Film on Proposed Grays Bay Road and Port Released During Nunavut Impact Review

A new film titled Kugluktuk Harvesters on the Grays Bay Road and Port was released this week by the Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association. Cbc reported that the documentary presents views from elders and hunters on the proposed 230-kilometre road, deepwater port on the Northwest Passage and 1.8-kilometre airstrip.

The project would cross the habitat of the Dolphin and Union caribou herd between Tree River and Wentzel River, a primary harvesting area identified through data from the hunters and trappers organization, the Government of Nunavut, Kutz Research Group and Cloudberry Connections.

Allen Niptanatiak, chair of the association, said the herd has declined from over 30,000 in 1997 to around 4,000 by 2023. “It’s home, it hits my heart. And if my family or generations after us lose that animal, it’s a loss, and I’m sorry we didn’t do enough sooner,” Niptanatiak said.

He added that the federal government needs to conduct more consultation with the organization and residents of Kugluktuk. The film calls for the herd to be listed as endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act to increase habitat protection. Andrea Hanke, a researcher with Cloudberry Connections, which helped produce the film, said the project would place a road and port through an important traditional harvesting ground.

The Grays Bay project is under review by the Nunavut Impact Review Board. , the project proponent, stated that officials will view the film to understand the concerns and expects the review board process to address them. A federal Privy Council Office spokesperson said consultations with Indigenous groups are being prepared on whether to designate the project as one of national interest.