With temperatures hovering around -20°C coupled with high winds and snow, the Nunavut Mining Symposium Society kicked off its annual two-day conference in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Willms & Shier lawyers John Donihee, Julie Abouchar and Charles Birchall attended to take in Nunavut's largest mineral sector trade show, network with key government, industry and Inuit Association representatives and meet friends and colleagues. The clear message from the Symposium is that communication, investment, patience and diligence remain the key ingredients to developing Nunavut's mineral and exploration sector – and to playing a key role in shaping the future of Nunavut.

Delegates were welcomed by VIPs including the Honourable Peter Taptuna, Premier of Nunavut, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister of Environment, and James Eetoolook, Vice-President, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.

Symposium speakers spoke about projects set to advance and others yet to be fully explored. They acknowledged that establishing infrastructure to construct and operate mines, as well as to deliver products to markets, remains the key challenge to resource development in Nunavut.

Nunavut Project Updates

The Symposium featured updates on projects across the Territory.

  • Meadowbank mine – Delegates learned that gold production levels are expected to increase at Meadowbank mine – Nunavut's only currently producing mine located 70 kilometres north of Baker Lake. In 2013, the mine set records, with the mill processing an average of 11,398 tonnes per day in the fourth quarter.
  • Hope Bay gold project – The Hope Bay gold project, located 90 kilometres south of Cambridge Bay, has a new owner. TMAC Resources has determined that the mine has a life of 10 years with estimates of recovered gold at 2.25 million ounces. Hope Bay has already received regulatory approvals and TMAC Resources is looking this year to secure additional funding to continue exploration work.
  • Back River Gold project – Sabina Gold and Silver Corp has filed a draft environmental impact statement for their its Back River Gold project with the Nunavut Impact Review Board. The project is located approximately 400 kilometres southeast of Cambridge Bay.
  • Mary River iron mine project – The Nunavut Impact Review Board is expected to release recommendations on the early revenue phase of Baffinland's Mary River iron mine project, located 160 kilometres south of Pond Inlet. Public hearings were held in the Pond Inlet the last week of January 2014 to give individuals and organizations an opportunity to comment on the phased approach being proposed by Baffinland.

Regulatory Change and Economic Development

Willms & Shier lawyers also attended a series of sessions dealing with improvements and changes to Nunavut's regulatory system. The Northern Projects Management Office and The Mining Association of Canada provided updates.

The last day of the Symposium featured sessions focused on community economic development and investment in infrastructure. A detailed session on uranium mining and the Kiggavik Project located 80 kilometres west of Baker Lake was also held.

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