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Go slow on Clyde River park, mining group says

"The proposed park may jeopardize the economic future of the region"

JIM BELL

Representatives of the mining industry suggest assessing the land near Clyde River for mineral potential before turning it into a park. (PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN LAIRD)

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The Government of Nunavut, and the residents of Clyde River, may not know what they need to know to make a good decision on the creation of a huge territorial park near Clyde River, says a group representing the mining industry in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

"We are concerned that the consultation process surrounding the proposal, as reported, may be flawed and development of the proposed park may jeopardize the economic future of the region," Lou Covello, the president of the NWT-Nunavut Chamber of Mines, said in a letter to Olayuk Akesuk, Nunavut's environment minister.

The proposed park would span a huge area between the Baffin coast and the Barnes Ice Cap, taking in 16,000 square kilometers, about three times the size of Prince Edward Island.

In a story published April 22 in Nunatsiaq News, backers said the park, once established, could attract about 300 tourists a year, roughly the same number of people who visit Auyuittuq National Park.

After reading that story, the chamber of mines decided to write to the Nunavut government, pointing out that no non-renewable resource assessment has been done to determine the value of what lies under the ground in that area.

"Only then can residents make informed decisions about the best future plans for the area," Covello said in his letter.

Mike Vaydik, the general manager of the chamber of mines, said he knows of a community in the Northwest Territories that enthusiastically agreed to a park before they knew of the area's mineral potential.

A few years after that, the community tried to get the park's boundaries moved to accommodate mineral exploration, after they learned of the area's non-renewable resource potential. It was too late, however, and residents lost any chance of getting jobs in the mining industry.

In an interview this week, Vaydik refused to name the community in question, saying he doesn't want to "embarrass the community's leadership," saying it's still a "sore point" with them.

But he said the same thing could happen to Clyde River if the government makes a decision on a territorial park without trying to assess the area's potential for mineral development.

One big problem, Vaydik said, is the lack of geological information about what lies under the surface in Nunavut, an issue that the Government of Nunavut has complained about many times.

And because of the rugged, mountainous terrain in that area, this research can't be done with aerial photographs and satellite imagery.

"You need guys on the ground with rock hammers in their hands to do it," Vaydik said.

Vaydik also suggested that residents need to know that the economic potential of mining is different than the economic potential of tourism.

Developing a tourism industry in Nunavut would require massive investment by government over a long period of time, to improve services, train hospitality workers, and create tourist attractions that are worth visiting.

But mining, Vaydik said, is an industry that is developed with private capital. He points out that the $130 million that exploration companies spent last year in Nunavut was raised on the stock market from private investors, not from government.

And he says that in the Northwest Territories, the development of the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines have transformed the NWT, and has had a dramatic impact on school attendance in aboriginal communities.

That's because mines can offer high-paid year-round jobs to those with qualifications in various trades, whereas parks tend to produce low-paid seasonal jobs.

"If Nunavummiut in the Baffin region want to ensure they do not miss out on the chance of similar opportunities, they must be sure that they know what lies under the land before setting it aside for parks," the chamber's letter says.

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