Milne Rail Expansion Development Proposal

Following the adjournment of the Public Hearing in November 2019, Baffinland has been engaging directly with impacted communities to foster greater understanding of the Rail Expansion Development Proposal.

Baffinland was anticipating the NIRB-scheduled technical meeting, community roundtable, and a pre hearing conference to be held in March, however restrictions imposed by COVID-19 impacted these engagements.

Following adjustments by all parties to allow for COVID-19 protocols to be observed, all three events were held in combination as in-person and teleconference events in September and October of 2020.

On October 30, 2020, the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) announced the Public Hearing for the Rail Expansion Development Proposal will recommence on January 25 to February 6, 2021.

In NIRB’s Pre-Hearing Conference Report, they also noted the progress achieved by Baffinland and various parties to resolve a number of technical concerns regarding the Rail Expansion Development Proposal, including 188 specific commitments developed to address these concerns.

The Pre-Hearing Conference Report states that, as of the publication of the report, the Government of Nunavut had no outstanding technical issues and the majority of technical issues raised by the QIA had been resolved.