Road to aid mining in Canadian North

摘要

Several exploration projects in the Slave Geological Province of northern Canada are set to benefit if plans materialize to build a 290km all-weather road linking the region to a new deep water port at Bathurst Inlet on the Arctic Sea. Although the area has enjoyed a rush of diamond projects in recent years, and these plus several gold projects would have easier logistics, the road would b of particular value for base-metals projects in transporting future concentrates out. A feasibility study of the 215 million Canada dollars road (MJ, August 31,2001, p.163) was completed earlier this year by Vancouver-based Nuna Logistics, which is 51 percent owned by two Inuit (Eskimo) community groups. A technical committee overseeing the project has also held consultations with local communities in the West Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. According to Tony Keen, a consultant who is the project manager, "if everything went perfectly", construction of the road and port would begin in 2004, with completion scheduled for 2006. Environmental baseline and heritage studies are presently under way, and Mr Ken is waiting for the Nunavut Territory and federal governments to provide guidelines for an environmental-impact assessment. The permitting process is expected to take about 18 months.