How Agnico Eagle is helping to educate the next generation about the importance of sustainable development in Canada’s north

Agnico Eagle is expanding our mining activities in Nunavut, with the Meliadine now in commercial production and our Whale Tail project on schedule for Q3 2019. Not only this, we are also providing ongoing support for local educational programs that teach young people about the importance of science and the environment.

Agnico Eagle is a long-term sponsor of the Kivalliq Regional Science Fair which exposes students to the wonders of science and sustainable development while also giving them the opportunity to gather and evaluate evidence of the world around them.  It is these skills that Agnico Eagle’s future workforce will need to help us meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Organized by the Kivalliq Science Educators’ Community (KSEC), this year’s Fair focused on energy matters. Agnico Eagle helped run one of the fair’s sessions on alternative energy – including wind, solar, bio-gas and hydro electric energy – and students were able to build small solar cars to bring home with them. We also brought our own adult educator and Inuit electrician instructor, who facilitated workshops for students to learn the basics of energy and to practice installing plugs, switches, lights and extension cords.

This year’s Fair was held in Arviat (March 14-17), with 16 students attending from Arviat, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet and Baker Lake. Agnico Eagle provided $25,000 in funding to help cover costs and to ensure Kivalliq communities could send up to four students to participate in the regional competition.  We also hosted a well-attended community solar power workshop in Arviat in collaboration with the Hamlet.

This year’s winner of the Agnico Eagle Award for best senior project was Amber Aagark.  Amber is from Chesterfield Inlet and her project “Meat Heat” observed the science behind the increase in a person’s internal temperature after eating seal, caribou, and Arctic Char meat.

Agnico Eagle are proud to continue to empower Inuit youth, introducing them to the wonders of science and environmental education and the importance of sustainable development in Canada’s north.