Bathurst Inlet
Bathurst Inlet is a deep inlet located along the northern coast of the Canadian mainland, at the east end of Coronation Gulf, into which the Burnside and Western Rivers empty. The name, or its native equivalent Kingoak (Qingaut, nose mountain), is also used to identify the community of Bathurst Inlet located on the shore.
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Plans for a deep-water port [edit]
A consortium of seven mining companies sponsored environmental impact studies to construct a deep-water port in Bathurst Inlet.[1][2] Their plans included building a 211 km (131 mi) road connecting the port to their mines. The port would serve vessels of up to 25,000 tonnes.
A plan referred to the Nunavut Impact Review Board in May 2004 projected a capacity to moor vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes.[3][4][5] In this earlier plan the Bathurst Inlet Road would be an ice road, like that from Yellowknife, not an all-weather road as in post-2005 proposals, following the failure of the ice road to freeze early enough to allow transport of a whole year's worth of supplies.[citation needed][1][2][6]
| Corporation | mine site | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xstrata | Hackett River Mine | Silver and Zinc |
| Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. | Back River Project | |
| Zinifex | Izok Lake mine | Copper and Zinc |
| Rio Tinto Incorporated | Diavik Diamond Mine | Diamonds |
| Miramar Mining | ||
| Dundee Precious Metals | ||
| BHP Billiton | Ekati Diamond Mine | Diamonds |
| De Beers |
In 2008 several of the companies dropped out.[7]
Environmental issues [edit]
Environmental groups have raised concerns over the impact the road would have on the annual migration of the Bathurst Caribou herd.[8][9]
In fiction [edit]
The proposed deep-water port serves as the basis of location in Don Bassingthwaite's short story, "Too Much Is Never Enough" from the science fiction anthology, Foreshadows: The Ghosts of Zero.
References [edit]
- ^ a b Bob Weber (July 4, 2007). "Arctic port plan gathers steam". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ a b Jonathan Ratner (July 5, 2007). "New Arctic port plan for Northern miners". National Post. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ "Case Study: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project". Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. 2005 May 8. Retrieved 2008-02-01.[dead link]
- ^ "Social and Economic Considerations for the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment". Integrated Environments. 2008-03-31. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19.
- ^ "Bathurst Inlet Port & Road Joint Venture Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada". Nuna. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19.
- ^ "Bathurst Inlet Port & Road". Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. 2008 January 2. Retrieved 2008-02-01. "Federal Responsible Authority(ies): Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada."[dead link]
- ^ "Bathurst Inlet road, port project put on hold again: Partners ask Nunavut environmental assessors to delay technical review". CBC News. 2008-08-06. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19.
- ^ "Briefing Note: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project (BIPAR) and impacts on species in the Slave Geological Province (SGP) (NWT and Nunavut)". Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Our Programmes: Sustainable Development". Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
Coordinates: 67°34′59″N 108°30′0″W / 67.58306°N 108.50000°W
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