The Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project is a plan to build an all-weather road from
Bathurst Inlet
Bathurst Inlet, officially Kiluhiqtuq, is a deep inlet located along the northern coast of the Canadian mainland, at the east end of Coronation Gulf, into which the Burnside and Western rivers empty. The name, or its native equivalent ''King ...
in
Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the '' Nunavut Act'' and the '' Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act'' ...
to a complex of mines that are approximately equidistant between Bathurst Inlet and Yellowknife, NWT. There are no paved roads between Yellowknife and the mines, so they have relied on shipping supplies to the mines over winter-time
ice roads
An ice road or ice bridge is a human-made structure that runs on a frozen water surface (a river, a lake or a sea water expanse).Masterson, D. and Løset, S., 2011, ISO 19906: Bearing capacity of ice and ice roads, Proceedings of the 21st Inte ...
. However, in 2005, there was a particularly warm winter, and the ice roads weren't safe for a long enough period to bring in supplies.
A consortium of seven mining companies sponsored environmental impact studies to construct a deep-water port in Bathurst Inlet.
A plan referred to the Nunavut Impact Review Board in May 2004 projected a capacity to moor vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes.
In this earlier plan the Bathurst Inlet Road would be an
ice road
An ice road or ice bridge is a human-made structure that runs on a frozen water surface (a river, a lake or a sea water expanse).Masterson, D. and Løset, S., 2011, ISO 19906: Bearing capacity of ice and ice roads, Proceedings of the 21st Inte ...
, like that from
Yellowknife
Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...
, not an all-weather road as in post-2005 proposals, following the failure of the ice road to freeze early enough to allow transport of a whole year's worth of supplies.
The project was put on hold in 2008. It was re-initiated, in 2012.
By 2013 three mining companies were the proponents of the road: GlencoreXstrata, Sabina Gold and
Silver Corporation.
'' Nunatsiaq'' reported that the project failed an environmental review in 2016, but passed with a revised proposal in 2017. They reported the port facility was substantially completed, by September 2018, with only a single certification required before it could open for business. They reported that the port cost $24 million CAD.
References
{{Reflist, refs=
{{cite news
, url = http://www.northernpublicaffairs.ca/index/nunavut-bathurst-inlet-port-and-road-redux/
, title = Nunavut: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road redux?
, work = Northern Public Affairs
, author = Joshua Gladstone
, date = 2012-04-05
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20191217051240/https://www.northernpublicaffairs.ca/index/nunavut-bathurst-inlet-port-and-road-redux/
, archivedate = 2019-12-17
, accessdate = 2020-02-23
, url-status = live
, quote = In a letter dated March 30, 2012, Michel Boucher of Xstrata Zinc Canada and Matthew Pickard of Sabina Gold and Silver Corp. indicated their companies’ intention to re-engage the BIPAR project and submit a revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement to the Nunavut Impact Review Board before the end of 2012.
{{cite news
, url = https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674western_nunavut_mine_project_port_tank_farm_now_operational_in_bathurs/
, title = Western Nunavut mine's port, tank farm completed at Bathurst Inlet
, work = Nunatsiaq
, author = Jane George
, date = 2018-09-06
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20191017043807/https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674western_nunavut_mine_project_port_tank_farm_now_operational_in_bathurs/
, archivedate = 2019-10-17
, url-status = live
, accessdate = 2020-02-23
, quote = The project, rejected by regulators in 2016 for its environmental impacts and then approved a year later, now has only its Type A water certificate to go before completing the regulatory process.
{{cite news
, url = http://www.miningnorth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BIPR-NWT-May-28-2013.pdf
, title = Bathurst Inlet Port & Road (BIPR) Project
, work = Mining North
, date = 2013-05-28
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200224174127/http://www.miningnorth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BIPR-NWT-May-28-2013.pdf
, archivedate = 2020-02-24
, accessdate = 2020-02-23
, url-status = live
, quote = The BIPR Company is a joint venture currently composed of GlencoreXstrata and Sabina Gold and Silver Corporation formed for the purpose of being the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road project proponent.
{{cite news
, url = https://store.cim.org/en/the-bathurst-inlet-port-and-road-project
, title = The Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project
, work = Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum
, date = 2004
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200224173340/https://store.cim.org/en/the-bathurst-inlet-port-and-road-project
, archivedate = 2020-02-24
, accessdate = 2020-02-23
, url-status = live
, quote = The only road infrastructure developed within the (SGP) has been the 630km winter road from Yellowknife to Lupin Mine, now servicing Ekati™ and Diavik.
{{cite news
, url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2008/08/06/bathurst-road.html
, title = Bathurst Inlet road, port project put on hold again: Partners ask Nunavut environmental assessors to delay technical review
, work =
CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.c ...
, author =
, date = 2008-08-06
, page =
, archivedate = 2016-02-13
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160213104835/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/bathurst-inlet-road-port-project-put-on-hold-again-1.754912
, quote = Proponents of the $270-million Bathurst Inlet port and road proposal have put the project on hold again, over uncertainty about who will use and pay for the remote northern road and port.
{{cite web
, url = http://www.carc.org/sustainable_dev/BIPAR_note.htm
, title = Briefing Note: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project (BIPAR) and impacts on species in the Slave Geological Province (SGP) (NWT and Nunavut)
, publisher = Canadian Arctic Resources Committee
, author =
, date =
, accessdate = 2020-02-24
, archivedate = 2008-11-20
, url-status = dead
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081120015726/http://carc.org/sustainable_dev/BIPAR_note.htm
, quote = A transportation corridor through the SGP was first suggested in 1955 by the NWT’s Commissioner, R. G.Roberston.
{{cite web
, url = http://www.carc.org/sustainable_dev/why_would_canada.php
, title = Our Programmes: Sustainable Development
, publisher = Canadian Arctic Resources Committee
, author =
, date =
, accessdate = 2020-02-24
, url-status = dead
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090821051512/http://www.carc.org/sustainable_dev/why_would_canada.php
, quote = Nunavut wants to build a deep-sea port right in the calving grounds of the herd, where it would be used to store fuel oil for resupplying mines and communities and store metal ores for shipment to smelters. It wants to connect the port site to the mineral and diamond-rich territory to the southwest by a 215 km all-weather road-a road that would pass through the migratory route followed by the Bathurst Caribou herd from April through October.
, archive-date = 2009-08-21
{{cite news
, url = http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/232201
, title = Arctic port plan gathers steam
, author = Bob Weber
, work =
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...
, date = July 4, 2007
, accessdate = 2020-02-24
, archivedate = September 28, 2012
, url-status = live
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120928071155/http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/232201
{{cite news
, url = http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/tradingdesk/archive/2007/07/05/new-port-plan-for-northern-miners.aspx
, title = New Arctic port plan for Northern miners
, author = Jonathan Ratner
, work =
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
, date = July 5, 2007
, accessdate = 2020-02-24
, archivedate = November 6, 2007
, url-status = dead
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071106010730/http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/tradingdesk/archive/2007/07/05/new-port-plan-for-northern-miners.aspx
, quote = Rising commodity prices are being cited as the reason behind re-ignited plans to build a deep-water port at Bathurst Inlet in Canada’s Arctic.
{{cite web
, url = http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/015/001/032/sec3_e.htm
, title = Case Study: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project
, publisher =
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC; french: link=, Agence d'évaluation d'impact du Canada) is an agency of the Government of Canada responsible for federal environmental assessment process of major projects. It is part of the Environ ...
, date = 2005-05-08
, accessdate = 2020-02-24
, archivedate = 2007-03-23
, url-status = dead
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070323000946/http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/015/001/032/sec3_e.htm
, quote = The revised project (BIPAR Joint Venture Ltd., 2003; NIRB, 2004a) entails a marine port on Bathurst Inlet and a 211-km all-weather road to Contwoyto Lake, where it will connect to the existing winter road24 extending to Tibbitt Lake near Yellowknife, NWT (see Figure 6). The purpose of the port and road is to service a number of mines and potential mines, and to provide an alternative and shorter route for re-supply of fuel and goods to communities in the area.
{{cite web
, url = http://library.arcticportal.org/1402/1/AMSA_Social-and-Economic-Considerations-for-the-Arc.pdf
, title = Social and Economic Considerations for the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment
, publisher = Integrated Environments
, author =
, date = 2008-03-31
, page =
, archivedate = 2019-11-15
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20191115233613/http://library.arcticportal.org/1402/1/AMSA_Social-and-Economic-Considerations-for-the-Arc.pdf
, url-status = live
, quote =
{{cite web
, url = http://nunalogistics.com/services/bathurst.html
, title = Bathurst Inlet Port & Road Joint Venture Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada
, publisher = Nuna
, author =
, date =
, page =
, archivedate = 2011-07-14
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714215448/https://nunalogistics.com/services/bathurst.html
, url-status = dead
, quote =
, access-date = 2020-02-24
Transport in NunavutRoads in the Northwest Territories