QAUSUITTUQ/RESOLUTE - Negotiations to create a national park on Bathurst Island will soon begin, the federal government announced on April 27.

Peary caribou such as these photographed in the NWT can be found on Bathurst Island. QIA and Parks Canada will enter into negotiations to create a national park on the island. - photo courtesy of John Nagy

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association said there has been a proposal for a park in the works for the last 10 to 15 years.

"When discussions first began, the purpose was to mainly protect the Peary caribou but with the sovereignty issue, the creation of the park has become more urgent for the government," said John Amagoalik, executive policy advisor with QIA.

The proposed park would include approximately 11,000 square kilometres of land including the northern half of Bathurst Island and five smaller islands north of it along with five of the Governor General Islands to the west. The area is low lying with only a few parts of the land sitting higher than 330 metres above sea level. The land is inclement, rocky and dry. This region is home to many animals such as polar bears, Arctic wolves, Arctic foxes and Peary caribou.

"We haven't finalized land boundaries yet and that is to be discussed with the government and Inuit organizations," said Christian Boucher, Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement negotiator with Parks Canada.

Before the park can be created an Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement must be reached between the federal government and the QIA. As the designated Inuit organization in the area, this will be the fourth time the association has entered into negotiations to create a national park.

Amagoalik said one of QIA's questions is how the Peary caribou will be protected.

"For the people of Resolute this is just next door and is their primary hunting ground for Peary caribou," he said.

Elder Simon Idlout from Resolute said he welcomes the creation of another national park.

"It will help preserve migration routes of animals that go through there," said Idlout.

Residents of Resolute hunt polar bears, wolves, caribou, and muskox on the land proposed to be included within the boundaries of the national park. Boucher said once the park is open Inuit will be still allowed to hunt, harvest and use the outpost camps in the region according to a provision in the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement.

Amagoalik said while he cannot go into detail as per his discussions with the government, he said QIA would like to see the boundaries of the park include inlets and passages to the various islands.

Also on the table is the fact Amagoalik said the government has had studies and research done on the land proposed for the park. He said the information identified areas where there is a high potential for mineral development and exploration for fuel.

Boucher said the government has a process to ensure a third party is not seeking to secure exploring interests on the land potentially to be included in the national park.

The Bathurst Island area was identified in a plan by Parks Canada as being one the country's 39 distinct ecological regions, said Boucher. The goal is to have one national park is each region.

"Northern Bathurst Island is considered the best site to capture the biological and biophysical attributes that are characteristic of the western high Arctic region," said Boucher.

Two other areas of interest in the territory are the South Hampton Plain near Coral Harbour and the Ungava Tundra Plateau, which includes northern Quebec and Nunavut's Belcher Islands.

Meetings between the two parties will take place in the next couple of weeks once QIA submits a counter proposal to the government based on a boundary proposal. Boucher said QIA and Parks Canada would like to complete the negotiations regarding the national park on Bathurst Island by early 2011.