BAKER LAKE - The community of Baker Lake and Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. came together to celebrate a pair of milestones earlier this month.

The Kivalliq's own Susan Aglukark performed a special concert in Baker Lake earlier this month to kick off celebrations for the progress being made at the Meadowbank Gold Project. - photo courtesy of Larry Connell

A ceremonial ribbon was cut by Premier Paul Okalik to mark the completion of the road to the Meadowbank Gold Project, and Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) president Jose Kusugak noted the signing of a water-compensation agreement between Agnico-Eagle and the KIA.

The community celebration was kicked off by a special guest appearance and concert by Susan Aglukark, Kivalliq's own Juno award winner.

An open house was held at the AgnicoEagle office in Baker before Premier Okalik, Kusugak, Economic Development Minister Patterk Netser, Baker MLA David Simailak, Mayor David Aksawnee, elders, Agnico-Eagle board chair Jim Nasso and company president Ebe Scherkus gathered for the ribbon ceremony at the first bridge to officially open the 110-km road.

Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. regional manager of environment, social and government affairs Larry Connell said the all-weather road was built by Inuit.

Connell said the ceremony was a milestone for both the company and the community, and was symbolic of a bridge to a prosperous future for the Kivalliq.

He said the gathering was an opportunity for AgnicoEagle management to immerse themselves in Inuit culture and reiterate their commitment to play an important role in the development of the region.

"The Meadowbank project has been many, many years in the making and it's finally reaching the point where it's becoming a reality and moving through into construction," said Connell.

"The completion of the road was the first significant phase of that back in March.

"This was our first chance to celebrate the project moving through the regulatory phase and pending the signature of the minister of Northern Affairs, into full construction this summer that will lead to a 2010 startup.

"The project is moving from being one of a promise to something the people are starting to see come out of the ground."

Agnico-Eagle has an obligation under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement to compensate Inuit for the use of water and for the water the company is disturbing.

The Meadowbank project will dike off and drain a portion of a lake to mine the gold below.

The company will ultimately reflood the pit to turn it back into lakes.

The signing with the KIA was a step forward in compensating Inuit for the water rights associated with the Meadowbank project.

Originally, Meadowbank was to involve two years of construction and eight years of operation.

That's now changed to 10 years of operation.

Connell said the increase is due to additional gold resources found and the price of gold helping to turn marginal material into resource.

"We've developed a good relationship with the community and the key to maintaining that is to keep communicating.

"We've agreed to set up regular meetings with the hamlet council to exchange information on things that are becoming irritants or that we need from each other to put to bed any rumours that surface.

"We're also going to set up a community-liaison committee we hope will include elders, youth, council members and others in the community to meet with us regularly to discuss issues related to the project and how the mine is impacting the community.

"That dialogue would help us adapt and modify our methodology so that we continue to be a good corporate citizen in the community."

When it reaches final operation in several years, Meadowbank's workforce will peak at 480 on a primarily rotational basis of two weeks on and two weeks off.

To date, the project's workforce has been between 35 to 38 per cent Inuit. Connell said the company hopes to improve that number.

"We have a number of programs to hopefully train the next generation of employees at the mine site.

"Inuit need to train for the next generation of jobs, not just take the lowest-paying jobs the mine has to offer, so we have to start providing opportunities now for young people to get the education and training they need to become the next generation of middle management.

"Our agreements allow for giving preference to Inuit beneficiaries, but the secondary preference goes to all Kivalliq residents."