Mary River Project
Iron-Ore Mine

Mackenzie Valley Pipeline
Natural Gas Development

Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project
Transportation Hub

References

Bathurst Inlet is located just north of the Arctic Circle in the Canadian territory of Nunavut and is the site of a proposed port and all-weather road linking the mines and mineral-rich region of the Slave Geological Province with the Northwest Passage.  The Slave Geological Province is known for deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, zinc and nickel.  Currently, the region is home to all mineral extraction activity between Yellowknife and the Arctic coast. 

Once constructed, the approximate 210-km all-weather road will connect the Bathurst Inlet port with the Winter Road (Yellowknife through Contwoyto).  (The Winter Road services the diamond mines north of Yellowknife and is only open during the winter, as the road transits over large expanses of frozen water e.g. lakes.)  The overall intention to develop this project lies in reducing the transportation costs of both extracted minerals and material related to construction and day-to-day operations of the various current and future mines.  That being said, the project increases the economic feasibility for the region and also reduces the living-costs for the numerous communities.  

It is expected that the construction of the $270 million proposed project would take place over a 26-month period.  In early 2008, a draft environmental impact statement was submitted to the Nunavut Impact Review Board – a step-forward to receiving formal approval to begin construction. 

Map of proposed shipping route
Image Credit: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Joint Venture

As of August, 2008 the proposed project has been put on hold including the partners of the project (Kitikmeot Corp. and Nuna Logistics) asking the Nunavut Impact Review Board to delay its technical review of the environmental impact statement.  These developments stem from uncertainty about who will pay for the project's usage; it's unclear which mining companies want to move forward in supporting this venture.