Minister McKenna opens new arctic research facility

August 16, 2017 – Pond Inlet, Nunavut – Environment and Climate Change Canada

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced the opening of a new research facility in Pond Inlet, located on Northern Baffin Island, in the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut. This area is recognized internationally as one of the most important ecosystems in the world. As climate change continues to affect Canada’s north, this field-research facility—part of a network of arctic research infrastructure—will provide a hub for science collaboration in this region of the eastern Arctic.

The Pond Inlet Research Facility will support Environment and Climate Change Canada’s arctic wildlife programs, including research and monitoring of polar bears and migratory birds as well as monitoring the impacts of contaminants and climate change on arctic wildlife. The facility will also support community-based research and monitoring programs, through knowledge exchange including Inuit and traditional knowledge, as well as educational and employment opportunities. (Several community members were involved in the construction of the facility.)

Located in Eclipse Sound, near the eastern end of the Northwest Passage, the marine waters of this region are well recognized as a circumpolar biodiversity hot spot, and they were recently designated as part of the Lancaster Sound National Marine Conservation Area. The area is also a region with increasing marine transportation and resource development. New research and monitoring will help ensure the ecosystem health of the area for future generations.