The wheels are still rolling on a potential road connecting Kivalliq communities, as planners are scheduling community engagements this winter about the proposed route.
“The Government of Nunavut has hired Nunami Stantec to study a potential road connecting five communities in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut,” wrote Zoe Morrison, senior community planner from Stantec Architecture Ltd.’s Whitehorse office, in a letter to Darren Flynn, senior administrative officer for the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet.
“This 725-km road would run between Arviat, Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet and Chesterfield Inlet along the west coast of Hudson Bay and east to Baker Lake.”
The Dec. 21 letter went on to say the team used previous studies, the draft Nunavut Land Use Plan and information about the environment to identify a preferred route within a 10-km corridor.
The road is proposed to be a two-lane gravel road for year-round use, at least seven metres wide in the narrowest sections, have a speed limit of 80 km/h, contain 37 bridge crossings and 200 to 500 culvert stream crossings.
“It would be kind of cool to drive to Baker Lake,” remarked Coun. Michael Shouldice, who wondered what the corresponding employment level would be.
Morrison wrote that the team would be travelling to the Kivalliq in late January to host engagement meetings in Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet and Whale Cove. The community meeting is booked for Rankin Inlet Tuesday, Feb. 6, in addition to a meeting with hamlet staff and council.
ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᖅ ᓱᓕ ᐊᑉᖁᑎᓕᐊᖑᔪᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂᑦ, ᐸᕐᓇᐃᔩᑦ ᐋᖅᕿᒃᓱᐃᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖑᔪᖅ ᐊᑉᖁᓯᐊᖑᔪᒪᔫᑉ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ.
“ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᑖᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᒥ ᓯᑖᓐᑎᒃ-ᑯᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑉᖁᒥᑦ ᑲᑎᑎᓐᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ,” ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᔪᐃ ᒨᕆᓴᓐ, ᐊᖓᔪᒃᖠᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐃᔨ ᓯᑖᓐᑎᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐅᐊᐃᑦᕼᐅᐊᔅ-ᒥᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᕕᖓᓂᑦ, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᖓᓂᑦ ᑎᐅᕆᓐ ᕕᓕᓐ-ᒧᑦ, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ.
725 ᑭᓛᒥᑕᓂᒃ ᑕᑭᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂᙶᕋᔭᖅᑐᖅ, ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ, ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᖕᒧᑦ ᐱᖓᖕᓇᒥᑦ ᓯᒡᔭᖓᒍᑦ ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓇᖕᓇᒧᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒧᑦ.”
ᐋᒡᔪᓕᕐᕕᒃ 21-ᒥᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᖓ ᐅᖃᖅᓯᒪᑉᓗᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐊᑐᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᔾᔪᑕᐅᕌᓂᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᒃ, ᐆᒃᑑᑎᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᔾᔪᑏᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᖔᕈᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᑉᖁᑎᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ 10 ᑭᓛᒥᑕᒥᒃ ᑕᑭᑎᒋᔪᒥᑦ.
ᐊᑉᖁᓯᐅᕈᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᑉᖁᑎᖃᕋᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᐅᕋᐅᓗᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᓗᒃᑖᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᓂ, 7 ᒦᑕᓪᓗᐊᓂᒃ ᓯᓕᒃᑎᒋᓗᓂ ᑐᐊᓛᖑᓂᖃᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂᑦ, ᓇᑭᖅᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᖃᕐᓗᓂ 80 ᑭᓛᒥᑕᐃᑦ/ᐃᒃᑲᕐᕋᒥᑦ, 37-ᓂᒃ ᐃᑳᕐᕕᖃᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 200-ᓂᑦ 500-ᓄᑦ ᓱᑉᓗᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᑰᒐᓛᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑳᕐᕕᐅᔪᓂᑦ.
“ᒪᐃᑦᑕᐅᓇᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᒃᑰᕈᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒧᙵᐅᓗᓂ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨ ᒪᐃᑯᓪ ᓲᓪᑕᐃᔅ, ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖏᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐱᓕᐊᒃᓴᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ.
ᒨᕆᓴᓐ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒧᙵᐅᓇᔭᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᖅᖀᓐᓇᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᓄᖑᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ, ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ, ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ, ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᑦ. ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓂᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐋᖅᕿᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑐᒡᓕᐊᖑᓕᖅᐸᑦ, ᐊᕗᓐᓂᕕᒃ 6-ᒥᑦ, ᑲᑎᒪᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᒋᔭᐅᓗᑎᒃ.