Arctic Corridors and Northern Voices: Governing marine transportation in the Canadian Arctic (Salluit, Quebec community report)

• Main Authors: Greydanus, Kayla, Provencher, Jennifer, Carter, Natalie Ann, Dawson, Jackie, Kochanowicz, Zuzanna
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa 2018
• Subjects: Low impact shipping corridors; Inuit perspectives; Marine transportation governance; Culturally significant marine areas; Arctic shipping impact; Arctic; Canada; Hudson; Hudson Strait; Salluit; inuit
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor38036; https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/38036

Ship traffic in the Canadian Arctic nearly tripled between 1990 and 2015. During this time, there has been an increase in ship traffic in the Hudson Strait region. The community of Salluit experiences shipping near the community due to vessels delivering goods; as in many other northern towns, but has additional experience with shipping due to local mining activities. Shipping activities associated with the nearby mines in Deception Bay, located approximately 54 km to the east of Salluit, dates back to the 1960s, with regular production at the mine site starting in 1997 and ongoing today. Thus, the community of Salluit has experience with marine vessel traffic, the local impacts from vessels, and negotiating conditions for vessel travel (i.e. limitations to icebreaking during certain seasons). The Government of Canada is developing a network of low-impact marine transportation corridors in the Arctic that encourages marine transportation traffic to use routes that pose less risk and minimize the impact on communities and the environment. The Low Impact Shipping Corridors will be a framework to guide future federal investments to support marine navigation safety in the North, including improved charting and increased hydrography in partnership with Northerners. The corridors initiative is co-led by the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, and Canadian Hydrographic Service. Key considerations in the current prioritization of the Low Impact Shipping Corridors include identification of Inuit and Northerners’ perspectives on 1) the potential impact of marine vessels on marine areas used for cultural and livelihood activities and on community members and 2) potential management strategies for the corridors. This report reflects opinions gathered through participatory mapping, focus group discussions, and interviews with Salluit community members who were identified by local organizations as key knowledge holders.