Save the Nunavik Wilderness for Future Generations

The Strange Lake Mine Proposal and its methods are reminiscent of the pre-climate crisis ways.  Extraction of rare earth minerals present catastrophic risks for the George River Valley and beyond.  It is important to distinguish between different types of mining.  Rare earth mining is the dirtiest, worst type of mining and has no place in modern times when we should have learned for the errors of the past.  The area impacted from this dirty mining stretches from Sept-Îles on the North Shore to Kangiqsualujjuaq at the mouth of the George River on the shores of Ungava Bay.  Tons of chemicals involved in extracting rare minerals will be dumped in the area.  It is not realistic to believe that Torngat Metals will be able to ensure safe evacuation of these chemicals.  In addition, the 160-km access road which Torngat Metals plans to build will bring about environmental destruction on a massive scale. Processing of the rare earth minerals is to take place at a plant in Sept-Îles with waste waters from the procedure disposed of in Sept-Îles bay.  It is unfeasible that Torngat Metals will be able to mitigate the flow of chemicals into waters of the Saint Lawrence.  These are all behaviours in the name of economic development that belong to the past. Contamination and destruction at astronomical levels for economic development?

The George River valley is home to the calving grounds of the dwindling Caribou herd.  It is also home to one of the healthiest Atlantic Salmon populations that make their way at birth from the clean gravelly beds of the river to the North Atlantic Ocean and back.  The life cycles of this wildlife flourish in the untouched, pristine environment of the George River.   It is a delicate balance and we must not allow it to be destroyed by the activities of dirty mining like the Strange Lake Project put forward by Torngat Metals.

Those of us who walk this Earth today have inherited the errors of the past.  We know what the destruction of wildlife habitat looks like.  We know what has been done to the Earth and what the consequences are on our lives. Extreme storm events, heat waves, extreme forest fire conditions.  This is no longer the stuff of science fiction; it is now part of our lives, and we see it on the news on a regular basis.  This state of affairs is a result of archaic approaches to human progress and economic development, the consequence of failed paradigms.  We can always say that those who came before us didn’t know any better.  They made mistakes that we pay for now.  However, in this day and age, science is out there and readily available for us to learn.  The internet has made research accessible to us, whether we are scientists or not. We need only spend 10 minutes on the Internet to realize that rare earth mineral extraction like that put forward by the Strange Mines project is catastrophic, dangerous, unacceptable, and ARCHAIC in nature.  This type of project has no place in 2023.

We need to oppose this project not only for ourselves but for the future generations. They do not have a voice, but they will be made to live with the consequences of our decisions or with our lack of involvement in the decision-making.  The mining of rare earth minerals is catastrophic for the environment.  It is calamitous for the George River.  Negligence and mistakes are irreversible. In addition, building an access road though Labrador to the Strange Lake Area can only lead to environmental devastation on a massive scale.  The stakeholders of the mine have no vested interest in the region, they will leave a mess behind and move on to different projects without a care in the world.   For these reasons, I stand vigorously opposed to the Strange Lake Mine Project.  Future generations are counting on our voices of opposition.  They will be grateful for our perseverance and foresight.