Order Prohibiting Certain Activities in Arctic Offshore Waters, 2022 (SOR/2022-274)

Whereas His Majesty in right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Northern Affairs (the Minister) has, relating to frontier lands in respect of which the Minister has administrative responsibility for natural resources, the right to dispose of or to exploit those natural resources;

Whereas Canada, as part of the United States-Canada Joint Arctic Leaders’ Statement announced December 20, 2016, has designated all Canadian Arctic waters as indefinitely off limits to future offshore Arctic oil and gas licensing (the moratorium), and that the designation is to be reviewed every five years through a climate and marine science-based life-cycle assessment of Canadian Arctic waters, Indigenous knowledge and the socio-economic effects of developing or further prohibiting the development of Arctic offshore resources;

Whereas Canada, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the governments of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have jointly developed the assessments to be considered under the review and are engaging with rights holders, affected Northerners and other affected stakeholders with respect to the assessments;

And whereas the Governor in Council considers that it is in the national interest of Canada to prohibit any person, including an interest owner of a licence set out in the schedule to this Order, from commencing or continuing any work or activity authorized under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations ActFootnote ^a on the frontier lands that are situated in Canadian Arctic offshore waters and in respect of which the Minister has administrative responsibility for natural resources, until such time as the moratorium is rescinded;

• Return to footnote ^aR.S., c. O-7; S.C. 1992, c. 35, s. 2

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Northern Affairs, makes the annexed Order Prohibiting Certain Activities in Arctic Offshore Waters, 2022 under subsection 12(1)Footnote ^b of the Canada Petroleum Resources ActFootnote ^c.

• Return to footnote ^bS.C. 2019, c. 19, s. 85(1)

• Return to footnote ^cR.S., c. 36 (2nd Supp.)