North

QIA opposes seismic testing, supports Clyde River court case

As the Qikiqtani Inuit Association gets set to wrap up a round of community workshops on seismic testing, PJ Akeeagok says his Inuit organization is throwing its support behind Clyde River's court case to oppose the controversial method of searching for oil and gas deposits.

President PJ Akeeagok says Inuit organization will oppose tests until 'Inuit concerns' are met

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association says it will support the Hamlet of Clyde River's opposition to seismic testing. The organization is wrapping up a round of community consultations on the controversial topic Tuesday night. (David Michael Lamb/CBC)

As the Qikiqtani Inuit Association gets set to wrap up a round of community workshops on seismic testing, the organization's president, PJ Akeeagok says the group is throwing its support behind Clyde River's court case to oppose the controversial method of searching for oil deposits.

For the past several weeks, QIA officials have been holding Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit workshops in Baffin communities, looking for feedback on how communities could be affected by seismic tests.

Tonight the organization finishes those hearings in Iqaluit, with a meeting at 7 p.m. ET at the city's Anglican Parish Hall.

In 2014, the National Energy Board gave permission to TGS and PGS, a group of Norwegian companies, to scout for oil deposits off the coast of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. The 5-year seismic testing project was supposed to start last summer but was postponed until this year.

Clyde River, Nunavut, will fight to have the NEB decision overturned at the Federal Court of Appeal later this month. 

For months, Akeeagok, the president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, has hesitated to give his opinion on seismic testing. But in a release distributed to media on Tuesday, he made his views clear: 

"QIA continues to be opposed to the proposed seismic survey until Inuit concerns have been met and we support the Hamlet of Clyde River in their efforts to stop the seismic survey."

Findings of workshops will be shared: QIA

QIA says the purpose of these seismic testing workshops has been to collect Inuit traditional knowledge about how seismic testing could impact Baffin communities, by affecting the environment, wildlife and Inuit way of life in the region. 

So far the Inuit organization has visited Kimmirut, Clyde River, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay, Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung, with tonight's workshop in Iqaluit being the final meeting in this first round of community consultations. 

According the news release, QIA will submit the information it collects to the National Energy Board and the companies who are set to perform seismic testing this summer, "with a view to putting limitations on the proponents' activities."