The West Kitikmeot Gold Corporation (WKG) announced on Nov. 22 its intention to act as a proponent for the Grays Bay Road and Port Project after signing an agreement with the landowner and shareholder, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA).
The KIA has been a proponent of the project since 2018, but also entered into a contribution agreement with Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund for $21.6 million in 2019 to move the road and port project into phase one, or “shovel ready status.”
The Nov. 22 signing of a novation and assignment agreement among the three parties means that the proponent responsibilities and the $21.6 million in federal funds has been transferred to the WKG.
WKG describes Grays Bay as a “multi-use, multi-purpose asset that will further assist Inuit and Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Passage. It is a vital infrastructure corridor between southern Canada and the Kitikmeot. [The road and port project] will be key to unlocking the critical minerals wealth of Kitikmeot, and will be a driver of new opportunities for Kitikmeot beneficiaries.”