Building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with Labrador’s aboriginal communities and other residents of Newfoundland and Labrador is crucial to the success of the Voisey’s Bay project. We have developed innovative partnerships with Innu Nation, Labrador Inuit Association, all levels of government and with Memorial University. These partnerships cover everything from research to human resources training to development principles to local benefits. Our company is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are the primary beneficiaries of the project.

The concept of partnering to achieve common goals is the foundation of the Impacts and Benefits Agreements (IBAs) between Voisey’s Bay Nickel Company Limited (VBNC) and Innu Nation and Labrador Inuit Association (LIA) signed in 2002. Legally binding agreements, the IBAs establish targets for Innu and Inuit employment and training, promote aboriginal business, and involve aboriginal people in environmental monitoring. In 2004, we continued to fulfill our responsibilities to our aboriginal partners and to encourage the development of strong relationships based on trust and respect.

A key commitment in our Impacts and Benefits Agreement with the LIA required the development of a Shipping Agreement to address all aspects of marine transportation into and out of Anaktalak Bay. Working in cooperation with the LIA , VBNC began negotiations on a shipping agreement in 2004. The purpose of the agreement is to address concerns of the Inuit with respect to winter shipping and establish rules and procedures that consider the concerns of the LIA and respect VBNC’s reasonable needs for shipping. In order to get supplies and materials into Voisey’s Bay, VBNC will have to ship into and out of Anaktalak Bay , an area that has significant use by the Inuit of Nain for hunting, recreation, and traveling.

Tom Paddon, Manager of Aboriginal Affairs and Labrador Human Resources says the negotiations are an excellent example of partnership. “VBNC worked very hard to explain why shipping through Anaktalak Bay was absolutely essential to our operation and to understand the extent of the concerns of the Inuit, and they likewise worked hard to understand our needs. Over a period of time we each came to a conclusion. LIA accepted we have to have winter shipping and VBNC accepted that we have to put a plan in place to mitigate any impact our shipping activity in Anaktalak Bay may have on Inuit harvesting, recreation and travel.” By the end of 2004 a draft shipping agreement was well advanced. “There were still some hard issues left to be resolved but plans were in place to deal with some of these issues,” says Paddon. Negotiations will continue in 2005. VBNC will also work with the LIA to conduct a test probe of the ice in Anaktalak Bay in February 2005 to demonstrate to residents of Nain how VBNC proposes to minimize the impacts of shipping on their activities in Anaktalk Bay.

We also continued to work with other local stakeholders from the Argentia area as construction got underway at the hydromet demonstration plant site this year. We met with representatives from the municipalities and community organizations as well as various federal and provincial government departments through the Argentia Community Liaison Committee. This committee meets regularly and it has become a forum for the discussion of concerns and issues of interest such as the environmental impact of VBNC’s hydromet demonstration plant, scheduled to begin operations in late 2005. 2004 also saw the opening of VBNC’s Placentia Information Office, which was created to ensure residents of the Placentia area could access the latest information on the status of the project.