Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

BAKER LAKE
The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) has answered challenges to its recent community meetings on the proposed uranium mine near Baker Lake, saying they were conducted appropriately and served the intended purpose.

The board's comments come after the Baker Lake Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) submitted a letter expressing concern over the way the three-day community roundtable and pre-conference hearing was held.

The author, HTO chairperson Hugh Ikoe, stated he believes the structure of the meetings resulted in a "biased discussion."

Some community members were given many chances to speak while others didn't have a chance to say anything, Ikoe wrote.

He also felt that Areva Resources Canada Inc. was given leave to steer the discussion in a way that suited the company.

"Community members were told to ask questions to Areva. Areva answered questions and responded to concerns like any mining company would.

"They told people not to worry, that they'd take care of any problems."

It would have been better, Ikoe wrote, if the community members had been given a chance to discuss their concerns with the intervening groups without Areva present.

"They could have had the opportunity to ask these groups if they agree with Areva's assessment, and if the intervening groups thought Areva's promises of jobs and environmental protection were possible," stated Ikoe, adding it would have resulted in a more critical discussion of the proposal.

Meanwhile, NIRB's executive director Ryan Barry noted Areva is the applicant and thus couldn't be excluded from the public meetings.

Further, questions were directed to Areva when it was most suitable for the company to answer, said Barry.

"Most of the questions that were received were directly about how Areva would operate the project that's being proposed so that's why the proponent responded most of the time," he said, adding the other parties were called upon when appropriate.

Comments from the parties involved in the discussion were used to create 25 additional requirements for Areva to address in the Final Environment Impact Statement (FEIS).

Barry McCallum, manager of Nunavut affairs for Areva, said there have been lots of opportunities for public input and he feels the company has been very open throughout the whole process.

Areva started speaking with communities in the Kivalliq prior to submitting its project proposal in 2008. And the discussions will continue, he said, suggesting the company would be holding open houses in the fall.

"We see the public being aware of where we are in the process, what we're planning to do, how we have used what we heard from them to date," said McCallum.

The Baker Lake HTO don't deny there have numerous consultations but, Ikoe said, there is a feeling among community members that the project will move along no matter what they say.

"After almost eight years of sharing concerns and opposition, many people are wondering what the point is in speaking out at meetings," he wrote.

Tim Tunguaq, secretary treasurer for the HTO, said the organization continues to believe a public vote is necessary.

"We can find out once and for all how the whole community feels instead of just a handful of people," said Tunguaq.

McCallum said the board has no influence over whether a public vote is called but it has reviewed the organization's comments and will consider them going forward.

"When we have future information sessions and public meetings, we'll try to ensure that we set them up in a way that the HTO and others feel they can fully participate," he said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.