HOPE BAY, NVT. — The Canada Infrastructure Bank has closed a $20-million loan for an Inuit-led wind project serving a gold mine in Nunavut. The recipient of the loan is a partnership between the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and Tugliq Energy. The project includes a 4.2-megawatt wind turbine and a four-megawatt battery energy storage system that would power Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.’s operations in Hope Bay. The project is expected to cut annual diesel use by up to three million litres and lower emissions by some 13,000 tonnes per year. Natural Resources Canada has already contributed $25 million to the Hope Bay project through its Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program. In May, Agnico Eagle gave the official go-ahead to proceed with its Hope Bay project, which would be one of Canada’s northernmost mines. The infrastructure bank said the project is expected to employ 15 people during peak construction and provide long-term benefits to local communities through profit-sharing. It’s the second project in Nunavut for the federal agency, following its $6.7-milion loan for a wind project in Sanikiluaq. Agnico Eagle previously attempted to build a wind farm near another of its mines in the territory called Meliadine, which it had been planning to expand. The proposal garnered community opposition. The Nunavut Impact Review Board recommended the extension be rejected and the company withdrew its proposal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026. The Canadian Press
