Arctic Bay residents want to save Nanisivik site

DENISE RIDEOUT

The residents of Arctic Bay and Nanisivik know they can’t stop Breakwater Resources from closing the zinc mine that has provided jobs and contributed money to the economies of the two communities for 26 years.

But they want to prevent the company from demolishing Nanisivik’s infrastructure and turning the tiny community into a ghost town.

“The community doesn’t want to see it just bulldozed and covered,” said Joanasie Akumalik, mayor of Arctic Bay. “They’d like to see something happen with the mine site.”

The town at Nanisivik is located about 34 kilometres from Arctic Bay. It was established when the mine opened in 1974 and is rich in infrastructure. There’s a large white dome in the centre of town, which serves as a cafeteria for the mining crew, and a metal-clad complex known as the Town Centre. The complex, owned by Nanisivik mine, houses a swimming pool, gym, school, daycare centre, fire hall, RCMP detachment, Northern store and offices.

Residents of Arctic Bay and Nanisivik fear that when the company conducts its environmental clean up after the mine closes in September, the valuable infrastructure will be wrecked along with the mine site.

The mayor told Nunavut government officials at the meeting that something positive has to come out of the mine closure. The mine is shutting down four years ahead of schedule, after Breakwater determined last year that it would continue to lose money if the mine stayed open.

Residents at the meeting suggested ways to salvage the mine site, including converting it into a training centre, a correctional facility or a military base. “The infrastructure is already there,” Akumalik said.

The new facilities could also provide much-needed jobs in the region, he said. The 30 Arctic Bay residents employed by the mine will lose their jobs when the mine closes. Several businessmen, including one who transports the mine crew to the site and back, will also be out of work.

Rebekah Uqi Williams, the MLA for Nanisivik and Arctic Bay, supports the communities’ demands and attended the meeting. “The residents would like to see something else happen in Nanisivik after the mine is closed,” she said. “They don’t want it to become like a ghost town.”

As MLA for the area, Williams said she plans to urge Breakwater and the Nunavut government to find a way to save the Nanisivik town site. “It has more facilities than many other small communities. Residents would hate to see it be demolished and buried,” said Williams.

Discussions begin

The meeting was the first time residents and mine workers were given a chance to have their say. But they have called for discussions with the GN and Breakwater since the company announced its decision to close the mine in November.

After that announcement, Akumalik publicly denounced the Nunavut government for not visiting Arctic Bay to listen to the social and economic concerns of residents.

“I am satisfied that now the government has come in and they are generally informed on what the community wants,” Akumalik said after the meeting.

Williams said the Nunavut government should continue to consult with residents. “They have lived right next door to the Nanisivik mine ever since it started. So they know best. They know more than the water board, they know more than government, they know more than anybody,” Williams said.

The communities will get another chance to pitch their ideas about future uses of the Nanisivik site when they meet with Breakwater Resources on Jan. 17.