Ashleigh Gaul

In its final hearing presentation yesterday, Makivik said it believes Baffinland’s 330m-long, double-hulled icebreaking ships could easily veer more than 30km from the proposed shipping lane and enter the south Hudson Strait—Nunavik waters—doing serious damage to the area’s indigenous marine life.

Mostly North Baffin Inuit from Igloolik, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay and Clyde River remained at Iqaluit’s Cadet Hall last night to hear the end of government intervenors’ technical presentations on the Mary River project, nearly ten hours behind schedule.

In contrast to NTI’s nine-minute contribution to final hearings on the Mary River project (NIRB allotted 20 minutes for its presentation), QIA took a thorough, critical and aggressive stance in its hearing … Read more

Hearing discussions on the Mary River project’s second day shifted focus from wildlife and environmental impacts to the project’s potential ramifications on individuals and communities; after a three-hour examination of the miner’s accident and emergency response plans, Baffinland introduced the panel that would determine whether all of the previously reviewed negative impacts… Read more

After over ten hours of presentations and discussions, the first day of Mary River’s final hearings closed at 9:30pm, two items behind schedule, with the intimation of many yet unanswered questions to come.

Last Tuesday, QIA negotiator Paul Quassa spoke over Igloolik community radio to summarize the 24-article Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) offer the association made to Baffinland earlier this month. QIA expects to receive an answer from the mining company within the next month.… Read more

BW: You’ve been mayor of Igloolik since January. Can you tell me a little bit about your background?

WHAT IS AN IBA?

For 11 years, Michelline and Samuelie Ammaq lived at a series of outpost camps along the south coast of Baffin Island with their four adopted children. Their three cabins and summer camps were clustered around the mouth of Steensby Inlet. Michelline tells what it was like to live there, and her thoughts about the future of the area, below:

If the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AAANDC) decides Makivik Corporation’s request for a separate environmental assessment of the Mary River project for Nunavik is warranted, the issuance of a project certificate to Baffinland could be delayed by months.

A timeline of the Mary River project—and Baffinland Iron Mines’ part in it—from 1962 to present:

1962:

BW: Can you describe the Digital Indigenous Democracy project?