Mary River (Nunavut) facts for kids

Mary River is a place on Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. It's about 936 kilometres (582 miles) northwest of Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. It's also about 176 kilometres (109 miles) southwest of Pond Inlet, which the Inuit call Mittimatalik, meaning "the place where the landing place is." The Inuit name for the Mary River mountain is Nuluyait, which means "buttocks."

People have lived in this area for about 4,000 years. For hundreds of years, the Inuit people, who moved around with the seasons, would gather at Mary River in the summer. They came to hunt caribou. By 2011, about 5,400 people lived in the region. Many of them still follow a traditional lifestyle, hunting and fishing for their food.

In 1962, a Canadian prospector found a lot of iron ore here. Iron ore is a rock that contains iron, which is used to make steel. However, it wasn't until the 2010s that a big mining project started. In 2011, a large steel company called ArcelorMittal bought the company that owned the rights to the Mary River mine. The Mary River mine started working in 2015.

Life in Traditional Inuit Lands

The Mary River area has a very long history, going back 4,000 years. For many centuries, the Inuit people lived a semi-nomadic life. This means they moved from place to place, often following animal herds. They would meet at Mary River during the summer to hunt caribou.

The land around Mary River is home to many different animals. You can find polar bears, foxes, ermines, lemmings, and hares. Large herds of caribou also live here. In the nearby ocean waters, there are walruses, seals, beluga whales, and narwhals. These animals are very important for the Inuit people, who continue to live off the land.

The Mary River Mine

The story of the Mary River mine began in 1962. That's when two people, Murray Edmund Watts and Ron Sheardown, discovered a huge amount of iron ore. After Watts passed away, a company from Toronto called Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation took over the rights to the area.

For many years, people talked about building a railway in the far north to transport the iron ore from Mary River. This would have been a very big project!

In March 2011, a major change happened for the mine. A large company called ArcelorMittal, which is the biggest steel maker in the world, bought Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation. This meant that the Mary River project now had the support of a huge global company. The mine officially started operating in 2015.

Near the river, there is also a small airstrip called Mary River Aerodrome. This airport helps people and supplies get to and from the mine.

Images for kids

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  Mary River Aerodrome

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  Mary River mine site

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  Mary River mine site

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  Mary River mine site

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  Road to Mary River

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  Fresh water lake at Mary River

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  Mary River camp