MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET
The company behind the Mary River Project is waiting on the Nunavut Impact Review Board's recommendations regarding whether or not it can go ahead with an early revenue phase, as is proposed.

Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation president and CEO Tom Paddon, left, and Qikiqtani Inuit Association president Okalik Eegeesiak sign an Inuit impact and benefit agreement and commercial production lease associated with the proposed Mary River mine Sept. 6 at the Discovery Lodge Hotel in Iqaluit. Eegeesiak said the Inuit association and the Nunavut Impact Review Board are trying to reach consensus on certain definitions. - NNSL file photo

Public hearings took place during the last week of January and allowed interested organizations and individuals to share their thoughts on Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.'s proposed new plan of development.

Thirteen different parties convened to provide their comments on the new proposal.

The responding groups, which included the Nunavut Planning Commission, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), the Pond Inlet Hunters and Trappers Organization and others, met from Jan. 27 to 31.

Written submissions were also accepted for consideration in the review board's final recommendations.

One by one, parties in attendance shared their thoughts on the early revenue phase, which is a phased approached to the development of Baffinland's Mary River Project.

The board has to consider what changes, if any, are to be made to the Mary River project certificate as a result of the company's early revenue phase proposal and provide a report and recommendations to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt.

Although the hearings were held in Pond Inlet, the community most directly affected by the project, the review board also arranged for representatives from five other communities to attend.

Ryan Barry, the board's executive director, said the board could no longer comment to the media about the proceedings until it has completed its assessment, which must be done before March 17.

He did, however, provide a comment on the next step in the process.

"The public hearing record ... is now closed," he wrote in an e-mail.

"What this means is that no additional evidence may be filed with the board, and the hearing record will consist of the documentation filed in advance of the hearing, the oral evidence given at the hearings and the exhibits filed during the hearing. The minister has the ability to accept, reject or vary the NIRB's recommendations as deemed necessary, and will provide written reasons for his decision in any case. Please note that there are currently no time lines for the minister's response to the NIRB's report."

Baffinland announced its intention to use the early revenue phase in early 2013 as a result of poor financial conditions worldwide.

The new plan will allow the company to reach production and make money sooner by allowing production to begin in 2015 at 3.5 million tonnes per year and shipped to markets during the open water season via Milne Inlet, which already has some infrastructure in place.

This production would commence prior to the completion of a 150-km railway and a deep water port at Steensby Inlet and continue through the life of the mine.

Baffinland is seeking approval from the review board to continue the operations included in the early revenue phase for the entire life of the project.

Greg Missal, vice-president of corporate affairs at Baffinland, said he was pleased with how the hearings went and said the parties are very supportive of the project.

"There is a fair bit at stake with where things are headed and a lot of people there are working with us at the moment," he said. "The important thing is that everyone got to attend the hearings and represent themselves. Our team did a good job of presenting our application and there was a lot of good discussion from the other regulators in attendance."

It's just another step in the process, he added, and thankfully people had the ability to be involved and make their voices heard.

Okalik Eegeesiak, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, said she was able to participate until the beginning of the community round table.

She said QIA has been trying to fine-tune certain impact review board conditions and reach common ground on other definitions.

"One example is leisure time," she said. "Having commitments to let Inuit employees who want to be able to hunt in the area. We are trying to get that changed so we can discuss it with (the company)."

- with files from

Lyndsay Herman

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