Program directory · Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Northern Strategic Policy and Governance
- Program code
- BWR13 (INAC)
- Core responsibility
- Northern and Arctic Affairs
- In Departmental Plans
- 2026-27 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
This Program helps build stronger northern communities by giving more control to territorial governments over their own land and natural resources. It works closely with Inuit and territorial governments, supports Territorial Commissioners, and provides funding for services in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
The Program also supports Canada’s Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, which aims to create a stronger, more inclusive, and self-reliant North. It brings together different levels of government—including Indigenous, territorial, and provincial partners—to work on shared goals. By coordinating efforts and supporting key projects, the Program helps ensure that decisions about the North are made with the people who live there, for the benefit of all Canadians. In doing so, it contributes to a sustainable and prosperous future for the North and Arctic, grounded in local leadership.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in the Departmental Plans in 2026-27. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Strategic and Science Policy | Earlier program (name match, medium confidence) | 2018-19 – 2027-28 | $43.4M |
| Northern and Arctic Governance and Partnerships | Earlier program (name match, low confidence) | 2020-21 – 2027-28 | $968M |
| Northern Strategic Policy and Governance | This program | 2026-27 – 2028-29 | — |
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Appears to combine earlier programs: Northern Strategic and Science Policy; Northern and Arctic Governance and Partnerships | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
No results reported yet.
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 6 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $151M | — |
| 2027-28 | $119M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $117M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 59 | — |
| 2027-28 | 58* | — |
| 2028-29 | 58* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 plan | $151,200,178 | $119,270,727 | $116,670,839 |
| Actual |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
