Nunavut MLA questions Port of Churchill expansion plans

Hudson Bay MLA Jason Iqaluq raised his Sanikiluaq constituents’ concerns about the proposed Port of Churchill expansion in the Nunavut legislature on Friday, asking the premier for a response before the fall sitting ends on Nov. 5.

“This project has the potential to have impacts on the Hudson Bay ecosystem and the waters surrounding Sanikiluaq,” Iqaluq said during question period.

Iqaluq, who won a Sept. 28 byelection, was following up on correspondence sent to the government in May by his predecessor, Daniel Qavvik, who resigned from the legislature in June. Premier John Main assured him the government would reply before the session ends.

The project, known as Port of Churchill Plus, was referred to the federal Major Projects Office in September 2025, which allows permitting to be sped up. It would upgrade Canada’s only deep-water Arctic port and expand trade corridors with an all-weather road, an upgraded rail line, a new energy corridor and icebreaking capacity, according to the federal government’s website.

Nunavut is not a proponent of the project but is a stakeholder, Main said. “It is an exciting time to look at the concept of strengthening transport links to benefit Nunavut residents,” he said. “Nunavut needs to be connected to the rest of the country.”

Main also said it is important that Nunavummiut’s environmental concerns are heard. Iqaluq asked whether the Nunavut Impact Review Board would get a chance to assess the project. Main said the written response would clarify that, calling it “quite complex” because the project crosses a territorial boundary.

Iqaluq said afterward that he was satisfied with the premier’s answer but does not share his optimism. “If it scares off wildlife, it is definitely going to be a bad thing for our community,” he said. “We have to make sure that nothing is disturbed.”

The exchange comes as Nunavut’s government weighs in on other federal files, including a lands bill Main says could delay devolution. Earlier this month, we also reported on how the major projects CEO heard from B.C. chiefs on consultation, and on federal money for the Rankin Inlet runway.

Via Nunatsiaq News.

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