Ottawa announces funding for Pangnirtung’s small craft harbour

Pangnirtung’s small craft harbour will get a facelift, thanks to new funding that the federal government announced Friday.

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout joined Stephanie McLean, federal secretary of state for seniors, at a news conference near Iqaluit’s small craft harbour to announce the money from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The department has allocated $957.8 million over five years for 950 federally owned small craft harbours across Canada. The money was included in the spring economic update, McLean said, and it will be allotted through the Small Craft Harbour program.

The upgrades in Pangnirtung will include corrosion protection on the hamlet’s fixed wharf, replacement of floating wharves, improvements to the harbour’s launch ramp and dredging, according to a news release from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

When asked about specific dollar amounts for the Pangnirtung harbour, McLean said the number is not yet clear, as the government is still receiving bids.

“We can’t pre-empt that because otherwise the bids would likely come in at the numbers that we set out,” McLean said.

Idlout said the funding reinforces Canada’s commitment to communities across the North and to Arctic security, as Nunavut accounts for more than 70 per cent of the country’s coastline.

“In addition to making sure small craft harbours are in good repair, this funding will create jobs, support local economic development and provide direct benefits for Canadians,” Idlout said.

Pangnirtung is home to 80 community vessels, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans news release. That includes boats used for the commercial Arctic char and turbot industries, as well as for traditional marine mammal harvesting.

Idlout said she planned to fly to Pangirtung after the news conference, where she will discuss the importance of the harbour with the community.

“These small craft harbours are more than just infrastructure,” she said. “They provide critical support to hunters, to harvesters and to sustain our Inuit traditions.”

Another key subject Idlout planned to touch on in Pangnirtung is ensuring the harbour can withstand the effects of extreme weather and a rapidly changing climate. McLean echoed Idlout’s statements.

Stephanie McLean, secretary of state for seniors, left, explores the pack ice in Iqaluit’s harbour with her chief of staff Eric Nicol. (Photo by Mosha Folger)

“These investments will help modernize infrastructure and strengthen climate resilient facilities,” McLean said. “That way, they can stand up to climate impacts and continue supporting future generations of harvesters and coastal communities.”

Before leaving for the airport, Idlout watched as McLean, wearing a green sealskin and fox fur hat that Idlout provided, braved the pack ice with her chief of staff Eric Nicol to experience first-hand the extreme nature of Nunavut’s coast.