RANKIN INLET - Rankin Inlet was well represented in a group of 70 people who toured Finland and Greenland this past month.

The trip was paid for by Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM) Ltd., which hopes to develop its second Kivalliq gold mine at Meliadine, near Rankin.

AEM also operates the Meadowbank gold project near Baker Lake.

Rankin Inlet Coun. Kyle Sheppard got to try a little reindeer sleigh riding while visiting the Kittila gold mine in Finland in March of 2011. - photo courtesy of Kyle Sheppard

Rankin Mayor Pujjuut Kusugak described the trip as an educational experience.

He said although working a tight schedule, the visitors had ample time to have all their questions answered.

"We were split into groups at the Kittila gold mine in northern Finland," said Kusugak.

"Our first stop was the milling station, where it was explained how they extract the gold, the chemicals used, what's done with the tailings and what they plan to do once the mine is closed.

"Then we went to the underground operation and that, in itself, was pretty amazing."

Kusugak said while he did feel a little uneasy while underground, he was impressed by the machinery used for drilling and putting in roof supports.

He said that, at least, gave him a bit of an idea how things are done.

"I've never seen anything like that before, so it was pretty amazing to see what kind of work goes into mining underground.

"You can feel pretty small down there and it was a relief to get back up in open space."

Many people are wondering how Rankin will look if Meliadine gets going, what the effects of a working mine might be and what kind of operation might be used.

Kusugak said getting a scope of that was the main reason he agreed to go.

He said he wanted a good picture in his mind to be able to inform council on the size of the project AEM wants to do.

"The open pit there could happen at Meliadine, and it's no small thing.

"You have to understand the impact it would have on our environment, but, at the same time, you want to hear what the benefits were to the local people.

"Everybody knows the negative impacts mining can have on the land, but it also provides opportunities and benefits to a community by people gaining employment and developing their skills.

"You have to look at the risks and ask is it worth it to open something like this so our children and grandchildren can have good jobs?"

Kusugak said the people he spoke with made it sound like a lot of employment was brought there by AEM.

He said the year-round employment the mine created was a huge benefit to the local population.

"They also talked about the skills being taught to the locals and people in nearby regions.

"There's a possibility another mine will be opening somewhere in the area, which could create competition for the valuable skills these people now possess.

"It makes all the difference in the world when you're able to travel to the site and talk to the people there."

Coun. Kyle Sheppard said he was also impressed by what he saw on the trip.

He said there's far more invested in technology in Finland, than at the Meadowbank gold site.

"They've used technology to minimize that workforce, while there's more of an emphasis on job creation in Baker.

"The level of education there is unbelievable, with about 50 per cent of the Finnish population being university educated.

"The person I was with during our mine tour has a master's degree in electrical engineering and he's an underground miner now."

Sheppard said the mine's footprint was much smaller than he expected.

He said the operation is very focused and, even with an open pit, there's no great mass of land being torn open.

"They're focused on the gold and not digging up anything they don't need to.

"I found the open pits to be actually quite small."

Sheppard is the first to acknowledge he has a very positive outlook on the Meliadine project.

He said the biggest benefit of the trip was being able to talk to municipal governments in both Finland and Greenland, as well as the people themselves.

"We had complete unfettered access to everyone we wanted to talk to - with no coaching, just honest opinions - and every single person had nothing but positive things to say about the mining operation.

"The mine was almost the exact same distance from our hotel as Meliadine would be from Rankin.

"They draw 50 per cent of the workforce locally, so there's very, very low unemployment.

"When you see the infrastructure there, including the road system, you realize how far behind these other Arctic countries Northern Canada truly is."

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