The Meadowbank Gold Mine is an open pit gold mine operated by Agnico-Eagle Mines in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut , Canada approximately 300 km west of Hudson Bay. Meadowbank was Agnico Eagle’s first Low Arctic mine.
22-581: Discoveries of gold-containing Archean greenstone in the Baker Lake region were made in the 1980s. Asamera Minerals and Complex set out as partners in the project. The Third Portage deposit was discovered in 1987; this was followed by the discovery of the Goose Island deposit, and the North Portage deposit. Cumberland completed their acquisition of Complex's share in the discovery in 1997 taking sole ownership of
44-464: A trading post at Baker Lake, followed by Anglican missionaries in 1927. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been in the area for fifteen years before establishing a post at Baker Lake in 1930. In 1946 the population was 32, of which 25 were Inuit. A small hospital was built in 1957, followed by a regional school the next year. In 1979 the Baker Lake Hunters and Trappers Association and
66-495: A similar parallel, May is a subfreezing month and June is chilly considering the long hours of daylight. Summers are usually cool, short and rainy; but can be hot and sometimes humid; with a record high of 33.6 °C (92.5 °F). Under the Nordenskjöld formula for distinguishing polar from non-polar climates, however, Baker Lake's climate is polar (Köppen ET ) because with a coldest-month mean of −31.3 °C (−24.3 °F),
88-527: A women's shelter, health centre (Baker Lake Health Centre), dental clinic, heritage centre, visitor's centre, counselling centre, elders' centre, three hotels (Baker Lake Lodge, Iglu Hotel and Nunamiut Lodge), swimming pool, library, primary and secondary school (Rachel Arngnammaktiq Elementary School and Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School), and youth centre. There are three churches in the community, Anglican (St. Aidan's), Catholic (St. Paul's) and Glad Tidings. Meadowbank Gold Mine The Meadowbank Gold Mine
110-541: Is a work area for the community's artists. It provides space for carving, print making, sewing and jewellery making. It is also home to Jessie Oonark Crafts Ltd. a subsidiary of the Nunavut Development Corporation, a Government of Nunavut crown corporation . The settlement is served by Baker Lake Airport , linking it to the nearby coastal town of Rankin Inlet , about 35 minutes away by air. Calm Air serves
132-477: Is an open pit gold mine operated by Agnico-Eagle Mines in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut , Canada approximately 300 km west of Hudson Bay. Meadowbank was Agnico Eagle’s first Low Arctic mine. Discoveries of gold-containing Archean greenstone in the Baker Lake region were made in the 1980s. Asamera Minerals and Complex set out as partners in the project. The Third Portage deposit was discovered in 1987; this
154-496: Is known for its Inuit art , such as wall hangings, basalt stone sculptures and stone cut prints. The community has been home to internationally exhibited artists such as Matthew Agigaaq, Elizabeth Angrnaqquaq , Luke Anguhadluq , Barnabus Arnasungaaq, David Ikutaq, Toona Iquliq, Janet Nungnik , Jessie Oonark , Ruth Qaulluaryuk , Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq , Simon Tookoome , Marion Tuu'luq , and Marie Kuunnuaq . The Jessie Oonark Arts and Crafts Centre, which opened in 1992,
176-578: Is near the nation's geographical centre, and is notable for being Nunavut 's sole inland community. The hamlet is located at the mouth of the Thelon River on the shore of Baker Lake . The community was given its English name in 1761 from Captain William Christopher who named it after Sir William Baker , the 11th Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company . In 1916, the Hudson's Bay Company established
198-518: Is open on strike and at depth. The Meadowbank and Amaruq projects are underlain by Archean-age volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Woodburn Lake Group. At the Amaruq property, three significant gold-bearing quartz-pyrrhotite-arsenopyrite veining/flooding within volcano-sedimerntary rocks have been discovered. These locations include Whale Tail, V Zone (IVR) and Mammoth. Construction of the mine
220-915: The Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITK) took the Canadian federal government to court for giving exploration licences to mining companies in areas where the Inuit hunt caribou . Judge Mahoney of the Federal Court of Canada, in Hamlet of Baker Lake v. Minister of Indian Affairs , recognized the existence of Aboriginal Title in Nunavut. The plaintiffs were concerned that "government-licensed exploration companies were interfering with their aboriginal rights , specifically, their right to hunt caribou ." Videos of elders sharing oral histories have been collected by Inuit students as part of
242-510: The Nunavut Teacher Education Program . In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , Baker Lake had a population of 2,061 living in 577 of its 661 total private dwellings, a change of -0.4% from its 2016 population of 2,069. With a land area of 179.54 km (69.32 sq mi), it had a population density of 11.5/km (29.7/sq mi) in 2021. Baker Lake is home to eleven Inuit groups: Many of
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#1732847990254264-510: The Kiggavik Project, approximately 80 km to the west, which is being proposed by Orano Canada. Baker Lake features a subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Dfc ), bordering closely on a tundra climate , with short, cool summers and long, extremely cold winters. Winters run from October/November until April/May with temperatures averaging between −21 and −25 °C (−6 and −13 °F). In contrast to Fairbanks , Alaska on
286-596: The Woodburn Lake Group. At the Amaruq property, three significant gold-bearing quartz-pyrrhotite-arsenopyrite veining/flooding within volcano-sedimerntary rocks have been discovered. These locations include Whale Tail, V Zone (IVR) and Mammoth. Construction of the mine was completed and the mine was opened in June 2010. The original mine at Meadowbank achieved commercial production in March 2010 and produced its three millionth ounce of gold in 2018 though ceased operations in 2019. However,
308-464: The mine employed over 1,000 workers, over 30% of whom were locals from the general area of the Kivalliq Region. Along with employing local people, the company helped build cellphone towers to get the community connected to Northwestel 's cellphone service. The coming of workers from all across Canada also helped developing tourism in this community. There is also potential for a uranium mine, called
330-573: The project. Since then three further discoveries have been made including the Vault deposit (October 2000), the PDF deposit (October 2002) and the Cannu zone (September 2005). The entire area has probable gold reserves of 3.5 million ounces (29.3 million tonnes of ore at 3.7 grams per tonne) and is open on strike and at depth. The Meadowbank and Amaruq projects are underlain by Archean-age volcanic and sedimentary rocks of
352-619: The support infrastructure and mill facilities at the original site are still being used for supporting a new satellite mine at Amaruq , which gradually transitioned operations from the original mine. Baker Lake, Nunavut Baker Lake ( Inuktitut syllabics : ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ 'big lake joined by a river at both ends', Inuktitut : Qamani'tuaq 'where the river widens') is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region , in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located 320 km (200 mi) inland from Hudson Bay , it
374-536: The town with at least two flights daily. Every day there are connecting flights to Winnipeg . While the local road network does not connect to another community, there is an approximately 110 km (68 mi) all-weather gravel highway named Mine Road. It runs north, from the town to the Meadowbank Gold Mine and aerodrome . It was proposed and completed around 2019 and is among the longest highways in Nunavut. An 8 km (5.0 mi) road runs east from
396-527: The town's residents work in the Meadowbank gold mine for Agnico Eagle Mines Limited . Much of the local infrastructure and logistics-related employment is based around aiding mineral exploration and mining efforts in the wider area. The main source of employment and growth in this sector is Canadian-based mining company Agnico Eagle Mines, which in 2010 began work at its Meadowbank mine site 110 km (68 mi) north of Baker Lake by road. The construction of
418-512: The townsite to the Geographic Centre of Canada monument. The community has been served by the Qiniq network since 2005. Qiniq is a fixed wireless service to homes and businesses, connecting to the outside world via a satellite backbone. The Qiniq network is designed and operated by SSi Canada . In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice. Baker Lake has
440-429: The warmest-month mean would need be above 12.1 °C (53.8 °F) to keep Baker Lake out of the polar category, while Baker Lake's warmest-month mean is only 11.6 °C (52.9 °F) — the lack of trees at Baker Lake vindicates this judgement. Baker Lake is host to a variety of wildlife including caribou , muskox , Arctic hares , wolves, wolverines , sik-siks , geese, and lake trout among others. Baker Lake
462-413: Was completed and the mine was opened in June 2010. The original mine at Meadowbank achieved commercial production in March 2010 and produced its three millionth ounce of gold in 2018 though ceased operations in 2019. However, the support infrastructure and mill facilities at the original site are still being used for supporting a new satellite mine at Amaruq , which gradually transitioned operations from
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#1732847990254484-498: Was followed by the discovery of the Goose Island deposit, and the North Portage deposit. Cumberland completed their acquisition of Complex's share in the discovery in 1997 taking sole ownership of the project. Since then three further discoveries have been made including the Vault deposit (October 2000), the PDF deposit (October 2002) and the Cannu zone (September 2005). The entire area has probable gold reserves of 3.5 million ounces (29.3 million tonnes of ore at 3.7 grams per tonne) and
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