07/20/2026
UPDATE: The screening of the environmental baseline studies "Hopes Advance Bay" project is now complete.
The Screening Decision Report (SDR) is made available to the public and can be viewed on the NMRIRB Public Registry under the Documents tab here: https://www.nmrirb.ca/portal/registry/default.aspx?projectid=125832
The NMRIRB has issued its Screening Decision Report for File No. 125832, “Hopes Advance Bay.”
The Board is recommending that the proposed baseline data collection program be permitted to proceed in 2026 and 2027, subject to specific terms and conditions. This determination was based solely on the communities’ desire to ensure that data is collected in Hopes Advance Bay before any future development.
However, the Board found that the program, in its current form, may be insufficient to establish a comprehensive environmental and socio-economic baseline for the future assessment of a mine and associated port facility. Concerns include the breadth of the proposed studies, limited seasonal and interannual coverage, and the need to more meaningfully incorporate Inuit knowledge and community priorities into the study design.
Following the decision, the Proponent acknowledged these concerns and committed to using the 2026 results to improve the 2027 program, including refining fieldwork planning, better integrating biological and social considerations, strengthening the incorporation of Inuit knowledge, and continuing engagement with affected communities.
The Board reminds the Proponent that any additional studies in the Nunavik Marine Region, or activities outside the scope of the current submission, must be evaluated by the NMRIRB before proceeding.
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📣ᑐᓴᕐᑎᓯᐅᑏᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓂᐅᓚᖓᔪᒥᒃ 📣
NMRIRB ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᑕᖓᑕ ᑭᑎᑦᔪᑎᖓ 125832 - “ᐊᐅᐸᓘᑉ ᑲᖏᕐᓱᖓ (Hopes Advance Bay)"
ᓄᓇᕕᐅᑉ ᐃᒪᕐᐱᖓᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖕᙰᓂᐅᔭᕐᑐᓂᒃ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᔩᑦ NMRIRB ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐁᑦᑐᑕᐅᒍᓐᓇᓯᔪᑦ ᐁᑦᑐᑕᐅᒍᓐᓇᓚᖓᑦᓱᑎᓪᓗ ᐊᐅᔭᓕᕈᑦ 7, 2026 ᑎᑭᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᑦᔪᑎᓕᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᑲᔪᓯᖁᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ.
ᐃᓚᒌᑦᑎᑐᑦ ᑲᒪᖃᑕᐅᒍᒪᔪᑦ ᑐᓂᔨᒍᓐᓇᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᓴᒥᓂᒃ NMRIRB-ᑉ ᑭᓇᓕᒫᒃᑯᑦ ᓇᓗᓀᕐᓯᕕᖓᓄᑦ ᐅᕗᖓ www.nmrirb.ca ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᕿᓄᒍᑎᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ PDF-ᒦᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᕿᓄᒍᑎᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᓴᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᑦᓯᑐᐃᕕᓐᓂᒃ.
ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᓴᓂᒃ ᑕᑕᕐᓭᕕ: https://bit.ly/ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᓴᓂᒃᑕᑕᕐᓭᕕCOMMENTFORM125832
ᑕᑯᒋᐊᕈᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᒍᓐᓇᑐᖅ PDF ᓀᓪᓕᑎᕐᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᕙᓂ: https://bit.ly/NMRIRBᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᑕᖓᑕᑭᑎᑦᔪᑎᖓ125832_ᓀᓪᓕᑎᕐᓯᒪᔪᖅ
ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᖅ: ᓄᓇᕕᐅᑉ ᑕᕆᐅᖕᒐ ᓱᕐᕋᑕᐅᓕᕐᒪᖕᒑᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᔩᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖕᒋᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᑐᐃᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᕆᐊᕐᕕᓴᖕᒐᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᒥᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓚᖕᒐᑎᓪᓗᕈ WSP-ᑯᓄᑦ ᐱᒍᑦᔨᓱᑎᒃ Oceanic Iron Ore-ᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᓱᖃᑦᓯᐅᑎᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᕕᐅᑉ ᑕᕆᐅᖁᑎᖕᒐᓂᑐᐊᖅ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᑐᓂᔭᖅ ᐱᕆᐊᕐᕕᓴᖕᒐᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᒨᓕᖕᒐᔪᑐᐊᖅ, ᓯᕗᓂᑦᓴᒥ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ/ᐅᔭᕋᕐᓂᐊᓂᕐᒧᑦ/ᐄᒐᕐᕕᒧᑦ ᑐᕌᖕᒐᖕᖕᒋᑐᖅ. ᓯᕗᓂᕐᒥ ᓱᖃᑦᓯᐅᑎᐅᓛᕐᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᕕᐅᑉ ᑕᕆᐅᖁᑎᖕᒐᓂᒃ ᐱᒐᓱᐊᕈᑎᒥᑦ ᑐᓂᔨᒋᐊᓪᓚᒋᐊᓖᑦ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᑖᕐᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᖕᒋᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎᖕᒋᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᑕᐅᓂᓂᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᕆᐊᓪᓚᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ.
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📣Notice of Screening📣
NMRIRB File Number 125832 - “Hopes Advance Bay"
The NMRIRB is accepting public comments until August 7, 2026 regarding the proposed project.
Interested parties can submit comments on the NMRIRB Public Registry at www.nmrirb.ca or by requesting a PDF comment form.
Online Comment form: https://bit.ly/ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᓴᓂᒃᑕᑕᕐᓭᕕCOMMENTFORM125832
Read the full project proposal here:
https://www.nmrirb.ca/portal/registry/default.aspx?projectid=125832
Or take a look at our interactive PDF Summary here: https://bit.ly/NMRIRBFile125832_Summary
IMPORTANT: The NMRIRB is screening the biophysical baseline study to be conducted by WSP on behalf of Oceanic Iron Ore for activities only in the Nunavik Marine Region (NMR). This submission is only for the baseline study / research and not for any future development / mine / port facility. Any future activities in the Nunavik Marine Region will require a re-submission to the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement (NILCA) Project Review Processes.
