Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Nov 18/02) - All eyes will turn to David Scott this week when he rises at the Geosciences Forum in Yellowknife to talk about Nunavut.

Scott, the chief geologist at the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office in Iqaluit, is scheduled to release the findings of three years of mineral work on three projects in Nunavut.

Results from the Committee Bay area, the central part of Baffin Island and a project in the Arctic Islands will all be tabled at the forum, scheduled to take place in Yellowknife Nov. 20-22.

Field work on all three projects began in the summer of 2000.

Scott's office has collected samples, compiled information, developed maps and done scientific background work.

They are now in the process of digesting the data. Maps will be available early in the new year.

Surprises in studies

The venue is the perfect place to circulate the information because people in the mineral industry attend specifically to hear new government information from Nunavut and the NWT. Industry folks also come to listen to updates about advanced exploration projects.

Scott said results from the last three years were satisfying because they found things they predicted they would find.

But, he said they also encountered a number of surprises.

Scott reserved comment on the specifics of the findings until he releases the information at the forum.

"We learned a whole bunch of new stuff -- a lot of practical information we can give to people to help move Nunavut ahead in its economic development," said Scott.

"The mineral potential Nunavut offers can be a driving force in Nunavut's economic future. That ties back into the people here and the opportunities there are for people in Nunavut to learn new skills."

As for the geoscience office's future plans, Scott said they were waiting for the federal government to redefine their three-to-five year mineral program.

However, Scott said during the summer of 2003, office geologists would look at the eastern part of Baffin Island to determine glacier movements and the possible presence of diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes.

Work on the Melville Peninsula will also proceed.

The Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office opened four years ago to improve the geological knowledge base of the territory.

The Department of Sustainable Development, Indian Affairs and Natural Resources Canada all participate in the operations of the office.