Clyde River small craft harbour set for completion this year

Construction on Clyde River’s small craft harbour will be wrapped at the end of this season, says a representative from the engineering consulting firm working on the project.

David Parsons, a senior civil engineer with CBCL Ltd., gave an update on the project Thursday at the Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa during a session on infrastructure as a driver for northern economic development.

“Nunavut has got one of the longest coastlines in the country, 24 out of 25 communities are on the coast,” said Parsons.

“Yet right now, there’s only around two communities that currently have small craft harbours.”

Work on the harbour started in early summer 2023 after the federal government awarded the nearly $38-million contract to Pilitak Enterprises Ltd. of Iqaluit.

Clyde River was one of four north Baffin Island communities the federal government identified in 2019 for plans to build small craft harbours, Parsons noted. The others were Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay.

“During our first visit, we sat down with elders and we got to talk to them about the need for this infrastructure,” he said. “They’ve been talking about this for decades.”

Parsons played a time-lapse video of the last construction season for attendees and noted how the seasons and weather are a challenge to work around in that area of the North.

The four-day Aqsarniit trade show wrapped up Thursday.