July 21, 2025: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: Today representatives of the Government of Canada and the Our Land for the Future Trust signed a grant agreement to release $300 million in federal funds for Indigenous-led conservation, stewardship, and economic development across the Northwest Territories. This launches the implementation phase of an historic agreement reached in November 2024 and will enable funds to flow to Indigenous partners in the coming months.
NWT: Our Land for the Future (NWT OLF) is an unprecedented partnership between 21 Indigenous Governments, the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and private donors to advance Indigenous stewardship in the north for the benefit of all Canadians. It will be one of the largest Indigenous-led land conservation initiatives in the world.
The grant agreement signed today by the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Danny Yakeleya, Chair of the OLF Board of Directors, will transfer $300 million to the OLF Trust. Philanthropic partners will then deliver $75 million for a public/private match. Once funds are received and application processes have been confirmed, the Trust hopes to begin disbursing money to Indigenous Governments and communities within the next several months.
These investments will generate tangible benefits—for Indigenous communities, the economy, and the country. They will support Indigenous Guardians programs, for instance, in caring for lands and waters, responding to climate impacts like wildfire and drought, and helping restore caribou and other threatened animals. Guardians have been shown to support food security, safety, emergency response, and community health and wellbeing, including by revitalizing language and culture. Their presence on the land can help bolster sovereignty in the Arctic region.
Investments like these will also diversify the economy and support northern development. The conservation initiatives they support will provide greater certainty for industry. And they will help create hundreds of jobs per year, including seasonal, part-time, and full-time positions, over the first 10 years alone.
The initiative is designed around the conservation financing model known as Project Finance for Permanence. PFPs lead to comprehensive funding agreements between partners including governments at multiple levels and private philanthropies that are designed to sustain healthy lands and local economies. Within the Northwest Territories, this means building on a strong foundation of collaboration among Indigenous and public governments.
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