Agnico Eagles Mines (AEM) made a huge splash when it donated more than $1 million to community initiatives in Baker Lake on Aug. 24.

Held during the annual Festival by the Lake event, the announcement was made during a community celebration for the official opening of the Amaruq Whale Tail project which attracted more than 2,000 people.

During the community celebration, Luc Chouinard, general manager of AEM's Meadowbank operations, announced donations of $250,000 to the Baker Lake Fire Department, $100,000 to the hamlet of Baker Lake, $150,000 to Baker Lake Search & Rescue and $100,000 to the hamlet's recreation department.

Chouinard told the gathering Agnico Eagle is dedicated to developing mineral resources responsibly and for the benefit of all.

He said AEM is proud to contribute to the growth and prosperity of Baker Lake and its surrounding communities and is committed to creating strong communities and a legacy of support that will help nurture the next generation of Nunavummiut.

SA国际影视传媒淎bluqta means SA国际影视传媒榮tep forwardSA国际影视传媒� in Inuktitut and that is exactly what weSA国际影视传媒檙e hoping to achieve with our support for these community-identified priorities SA国际影视传媒� helping the people of Baker Lake take a step forward and improve their lives by strengthening local food security, expanding their health care and emergency services, and by providing more opportunities to socially interact with their friends and family,SA国际影视传媒� said Chouinard.

In a statement to Kivalliq News, AEM corporate director of public communications Dale Coffin indicated a $500,000 donation to Abluqta will be over five years and is to establish a food bank and to help address food insecurity in the region.

He said the program will support the delivery of a weekly hot lunch program for elders and weekly meals for volunteers staffing the food bank (and related Thrift Shop), help organize various fundraising initiatives, provide a steady supply of dry food goods while allowing families most in need to pick up a food basket, and provide sufficient dry food reserve stocks for emergencies, with special attention to those with children at home.

SA国际影视传媒淭he donation of $250,000 to the Baker Lake Fire Department and $100,000 to the hamlet of Baker Lake is to purchase a garage to house and secure its new ambulance,SA国际影视传媒� stated Coffin.

SA国际影视传媒淭he ambulance was recently purchased by Arctic Fuel SA国际影视传媒� a local supplier to Agnico Eagle SA国际影视传媒� as a gift to the community.

SA国际影视传媒淗owever, due to a fire that destroyed one of the municipal garages back in January, there was no place to safely park the ambulance and it was not able to be placed into service.

SA国际影视传媒淏y purchasing the garage, Baker Lake is finally able to put its new ambulance into service and provide better community health and emergency care to its citizens.SA国际影视传媒�

Coffin said the donation of $150,000 to Baker Lake Search & Rescue is for the acquisition of sophisticated drone technology and other equipment related to implementing more effective search and rescue operations, and to provide the required technical training and certification for the operators.

SA国际影视传媒淭he donation of $100,000 to Baker LakeSA国际影视传媒檚 recreation department is for the purchase of a new sound and lighting system for the very popular square dances and other events the hamlet regularly hosts at its community Centre,SA国际影视传媒� said Coffin.

Amaruq is a satellite deposit located about 50 kilometres northwest of AEMSA国际影视传媒檚 existing Meadowbank mine with the Whale Tail gold deposit. It is being developed as a conventional open-pit-mining operation that will supply ore to the Meadowbank mill.

There are currently 240 employees and contractors working at the site and, once commercial production gets underway, it is anticipated the Amaruq Whale Tail will produce about 2.5-million ounces of gold between 2019 and 2025, with annual gold production averaging 272,500 ounces.