Project Benefits
Community Partnerships and Employment Opportunities
Baffinland has cumulatively paid more than $164 million in financial benefits to Qikiqtani Inuit, provided over $150 million in wages to Inuit employees and contractors, reached over $1.79 billion in contracts awarded to Inuit firms, provided over $3.8 million through its Sponsorship and Donation Program, seen over 650 graduates of pre-employment training programs, and delivered over 229,000 hours of training to Inuit employees, among other socio-economic benefits.
Environmental Benefits
Numerous environmental advantages will arise from the transition of trucking to rail transportation, including a decrease in both greenhouse gases and dust emissions. Also, Baffinland will no longer ship iron ore through Milne Inlet, which will result in a significant reduction of industrial shipping activity in the pending Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area (TINMCA).
Taxes and Financial Benefits
Baffinland estimates the total value of financial benefits, which will flow to Inuit and Nunavut over the life of the Mary River Project (including the Steensby Railway), will exceed $5 billion CAD in direct payments to the Governments of Nunavut and Canada, and to Inuit Organizations, including the QIA and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), as well as more than $1 billion CAD paid directly to Inuit through employment at the Mary River Project.
Canada’s Sovereignty in the North
The Project will help strengthen Canada’s sovereignty in the North by protecting the country’s environmental heritage, promoting economic and social development in the region, and improving Northern governance.
The Project will also increase High Arctic emergency response capabilities and provide a potential staging point for the Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Military.