correspondence.   

Quarterly Meeting Notice:

The NWMB generally provides written notice of a pending quarterly meeting at least forty-two (42) days before the scheduled first day of the meeting. Notice is distributed to relevant government departments, Inuit Organizations, and non-government organizations, and is posted on the NWMB website. The notice includes a request for agenda items.

No error or omission in giving notice of any meeting of the NWMB shall invalidate such a meeting or make void any of its proceedings (GB 9.7).

In-Camera Meetings:

All or part of a meeting may be conducted in-camera (privately), where the NWMB determines that:

      (a) confidential or sensitive matters may be disclosed; or

      (b) such intimate financial, personal or other matters may be disclosed that the desirability of avoiding disclosure, in the interest of  any                  person affected or in the public interest, outweighs the desirability of adhering to the principle that meetings should be open to the public.

The NWMB is required to forward most of its decisions made pursuant to Article 5 of the Nunavut Agreement to the relevant Minister for his or her ultimate acceptance, variation or rejection/disallowance (Nunavut Agreement 5.3.7 -5.3.23).  Because the initial decision made by the NWMB must be kept confidential between the Board and the Minister (Nunavut Agreement 5.3.8 and 5.3.17), the NWMB meets in-camera when making its Nunavut Agreement Article 5 decisions.

Non-voting observers (S. 5.5) are entitled to attend in-camera meetings when the NWMB is making such decisions. However, the observers are permitted only to observe and to answer questions from the NWMB during the proceedings. In addition, if a DIO observer is not an employee of that DIO, the first time he or she attends an in camera meeting, the observer requires a signed and dated authorization from the DIO, delivered to the NWMB prior to the commencement of the in-camera meeting.[1] Otherwise, participation at in-camera meetings is limited to the NWMB members and such individuals as the Board deems necessary or appropriate to deal with the issues at hand.

Internal In-Camera Meetings:

From time to time, the NWMB is required to meet in order to address issues which relate to administrative and internal operational matters of the Board. These meetings are limited to NWMB members and such individuals as the Board deems necessary or appropriate to deal with the issues at hand. These persons attend such meetings only at the invitation of the NWMB.

Teleconference Meetings:

The NWMB may meet via teleconference as permitted by the terms of the Nunavut Agreement. The operating procedures for other meetings set out in sections 3.1 to 3.11 of this Manual also apply to teleconference meetings, except that:

        (a)    generally, the time periods for notice of the meeting and for the delivery of submissions are shorter; and

        (b)  subject to exceptional circumstances, the NWMB does not make special arrangements to allow for public access to a teleconference. 



[1] Ministerial observers are not subject to the same security requirement since they are already required by Nunavut Agreement 5.2.2 to be officers (employees) of the Minister’s department.

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