Northern Communities

The Kitikmeot region is home to approximately 6,500 people, predominantly Inuit, across five communities. Two smaller settlements, Bathurst Inlet (Kingaut) and Umingmaktok (Bay Chimo), have very small or seasonal populations. These are the people whose lives would be most directly affected by the Grays Bay Road and Port Project.

Kugluktuk

Kugluktuk (population approximately 1,500) is the nearest permanent settlement to the proposed port, roughly 150 kilometres west along the Coronation Gulf coast. Known as Coppermine until the community voted to adopt its Inuinnaqtun name on January 1, 1996, it sits at the mouth of the Coppermine River, a location of deep historical significance. Samuel Hearne reached the river's mouth in 1771; John Franklin followed decades later.

Today, Kugluktuk faces challenges common to remote Arctic communities: high costs of living, limited employment outside government services and seasonal mining, housing shortages, and food insecurity. Caribou, muskox, Arctic char, and marine mammals form a significant portion of the local diet. The community would likely experience the most direct economic benefits from the Grays Bay project during construction and operation, but also the most social disruption from influx of workers and increased activity.

Cambridge Bay

Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq, population approximately 1,760) is the administrative capital of the Kitikmeot, located on Victoria Island across the Coronation Gulf. It hosts the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), a $250-million federal facility operated by Polar Knowledge Canada, and has the region's most developed airport with scheduled jet service to Yellowknife.

As the regional hub, Cambridge Bay would serve as a logistics and administrative base for the project. Residents have expressed mixed views: support for economic opportunities alongside concerns about environmental and social impacts. Notably, Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk were the only Nunavut communities that voted against territorial division from the NWT in the 1982 plebiscite, reflecting the Kitikmeot's distinct identity.

Bathurst Inlet (Kingaut)

Bathurst Inlet is a very small settlement at the head of the large inlet extending south from the Coronation Gulf. Population is measured in dozens rather than hundreds, and the community has been essentially uninhabited at times, though Inuit continue seasonal use. Historically a Hudson's Bay Company post and geological exploration base, the inlet has been considered as an alternative shipping point for mining operations including the Back River gold project.

Umingmaktok (Bay Chimo)

Umingmaktok, on the southern Coronation Gulf coast east of Bathurst Inlet, is a small outpost camp serving primarily for seasonal hunting and fishing. The name means "where there are muskox" in Inuinnaqtun. Both Bathurst Inlet and Umingmaktok fall under Cambridge Bay's administration.

Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, and Taloyoak

The three eastern communities, Gjoa Haven (Uqshuuqtuuq, ~1,350 people), Kugaaruk (~930), and Taloyoak (~1,000), are more distant from the project site, located on King William Island and the Boothia Peninsula. They would experience the project mainly through regional economic channels: KIA decisions on benefits and royalties, territorial infrastructure spending, and changes to supply chains. Employment would require rotational travel to the project site.

Common Challenges

All Kitikmeot communities share certain realities:

• Cost of living: Food, fuel, and goods cost two to four times southern Canadian prices
• Housing: Overcrowding is endemic across all communities
• Employment: Formal jobs are limited to government, mining, and community organizations. Youth unemployment is high
• Food security: Dependent on expensive store-bought food and traditional harvesting. Caribou population declines directly threaten food security
• Health services: Limited local facilities; serious cases require medical travel to Yellowknife or southern cities

Project proponents argue permanent infrastructure would reduce costs, create jobs, and generate revenue. Critics note that large projects in small Arctic communities can bring social disruption, substance abuse, and cultural dislocation. Both positions have historical support. The status quo of continued isolation also carries significant costs for well-being.