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Vale Inco's Winter Shipping Program

For normal operations, the annual shipping program will be as follows:

December 7 – January 21 No Shipping
January 22 – April 6 Four (4) Nickel Shipments
April 7 – May 21 No Shipping
May 22 – December 6 Shipping of Nickel and Copper, plus any other shipments

During the winter shipping period of January 22 – April 6, Vale Inco will mark the ship’s track with colored reflective markers which are placed every 250 meters along the track where the track is straight.  The markers will be closer together in areas where the track turns, at the crossing signs and in the area of the star turn in Edward’s Cove.  The reflective markers will be colored; they will be red on the north side of the track and green on the south side of the track.  The map on the other side of this sheet sets out the location of the ice crossings and shows which side of the track has the red markers and which side of the track has green markers. 

Each winter the ship will choose either the northern or southern route.  Once the route is chosen, it will remain the same for all voyages during that winter.

The blue crossings will be constructed after the ship has gone into Edward’s Cove and both the blue and the orange crossings will be constructed after the ship has left.  Each safe crossing will be marked with lights and the sign will say whether the crossing is safe or not safe to cross.

VHF pagers, which will provide up-to-date information on the ships activities once it is turned on, are available in Nain.  A VHF pager can be picked up through Isabella Pain at the Vale Inco office in Nain, Gus Dicker or Ron Webb at the Sikumiut office in Nain. When you pick up a pager you will be provided with information on how to use it.

If you do not know the ships activities, go to a crossing location and the sign will indicate whether the ship’s track is safe to cross.

How can you find out about the ship’s movement?

  1. Call the Vale Inco shipping information line at 1 877 922 SHIP (7447)
  2. Visit Vale Inco’s website at valeinco.com
  3. Listen to Okalakatiget Radio broadcast for regular updates.
  4. Call Isabella Pain at 922 2265, Gus Dicker or Ron Webb at 922 1999

The ship’s track marking and safe crossings will be constructed and maintained by Sikumiut.