Canada puts more than $77 million into an Arctic Bay small-craft harbour

Arctic Bay is getting a harbour built for boats that work the water, not just a dock on a plan. Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Oct. 2, 2026, that Nunavut MP Lori Idlout announced, on behalf of Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, an investment of more than $77 million in a new multi-use small-craft harbour for the community.

Public Services and Procurement Canada awarded the construction contract to Pilitak Enterprises Ltd. of Iqaluit. The contract includes an Inuit benefits plan for local training and jobs. The release says construction is scheduled to begin in August 2026 and run until 2029, with the harbour expected to operate in the 2030 open-water season. The works include a breakwater, a launch ramp, a fixed wharf for larger vessels, float wharves for small craft, and dredging of the basin and the entrance channel.

Thompson said harvesters and hunters will get a sheltered place to launch, tie up, and unload, with electricity and better access to the water. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association and the hamlet of Arctic Bay worked with Ottawa to advance the project, which DFO ties to commitments around Tallurutiup Imanga and the Tuvaijuittuq marine protected area. A separate 2026 federal update set nearly $1 billion over five years for small-craft harbours across Canada. Media contact is DFO at 613-990-7537.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada via CNW — Arctic Bay small craft harbour (Oct. 2, 2026).