How We Work and Who We Serve

How We Work

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has evolved a great deal over the last three years. Today, we focus on core federal responsibilities and play an increasingly active role at the international level. Most importantly, we have reoriented our policies, and science and technology programs to encourage sustainable development: the integration of economic, social and environmental objectives in decisions to develop energy, forestry and mineral resources.

NRCan's Earth Sciences Sector provides geoscience and geomatics information to support public policy decisions. This sector also provides support for polar science, as well as expertise and technology to help clients exploit domestic and foreign markets.

The Canadian Forest Service has two main objectives — to promote the sustainable development of Canada's forests, and the competitiveness of the forest industry. The Canadian Forest Service delivers its science and technology program through five national target-based networks.

The Minerals and Metals Sector encourages the sustainable development of Canada's mining industry, including minerals and metals. This sector provides policy advice and commodity and statistical information. It is also the federal government's primary source of expertise on explosives regulations and mining, minerals and metals technology.

The Corporate Services Sector (now known as Corporate Management Sector) provides: financial; real property, environment and security; information management; and human resources services.

Under Direction and Coordination, there is a Corporate Policy and Portfolio Coordination Branch, a Communications Branch, and an Audit and Evaluation Branch, as well as the Executives Offices of the department. The services these areas provide improve performance measurement and accountability, ensure an integrated approach to departmental policy and planning, and help Canadians, clients and employees understand NRCan's mandate and programs.

Who We Serve

Our principal clients and stakeholders are the natural resource industries — energy, forestry and mining — and spin-off industries. These sectors benefit from the knowledge and expertise we provide in four areas:

• finding resources;
• extracting resources in an environmentally responsible manner;
• adding value to them through processing and manufacturing; and,
• recycling them.

We also serve the Canadian geomatics industry, which includes mapping and remote sensing.

Other government departments, at all levels, are also major clients. They need the knowledge we provide to help them make decisions and develop policies based on sound advice and analysis of economic and scientific input.

In addition, our activities benefit a wide range of other important clients and stakeholders.

• The civil engineering industry requires information on construction materials (sand, gravel, concrete); and terrain hazards (earthquakes, landslides, degrading permafrost).
• The financial industry needs sound science for assessing investment risk (e.g., new mining ventures). The insurance industry needs information of potential terrain hazards.
• Public utilities, such as Hydro-Québec, need a forecast of magnetic storms to minimise the effects on electrical distribution grids.
• The transportation sector, such as the aviation industry, uses our aeronautical charts and volcanic ash hazards alert service. In the north, remote sensing is used for determining the state and extent of the ice pack.
• Aboriginal groups benefit from our information on resources for managing their affairs, including land claims. The services of our legal surveys role may be required in land claim negotiations.
• The general public derives a "public good" benefit from jobs (including those from the resource sectors directly and from spin-off industries and services); and safety (e.g., air safety, construction codes for buildings).