Nunavut, Nuuk deepsea port companies
co-ordinate for better emergency response

Three deepsea port companies in Nunavut and Greenland have signed an agreement to co-ordinate for better response to maritime emergencies, such as groundings and spills.

Qikiqtaaluk AEDC, the proponent of the Qikiqtarjuaq deepsea port, and West Kitikmeot Resources Corp., the proponent of the Grays Bay Road and deepsea port, have been in talks with Sikuki Nuuk Harbour A/S since 2020, said West Kitikmeot’s CEO Brendan Bell in an interview Tuesday.

“Greenland is a great example for us to aspire to,” Bell said by phone from his office in Calgary. “With respect to, more broadly, infrastructure, but certainly on the port side.”

The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding, which is a non-binding document that outlines similar goals and values, to “strengthen co-operation between maritime infrastructure,” said a joint news release from the firms, published Monday.

Serious discussions about making an official agreement occurred over the last year and a half.

“[The ports] are awfully far from each other,” Bell said, “but together their impact can be much greater. Their utility can be much higher if they’re connected and co-ordinated as a series of infrastructure assets in the Arctic.”

For example, he said, in case of an emergency, such as a grounding or a spill, having ships already stationed in the Arctic and ready to deploy means quicker response times.

Bell said that the longer ice-free seasons in the North American Arctic will inevitably lead to more shipping through the Northwest Passage, which means more mishaps.

“This is all motivating our need to get together and have this discussion,” he said. “Before it’s too late … and we aren’t able to respond to spills, or potential shipping disasters, or the need for search and rescue assets to be deployed.”

Representatives from West Kitikmeot Resources Corp. and Qikiqtaaluk AEDC are part of a trade mission to Greenland this week, headed up by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

The signatories of Monday’s memorandum of understanding will meet in Nuuk to discuss their next steps, Bell said, adding that he’s eager to learn from Greenland and to apply those lessons to Grays Bay.

Asked what those next steps could be, Bell declined to answer, saying, “I don’t want to scoop myself.”

“We and [Qikiqtaaluk AEDC] are in the planning stage at the moment, and there’s a lot to be learned from Nuuk,” he said. “Things to do, things to avoid, opportunities to take advantage of.”

In a statement to Nunatsiaq News, representatives from Sikuki said they previously spoke about business activities informally with the two Nunavut companies. The memorandum of understanding allows the trio to have a more structured relationship.

“It is a foundation to build on,” the statement reads, adding that the group will explore opportunities for co-ordinated emergency-response, supporting vessels and sharing information on how to operate an Arctic port safely.