In wake of mine expansion rejection, Baffinland set to head back to communities for talks

Baffinland Iron Mines is not giving up hope that it can win over Nunavut communities, along with the hunters and trappers groups. 

After the company's proposed mine expansion project was rejected by the federal minister this week, Baffinland's Paul Quassa says the company will head to communities before Christmas for more talks.

"We're constantly going to the communities," said Quassa, a senior advisor with the company and an Iqaluit city councillor.

He said it's all about "having good communications" with people and the hunters and trappers in each of the communities.

"There has to be that constant dialogue, in order to fully work together in collaboration."

He said as an Inuk himself, he hunts, eats country food, and he "fully understands" the concerns people have raised.

"We all do. And that's why we are constantly in communications … to talk about mitigations. What can we do to mitigate these issues?" he said.

The expansion project at Baffinland's Mary River mine, which sits about 160 kilometres from Pond Inlet, would have seen the mine's annual output double to 12 million tonnes of ore. The project would have also involved the construction of a 110-kilometre railway to the Milne Inlet port.

In May, the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB), after a long review, recommended that it not be allowed to proceed. The NIRB concluded that the mine has the potential for "significant adverse ecosystemic effects" on marine mammals, fish, caribou and other wildlife, which in turn could harm Inuit culture, land use and food security. 

On Wednesday, Dan Vandal, northern affairs minister, agreed that the project should not go ahead for the time being.

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said earlier this week that many Inuit are not necessarily opposed to mining operations, but that they want it done as safely as possible. James Simonee, a Pond Inlet resident also told CBC News this week that he was relieved the project wasn't going ahead, however, that he wasn't totally opposed to mining in general.

"It's not that we want the mine to close, but we don't want Phase 2," Simonee said.

Quassa said mitigation the company has already implemented includes handing out gas vouchers to Inuit in Pond Inlet area to go out hunting, to ensure they can "continue hunting in a traditional way, to ensure that food security is there."

"We've told other communities that if we are going to be doing more work closer to your area, these are the things that we can give," he said.