Mining Mineral Exploration and Geoscience 2005 NTINTI 2 colourcolour logologo PMSPMS 541541 BlueBlue PMSPMS 124124 YellowYellow Cover photo: Mike Young takes a Contents: break to enjoy the view over Buchan Gulf located Land Tenure in Nunavut .....................................................................................3 between Pond Inlet and Clyde River on the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada ....................................................................4 East Coast of Baffin Island. Photo Credit: Jamie Boles, Government of Nunavut ......................................................................................6 Custom Helicopters Ltd. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated ........................................................................8 Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office ...................................................................10 Summary of 2005 Exploration Activities ............................................................13 Kitikmeot Region....................................................................................13 Kivalliq Region........................................................................................32 Qikiqtani/Baffin Region .........................................................................44 About the Nunavut: Mining, Mineral Exploration and Geoscience 2005 This exploration overview is a combined effort of four partners: Minerals & Petroleum Resources Division, Government of Nunavut; Mineral Resources Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada; Department of Lands and Resources, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office. The intent of this publication is to capture information on exploration and mining activities in 2005, and to make this information available to the public. All exploration information was gathered prior to mid-November 2005. Prospectors and mining companies are welcome to submit information on their programs for inclusion in the next Nunavut: Mining, Mineral Exploration and Geoscience. We thank the many con- tributors who submitted data and photos for this edition. Feedback and comments are appreciated. NOTE TO READERS This document has been prepared on the basis of information available at the time of writing. The authors make no warranty of any kind with respect to the content and accept no liability, either incidental, consequential, financial or otherwise, arising from the use of this document. 2 Mining and Exploration Overview 2005 Land Tenure in Nunavut The territory of Nunavut was created in April mineral tenure regime. Mineral rights (mineral 1999 as a result of the Nunavut Land Claims claims or leases) that existed at the time of the Agreement, the largest Aboriginal land settle- signing of the NLCA – known as grandfathered ment in Canadian history. Spanning two million rights – continue to be administered by Indian kilometres, the Territory has 25 communities and and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) until they an approximate population of 28,000 people. terminate or the holder transfers its interests to Inuit represent 85 per cent of Nunavut’s population, the NTI regime. For both surface and subsurface creating the foundation of the Territory’s culture IOL, access to the land, through a Land Use and values. This culture is inherently connected Licence or Commercial Lease, must be obtained to the land, shaping government, business and from the appropriate Regional Inuit Association. day-to-day life. The Crown owns mineral rights to 98 per cent In addition to the creation of the new of Nunavut. INAC administers these rights through territory, the NLCA gave Inuit fee simple title to the Canada Mining Regulations (CMR). This 356,000 square km of land. There are 944 parcels includes surface IOL, for which access to the land (16% of Nunavut) of Inuit Owned Lands (IOL) must be obtained from the RIAs as explained above. where Inuit hold surface title only (surface IOL). Significantly, the NLCA is a final settlement The Crown retains the mineral rights to these lands. whereby all land claims in Nunavut have been Inuit also hold fee simple title including mineral settled with the Inuit of Nunavut, thus providing an rights to the remaining 150 parcels of IOL (sub- unmatched level of land tenure certainty. However surface IOL), which total 38,000 square km and land claims overlapping Hudson Bay and the represent approximately 2 per cent of the territory. southernmost Kivalliq are being negotiated with Surface title to all IOL is held in each region by residents of northern Quebec and northern Manitoba one of the three Regional Inuit Associations respectively. (RIAs) while Inuit subsurface title with respect For more information on the location of IOL to subsurface IOL is held and administered by and Crown land in the territory take a look at the Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI). NTI 2005 Nunavut Exploration and Activity Map on issues rights to explore and mine through its own page 28. GUIDE TO ACRONYMS CMR – Canadian Mining Regulations CNGO – Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office EA – Inuit Owned Lands Mineral Exploration Agreement ED&T – Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Government of Nunavut EIS – Environmental Impact Statement GSC – Geological Survey of Canada IIBA – Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement INAC – Indian and Northern Affairs Canada IOL – Inuit Owned Land KIA – Kitikmeot Inuit Association NIRB – Nunavut Impact Review Board NLCA – Nunavut Land Claims Agreement NTI – Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated NT – Northwest Territories RIA – Regional Inuit Association Mining and Exploration Overview 2005 3 Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) advice during environmental assessments. As an administers mineral tenure on Crown land in advocate of sustainable mineral development in Nunavut. This is done through the Nunavut Regional the territory, the division also collaborates with Office (NRO) in Iqaluit, Nunavut, by the Mineral partners in outreach programs such as Nunavut Resources Division and the Mining Recorder’s Mining Week and school and community visits. Office (MRO) of the Land Administration Division. Other activities supported by Mineral Resources The Mineral Resources Division manages include: sustainable mineral resource development on Indian and Northern Nunavut’s Crown land. The division collects, edits, • Co-managing the Canada-Nunavut Affairs Canada, and distributes geoscience data through targeted Geoscience Office (CNGO) together with Nunavut Regional Office research and economic geology projects and reviews Natural Resources Canada and the P.O. Box 100, Iqaluit, exploration data filed as assessment work by the Government of Nunavut; Nunavut X0A 0H0 mining industry. Mineral Resources works on policy • Participating in environmental reviews, issues related to mineral development and explo- providing technical advice and perspective; Website ration on Crown lands through the Canada Mining • Maintaining a digital archive of assessment www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/nunavut Regulations (CMR), and also provides technical data filed in Nunavut dating back to the 1940’s; 4 Mining and Exploration Overview 2005 • Maintaining a library of reference material, tenure. As well, the MRO sells claim maps, claim rock samples and press clippings; tags and assists individuals and companies in • Promoting mineral exploration within the interpreting the Canada Mining Regulations with territory through community outreach, information on how to keep their properties in publications and professional networking; good standing. • Completing targeted geoscience in Interest in Nunavut’s mineral development conjunction with CNGO and/or Industry. potential remained strong in 2005 with industry investing close to $200 million to explore for The MRO administers all other aspects of mineral commodities such as diamonds, base metals tenure on Crown land in Nunavut. Administration and uranium. It was also another busy year for of these rights is regulated by the Canada Mining prospecting permits, with 1136 permits issued by Regulations under the Territorial Lands Act. The the MRO encompassing 48 million hectares of MRO also administers coal tenure under the land, the largest area of permitted Crown land in Territorial Coal Regulations and is your main the history of Nunavut. point of contact to acquire crown mineral or coal STAFF CONTACTS MINERAL RESOURCES Bernie MacIsaa Manager 867 975 4290 [email protected] Jurate Gertzbein Mineral Development Advisor 867 975 4291 [email protected] Linda Ham District Geologist (Kitikmeot) 867 975 4292 [email protected] Karen Costello District Geologist (Kivalliq) 867 975 4569 [email protected] Paul “Jethro” Gertzbein District Geologist (Qikiqtani/Baffin) 867 975 4279 [email protected] Christianne Lafferty Mineral Archives Administrator 867 975 4293 [email protected] General Inquiries [email protected] Archives Orders or Inquiries [email protected] Mineral Resources Fax 867 975 4276 LAND ADMINISTRATION Spencer Dewar Manager 867 975 4280 [email protected] Sheba Pikuyak Administrative Assistant for Lands & Minerals 867 975 4294 [email protected] Jeffrey Holwell A/Land Administrative Specialist 867 975 4283 [email protected] Arlene Brett-Miles Senior Land Operations Clerk 867 975 4576 [email protected] John Craig A/Land Specialist 867 975 4285 [email protected] Lena Akulukjuk Land Operations Clerk 867 975 4282 [email protected] Karin Roock Land Operations Clerk 867 975 4275 [email protected]