ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS AND IMPACT BENEFITS AGREEMENTS: THE PARTICIPATION OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN AT VOISEY’S BAY MINE

Abstract

<p>Resource extraction projects in the North are governed by negotiated agreements developed between industry, the state and Aboriginal governments and institutions. This thesis examines the role played by women in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) processes leading up to Voisey’s Bay mine in northern Labrador and whether women’s involvement in resource governance improves the participation and retention of women in non-traditional jobs at the mine. Using a qualitative methodology of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this thesis found that the participation of Aboriginal women was unable to significantly improve the work experiences of women at the mine. The concerns of Aboriginal women were identified by analyzing submissions made to the EIA panel by women’s groups. These concerns were then compared with the perceptions of work by women who worked in either construction or the operations phase of the mine. The confidentiality of IBA negotiations and documents are offered as one reason that Aboriginal women did not have the concerns they raised during the EIA process mitigated. The unfinished IBA was referred to by VBNC, and accepted by the panel, as a way to mitigate women’s concerns despite confidentiality preventing the contents of the IBA from ever being known. While women received prioritization in the IBA, Aboriginal women demanded quotas and targets for the training and hiring of women for the construction and operations phase. The thesis ends with a discussion of ways to alleviate the conflict between IBA and EIA processes.</p>