ID: 2164
Presenting Author: Laurence Lépine
Session: 699 - Best Practices in Land Use Surveys and Better Information Sharing
Status: approve
Collaborating with Inuit communities through co-design and innovative tools streamlined Arctic land use assessments, ensuring procedural fairness and culturally grounded impact studies
Recent WSP experience in an arctic mining decarbonation project in Canada, illustrates how co-constructed engagement can mitigate procedural and relational risks by building on existing Indigenous community capacity to assess land use. The proponent had cultivated a long-standing, high-trust relationship with Inuit communities, supported by formal collaboration structures. Assessors were invited to participate within this framework not as external observers, but as aligned contributors.
This stance enabled co-design across three axes: proponent, communities, and assessment teams. Engagement tools such as 3D-printed models, interactive maps, and Inuktitut-narrated simulations were developed collaboratively. The assessment integrated GBA+ analysis and Inuit social determinants of health, ensuring that diverse perspectives informed the identification and evaluation of Valued Components. By entering respectfully into an existing relationship, assessors helped streamline not only consultation planning and delivery, but also the internal coordination of the impact study itself. Digital engagement tools supported real-time feedback loops between technical teams and community partners, reinforcing procedural fairness and narrative coherence. This case supports a minimum standard of engagement where assessors are active participants in dialogue, contributing to credibility, inclusion, and alignment with Indigenous rights and international standards.
Laurence Lépine is a Senior Community Relations Specialist at WSP. His consulting, humanitarian, and research experience inform his strategic approach to Indigenous community engagement.