AREVA Kiggavik Project Blog

September 1st, 2011 - Contest Winners Tour Kiggavik Camp

author: AREVA

The three winners of AREVA’s Ask a Question contest and the lucky draw winner of the AREVA Youth Forum all went up by helicopter to the Kiggavik camp for a tour on August 11, 2011. Pamela, Kirsten, Arlynn and Hollyn were accompanied by AREVA’s Community Relations Assistant, Olivia. They were able to tour the exploration drill areas and drill core shacks as well as the main office, the kitchen and living quarters. At the first aid cabin Aaron gave them an overview of medical and first aid resources available to the employees and contractors while at the camp. The environment protection team explained their role and showed them videos of the Thelon break-up and of a drill rig being moved from one area to another.

Although all participants agreed that the most interesting part of the visit was to see the drilling area, they also all agreed that the most exciting part was the helicopter ride. Aside from learning about exploration work on the tundra they also learnt from the helicopter pilot how to tell if there is rainfall in the distance. Pamela, Kirsten, Arlynn and Hollyn’s final comments were that it was definitely a good learning experience and really out of the ordinary!

August 30th, 2011 - Kiggavik Community Liaison Committee Update

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community, environmental assessment, general communication

The Kiggavik Project Community Liaison Committee (CLC) held its latest meeting on August 9, 2011 in Baker Lake. The meeting was well attended by community organizations’ representatives. AREVA provided updates on the activities that took place at the Kiggavik exploration camp this summer and also on the Kiggavik environmental assessment. AREVA also provided an overview of the activities organized by its summer student to engage youth, including a youth forum held on August 10, 2011. The CLC was asked what it thought about a dock facility in Baker Lake. The response was that a dock would be OK but dust would have to be controlled. Members of the CLC also raised topics of interest to them including:

the timing of the construction of the road to Kiggavik and the potential dust from road construction and how to manage it,
the need for more information about yellowcake,
the desire to have more homeland visits and tours of the Kiggavik camp, and
the request form the Hunters and Trappers Organization to meet more frequently with AREVA and tour the Kiggavik site.

The next CLC meeting will likely take place in early October and will be announced on this blog.

CLC meetings are open to the public, all are welcome to attend.

August 4th, 2011 - AREVA Youth Forum on Wednesday, August 10, 2011

author: AREVA

Article Tags: AREVA, baker lake, community, general communication

Are you a youth living in Baker Lake?

AREVA wants to hear from you!

Join young AREVA employees at the Baker Lake community hall next Wednesday to hear them talk about their work, ask questions about their jobs and the Kiggavik Project and express your views.

There will be some refreshments for all and several door prizes.

You will also have the opportunity to be entered to win a trip in a helicopter to go to the Kiggavik Project site.

So join us and bring your friends!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Community Hall

3pm to 5pm and 7pm to 9:30pm

July 29th, 2011 - Baker Lake Bike Rodeo was a success

author: AREVA

Article Tags: AREVA Sponsorship, baker lake, community

Cheryl is proudly wearing her new bike helmet donated by AREVA.

11 children recently participated in the Baker Lake Bike Rodeo organized by the RCMP and AREVA. The focus of the bike rodeo was to provide the children with basic bicycling safety tips. They learned how to signal when turning, to bike opposite to motor vehicle traffic, to stay on the site and not in the middle of the road and to always wear a helmet. As part of the bike rodeo, the participants’ bikes were engraved, they received a bike safety colouring book and stickers and a brand new bike helmet. After all the fun learning about biking safety, the young bicycle riders were treated to treats and juice. “It all made for a great afternoon” said Olivia Ullyot, AREVA’s Community Relations Assistant, who helped organize the event with Theresa Aylward, RCMP Summer Student.

11 Baker Lake children had lots of fun learning about bike safety at the Bike Rodeo organized by AREVA and the RCMP.

July 29th, 2011 - Traditional Wear Fashion Show brought to you by AREVA

author: AREVA

Article Tags: AREVA Sponsorship, baker lake, community, Nunavut Day

: Luke (1st) and Jonathan (2nd) proudly wearing their winning outfits

: Jonathan and his sister Kirsten placed 2nd in their respective category.

: Elders John Killulark (1st) and John Nukik (2nd) won the men category

: AREVA’s Community Relations Assistant, Olivia Ullyot introduced the 5-12 years old who participated in the Traditional Outfit Fashion Show.

On Nunavut Day – July 9, 2011 – AREVA Resources was the proud sponsor of the traditional outfit fashion show in Baker Lake. The event was very well attended and counted 28 show participants. There were a total of 6 categories offered and the winners were:

Girls 5-12 years old

1st Place – Cassandra Niego (outfit designed by Winnie Attungala and Paula Rumbolt

2^nd Place – Neigo Killulkark (outfit designed by Joan Killulark)

Boys 5-12 years old

1^st Place – Luke Tunguaq (traditional caribou outfit designed by Lucy Tunguaq)

2^nd Place – Jonathan Tootoo (special occasions outfit designed by Winnie Attungala)

Girls 13-20 years old

1^st Place – Dana Tunnuaq (outfit designed by Bessy Scottie)

2^nd Place – Kirsten Tootoo (special occasion outfit designed by Winnie Attungala)

Boys 13 -20 years old – No Entries

Ladies over 21 years old and elders

1^st Place – Hannah Killulark (outfit designed by Hannah Killulark)

2^nd Place – Ita Kalliraq (outfit designed by Ita Kalliraq)

Men over 21 years old and elders

1^st Place – John Killulark – (special occasions outfit designed by Hannah Killulark)

2^nd Place – John Nukik (outfit designed by Martha Nukik)

AREVA’s Baker Lake Office Community Relations Assistant for the summer, Olivia Ullyot, was the master of ceremony for this event and skillfully made all the announcements in both English and Inuktitut. We want to thank all those who participated by wearing their traditional outfits as well as those who came to view and cheer them on. As you can see in the pictures from the event below, traditional Inuit wear is colourful and beautiful and AREVA welcomed the opportunity to celebrate Nunavut Day with the community of Baker Lake.

July 11th, 2011 - Baker Lake Grade 9 Students Visit Kiggavik Camp

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, camp, general communication

On June 21, 2011 Jasper, Magdelene and Glen, three grade nine students from the mine development course at Jonah Amitnaaq secondary school in Baker Lake visited the Kiggavik Project site. They were hosted by AREVA’s Community Relations Summer Student, Olivia Ullyot. This site visit was in response to a discussion Olivia had with the students back in May.

The student’s visit consisted of a tour of the Kiggavik camp facilities and discussion with some of the technical staff present at site. Kim Sarauer, Environment and Radiation Protection Supervisor and Brittany Thoms, Summer Student, gave a talk on the programs in place to protect workers and the environment from the potential impact of site activities. As part of their presentation Kim and Brittany provided a demonstration of radiation protection equipment and the helicopter tracking software. The students then visited the first aid facilities where Aaron Veldstra, Safety Officer and First Aid Attendant, spoke about the health and safety programs implemented at the camp. Next, Dwayne Kumar, a geologist, discussed the exploration drilling and core assessment program and demonstrated the equipments the geologists use in their work. Finally, the students visited the incinerator and spoke with Wildlife Monitor, Ian Amarook about wildlife protection measures taken at the Kiggavik site. After this comprehensive visit the students enjoyed lunch at site and returned to Baker Lake by helicopter.

On the trip back the students commented on their day at Kiggavik. Jasper said that his favourite part of the trip was the helicopter ride to the site, although he thought that the incinerator was an interesting piece of machinery. Magdelene mentioned that she particularly enjoyed touring the camp and the core shacks. Glen’s favourite aspect of the visit was learning about the instruments to measure radiation. In the end, all three students agreed that Wildlife Monitor was the coolest job at the site.

July 1st, 2011 - 2011 Kiggavik Camp Open Season – Training Sessions

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, camp

The annual start-up of the Kiggavik camp in late May begins with pre-start-up training sessions. This year the training sessions consisted of Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods and firearms safety. The camp start-up also includes orientation for camp rules, environmental protection as well as safety and radiation protection. The orientation is carried out as the crew comes together and continues through out the open camp season. This year a new component of camp orientation was added: cultural awareness training. On May 28, 2011 Jean Simailak from Baker Lake came to the Kiggavik camp to provide the first cultural awareness session to a group of 12 people, including 4 AREVA employees, 2 catering contractors, 2 helicopter contractors and 4 Inuit camp operations workers from Baker Lake. The session was informal with stories and personal examples of Inuit and people from different places and backgrounds interacting for the first time. Feedback received from the participants indicates that they all enjoyed the session and appreciated the opportunity to discuss matters related to culture and traditions. More cultural awareness sessions will occur as new people come to the Kiggavik camp to work.

June 23rd, 2011 - Kiggavik Project Community Liaison Committee Meeting – Baker Lake – May 27, 2011

author: AREVA

Article Tags: AREVA, baker lake, community, general communication, uranium development

The Kiggavik Project Community Liaison Committee (CLC) held a regular meeting on May 27, 2011 at the AREVA office in Baker Lake. Newly appointed members Joedee Joedee, representing the Hunters and Trappers Organization, and Calvin Noah representing the Youth were welcomed and elections for Chair and Vice Chair were held. Casey Tulurialik, the representative for the District Education Authority, was elected as Chair. Joedee Joedee was elected as the Vice Chair. The committee was provided an update on the advancement of the environmental assessment process for the Kiggavik Project. A guidelines workshop was held by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) in Baker Lake on March 22 and 24, 2011 and the Final Guidelines for the Kiggavik Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) were issued by NIRB on May 2, 2011. The draft EIS is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. The following information was also presented during the CLC meeting:

The Kiggavik camp was ready to open for the 2011 summer field season at the end of May and pre-start-up training sessions in Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods and safe handling of firearms were conducted in Baker Lake.
Cultural awareness training program was planned for the first week of June 2011.
Negotiations have not yet started on the Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement with the Kivalliq Inuit Association.
IQ validation interviews have been held in six of the Kivalliq communities over the winter. The meeting with Chesterfield Inlet representatives was cancelled due to bad weather and will be rescheduled.

The next CLC meeting will take place at AREVA’s office in Baker Lake either on Wednesday, July 27 or Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 7pm. Like every meeting since the creation of the CLC in December 2006, this meeting will be open to the public. The exact date will be announced prior to the meeting.

Background:
The CLC’s mandate is to help ensure that the Baker Lake community’s views and concerns are heard and understood by AREVA, as well as to advise the company on matters related to the Kiggavik Project. Committee members are an important source of information on AREVA’s project and activities for others in Baker Lake.

A number of organizations are represented on the CLC including Baker Lake’s Hamlet Council, Elders Society, Youth Group, District Education Authority, Hunters & Trappers Organization, Health Committee, Justice Committee, business community, and Aberdeen Lake People. CLC members are appointed by their respective organizations and are not necessarily for or against AREVA’s proposed Kiggavik Project. Committee members have an obligation to pass on information and work with AREVA to build and maintain healthy company-community communications. The contributions that committee members make are very important to both the community and to AREVA. The CLC is an essential part of AREVA’s community relations program.

June 14th, 2011 - AREVA Resources Canada’s Connection to Japan

author: AREVA

Article Tags: AREVA, general communication, Japan nuclear reactors, saskatchewan, TEPCO, Uranium

AREVA Resources Canada, like many other Canadian companies and individuals, has been watching closely the developments at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) nuclear power plants in Japan. Indeed, TEPCO, is not only the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan but also a partner of AREVA Resources Canada in the Cigar Lake Project in Northern Saskatchewan. Like our parent company, we have expressed our total solidarity and support for the Japanese population and our mining joint venture partner TEPCO. We are all hoping for the resolution of the situation as soon as possible with minimal impact to the general population and environment. The AREVA group is doing its part to help remedy the situation at Fukushima as indicated in yesterday’s post and AREVA Resources Canada and its employees also mobilized to help in anyway they could by sending over $8,700 to the Canadian Red Cross to contribute to the Japan and Asia-Pacific relief efforts.

June 9th, 2011 - Presentation to the Kivalliq Wildlife Management Board – Rankin Inlet – June 2, 2011

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, environment, general communication

On June 2, 2011 Barry McCallum, AREVA’s Manager of Nunavut Affairs, made a presentation to the Kivalliq Wildlife Management Board at their Annual General Meeting in Rankin Inlet. The presentation focused on the wildlife aspects of the Kiggavik Project environmental assessment and AREVA’s wildlife cooperative initiatives. This was the 6th presentation made by AREVA to the Kivalliq Wildlife Management Board since 2007.

This presentation can be viewed in the downloads section of this blog.

May 24th, 2011 - Environmental Assessment Process Update

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, environmental assessment, Environmental Impact Satement, general communication, Government of Nunavut, regulatory, Uranium, uranium development

Here is a quick update on the status of the Kiggavik Environmental Assessment Process:

November 15, 2010 – Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) released the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) guidelines. The deadline for comments was January 25, 2011. 17 comments were submitted.
February 9, 2011 – NIRB released revised draft EIS guidelines. The deadline for comments was March 2, 2011. 13 comments were submitted.
March 22-24, 2011 – NIRB held a guidelines workshop in Baker Lake, NU. A number of federal and territorial governments departments participated along with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) and the Kivalliq Inuit Association. Non-governmental organization that participated in the workshop included the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board, Makita and the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee.
May 3, 2011 – NIRB issued the final EIS guidelines to AREVA for preparation of the document for submission.

The next steps of the environmental assessment process will include the following:

AREVA will submit a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to NIRB, likely before the end of 2011.
NIRB, federal and territorial regulators, non-governmental organizations and the public will review the DEIS before the final EIS is prepared and submitted by AREVA.
Following another review there will be a final hearing and a recommendation by NIRB to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

We will continue to provide updates throughout this process.

May 19th, 2011 - AREVA is mobilized for Japan

author: AREVA

Article Tags: AREVA, Fukushima, general communication, Japan nuclear reactors, questions, radiation, TEPCO

There has been a lot of ink on the nuclear situation in Japan and we have been pretty quiet on this issue on this blog. It is now time to provide an update on what AREVA has been doing to help its colleagues, partners and the general population in Japan following the deadly earthquake and ensuing tsunami of March 11, 2011.

At the time of the earthquake and Tsunami, AREVA had about 100 employees in Japan, including 18 from France, Germany and the United States. Within hours of the events, AREVA was able to account for all its employees and offer to relocate them to the Kyushu region in south Japan if they wished.

Within days of the Japan earthquake and tsunami and accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant AREVA responded by:

Donating 1 Million Euros (about 1.4 Million Dollars CAD) to the Japanese Red Cross, which has 86 medical teams and nearly 600 workers in the area;
Chartering a plane to deliver 3,000 activated charcoal protective masks, 11,000 Hazmat suits, 200 self-contained breathing, 40,000 gloves, 6,870 blankets, 972,000 FFP2 protective masks, medicinal products, more than 100,000 bottles of mineral water, 100 metric tons of boric acid and a neutron absorber made available by Electricite de France, as well as radioactivity detection equipment provided by Canberra an AREVA subsidiary specializing in the manufacture of nuclear detection and measurement equipment; and
Dispatching more than 15 AREVA experts from France, German and the United States to Japan. These experts are specialized in radiation protection, management of spent fuels, decontamination of radioactive effluents, management of used storage pools, management of contaminated sites and in boiling water reactors.

Throughout the month of April, AREVA’s 15 experts on the ground in Japan and our Reactors and Services teams in France, Germany and the USA have been working with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant) to find adequate solutions for the issues that arose at Fukushima as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. AREVA proposed a solution to treat most of the contaminated water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant and TEPCO accepted. AREVA’s proposed method is based on a “co-precipitation concept” developed by AREVA and used in the Marcoule and La Hague facilities in France. The process uses special chemical reagents to separate and recover the radioactive elements. AREVA will then draw on its expertise and solutions for treating and managing these elements. Read more on this water decontamination process here. AREVA is also offering its spent fuel management expertise to TEPCO.

AREVA’s experts continue to be available to TEPCO, the Japanese Safety Authority (NISA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help monitor and remedy the situation at Fukushima.

May 18th, 2011 - Field Season is Underway

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, camp, jobs, uranium development

The 2011 Kiggavik Project pre-field season really started back in late March with the winter haul. This year the winter haul consisted of close to 40 overland trips provided by Peter’s Expediting Limited over an ice road to the Kiggavik site. Peter’s Expediting, an Inuit owned company from Baker Lake, has been hauling fuel and other supplies needed for the field work at Kiggavik for the past 4 years.

The actual exploration field season is scheduled to start by the end of May. This year the exploration camp will employ about 20 local people. Employees will receive orientation sessions including cultural sensitivity, firearms safety and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training.

Several local contractors will provide services during this field season, such as Arctic Fuels (labour), NHTC-Nunami Helicopter Transport Corporation based out of Rankin Inlet and Tangmarvik (safety).

April 3rd, 2011 - Ice Profiling on Baker Lake

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, road, safety, transportation

Back in February, Kiggavik Project’s Environment and Radiation Protection Supervisor had the opportunity to ride along with Peter from Peter’s Expediting during one of his ice profiling excursions on Baker Lake. Ice profiling is essentially measuring ice thickness. It is required before starting the winter haul of supplies from Baker Lake to the Kiggavik Project site. To measure the ice thickness they use a combination of sonar instruments and drill test holes with an ice auger, which helps to verify the accuracy of the data collected by the sonar instruments. AREVA is committed to protecting the safety of its employees, contractors and neighbours, ice profiling is one example of how AREVA’s safety standards are applied.

March 25th, 2011 - Committed to Training

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, regulatory, safety, training, transportation

AREVA is committed to provide adequate training for its employees but also to help its contractors be the best suppliers they can be. This commitment was illustrated at the beginning of February 2011, when AREVA Resources joined forces with Peter’s Expediting to provide online Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) and Workplace Hazardous Materials Identification System (WHMIS) training sessions in Baker Lake.

Six of Peter’s Expediting employees completed the TDG and WHMIS training over two days and six more registered to complete the program at a later date. The group met in AREVA’s Baker Lake offices were six laptops had been set-up to provide the online training. AREVA’s Kiggavik Project Environment and Radiation Protection Supervisor, Kim, was on hand to assist the participants with any technical difficulties. This training not only met AREVA’s commitment to continuously improve and meet its safety standards, it also provided its contractor with the resources to meet regulatory training requirements.

March 15th, 2011 - NIRB Open House – Tuesday, March 22, 2011 in Baker Lake

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community, environmental assessment, general communication, open houses, questions, regulatory, Uranium

Prior to commencing the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines development workshop for the Kiggavik Project proposal, in Baker Lake, NU, an open house will be held on Tuesday, March 22. This open house will allow parties with jurisdictional authority over aspects of the Kiggavik Project to explain the role of their organization in the NIRB’s review of the Kiggavik project proposal. Parties are asked to deliver a short presentation to the public on behalf of their respective organization or group, and the Proponent for the Kiggavik Project – AREVA Resources Canada Inc. – is invited to provide an overview of its project proposal, with opportunity for questions from the public. Details of this open house are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 – 6:30pm to 10:00pm

Location: Community Centre, Baker Lake NU

March 15th, 2011 - NIRB Community Information Session – March 21, 2011

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community, general communication, regulatory, Uranium

As part of its public awareness progrom for the review of AREVA Resources Canada Inc.’s Kiggavik Project proposal, the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) has developped a series of public presentations and related materials to provide information materials related to uranium mining and uranium matters to the general public. A community information session will be held in Baker Lake on Monday, March 21 to provide community members with this information. Attendance by government regulators and other interveners is not required for this community information session, though all such parties are invited to observe as desired.

Date: Monday, March 21, 2011

Location: Community Centre, Baker Lake, NU – 6:30pm to 10:00pm

March 15th, 2011 - NIRB Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines Development Workshop for the Kiggavik Project Proposal

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, regulatory, Uranium

As part of it’s review of the Kiggavik Project proposal the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) will be hosting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines development workshop. Details are as follows:

Date: March 22-24, 2011 – 8:30am to 12:00pm and 1:30pm to 5:00pm

Location: Community Centre, Baker Lake NU

The objective of this workshop is to bring together parties with jurisdictional authority over the proposed project and/or with technical expertise to offer, to assist the NIRB in finalizing the Revised Draft Guidelines for the Proponent’s (AREVA Resources Canada Inc.) preparation of the EIS for this review. Active participation by parties with technical expertise and advice to offer to the NIRB will help ensure the Final EIS Guidelines provide the Proponent with clear direction for use in creating an EIS submission which addresses the extensive information requirements of the public review process for this proposed development.

The EIS Guidelines development workshop will be facilitated by NIRB staff and set-up to allow for a roundtable discussion, with assigned seating for confirmed participants and a general seating area for interested members of the public. All parties will be provided with an opportunity to speak to each issue of interest on the agenda in a structured format, with an open microphone also made available for members of the general audience. Simultaneous English-Inuktitut interpretation will be made available throughout the workshop, open house and community information session.

The NIRB asks that parties planning to attend the EIS Guidelines develpment workshop provide the NIRB as soon as possible with a list of their planned representatives and the key issues they wish to have included on the agenda for discussion. Parties are also asked to limit their planned participants to required individuals only, as only limited seating can be made available at the table for each group during the workshop sessions.

For further information and/or to confirm planned attendance please contact:

Ms. Sophia Granchinho, Technical Advisor – NIRB

Email: sgranchinho@nirb.ca

Tel: 1.867.793.4633

March 8th, 2011 - Government of Nunavut to Hold Public Discussions on Uranium

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, Government of Nunavut, regulatory, uranium development

The Government of Nunavut will be seeking public input on Uranium in the coming months in order to develop a position and policy about Uranium in Nunavut based on the principles of Aajiiqatigiinniq (decision making through discussion) and Ikajuqtigiinniq (working together for a common cause).

Nunavut currently has Six Principles on Uranium Development. These six principles guide AREVA’s Kiggavik Project team in its exploration activities and preparation of the proposed project Environmental Assessment documents.

The Government of Nunavut will be hosting community meetings in Iqaluit, Baker Lake and Cambridge Bay. Dates, times and locations will be advertised by the Government of Nunavut you local radio, television, newspaper and on their website www.uranium.gov.nu.ca. This information will also be available on this blog in the calendar section.

Views and/or concerns can be provided to the Government of Nunavut using the following:

Online via the website www.uranium.gov.nu.ca
Email: uranium@gov.nu.ca
Call: 1-877-212-6438
Fax: 867-975-6089
Mail to:
Uranium Review
P.O. Box 1000, Stn. 204,
Iqaluit, Nunavut, X0A 0H0

March 8th, 2011 - Government of Nunavut Cambridge Bay Community Meeting on Uranium

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, Government of Nunavut, regulatory, Uranium

The Government of Nunavut is hosting community meetings to listen to Nunavummiut opinions on uranium mining in Nunavut.

Cambridge Bay • Luke Novoligak Community Centre

April 12
5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Open House

April 13
1:30 – 4:00 p.m. Open House
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Panelist presentations and public discussion

Panelists scheduled to attend are the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Golder Associates, Nunavummiut Makitagunarningit, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

Refreshments served

March 8th, 2011 - Government of Nunavut Baker Lake Community Meeting on Uranium

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community, general communication, Government of Nunavut, regulatory, Uranium

The Government of Nunavut is hosting community meetings to listen to Nunavummiut opinions on uranium mining in Nunavut.

Baker Lake • Qamanituaq Recreation Centre

March 30
5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Open House

March 31
1:30 – 4:00 p.m. Open House
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Panelist presentations and public discussion

Panelists scheduled to attend are the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Golder Associates, Nunavummiut Makitagunarningit, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

Refreshments served

March 8th, 2011 - Government of Nunavut Iqaluit Community Meeting on Uranium

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, Government of Nunavut, regulatory, Uranium

The Government of Nunavut is hosting community meetings to listen to Nunavummiut opinions on uranium mining in Nunavut.

Iqaluit • Cadet Hall

March 16
5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Open House

March 17
1:30 – 4:00 p.m. Open House
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Panelist presentations and public discussion

Panelists scheduled to attend are the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Golder Associates, Nunavummiut Makitagunarningit, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

Refreshments served

February 6th, 2011 - Hiring a Community Relations Assistant – Summer Student

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, jobs, recruitment

We are looking for a summer student to work as a Community Relations Assistant at our Baker Lake Office.

Responsibilities:

Make preparations for community meetings and events
Assist with the preparation of information material
Provide requested information to residents
Coordinate English-Inuktitut translation
Take notes at information meetings and presentations, and transcribe electronically
Maintain records of communication events and information provided/requested
Liaise with Kiggavik project team members on public consultation events

Skills and Qualifications:

Strong communication, inter-personal and organizational skills
Self-starter who is well-organized and able to work independently
Ability to speak and write in English and Inuktitut is essential
Knowledge of the exploration mining industry is an asset
Knowledge of office computer software is an asset
Some post secondary education in communications or public relations

Efforts/Demands of the Position:

Work will include attending evening and week-end meetings
It will be necessary to translate Inuktitut as it is spoken and take notes in English
Will require travel to other communities in Nunavut as well as to Saskatoon and occasionally to other places for meetings
Ability to communicate with some residents who may have strong views

Place of Work:

Baker Lake, Nunavut

To apply:

Upload your resume and cover letter at http://www.arevaresources.com/careers/career_opportunities
Drop off your resume and cover letter at the Baker Lake office
Fax your resume and cover letter to the Baker Lake office at 867-793-2002
Email your resume and cover letter to AREVA at careers@areva.ca.

For more information you can contact our Baker Lake office at 867-793-2000, a Human Resources Advisor in Saskatoon at 306-343-4500 or send us a note using the contact form on this blog at http://www.kiggavik.ca/contact/

December 9th, 2010 - Letter from the Saskatchewan Mining Association

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication, saskatchewan

By Pam Schwann, the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Mining Association on December 1, 2010

(Click here to download the full letter)

Dear Editor:

The Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA) would like to respond to comments reported from uranium mining opponents during a meeting held at Iqaluit, Nunavut on November 18. While our activities are focused within Saskatchewan, misinformation spread by opponents to uranium development in other regions has the potential to adversely affect the Saskatchewan exploration and mining industry.

The public deserves a balanced set of facts on the potential benefits and effects of developing uranium resources. Opponents to uranium mining use a combination of dated information, information presented out of context, unsubstantiated facts, and errors of omission to make their arguments more dramatic and sensational. For a relevant picture of how uranium mining could affect people in Nunavut, we look to the current operation of mines in northern Saskatchewan. The mines and mills of the Athabasca Basin now provide about one-fifth of world uranium production.

December 4th, 2010 - Nuclear Safeguards

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication, safety

An effective system of nuclear safeguards is in place to ensure that uranium currently mined in Canada is not used for nuclear weapons. This is managed through international treaties. In the past, uranium from Canada supported the military programs of our allies. Uranium can no longer be sold from Canada for military purposes. Sales under military contracts have not occurred since the late 1980s when it was sold by the Canadian crown corporation of Eldorado Nuclear Ltd.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established within the United Nations to ensure that safeguarded nuclear material, such as Canada’s uranium, is not used for military purposes. To learn more about IAEA safeguards, visit the IAEA website: http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/index.html

December 3rd, 2010 - Mining Best Practices Protect Humans & Environment

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication, safety

Present mining best practices protect humans and the environment. In recent decades the mining companies have created a common framework of internationally recognized, shared principles and practices designed to meet the definition of sustainable development advanced by the Brundtland Commission. The mining industry has improved from practices used in the past. The International Council on Mining and Metals and the World Nuclear Association have developed principles of sustainable development for mining and for the uranium mining industry. Uranium mining companies follow these principles and practices as currently, which are described in “Sustaining Global Best Practices in Uranium Mining and Processing: Principles for Managing Radiation, Health and Safety, Waste and the Environment.”

December 2nd, 2010 - Doctors Help Us Understand The Health Affects of Radiation

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication, radiation, safety

The medical community continues to lead the development of radiation protection systems used throughout the world. Canada’s nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), uses a variety of sources of information to inform its regulations and practices, including the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. These international organizations determine the health effects of radiation exposure and make recommendations on the protection of people and the environment.

Responsible for developing recommendations regarding radiation dose limits, the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) was created by the medical community and is currently led by a medical doctor who specializes in radiology. The ICRP committees are made up of medical doctors along with research scientists from a number of medical fields, all of whom are recognized as experts. The nuclear industry follows the advice of the ICRP whose work “helps to prevent cancer and other diseases and effects associated with exposure to ionising radiation, and to protect the environment.” More information on the system of radiological protection and the ICRP can be found on their website.

December 1st, 2010 - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication, regulatory

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) protects the health, safety and security of Canadians as well as the environment, and respects Canada’s international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Dr. Michael Binder, President of the CNSC, has responded to misrepresentations, misunderstandings and falsehoods presented by anti-nuclear activists and web site posts. Check out some of the responses on the CNSC website.

November 30th, 2010 - Uranium Has To Be Safe

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication, safety

Uranium in Canada is currently mined in a manner that protects humans and the environment. In fact, it is the task of mining industry proponents in the environmental assessment processes to show that the impacts of their projects will not significantly harm the environment or human health. The project assessment process conducted under the Nunavut Impact Review Board provides numerous opportunities for technical experts from a variety of federal, territorial and Inuit organizations in addition to any interested people to scrutinize mining industry statements of impacts and determine their acceptability. Check out the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s web site, particularly their Mythbusters section.

November 12th, 2010 - Another Update from Nunavut

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, open houses

Since our last post, we have been to Chesterfield Inlet, Coral Harbour, and we are now in Repulse Bay. We had some weather challenges that prevented us from being in Repulse when we were schedule to be there. We made it to Coral Harbour on Monday and even though it wasn’t the scheduled time for the open house, we had a great showing.

Here is a recap of where we’ve been and who we’ve talked to:

Baker Lake: Open houses on November 1 and 2 with 159 people attending. We did a presentation to about 100 grade 9-12 students.

Rankin Inlet: We had an open house on November 4 with 63 people attending. We had a meeting with the Hunters & Trappers Organization as well.

Chesterfield Inlet: We had open houses on November 5 and 6 and had 54 people join us.

Coral Harbour: We had open houses on November 8 and 9 with 62 people attending. We had a meeting with the Hunters & Trappers Organization and with three high school classes from grades 10, 11, and 12.

We are thankful to be welcome by everyone into these communities. We have had some great conversations and keep receiving good questions about uranium mining and the Kiggavik project.

For those of you that can’t make it out we still want to hear from you. Leave a comment or fill out this survey. We mentioned a radiation demonstration in our last post, and we now have it up on YouTube. You can watch it here:

November 5th, 2010 - From Baker Lake to Rankin Inlet

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, open houses, questions

The Kiggavik Project team has spent the last week in the Kivalliq region conducting open houses. So far, we have been to Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet to meet with local people. The intent of the open houses are to provide information on the Kiggavik Project, answer questions, and importantly, gather feedback from the public. This feedback is very important to us and we will use the information in our Environmental Impact Statement.

Never been to an open house and not sure what to expect?

Our open house is a “come and go” format. We have posters setup around a gym with nearly ten staff on hand, a Saskatchewan Elder, and a translator who will all help guide you through the project. Our staff includes technical experts on project design, radiation, environment, and wildlife. We are all here to answer your questions and provide you with more information on the project. Many of these conversations occur over coffee and snacks that are provided.

When we have a good crowd of people, we do an overview presentation and explain AREVA’s commitments to the environment, safety, wildlife, and society. After each presentation we draw for door prizes!

Radiation Education is Popular

In our past consultations, we have been asked to talk more about radiation. We listened, and this tour, we brought along some of our radiation experts, Kristine and Dale.

They do an interesting and effective demonstration on radiation. We took a video of the demonstration and will post it sometime soon. We are also showing a new video on radiation, which you can view here.

Come and talk!

We have more open houses planned in the next week. We are flying to Chesterfield Inlet today. Click here for the full schedule. If you can’t make it, please take the time to ask questions here on the blog. We just launched a new survey to get your feedback on a number of important factors. Click here to fill out the survey.

October 26th, 2010 - Open House Schedule Announced

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, general communication, open houses

AREVA Resources Canada invites you to an open house to learn more about the proposed Kiggavik Project and uranium mining and milling. Â Come and enjoy some refreshments with us and meet our team. Â You may even take home a door prize. Â We will be happy to answer your questions and ask for your comments on the proposed project. Â The schedule is below. Â We will be at the open houses from 2pm to 9pm so you can drop in whenever is convenient for you.

We hope to see you at one of the open houses. Â If you have any questions or want more information, you can ask us here, call us at 1-867-793-2000, or visit us at our Community Liaison Office in Baker Lake.

October 4th, 2010 - Camp Closed – Until Next Year!

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, camp, general communication

We have a short season to get a lot done at the Kiggavik camp. In fact, we had exactly 89 days this year. The camp opened on May 31. The crew ventured through the snow to unlock the cabins, shovel the snow, and commission camp. For the next 3 months, much work needed to get done. Luckily, we had a great crew this year. Many of the regulars were back this year and we were happy to have a great group of local workers help make this season a success.

Here are some of the highlights from this year:

9274 meters were drilled
Wildlife protection measures were in place throughout the season
Environmental baseline was carried out
All of this great work was carried out on schedule!
37 people visited the Kiggavik camp; visitors came from the Hunters & Trappers Organization, Community Liaison Committee, contest winners, and elders
20 locals were hired at Kiggavik and about 10 other locals worked for us in some capacity. Â Local workers helped operate the camp, monitor wildlife, and worked as geological assistants, kitchen helpers, and wildlife field assistants.
We switched from storing diesel in drums to envirotanks in 2009, and switched to storing jet fuel in envirotanks this year.

One of the highlights of 2010 comes from Naomi, the project’s Environment & Radiation Protection Supervisor. A week long science camp called “Actua” was offered in Baker Lake for the first time. The camp did a number of activities related to water quality, environment, and mineral exploration. Naomi and one of the pilots, Frank, attended. Naomi gave a presentation on human and environmental health protection; Frank, talked about helicopter pilot’s daily duties. The students got to learn and play with radiation monitoring equipment and look at camp photos. After this, the students went to the Baker Lake Airport for a tour of the helicopter with Frank. The students were inquisitive, interested, and a lot of fun. This experience was definitely a highlight for Naomi!

Work is scheduled to resume around June 1, 2011. Just because our field season is over, doesn’t mean we aren’t keeping busy in Nunavut. Our Baker Lake community office remains open, CLC meetings will continue, and we are planning an open house tour for sometime in November.

September 15th, 2010 - The Final Tours of 2010

author: AREVA

Article Tags: camp, community, general communication, tour

The last week before the Kiggavik camp closed for the season we hosted tours for the Community Liaison Committee (CLC), the Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO), and with contest winners and elders. Visits normally included a tour of the camp and discussions with geologists, the safety representative, and the environment and radiation protection group. A total of 37 Baker Lake residents visited the site this summer and 8 of these were winners of the “Ask a Question” contest. Tour groups were impressed with how clean the camp and the area is.

The tours were a good chance for some local people from Baker Lake to meet and see some of their friends and family at their work place. The below photo shows a proud grandmother visiting her grandson

September 9th, 2010 - The “Ask a Question” Contest is Over

author: AREVA

Article Tags: camp, community, general communication, questions

After many questions and answers about the Kiggavik Project, the Ask a Question contest is over. Thank you to everyone who participated. It was great to see so many good questions related to uranium mining, the environment, tailings management, radiation, decommissioning, jobs, and other topics. Many of the question-askers got a chance to take a helicopter ride to the Kiggavik site and tour the operations. Read about one of the visits here.

Just because the contest is over, we don’t want you to stop asking questions. Post your comments and questions anywhere on this blog and we’ll make sure to reply!

August 30th, 2010 - Awarding Excellence

author: AREVA

Article Tags: award of excellence, community, general communication

AREVA is proud to present its annual award to exceptional students in Kivalliq communities. We call it the Award of Excellence, because it’s about highlighting graduating students showing excellence in math, science, and Inuktitut. Each recipient is picked by the local school and awarded at the graduation ceremony. Each recipient is given a laptop to help them continue their education. We first began by giving this award to a Baker Lake graduate in 2006. In 2009, we expanded it to the other Kivalliq communities.

This year’s recipients are

Harry Niakrok (shown in above photo) from Rankin Inlet
Kenny Sivanertok from Repulse Bay
Faith Ningeongan from Coral Harbour
Nathaniel Tapatai from Baker Lake
Amy Owingayak from Arviat
Ashley Tanuyak from Chesterfield Inlet

It is great to see graduating students taking their education another step further, whether it be at a university or through on-the-job training and development opportunities. Faith is looking at nursing as an option. Kenny may follow in his father’s footsteps who works in the mining industry.

August 23rd, 2010 - Processes and Licenses – Exploring & Mining Uranium

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, exploration, general communication, mining, regulatory

Starting uranium exploration or developing a uranium mine is a complex process with many steps, approvals, and regulators. The regulatory process helps ensure that stakeholders are heard and listened to and that we research, consider, and design mitigation efforts around the environment, wildlife, and of course people. This blog entry came from a question asked as part of our Q and A. Hopefully it will help you understand the process and some of the regulators.

AREVA is always interested in what people are thinking and what concerns they might have. This blog is one of many ways AREVA can listen to and learn from Baker Lake residents. Baker Lake residents can also make sure their voices are heard and considered by the Institutions of Public Government established under the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement (NLCA) in addition to federal and territorial government departments. We have outlined the permits required and the opportunities for community participation in this response. The best source for information about participation opportunities with regulators is with the regulators themselves.

August 18th, 2010 - A Special Visit

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, camp, community

Submitted by Freda Kudloo

I just want to thank Areva (Kiggavik Project) for being thoughtful and helpful for taking my mother Becky Kudloo, my common-law spouce Floyd Aksawnee and me Freda Kudloo up to our camp in Shultz Lake (Ekaluk Lodge) by helecopter then touring us up at your camp sight on July 18th, 2010.

It helped my family in a lot of ways by showing my mother our camp after her not seeing it for more than 15 years or so and by us seeing what shape our camp is now from grizzlies and people breaking into our camp every year.

After touring your camp, I saw that it appears to be very clean and well managed. Ptarmigans are also welcome right in your camp and they have the right of way on your walkways. I thought that was very cute.

I also would like to thank Berry and Mike (our helecopter pilot) for being very polite and kind to me and my family. That made it easier for my family during a choking time.

That day was such a beautiful day! Blue skies and bugs were not too bad at that time of year.

August 5th, 2010 - In the Studio with Noella and Martin

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, questions, radiation, saskatchewan, video

One of the most common topics people ask us about is radiation. Since radiation is invisible, it is a difficult thing to understand. We can tell you it’s energy in the form of particles and waves, but what does that really mean? We can tell you it’s all around us, but so what? This is why we decided to bring down Martin Kreelak from Baker Lake, NU, and Noella Gardiner from Ile-a-La Crosse, Saskatchewan to talk about “What is radiation?”

Noella worked as a radiation technician at our Cluff Lake operation. When mining at Cluff Lake was complete, she worked as a radiation technician in Nunavut at the Kiggavik Project. She has lots of experience and knowledge and was able to share it with Martin and the cameras. Martin was no stranger to being in a studio. As a film maker and director, he conducted an informative interview with Noella.

We will be working on the video and plan to have it ready in September. The video will hopefully help explain what radiation is and how we make it safe for people to work at uranium mines.

On a side note, since Martin came all the way to Saskatoon from Nunavut, he made very good use of his time “off the set.” Martin found fresh vegetables and fruits, went to music stores, visited the local zoo, and made one of his dreams come true by riding a horse at a nearby farm.

Stay tuned for more information on radiation and the video. Please ask any and all questions you have on this topic either on this blog, by phoning the Baker Lake office, or stopping by in person.

July 27th, 2010 - Ask a Question – First Trip Recap

author: AREVA

Article Tags: camp, community, questions

We received a number of great questions, both through the blog and in person. Last week, Dianne hosted the first group of winners on a visit to the Kiggavik camp. Stephan Anautalik, Matthew Uqayuittuq, and Rosie Iyago departed Baker Lake via helicopter to experience a breathtaking “birds eye view” of the tundra.

When the group got to camp, they experienced one of the best parts: the kitchen! After a delicious lunch, Dianne toured them around the camp facilities, office, and the first aid centre. Matthew was impressed with how the camp looked; he commented that it was very clean. Mario Blain, one of AREVA Resources’ geologists, gave an interesting talk on geology in the tundra. After the tour of the camp, the helicopter flew to one of the drill rigs to see what that was like. They happened to visit while there was a safety and environmental inspection in progress.

After the drill rig, the group boarded the helicopter again and flew back to Baker Lake. It was a good tour and a good chance to learn about the activities that are going on at the Kiggavik site. Do you still want to go and visit the camp to see it for yourself? We will be doing more tours for people that ask questions. So, all you have to do is ask a question on this blog or drop by the Baker Lake Office. Click here for full details.

July 21st, 2010 - Mining – A Temporary Use of the Land

author: AREVA

Article Tags: cluff lake, decommissioning, environment, saskatchewan

For AREVA Resources, mining is truly a temporary use of the land; all you have to do is look at the before and after photos of our Cluff Lake mine. As the first modern uranium mine to be decommissioned in Saskatchewan, we are achieving standards that are much more strict than ever before and more difficult since the Cluff Lake mine was not planned from the start with closure in mind. While work had started before the mine was closed, most of the physical demolition and earth moving work took place in an intensive four-year period right after the mine closed. Cluff Lake’s staff and the contractors planted over 800,000 trees that were selected from local plants collected in the area. This ensured that trees being planted were consistent with the existing vegetation. The decommissioning process also saw almost a billion tonnes of rock and soil hauled and filled in existing pits.

(left: Claude Pit during operation right: Claude Pit during decommissioning)

In addition to demolishing the mill, filling open pits, covering rock and tailings areas and dismantling a range of infrastructure, about ten separate environmental investigations are underway for 2010. A major on-going monitoring program is also part of the process. It might be five, ten, or fifteen years in the future, but our goal is to return the Cluff Lake mine site to a safe and ecologically productive state for people and animals that will accomodate traditional hunting and fishing by the local northern communities.

An interdisciplinary team of experts is developing a standard approach to decommissioning including lessons learned and new methods that can be applied elsewhere and add to our overall decommissioning and reclamation knowledge base.We are integrating decommissioning into the pre-construction phase of mine development. Our McClean Lake uranium mine and mill operation, for example, was designed for decommissioning and is carefully operated to prevent, to the extent possible, damage to the environment prior to decommissioning. The Kiggavik Project is no different.

The Kiggavik Project Proposal, which you can download here, outlines our preliminary decommissioning and reclamation plan in section 2.10. A detailed plan will be included in the environmental impact statement.

July 16th, 2010 - Nunavut Day in Baker Lake

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community

The Nunavut Day celebration in Baker Lake was a huge success. Lots of people of all ages from the community showed up to celebrate at this event. The day kicked off with games for the elders at 10am, and the kids and parents got their chance for fun at 1pm.

A highlight for us was the traditional dress up contest. We had a great turn out, but it was very tough to decide who should win. All the clothing was well made and of course, very warm.

Here are some of the photos from the day:

July 13th, 2010 - Want to go to Kiggavik? Ask a question!

author: AREVA

Article Tags: camp, community, questions

You have questions, and we have answers. That’s really what this blog is about and we’ve launched a new competition to encourage some Q&A.

Here’s how it works:

Ask a question, and you will be entered to win a helicopter trip and tour of the Kiggavik site. Dianne, AREVA’s community relations assistant, will be your guide!

If you are one of the lucky winners, you will have the opportunity to tour the Kiggavik site to see our operations, camp accommodations, kitchen, and the landscape (both from on the ground an in the air). You will also have the chance to see what kind of work people are doing.

Easy enough? You can either submit a question on this blog by clicking here, post a comment directly to this post, fax your question to 1-867-793-2002, or call it in to the Baker Lake office at 1-867-793-2000. Visit to Ask AREVA section to see questions that have already been asked.

Here are two simple rules.
1) You must be a Baker Lake resident and over 18 years old
2) The deadline for questions is August 31, 2010

July 9th, 2010 - Happy Nunavut Day!

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community

Nunavut Day, which is celebrated annually on July 9, is an important day to Nunavut and its people. As such, there will be a fun-filled family celebration in Baker Lake.

The celebration will take place at the community hall on July 9th at 1:00pm, and everyone is invited.

There will be games, music, food, and AREVA is proud to be sponsoring the traditional dress up contest.

Dianne Iyago, AREVA Resources’ Community Relations assistant is helping organize some of the events and prizes. She is excited about the event, and notes the importance of July 9th: “I just like the fact that we have something very important to celebrate. The negotiations leading up to the NLCA took a long time and I’m just proud that we are able to celebrate that even 11 years after.”

We will post photos from the fun after the event!

June 27th, 2010 - Kiggavik Blog Launched

author: AREVA

Article Tags: general communication

We are excited to announce the official launch of the Kiggavik blog. This blog will be used as a way to communicate with all of our stakeholders. We will update you with project news, events, and will answer your questions. Let us explain a few features of this blog:

1) Calendar: We visit and meet with many of the communities in which we operate. We host and attend many events – some are for consultation purposes, others are just general involvement – regardless, we want you to be able to keep up with events.

2) Contact: We know you have questions, so you can ask them here. We will do our best to provide you with an answer as soon as possible. If it is a good question, we will post it to the Q&A section (below). We will remove your name. We will also be monitoring posts for other questions/comments and will do our best to participate when it seems appropriate.

June 14th, 2010 - Faces of Nunavut: Peter Tapatai

author: AREVA

Article Tags: community, video

Several of our employees, stakeholders, and community leaders will be featured in a series of short videos called “Faces of Nunavut.” These are clips of Nunavut people explaining their job or their role in the communities.

The first video features features Peter Tapatai, one of the owners of Peter’s Expediting Ltd. in Baker Lake Nunavut. He explains how his business has benefited from the mining and exploration industry in Nunavut. You may also recognize him from Super Shamou!

August 18th, 2009 - Rescue at Baker Lake

author: AREVA

Article Tags: baker lake, community

In Nunavut, the Kiggavik project helicopter recently carried different passengers than its usual load of geologists and drillers. In July four Baker Lake residents found out just how useful a helicopter can be in remote areas. Hugh Ikoe, his wife Martha and their 16 year old son Bryan and his friends Zachary Niego (15) and Moses Haqpi (12) were hunting at their cabin at Sugarload Mountain across the lake from their community.