Site chosen for Cambridge Bay research station

The plateau area in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, has been selected as the site for the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.

Bernard Valcourt, the new minister of aboriginal affairs and northern development, made the announcement in a news release Wednesday.

It said the main campus of CHARS, which may include one or multiple buildings, will be built on a slope overlooking the hamlet and the bay, about 600 metres from the community’s core. 

The primary criteria used to select the site were access to infrastructure, space for future expansion, community integration, and access to a range of ecosystems.

The release also said community members including elders and hamlet staff were consulted in the decision, as well as staff from Public Works and Government Services.

Construction on the research centre is expected to start next year, with a planned opening in July 2017.