First sealift due in this weekend

The first sealift of the season is expected to arrive in Iqaluit on July 7, says Chris Cote, sealift coordinator for the N3 Alliance, which operates the annual shipments.

The ship left Montreal last weekend, and will first travel to Nuuk, Greenland, before docking in Iqaluit. Next, it will head to Kimmirut, Cape Dorset and Pangnirtung.

N3 Alliance ships sail to Iqaluit about four or five times a year, Cote said. Kimmirut, Pangnirtung and Sanikiluaq each get two trips, while Cape Dorset gets three trips. All other communities in Nunavut get one sealift shipment a year.

The alliance has a Government of Nunavut contract to provide sealift services for the GN and all Nunavut residents. This is the second and final year of the current contract.

The last sealift to Iqaluit is expected to come in within the first two weeks of October.