North Baffin communities say Baffinland, QIA agreement headed for “rough ride”
Mayors write letter criticizing consultation process on benefit agreement, mine expansion
A letter signed by leaders of five communities who will be most affect by the Baffinland mine’s planned expansion warns of “trouble brewing” between the five communities, the QIA and the mine itself. (File photo)
A letter from the North Baffin communities affected by Baffinland Iron Mine Corp.’s proposed expansion of its Mary River mine claims the recently signed Inuit Certainty Agreement is “headed for a rough ride.”
The letter, released yesterday evening, is signed by the mayors and hunting and trapping association chair people of five communities, but the letter states it is written by the “North Baffin community group.”
Those communities are Pond Inlet, Igloolik, Sanirajak, Arctic Bay and Clyde River.
“The proposed expansion of the Mary River iron ore mine on the northern tip of Baffin Island is about to pit five Inuit communities, affected by the proposal, against their own regional Inuit association,” the letter states.
The Inuit Certainty Agreement, recently signed by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Baffinland, is a multimillion-dollar benefits agreement and would amend the current Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement between the QIA and the mine.
The ICA has 34 sections that outline direct community benefits, Inuit oversight of the project and expanded programming for the communities affected by the mine’s proposed expansion.
In an interview with Nunatsiaq News when the ICA was released, QIA president P.J. Akeeagok said the ICA was developed from what the QIA heard from communities through public hearings and community consultations.
The letter states otherwise.
“The agreement, signed without consent of the affected communities, appears headed for a rough ride,” the letter states.
The letter also states that a phone call held among the affected communities on July 17 “revealed considerable discomfort with the agreement.”
“Not satisfied with research conducted into potential impacts of the project, affected communities want the environmental assessment process to slow down. Both Baffinland and the QIA, supposedly representing Inuit interests, stand to benefit financially from the proposed development,” the letter claims.
The potential impacts of the expansion include threats to narwhal and caribou populations, the letter states.
The Nunavut Impact Review Board recently rejected a motion from Baffinland to restart the final public hearing on its phase two expansion of its Mary River mine on Oct. 30.
In its decision, the NIRB acknowledged that North Baffin community members and organizations need more time to prepare for the next steps in the process and discuss the new ICA, as outlined in an earlier letter sent to the NIRB from HTO chairs and mayors.
The letter also states the communities are voicing their concerns to the NIRB and the federal cabinet ministers ultimately responsible for acting on the board’s recommendations.
In an email to Nunatsiaq News on Aug. 13, a QIA spokesperson outlined 13 meetings held between the QIA and the respective HTOs and hamlets to discuss the ICA. The earliest meeting listed is June 24 and the latest listed is July 22.
Meetings between the QIA and the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization were postponed because of limited attendance on July 21 and because the community was unable to attend on July 22, the spokesperson said.
These meeting were held mostly by video conference, the spokesperson said.
“These meetings were each several hours long and conducted predominantly in Inuktitut to allow community leaders to discuss the Inuit Certainty Agreement clause by clause,” the spokesperson said in an email.
More to come.
A previous version of this story said the letter was signed by the mayors of Igloolik and Pond Inlet. In fact, the letter was signed by the mayors of Pond Inlet, Igloolik, Sanirajak, Arctic Bay and Clyde River, as well as the chairs of the hunting and trapping associations from those communities.
North Baffin Community Group by NunatsiaqNews on Scribd
One must wonder if the residents of the affected communities listed in the “rough ride”article were aware of the stand that their respective Mayors were about to take affecting your ability to earn a living, in order to feed and support them all. My guess is probably not. It appears that the highly paid consultants that they have all retained have their collective ears. Might I suggest that if my assumption is correct, perhaps the signatories to the letter, the honorable Mr. Arreak (mayor@pondinlet.ca) and the honorable Mr. Recinos (mrecinos@recinos.ca) should be bombarded by emails expressing your concerns. After all, you are the people that are being represented by these elected officials
One must wonder if the residents of the affected communities listed in the “rough ride” article were aware of the stand that their respective Mayors were about to take affecting YOUR ability to earn a living, in order to feed and support them all. My guess is probably not. It appears that at the present time others may have captured their collective ears.. Might I suggest that if my assumption is correct, perhaps the signatories to the letter, the honorable Mr. Arreak (mayor@pondinlet.ca) and the honorable Mr. Recinos (mrecinos@recinos.ca) should be bombarded by emails expressing your concerns. After all, YOU are the people that are being represented by these elected officials
Wow.
They keep pushing this back with the excuse that “ they don’t have time to prepare”.
The meetings were supposed to be done 5 months ago.
The company is currently paying over 150 Inuit that haven’t worked since March and continue to pay them.
Pretty unfair to not even give them a hearing. It’s either yes or no.
They’re playing this company. Sooner or later the company will pull out and close the doors.
What a great opportunity lost for so many Inuit.
I know many Inuit who love it here as they connect with so many other locals in surrounding communities easier.
The company grew a lot in the pass 3 years and it’s not the same baffinland as before. They care much deeper about the roots and people.
I love working here and I do miss working with the Inuit.
I really hope they figure this out soon before it’s too late.
The people that complain about this place have no idea what it is like here
The mayors are warped and playing with the future of the communities. QIA is responsible to negotiate an IIBA and they obviously feel that they did the best they could on behalf of their beneficiaries. If you start to add the personal agendas of local tin cup dictators to the already overly ambiguous process to develop a project in the territory, it can seriously harm the industry and those people and families that can potentially improve their lives through successful and responsible development. Mayors and QIA local directors should focus on working together so that the benefits QIA negotiates are best utilized in the communities.
We believe in our mayors. That’s why their elected.
Easy to make a comment looking from the outside, too much fb and too much time.
Well, good to see mayors and others taking possible impacts on caribou, sea mammals and culture and eat of life seriously. The way we are living now and what is happening to the world is going to be nothing but trouble for our kids. More, more, more is going to get us all into a lot of trouble.