Arctic Bay, Nunavut, is expecting to receive federal money to build a small craft harbour in 2025, six years after the project was first announced.
In 2019, the federal government revealed plans to build harbours in four Nunavut communities — Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay.
That’s part of the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area and the associated Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement, which is meant to support local training and employment.
The federal government’s fall economic statement last week proposed $105.9 million over seven years, starting in 2025, for construction in Arctic Bay. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) expects it to be operational by 2031.
“Community and commercial fishing, hunting, food supply, safety and security issues, transportation, tourism, and socialization will be enhanced at the community and regional level,” DFO wrote in an email.
DFO estimates the harbour will create roughly 60 to 150 jobs during the construction period, and $90 to $130 million in GDP.
“This project will be publicly tendered as a set-aside project for firms on the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Inuit Firm Registry and will include Inuit Benefits Criteria,” DFO said.
Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout said the announcement has been a long-time coming.
“Time and time again they keep neglecting the North unless forced to act. Now, we see the first steps and I won’t stop pushing until the harbour is complete,” she said.
“Hunters and trappers in Nunavut feed their families and keep their culture alive.”
Construction of Clyde River’s small craft harbour in September 2024. (Caitlin Joanas/CBC)
Meanwhile in Clyde River, construction of a small craft harbour there is underway by Pilitak Enterprises. That’s set to be operational by summer 2026.
Pond Inlet, which was also a party to that conservation area agreement, opened their community harbour in 2022. The construction timelines for Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay remain unclear.
According to the Nunavut Impact Review Board database, the Government of Nunavut partnered with Worley Consulting this year to support geotechnical studies for the two proposed community harbours.