CHESTERFIELD INLET - Areva Resources Ltd. can count Chesterfield Inlet Mayor Harry Tootoo among those who support its proposed uranium mine near Baker Lake, as long as all the proper precautions are put in place.

Areva staged a series of public meetings in Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove and Chester earlier this month.

Tootoo said he was impressed with the meeting Areva held in his community.

He said from what he's learned about modern uranium mining so far, there doesn't appear to be any real danger posed to Baker or the Kivalliq by the project.

"Chester is no different than anywhere else in that people were talking about uranium being radioactive and all that stuff, but, from what I've learned - and I may be wrong - there are few worries with contamination at this mining site," said Tootoo.

"They brought people in from Saskatchewan who work at uranium mines there, and they told us they have no contamination problems going on in their neck of the woods.

"So I would have to say the project looks very promising, but, the difficult thing for Chester is that we're so far away.

"I don't really see big benefits for us, other than the company, maybe, hiring a few people from here."

Tootoo said the biggest issue in Chester is the lack of education and training for the mining sector.

He said young people, who may want to get into this field, have to realize they need more education to obtain the mining jobs that will be coming up.

"Areva, through Barry McCallum, seems very sincere in providing the communities it visits with the answers to their questions.

"Areva provides a variety of people who live in areas already being mined to answer questions, as well as staff members involved in various operations.

"He (McCallum) seemed to be a oneman show in the beginning, but now he's bringing these people out more and more to make sure the information people are looking for is provided.

"Since I became mayor this past January, I've found he's providing people to answer questions he hears a lot, including a 12-strong team in Chester, and that's a big improvement."

Tootoo said there's still not a lot of interest in the mining industry because of the lack of employment for local people at current mines and projects in the Kivalliq.

He said it hasn't really hit home yet in Chester, that mining is going to be a big industry in Kivalliq's future.

"If they want to get into the mining sector, people here are going to have to take a closer look at it and that means adults teaching their children that education is key.

"At this point, I support industrial development because we need the work.

"But, at the end of the day, we all have to work to ensure our land, fish and caribou aren't hurt by this.

"We need industry here, as long as we have proper control and are good watchdogs for our country food."