A Nunavut Division initiative to facilitate the return to work of our Nunavummiut employees while contributing to the success of their communities.

On Monday August 10th, Agnico Eagle’s Nunavut Division kicked off a new pilot project, the Good Deeds Brigade. With the safety measures put in place to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19 to communities in the Kivalliq region, the company’s Nunavummiut employees — who nonetheless receive compensation — have not yet been able to join us on site. Thanks to this new project, they will be able to work and ensure not only the safety, but also the well-being, of their communities: by completing their work hours on local community projects.

This pilot project will see Agnico Eagle paying their employees’ base salaries while they work at an organization that helps and empowers members of the community. To start with, we have partnered with the Aqqiumavvik Society, the Abluqta Society, the Baker Lake Prenatal Nutrition Project (BLPNP).

In Arviat, the Aqqiumavvik Society had serious plans when they contacted Agnico Eagle: a proposition that would bring up to 20 employees supporting no less than 6 programs intended to support various wellness areas such as mentoring programs for young adults, the Young Hunters Program and the Inunnguiniq parenting support.

In Baker Lake, most participants are working at the Abluqta Society, a thrift shop social enterprise and foodbank that helps address food insecurity in the region. Three Agnico Eagle employees have been based in its thrift store, which will now allow it to remain open during the day, and the remaining eight have supported with its food bank and hamper deliveries which took place during the inauguring week.

The Baker Lake Prenatal Nutrition Project, the first and longest running of its kind in Nunavut, helps pregnant women, moms with new babies (including adopted), children, dads, and families of Baker Lake with nutrition education, cooking classes, sewing projects, and other health or well-being awareness training — all of which is conducted in respect to traditional Inuit values. Sharon Alerk, another Agnico Eagle employee participanting to the program, is dedicating her hours to working for the BLPNP after volunteering for them in the past. “I am grateful for this project,” she says. “I enjoy working at prenatal…working with Valerie and Annie.” She added that the additional wage from the project will be a relief, and it will help cover financial costs associated with COVID-19 interfering with work.

Valerie Dorey, Coordinator at the BLPNP and board member at Abluqta Society, believes this project will be a great way for Agnico Eagle to give their employees the chance to work, while ensuring the community benefits for as long as work can’t be done on site. According to her, the additional help will not only show employees how their food bank is organized, but it will also allow Abluqta to get the thrift store up and running again. “It is a wonderful thing that is being done once again by Agnico Eagle for the community of Baker Lake… [and] I would like to thank [them] for giving the Baker lake Prenatal Nutrition Project the opportunity to have an employee to help us.”

After a month, numerous projects have been implemented and the brigade has now expanded into four communities. Discussions to expand the Good Deeds Brigade are ongoing with our community partners. It is our hope that in the coming weeks, all seven communities of the Kivalliq region will see this project come to fruition.