Company behind uranium exploration project clarifies Baker Lake plans for residents

A Vancouver-based mineral exploration company visited Baker Lake last week to meet with residents and address questions about a proposed uranium exploration project approximately 65 kilometres southeast of the community.

Bayridge Resources Corp., held public information sessions at the Baker Lake Community Hall from March 11 to 13 that drew more than 100 residents, a company news release said.

The visit revealed there were some misconceptions among residents about the project, including uncertainty about whether any work had already taken place, said Kasey Stone, the company’s community engagement lead.

“We actually haven’t done any work in the area. This is early engagement before any work takes place,” said Stone.

Some residents were also concerned about what type of uranium-related activity was being proposed, she said.

The proposed activities are limited to early-stage exploration, including geological mapping and sampling, with no mining or processing planned.

During the sessions, Stone and the company’s vice-president of exploration Mark Richardson, shared maps outlining their mineral claims and invited community members to highlight areas of importance. An Inuktitut interpreter was present to translate, the release said.

“Through that, we learned information on caribou migratory paths, as well as concerns about work being done on a portion of the eastern side of the claim block on our map,” Stone said.

She said the company has excluded from its exploration plans areas the community identified as important.

Bayridge acquired a 51 per cent interest in the Baker Lake Uranium Project from Privco, a British Columbia-based private company, in December 2025, a news release said.

The exploration project consists of 83 mineral claims covering roughly 619 square kilometres in Nunavut’s Kivalliq Region, southeast of Baker Lake.

Past work in the region, including mapping, sampling and surveys, involved an estimated $7 million in exploration spending, it said.

The proposed exploration program has entered the screening phase with the Nunavut Impact Review Board, which evaluates whether further review is required.

The company also outlined potential local employment opportunities if exploration moves forward, including hiring wildlife monitors and offering on-the-job training for young people.

“This project is a fairly recent acquisition, so that’s why it was important for us to visit the community, have these meetings, and continue that engagement so the community is aware that we’re there and what we’re working on,” Stone said.