Last year, as part of Nukik’s ongoing fieldwork to prepare for the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link (KHFL), we carried out our most ambitious wildlife field program to date. Together with community members and researchers, we gathered important data across Nunavut and northern Manitoba on vegetation and species like caribou, muskox, polar bears, waterfowl, bats, and birds.
To understand the land, ecosystems, and animal populations in the places the KHFL will cross, and to ensure their protection is built into our project planning.
Our team used trail cameras, acoustic recorders, telemetry data reviews, helicopter surveys, and plant assessments to track wildlife movement, monitor habitat quality, and document seasonal patterns.
Whether it was counting ducklings in the spring, surveying bat activity through echolocation, or tracking polar bear emergence from dens in late winter, each effort helped build a clearer picture of life on the land.
Making this work public is part of our commitment to transparency and accountability. As an Inuit-led company, we believe that communities, partners, and the public deserve to see the science that guides our decisions. These studies aren’t just a regulatory requirement, they’re how we make sure the KHFL is built in a way that respects wildlife, cultural practices, and the land itself.
There’s more to come. In the upcoming season, we’ll continue monitoring and studying key species and habitats, gathering the baseline data needed for regulatory review and project planning.
Read Nukik’s full Annual Summary Report here to learn more about our wildlife work and the broader progress being made to advance this important nation-building project.
