October 3 marked one year since the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and Baffinland Iron Mines renegotiated their Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement.
The new deal is intended to bring greater advantages to the regional Inuit association and its membership.
The QIA recently provided an update on the terms outlined in the updated IIBA.
A project manager is being hired to oversee a feasibility study for a regional training centre to be based in Pond Inlet. Baffinland and the federal government have pledged funding toward the facility. In the coming months, QIA plans to hold consultations on the types of training that will be hosted at the site and the location of the centre in the community.
Pond Inlet will also be the first community to take possession of a marine research ship that Baffinland has already purchased. Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Iglulik and Hall Beach will benefit from research vessels in future years.
For 2019, the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization, which submitted an accepted proposal, is absorbing the $200,000 available annually through the Wildlife Monitoring Program.
However, the $400,000 designated yearly to pay for harvestersSA国际影视传媒� fuel usage in Pond Inlet hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 yet been distributed as Baffinland is still deciding upon a method to do that. The QIA has made suggestions.
An expanded Inuit training budget SA国际影视传媒� now standing at $2.25 million per year SA国际影视传媒� means that there is more in the coffers for the Qikiqtani Skills and Training for Employment Partnership (Q-STEP). The program has introduced hundreds of Inuit to the mining industry, heavy-equipment operations, apprenticeships and provided academic upgrading since 2017.
There are constantly new intakes into Q-STEP, according to the QIA. During early October, Simonie Alainga was one of five Inuit beneficiaries to fly into Mary River to experience life at the mine site for a week. He spent time with maintenance department staff, who worked on small vehicles like pickup trucks and loaders, also known as skid steers.
Then Alainga was assigned to the crews handling the massive haul trucks and was invited to climb up to sit inside.
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Alainga, 23, never finished high school. When he saw a poster promoting Q-STEP and the possibility of employment, he chose to apply.
SA国际影视传媒淥nce I saw that I wanted to jump on it as soon as I canSA国际影视传媒� they were telling me that theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to help me upgrade my education and that was one of my biggest points of going into this program,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 want to try and start my career with QIA and Baffinland.SA国际影视传媒�
