Karen LeGresley Hamre

Karen has extensive project experience in the north, having worked in over 30 communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. She has also worked in three Canadian provinces and Germany, in various private and public sector positions. She has owned and operated Avens Associates Ltd., from Yellowknife since 1986, providing professional consulting services in landscape architecture, environmental and interpretive planning, and project management. Prior to that, she worked with the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Economic Development and Tourism (1983-1986), both in Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay. She has also worked in Calgary AB (Brian Dodds & Assoc.), Quebec City PQ (Ministere de l’Agriculture), Kemptville ON (Ministry of Natural Resources), London ON (Hollandia Gardens) and Germany.

Karen was a member of the Gwich’in Land Use Planning Board (1995-2004), a co-management board established under the Gwich’in Land Claim Agreement. The Board has the only enforceable Regional Land Use Plan in the NWT (approved 2003). She sat on the City of Yellowknife Development Appeal Board (2004-2010).  She sat as a board member of the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (2010-2014) and is currently on the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority Board (2004-2011 and 2015 – present).

Gordon Hamre

Gordon Hamre retired from Parks Canada after more than 25 years’ work throughout the territorial north, primarily with Parks Canada.

On behalf of Parks Canada, he participated in main table negotiations for Dene/Métis, Gwich’in, Sahtu, Tłįcho, Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut (now Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated), Council for Yukon Indians (now Council of Yukon First Nations), and, until the summer of 2012, Dehcho, Akaitcho/Treaty 8 and NWT Metis Nation.  Gordon has a broad understanding of the Crown’s position in entering negotiations with Aboriginal groups, its origins and how it has evolved over the past quarter century in the face of court decisions and the changing political context.  He also is aware of the views of Aboriginal groups who have dealt with the Crown throughout the North.

The creation or expansion of new national parks in northern Canada normally requires completion of an impact and benefit agreement with the directly affected Aboriginal group and consultations with others.  Gordon led negotiations for Nááts’ihch’oh (2012), and Tuktut Nogait (both Inuvialuit Settlement Region (1996) and Sahtu Settlement Area (2005) components), and oversaw those for Aulavik (1992), Vuntut (1995), Quttinirpaaq (2001), Sirmilik (2001), and Ukkusiksalik (2003) and the expansion of Nahanni (2009).  As part of the park establishment work, Gordon, or staff under his direction, undertook bilateral negotiations with parties with interests in national park study areas, for example mining companies and hunting outfitters.  They also dealt with industry and public interest groups like the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).  Regional context is important, so the relationship with any comprehensive agreements, land use plans, industrial activities, transportation corridors, tourism business opportunities and similar factors were taken into account.

Gordon also led the team that was responsible on behalf of Parks Canada for the designation of Saoyú-ʔehdacho on Great Bear Lake as Canada’s largest national historic site in co-operation with the Délįne Renewable Resources Council and the Délįne Land Corporation.

Other team members

Avens Associates Ltd. also draws on numerous other individuals and firms, northern and southern, to bring together teams for specific projects.