Hudson Bay MLA raises alarm over proposed Port of Churchill expansion

Newly elected Hudson Bay MLA Jason Iqaluq hit the ground running during his first week representing his Sanikiluaq constiuents in the fall session of the legislative assembly.

When it was his turn to question Premier John Main on Friday, Iqaluq raised an alarm over his community’s concerns about proposed upgrades to the Port of Churchill, located about 900 kilometres northwest in Manitoba.

“This project has the potential to have impacts on the Hudson Bay ecosystem and the waters surrounding Sanikiluaq,” Iqaluq said.

He was following up on correspondence shared with the government in May by his predecessor, Daniel Qavvik, who resigned from the legislature in June, spurring the Sept. 28 byelection in which Iqaluq was elected.

Iqaluq pressed the Premier for a response to the correspondence before the end of the fall session on Nov. 5.

Main assured Iqaluq the government would reply prior to that date.

The project, dubbed Port of Churchill Plus, was referred to the federal government’s new Major Projects Office in September 2025, which means it has the ability to speed up the permitting process.

The project seeks to upgrade the Port of Churchill, Canada’s only deep-water Arctic port, and “expand trade corridors with an all-weather road, an upgraded rail line, a new energy corridor, and marine ice-breaking capacity,” according to the federal government’s website.

While Nunavut is not a direct proponent of the project, the territory is a stakeholder, Main said.

“It is an exciting time to look at the concept of strengthening transport links to benefit Nunavut residents,” Main said. “Nunavut needs to be connected to the rest of the country.”

However, Main said he agrees it’s important Nunavummiut’s environmental concerns be heard during the process.

Iqaluq followed up by asking if the Nunavut Impact Review Board would have an opportunity to assess the project.

Main said that would be clarified in the government’s written response later in the session.

“As it is a transboundary issue, it’s quite complex,” he said.

Iqaluq said he was satisfied with Main’s response to his question, in an interview in his office following the session.

However, he does not share Main’s optimism for the project.

“If it scares off wildlife, it is definitely going to be a bad thing for our community,” Iqaluq said. “We have to make sure that nothing is going to be disturbed.”