From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bathurst Inlet is a deep inlet located along the northern coast of the Canadian mainland, into which the Burnside and Western Rivers empty. The name, or its native equivalent Kingoak (Qingaut, nose mountain), is also used to identify the community of Bathurst Inlet located on the shore.
[edit] Plans for a deep-water port
A consortium of seven mining companies are sponsoring environmental impact studies to construct a deep-water port in Bathurst Inlet.[1][2] Their plans include building a 211 kilometer road connecting the port to their mines. The port would serve vessels of up to 25,000 tonnes.
A plan referred to the Nunavut Impact Review Board in May 2004 projected a capacity to moore vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes.[3] In this earlier plan the Bathurst Inlet Road would be an ice road, like that from Yellowknife, 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.[1][2][4]
[edit] Environmental issues
Environmental groups have raised concerns over the impact the road would have on the annual migration of the Bathurst Caribou herd.[5][6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Bob Weber. "Arctic port plan gathers steam", Toronto Star, July 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
- ^ a b Jonathan Ratner. "New Arctic port plan for Northern miners", National Post, July 5, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
- ^ "Case Study: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project", Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 2005 May 8. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Bathurst Inlet Port & Road", Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 2008 January 2. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. "Federal Responsible Authority(ies): Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada."
- ^ "Briefing Note: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project (BIPAR) and impacts on species in the Slave Geological Province (SGP) (NWT and Nunavut)", Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Our Programmes: Sustainable Development", Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
Coordinates: 67°34′59″N 108°30′0″W / 67.58306, -108.5
