Dr. Dawson provided updates for WT viewers.

The Arctic Corridors & Northern Voices project was developed by the University of Ottawa in partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard with an aim to encourage the inclusion of Inuit and Northern voices in the development and management of the low impact shipping corridors.

In response to increases in ship traffic across Arctic Canada, the Government of Canada is developing a network of ‘Low Impact Shipping Corridors’ to encourage ships to use certain routes that are less risky and where services and infrastructure investment can be focused.

“Through the Arctic corridors & Northern Voices project Inuit community concerns and recommendations were recorded about ship traffic impacts, where the corridors should be located, and how shipping should be managed – areas to avoid, slow zones, no ice-breaking zones,” Dr. Dawson said.

“We translated all 14 community reports into Inuktut and worked with 10 individual translators to ensure each report was translated into the local dialect for that community.’

Reports were professionally designed, printed and disseminated within each community.

Electronic versions are available at:

https://www.arcticcorridors.ca/translated-community-reports/

Research is ongoing in response to Inuit-identified priorities:

• A three-part survey about governance of the low impact shipping corridors including –identifying potential management strategies and who should be involved and how
• Understanding the potential for tourism surrounding the Wrecks of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site
• Contributing a chapter entitled “Managing Arctic Shipping in Canada Through Low Impact Shipping corridors” for the upcoming book “Arctic Shipping at a Time of Change: Governance Challenges and Approaches in the Canadian North”
• Analyzing the operational risks from changing sea ice to ships operating in the corridors and across the Canadian Arctic
• Evaluating the overlap of ship traffic and Inuit-Identified Culturally Significant Marine Areas and the identification of the diversity and seasonality of harvesting foods

“With the help of our partners, we continue to share findings and build on Arctic Corridors & Northern Voices research. Through our combined efforts we are addressing research priorities and informing evidence-based decision-making.”