The hearings for the proposed Mary River iron ore project in Nunavut may strongly affect the region's people and its economy.

So far, the hearings for the project have focused mostly around the mine's potential environmental impacts.

Members of the RCMP were present at the second day of the final hearings for the mine in Iqaluit.

They said that with money, often crime and dysfunction comes to a community. They said they saw this happen in Baker Lake, which is home to Nunavut’s only operating mine. The RCMP said they want to be prepared if the Mary River project goes ahead.

Hilton Smee, the head of the RCMP in Nunavut, said the RCMP is often the first point of contact when conflicts in communities arise. He said they want to be prepared if the mine at Mary River gets approved. (CBC)

“With increased economic activity, we recognize that there will be social concerns and some issues that, oftentimes, we are the organization that has to deal with it, right at the very first instance,” said Hilton Smee, the superintendant for the Nunavut RCMP.

Smee said the RCMP is doing research to find out what its policing needs are now, and what they might be if the mega project goes ahead.

“We're also working on a strategy that we're going to present to the government of Nunavut that says this is what we need to prepare to police these communities,” said Smee.

Inuit should benefit from project, says QIA

Any company which wants to mine in Nunavut must sign an Inuit Impacts and Benefit Agreement. In this case, the agreement is with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA).

Okalik Eegeesiak, the QIA president, is in the midst of negotiating an impacts benefit agreement with Baffinland. She said the aim is that Inuit reap positive benefits from the mine.

The QIA wants to maximize the potential positive benefits of the proposed $4-billion mine.

QIA is still negotiating with Baffinland, but they are said to be close to an agreement.

“It stipulates employment targets, business targets, social programming and stuff like that where Inuit should benefit from the project and we hope that is negotiated before it starts,” said Okalik Eegeesiak, the president of the QIA.

If the Mary River mine gets approval after these final hearings, QIA will gain royalties and taxes.

Baffinland estimates the Nunavut Government will receive $2.8 billion in tax revenues over the life of the project.

The company also said it will need 3,000 workers to build the mine and 950 to run it.