Nunatsiavut moves forward with environmental review for Nain airport project
The Nunatsiavut Government is moving forward with the next steps of their environmental review process for the proposed new Nain airport project, the body said on Monday.
Nunatsiavut is the Inuit self-governing region in the Atlantic Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The government there proposed the new airport project with a view to replacing the current airstrip in Nain, the region’s northernmost community and its administrative capital.
The airstrip is the only year-round access to the community, aside from boat travel during the ice-free period, which lasts from roughly June to November.
An initial consultation took place earlier this year and the Nunatsiavut Assembly has now referred the project to its environmental review committee to oversee the assessment, the government said in a statement.
The committee includes:
- Lands and Natural Resources Minister Terry Vincent (chair)
- Language, Culture, and Tourism Minister David Dicker
- Nain AngajukKâk Joe Dicker
- Duane Metcalfe, representative of the Nain hunters and harvesters
“The committee will now work on drafting the guidelines for this EIS outlining the information that the proponent needs to provide so that the committee and Nunatsiavummiut may make an informed decision about the project,” the government said.
Project seeks to mitigate transportation challenges
Nain is home to approximately 1,200 people, and the airport project seeks to improve access to the community by providing a more reliable and modern transportation hub, the government said.
The community’s location in a mountainous region with strong winds means the current airstrip is not certified for night-flying operations and that flights during the day are often cancelled due to volatile weather and crosswinds.
The December 2023 environmental review registration for the project says flight cancellations have a domino effect through the whole community impacting everything from the delivery of food and medical supplies; delayed medical treatment for people needing to travel to larger centers like Happy Valley-Goose Bay and St. John’s, and contributes to the challenge in attracting and retaining healthcare and education workers in the village.
- airport including terminal, equipment maintenance hangar, food cold storage/freezer building, apron, groundside parking
- new runway measuring 1,830 m long and 1,830 m wide
- 13 km long road joining the airport to Nain
- operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week
The airstrip, built in the early 1980s and measuring 605 metres long, is also unable to handle larger aircraft.
In addition, the airstrip is surrounded on three sides by the sea and sits only 6 metres above sea level, leading to frequent erosion, the registration document said.
“During storm surges, such as one that occurred as recently as December 2022, the airstrip has been partially flooded by sea water. Storm surges result in erosion that can affect load-bearing capacity of the airstrip, the document said.
“This presents the possibility that the airstrip could become unusable on a short- or long-term basis.”
Upcoming actions include public feedback on guidelines
The government statement on Monday said the next step involves the committee drafting guidelines for the EIS, outlining the specific information that must be provided by the project’s proponents.
The guidelines will then be released for public comment.
Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
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