The Mary River Mine, owned and operated by Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation (Baffinland), is an active open-pit iron ore mine located on the north side of Baffin Island in the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic. First discovered in 1962, and following many years of exploration and pre-development, the mine has been under construction since 2013 and operational since 2014. Acting in our capacity as environmental specialists and project advisors, EDI has supported permitting, environmental mitigation and monitoring, field-based research and community/stakeholder working groups for nearly two decades. Key topics have included:
- environmental planning and conservation
- protection of caribou and wildlife habitat
- protection of birds (migratory and coastal)
- conservation of vegetation and soil
- reclamation and end-land-use
Learning, listening, and collaborating with Inuit and regulatory agencies have been important aspects of EDI’s work.
The following reflect research contributions stemming from initiatives that EDI has been involved with relating to the Mary River Mine:
- Arctic raptor occupancy and reproductive success near a remote open-cut mine: North Baffin Island, Nunavut
- Challenges of Reclamation in the Canadian High Arctic: Pilot Study at an Active Mine Site on North Baffin Island, NU, as presented at the 47th Annual Mine Reclamation Symposium organized by the BC Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation (TRCR).