Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs was established in 1986. From 1975 until 1977, responsibility for this program was vested in the Municipal Affairs Division of the Department of Local Government and from 1977 until 1986, it was vested in the Northern Airports Division of the Department of Local Government. On April 1, 1990, the Northern Airports Division was transferred to the Arctic Airports Division of the Department of Transportation. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs was restructured and assumed responsibility for the programs of the former Land and Assessment Division of the Department of Local Government. In 1990, this program was transferred to the Municipal Operations and Assessment Division of the Department. The Community Works and Capital Planning Division was created in 1986. It assumed responsibility for some of the programs of the former Community Planning and Development Division of the Department of Local Government. Community Planning provided an advisory service to assist communities in guiding and controlling the use and development of their land. Technical assistance and funding was also provided and planners assisted community councils in identifying and planning for land development. In 1987, the Emergency Measures Division was created. It assumed responsibility for the programs of the former Emergency Measures Division of the Department of Government Services. The Department of Finance was also included in MACA to reflect the responsibility of the minister of Finance for all the territorial taxation programs.
In 1995-96 MACA was divided into four divisions; the Directorate; Community Development; Sport and Recreation; and Community Planning and Lands. The Directorate division continued to be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the department. It provided guidance for the implementation of department programs and was now responsible for the Emergency Measures Organization. The Community Works and Capital Planning, Community Planning, Surveys and Mapping and Municipal Operations and Assessment divisions were amalgamated into the above four divisions.
Between 1997-98, the new organizational structure of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs was designed to respond to the community empowerment priority and to position the Department for the realization of division of the Northwest Territories. Instead of four divisions there were now seven divisions: Corporate Affairs, Directorate, Emergency Services, Community Monitoring and Evaluation, Community Operations, Community Development and Regional Operations. These divisions worked together to deliver training programs to community governments and provide professional consultation and funding to enable the communities to plan, develop and manage their own financial and human resources, physical infrastructure, land, emergency plans, sports and recreation services.
Between 1999-2000, there were some changes to the organizational structure of the department. The Community Monitoring and Evaluation Division was renamed Community Governance and Financial Services. Despite the change in the name, this division continued to assist community governments to be self-reliant and manage legislated responsibilities through strategic planning, assessment, training, the development of by-laws and evaluating the community's government performance. The School of Community Government activity was a new initiative developed between 1999-2000. The goal of this activity is to build partnerships with other government departments and with Aboriginal organizations that have training needs related to community governments. This activity is expected to develop and deliver technical, management and community development training to support community governments' employees and representatives.
In 2000-2001, there were further changes to the organizational structure of the department. The Corporate Affairs Division and the Directorate amalgamated all programs and services under the Directorate. The Community Governance and Financial Services Division was split to form two separate divisions, the Community Governance Division which was responsible for municipal legislation and land claims and the Community Financial Services Division that focused on provision of community operating assistance and capital programs. Programs from the Community Operations Division, such as the community capital programs were transferred to the newly formed Community Financial Services Division and a new division, Lands Administration, was created and assumed the responsibilities for managing Commissioner's Land, property assessment and surveying and mapping from the Community Operations Division.
In 2002-2003, the Community Development Division was renamed the Sport, Recreation and Youth Division. It provided advice and assistance with recreation, sport and some youth programs and represented the GNWT in its partnership with the Sport North Federation, the Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Western Arctic and the NWT Recreation and Parks Association. This Division also coordinated volunteer recognition programs and assisted with the development of volunteerism.
In 2014 under the terms for devolution, the Lands Division (Commissioner's Lands management) transferred to the new Department of Lands.