Canada

An organization working to build a deep water port in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, has secured support from community leaders.

The port is intended to help with marine safety, search and rescue, and serve as a base for defence and security operations. The project received letters of support from the local hunters and trappers organization and the local hamlet this month.

“Having a port in Qikiqtarjuaq will mean that the federal government is serious about the sovereignty and the security of the North,” said Harry Flaherty, the chair of the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, which is leading the project.

The company says the first phase of the project is expected to cost $350 million and it's calling on the federal government to invest $150 million to accelerate the development. The organization says that the project is shovel-ready, and the hope is to have construction begin this year.