Atkinson reported in Fall, 2020 that the latest contributor to Nunavik’s resource economy comes from the spectacular discovery of rare earth elements (minerals) and fluorspar located 130 kilometres south of Kuujjuaq and now in development. The proprietor exploration and development company is the Commerce Resources Corp. The project was tagged the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit: potentially the first successful rare earths mine in Canada and contributor to the local economy.
On May 15, 2019, Commerce Resources Corp. signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with both Makivik Corporation and Nayumivik Land Holdings. The intention is of high importance to the region’s mining economy because it calls for Nunavummiut involvement in its planning. Economic Development vice-president Maggie Emudluk signed it on behalf of Makivik and Sammy Koneak for Nayumivik Land Holding Corporation. Company president Christopher Groves and geologist project manager
The Nunavik territory is appreciated by Northern Quebec’s expansive land mass marked by the Quebec Boundaries Extension Act (1912) and Canada’s first indigenous land claim settlement, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (1975). However, people have survived for over 4.000 years from the Nunavik region’s natural resources. At the turn of the 20th century the Revillon Frères and the Hudson Bay Company established posts to trade with Inuit.
A geologist has logged carbonatite drill cores from the Ashram Rare Earth Elements Deposit. The adjacent positioned Saville Resources Inc. is Commerce Resources Corp.’s sister company. However, its chief focus is the chemical element niobium. While being called the Niobium Claim Group Property, Saville
Resource’s other products are tantalum, fluorspar, and phosphate. Saville’s niobium targets are well advanced, also close to the surface, and found to be of a much higher grade than other niobium deposits being worked globally. The price of niobium has quadrupled since 2006: a fact which is beneficial to its Nunavik stakeholders.
China buys half of the world’s mined niobium. niobium ˆwsWx7 is a high strength additive to steel, stainless steel, pipelines, ships, all aircraft and especially car and truck bodies. Adding niobium reduces the amount and weight of steel required for all these industries and helps further Canada’s green initiative.
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 05 ABOVE & BEYOND — CANADA’S ARCTIC JOURNAL page 21
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