POND INLET - Baffinland Iron Mines' Mary River iron ore project near Pond Inlet has just gained another $50 million for exploration this year and Inuit in the area are going to feel the benefit, according to a company official.

Exploration is expected to continue at Baffinland Iron Mines' Mary River project southwest of Pond Inlet after the company raised $50 million for exploration through a stock offering. - photo courtesy of Roland Landry

Community and regional Inuit companies will be sharing contracts to supply an upcoming bulk sampling effort, said Al Gorman, Baffinland operations manager.

The company plans to hire more Inuit as the project progresses, he said.

However, the effort to share the jobs and contracts around the region is angering some in the nearby community of Pond Inlet.

The Toonoonik-Sahoonik Co-op in Pond Inlet had the main supply deal with Baffinland for three years, said Israel Mablick, hamlet councilor.

Residents of the community of about 1,300 were upset to see the contract go to the regional Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, he said.

"When I heard of it, I thought, 'There goes the job opportunities for the people of my community,'" he said.

Gorman, however, said awarding the contract to the corporation made sense.

"We felt they were more adequately resourced in terms of equipment," he said.

Much of the work going to the corporation is for road construction, he said, and the it has equipment such as loaders and trucks - and the Co-op doesn't.

Giving the contract to the regional corporation also meant jobs would go to several different communities instead of just Pond Inlet, he said.

"About half our workforce is Inuit," said Gorman. "We have a strong commitment toward employing locally."

Presently there are about 50 Inuit workers at the site from Iqaluit, Pond Inlet and Iglulik, he said.

Liaison officers are going to be placed in other communities such as Arctic Bay and Rankin Inlet to recruit more, said Gorman.

The Co-op in Pond Inlet, has not been left out in the cold, added Gorman.

"We're in the process of finalizing a contract for the supply of groceries and other stuff," he said. "It's a fair-sized contract."

Around 25 employees working at the site are from Pond Inlet, said Mablick.

They were hired through the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, but "there is money going into the economy that way as well," said Gorman.

It's a start, conceded Mablick, but he said that council is looking at other ways to negotiate with the iron ore company.

Another issue that Pond Inlet council has with Baffinland is a perceived lack of communication from the company.

They didn't know the contract was changing hands until they heard it on the radio, said Mablick.

People were "shocked and discouraged" by the news, he said.

Gorman said that having community liaison officers will improve communication.

"It will assist in facilitating access for the people and the company to share information with respect to the project," he said.

Calls to the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and Toonoonik-Sahoonik Co-op were not returned prior to press time.