Blockades preventing the delivery of food, medication and supplies by air could jeopardize the welfare of 700 Mary River mine employees and contractors, Baffinland Iron Mines stated in a Tuesday news release.
The protests that caused the mine’s airstrip and tote road to be shut down are now in their sixth day.
“Baffinland is responsible for the safety of every person at Mary River, including all employees, contractors, and the protesters,” the company stated. “Many of the people working at Mary River have been on site for 21 days now and they are not being allowed to leave, nor are food and supply flights being allowed to land. Working in the high Arctic, those on site bring enough additional medicine and supplies for potential weather delays, however continued suspension of air travel and blocking of medicine and supplies will have an impact in the near term.
“Baffinland respects the right to peaceful protest, however Baffinland cannot allow any activity to continue that causes a safety concern to any of the people on site. At this time, all attempts to negotiate the reopening of the Mary River airstrip made no progress and Baffinland is considering all options to reopen the airstrip.”
Mining company officials met on Monday with representatives of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), the mayor of Pond Inlet, the Government of Nunavut and the RCMP. All parties were urged to find ways to resolve the blockades.
The blockades began while the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB)’s public hearing process on the phase two expansion proposal was underway in Iqaluit and Pond Inlet. Baffinland noted that this process is still ongoing and NIRB has not issued any recommendations regarding phase two. The public hearing is expected to continue once NIRB sets the date for the community roundtable, currently expected to take place some time next month.
Mining company officials met on Monday with representatives of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), the mayor of Pond Inlet, the Government of Nunavut and the RCMP. — what about the Federal government where are they
RCMP is part of the Federal Government
This is getting silly. The protesters said all medical planes could land and depart. Also, people have already started leaving the mine by planes with no new workers incoming. Baffinland is using nunavutnews to twist the story as a tool to gain force.
When did this start? Because my son is at the moning camp and this is the first I hear about people leaving.
I think you have your facts wrong. My son is at the mining camp. As of 7pm they were considered hostages by the RCMP
No they are not leaving.
NO ONE LEFT THE SITE
There have been no planes allowed to land on site. Workers have now gone into week 4 on site with no idea how much longer this could go on. I understand blocking production to make a point but keeping workers away from their families and home for longer is not going to fix an issue between this newly formed group and the nunavut government. Baffinland does not have the power to give them what they want. This is a political issue and forcing workers to go without fresh groceries and prolonged time away from home is just ridiculous. These workers are still required to work on shift until their planes can land and bring in their replacements. Let the workers go home and have their rest and relaxation that we work hard for.
Agreed
They shouldn’t be working right now, they should all be at camp in their rooms. Production should be shut down. If someone gets hurt they have no way to get out. I hope it continues, stick it to them. They only “need” the rail because they waste so much money. Ask Brian Penny how much money was wasted on gym equipment and flights to get it up there, when there wasn’t even room for it. MISMANAGEMENT
great well done thank you
There have been NO BIM employees allowed to leave the Mine!! Numerous news articles have stated this fact!
These Hunters have blocked the Air Strip….have they allowed the BIM employees to do maintenance on the runway or the road connecting the 2 Camps? Has the runway been damaged from the “blockade”? If so…when will the BIM employees be allowed to work on this? If there was a medical emergency…would the runway be accessible for an incoming plane?
I wonder if any of the Protesters understand the term “forcible confinement”?
The road that connects the Camps has been “blocked”….as is the Air Strip that connects the Mine & “employees” to the “outside”.
“What is forcible confinement?
This crime states that it is illegal to force another person to remain in one location through the use of threats, coercion or physical actions. Similar to kidnapping, a conviction for forcible confinement carries serious penalties.”
“Blockade = an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving….seal off (a place) to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving.
It’s one thing to protest & stop “production”…but when the BIM employees are being “held” @ the Mine and “cannot” leave…this is no longer a “protest”.
Make this right…and remove the blockade from the Air Strip!
A peaceful protest is a democratic right but once that protest starts to infringe on the safety and health of innocent people caught in the middle then that protest has lost all of it’s legitimacy because now the innocents are hostages and pawns in the protest
Guess we know how a lot of the world feels now hey?
Mismanagement by the company. Mishandling of the whole situation. They need to take responsibility. None of this should have happened. They assumed this expansion was a done deal and spent a shit ton of money. Now it’s in question but they still have bills coming in. Looks good on them. Great CEO they have
My on is a worker in there. He was due to fly out yesterday to go home to his.wife & young family in BC but that didn’t happen. He says one of the men will miss his wedding, some funerals, babies birth , etc!!
They are being held hostage! Let go of the airstrip as it now needs maintenance and let these innocent workers fly home please!
My Husband is there, no one has been allowed to leave. They are Hostages!
Canada’s Baffinland Iron Mines is seeking a court order against a group of Nunavut hunters who have been blocking the Mary River mine’s road and airstrip in protest of a proposed expansion of the operation.
Hunters from Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet set up the blockade last Thursday, after travelling two days by snowmobile to get to the company’s iron ore mine, located in the Mary River area of Baffin Island.
The company says the siege has forced it to stop most of the mine’s operations and to ground all flights, including those carrying food and supplies.
Baffinland President and CEO Brian Penney said there currently are 700 people working at the mine, many of whom have been on site for 22 days.
“Baffinland respects the right to peaceful protest, however Baffinland cannot allow any activity to continue that causes a safety concern to any of the people on site,” it said in the statement.
A hearing on the requested injunction that was set for Wednesday was adjourned to Saturday.
The blockades began while the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s (NIRB) Public Hearing process on the Phase 2 Development Proposal was underway in Iqaluit and Pond Inlet.
The process is still ongoing and the NIRB has not issued any recommendations regarding the proposed expansion, which seeks to double mine production to 12 million tonnes of iron ore a year. It also includes building a 110-km railway to take the ore to the sea.
https://www.mining.com/baffinland-iron-mines-asks-court-to-end-hunters-blockade/