Nunavut board approves military training exercise near Resolute

During Arctic Ram 2016, members of the armed forces will conduct a mock exercise that involves a response to a downed satellite. (PHOTO BY STEVE DUCHARME)

This year’s version of the annual Arctic Ram exercise will take place near Resolute.

The Nunavut Impact Review Board has given the green light to Arctic Ram 2016, this year’s version of an annual Arctic training exercise for members of Canada’s armed forces.

This year, that’s set to take place Feb. 10 to Feb. 19 outside the hamlet of Resolute Bay on Cornwallis Island.

The details of the exercise wouldn’t look out of place in a Tom Clancy novel.

“Exercise Arctic Ram 2016 will involve a notionally downed satellite that requires securing,” read the initial CAF project proposal to the NIRB.

Roughly 120 personnel from Edmonton, AB will parachute down to the “wreckage site” east of Resolute and secure the mock satellite.

And another 120 soldiers from Winnipeg, Man. will move to the wreckage site overland from the armed forces Arctic Training Centre near Resolute’s airport to relieve the parachute unit.

One of the main objectives of the exercise, which is held in a different region of the Canadian Arctic each year, is to train soldiers in Arctic survival and navigation.

Rangers from the First Canadian Ranger Patrol Group will provide survival training.

Marked zones on the proposal’s maps indicate the military will be operating in and around Resolute Bay, west in Intrepid Bay and north near the former Polaris Mine site on Little Cornwallis Island.

The NIRB assessed the operation to determine the ecological and environmental impact the military exercise will have.

“NIRB is of the view that the project proposal is not likely to cause significant public concerns, and it is unlikely to result in significant adverse environmental and social impact,” the screening decision said.

Arctic Ram 2016 will employ 100 snowmobiles with qamutik sleds as well as three over-snow vehicles to assist in troop transport.

One Twin Otter plane and a Hercules aircraft will also support the operation.

Under its conditional terms for the proposal, the NIRB asked that the military take all sewage, waste, debris, chemicals and fuel away with them for proper disposal after the exercise.

A minimum flight altitude of 610 metres has been set to minimize impact on wildlife by military aircraft.

It also asked the military to consult with local experts to guarantee no operations will impact hunters or other community activities.

“The proponent [CAF] has committed to training staff to be aware of wildlife issues, operational requirements to reduce the potential for impacts to wildlife, and the sensitivity of the tundra in the North,” said the NIRB decision report.

Arctic Ram 2016 is one of three annual exercises conducted by the military in Canada’s North.