West Kitikmeot Resources Corporation says it will provide responses by Oct. 23 to 70 questions submitted by the Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association about the proposed Grays Bay Road and Port project — a step the Inuit-owned company hopes will move the development forward in the regulatory process.
What’s at stake
The Grays Bay project would create the first link between a deep-sea Arctic port and Canada's highway system, opening a corridor that could enable industrial-scale mining of critical minerals such as copper and zinc in Nunavut. The proposed route would pass through areas used by wildlife and people — including the migration pathway of the Dolphin and Union caribou herd, a population already listed as endangered by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Concerns from harvesters
The Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association, which represents local hunters and trappers, has raised environmental worries and questioned the project’s effects on caribou and traditional harvesting. In June the association formally submitted a list of 70 questions to the Nunavut Impact Review Board focused on potential environmental impacts. The harvesters and conservation groups later released a video expressing opposition.
"Our discussions with their board members, staff and advisors have been constructive and helpful,"
West Kitikmeot's CEO Brendan Bell said the company has engaged repeatedly with the harvesters’ group. He noted the company has met with the association five times since 2023, including a site visit and a fishing trip last summer, and that Inuit perspectives have been integrated into project planning. The harvesters’ association did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Local views are mixed
Two Kugluktuk hunters who spoke with Nunavut News said they see both benefits and drawbacks to the road and port. Some community members and potential industry proponents point to jobs, infrastructure and greater access as positives. Opponents worry a permanent road and port could disrupt caribou movements, alter local ecosystems and affect food security tied to traditional harvesting.
- Deadline: West Kitikmeot aims to answer 70 questions by Oct. 23.
- Meetings: Company met with Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association five times since 2023.
- Wildlife concern: Road would cross migration route of the Dolphin and Union caribou herd (endangered).
Regulatory next steps
The company hopes the written responses will clear another hurdle in the Nunavut Impact Review Board process. The board and other regulatory bodies will consider those responses alongside technical studies, Indigenous knowledge and public input as they decide whether the project can proceed and under what conditions.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions submitted | 70 (June) |
| Company response due | Oct. 23 |
| Meetings held | Five since 2023 (including site visit and fishing trip) |
The issue highlights the balancing act in Nunavut between economic development opportunities and the protection of wildlife and Indigenous ways of life. With the Oct. 23 reply date approaching, communities and regulators will be watching whether the company’s answers address the harvesters’ concerns in a way that satisfies both local interests and conservation priorities.
