Ferguson Lake (Kivalliq Region)
Encyclopedia
Ferguson Lake is a lake
in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut
, Canada
. It is located 150 km (93 mi) north of the tree line, midway between Yathkyed Lake
and Qamanirjuaq Lake
. The lake's outflow is to the east into the Ferguson River
, which flows eastward through several lakes, emptying into northwestern Hudson Bay
between Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove
. The closest community is Baker Lake
, 160 km (99 mi) to the north.
The lake was discovered by Canadian Arctic
explorer Joseph Tyrrell
's Geological Survey of Canada 1894 canoe expedition that included Robert Monro Ferguson, Scottish
sportsman and aide-de-camp
to Lord Aberdeen
, Governor General of Canada
. Ferguson became the namesake of the lake and the river.(Hodgins, 1994, pg. 109)
, dark-green diorite
islands, one large enough to accommodate a +1 km airstrip. A prominent area feature directly east of the lake is Uligattalik Hill 62°55′40"N 96°34′19"W.
It is within the northern Hearne Domain, Western Churchill province of the Churchill craton
, the northwest section of the Canadian Shield
.
climate and Barrenlands terrain support Barren-ground Caribou
, grizzly bear
, Arctic Hare
, and Arctic Fox
. The lake's fish include searun Arctic char
.
In 1953, commercial area mineral exploration found copper
-nickel
. Further exploration in 1987 found cobalt
-palladium
-platinum
. Starfield Resources drilled at least four holes in 1999 to a targeted anomaly.
Current decade
Commercial drilling began on the lake's east side in 2004 as part of a massive sulphide
project exploration for nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum-palladium. By 2007, the Starfield commercial exploration
62°55′00"N 97°00′00"W became notable for the possibility of developing into Nunavut's largest ongoing base metal
and precious metal
project. Some of the research is funded by McGill University
.
The Nunavut Impact Review Board was contacted in early 2007 by the Ferguson Lake Natives, and the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB). The Ferguson Lake Inuit
, now residing in Baker Lake, Nunavut, addressed issues of concern with the Starfield Resources-Ferguson Lake Project report, requested copies of the Project's 2005 and 2006 reports, and sought assurance that they be included in the planning stage of commercial mineral exploration that includes the lake's archaeological, cultural or traditional sites. The BQCMB addressed its concerns on behalf of the area's caribou
population.
In March 2008, Starfield announced positive indications of rhodium
:
The following week, on March 20, Starfield announced that its scoping study yielded positive results with anticipation of economical operations, 27% IRR
, plus enough cobalt, copper, and nickel mineral resources for operations through 2030. The study includes assumptions of a Ferguson Lake open pit mine, a later underground mine, and an on-site processing plant. Additional assumptions include a slurry pipeline to Rankin Inlet, along with ship loading and port facilities there.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located 150 km (93 mi) north of the tree line, midway between Yathkyed Lake
Yathkyed Lake
Yathkyed Lake is a lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located between Angikuni Lake and Forde Lake, it is one of several lakes on the Kazan River....
and Qamanirjuaq Lake
Qamanirjuaq Lake
Qamanirjuaq Lake is a lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is the first of several named lakes on the eastward flow of the Ferguson River through the eastern barrenlands...
. The lake's outflow is to the east into the Ferguson River
Ferguson River (Nunavut)
The Ferguson River originates on the eastern bank of Ferguson Lake within the northern Hearne Domain, Western Churchill province of the Churchill craton, the northwest section of the Canadian Shield in Nunavut's Kivalliq Region....
, which flows eastward through several lakes, emptying into northwestern Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
between Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove
Whale Cove, Nunavut
Whale Cove , is a hamlet located south of Rankin Inlet, north of Arviat, in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada, on the western shore of Hudson Bay....
. The closest community is Baker Lake
Baker Lake, Nunavut
Baker Lake , is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located inland from Hudson Bay, it is near the nation's geographical centre, and is notable for being the Canadian Arctic's sole inland community...
, 160 km (99 mi) to the north.
The lake was discovered by Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
explorer Joseph Tyrrell
Joseph Tyrrell
Joseph Burr Tyrrell was a Canadian geologist, cartographer, and mining consultant. He discovered dinosaur bones in Alberta's Badlands and coal around Drumheller in 1884....
's Geological Survey of Canada 1894 canoe expedition that included Robert Monro Ferguson, Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
sportsman and aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Lord Aberdeen
John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair
John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC , known as The Earl of Aberdeen from 1870 to 1916, was a Scottish politician...
, Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
. Ferguson became the namesake of the lake and the river.(Hodgins, 1994, pg. 109)
Geography
The lake has an irregular contour with deep bays, long points, grassy slopes, terraces underlain with sand and gravel, and rocky narrows. There are several rocky, gray gneissGneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
, dark-green diorite
Diorite
Diorite is a grey to dark grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar , biotite, hornblende, and/or pyroxene. It may contain small amounts of quartz, microcline and olivine. Zircon, apatite, sphene, magnetite, ilmenite and sulfides occur as accessory...
islands, one large enough to accommodate a +1 km airstrip. A prominent area feature directly east of the lake is Uligattalik Hill 62°55′40"N 96°34′19"W.
It is within the northern Hearne Domain, Western Churchill province of the Churchill craton
Churchill craton
The Churchill craton is the northwest section of the Canadian Shield and stretches from southern Saskatchewan and Alberta to northern Nunavut. It has a very complex geological history punctuated by at least seven distinct regional tectonometamorphic intervals, including many discrete accretionary...
, the northwest section of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
.
Fauna
The subarcticSubarctic
The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern Mongolia...
climate and Barrenlands terrain support Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou is a subspecies of the caribou that is found mainly in the Canadian territories Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and western Greenland. It sometimes includes the similar porcupine caribou, in which case the barren-ground caribou also is found in Alaska...
, grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
, Arctic Hare
Arctic Hare
The arctic hare , or polar rabbit is a species of hare which is adapted largely to polar and mountainous habitats. The arctic hare survives with a thick coat of fur and usually digs holes under the ground or snow to keep warm and sleep...
, and Arctic Fox
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
. The lake's fish include searun Arctic char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
.
Mineral exploration
HistoryIn 1953, commercial area mineral exploration found copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
. Further exploration in 1987 found cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
-palladium
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
-platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
. Starfield Resources drilled at least four holes in 1999 to a targeted anomaly.
Current decade
Commercial drilling began on the lake's east side in 2004 as part of a massive sulphide
Sulfide
A sulfide is an anion of sulfur in its lowest oxidation state of 2-. Sulfide is also a slightly archaic term for thioethers, a common type of organosulfur compound that are well known for their bad odors.- Properties :...
project exploration for nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum-palladium. By 2007, the Starfield commercial exploration
62°55′00"N 97°00′00"W became notable for the possibility of developing into Nunavut's largest ongoing base metal
Base metal
In chemistry, the term base metal is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily, and reacts variably with diluted hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc...
and precious metal
Precious metal
A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value.Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high lustre, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals...
project. Some of the research is funded by McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
The Nunavut Impact Review Board was contacted in early 2007 by the Ferguson Lake Natives, and the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB). The Ferguson Lake Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, now residing in Baker Lake, Nunavut, addressed issues of concern with the Starfield Resources-Ferguson Lake Project report, requested copies of the Project's 2005 and 2006 reports, and sought assurance that they be included in the planning stage of commercial mineral exploration that includes the lake's archaeological, cultural or traditional sites. The BQCMB addressed its concerns on behalf of the area's caribou
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
population.
In March 2008, Starfield announced positive indications of rhodium
Rhodium
Rhodium is a chemical element that is a rare, silvery-white, hard and chemically inert transition metal and a member of the platinum group. It has the chemical symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is composed of only one isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is found as the free metal, alloyed...
:
"The indications of rhodium at Ferguson Lake are significant because of the very strong price of this commodity.
We very much need to evaluate our large land holding over the next two years to determine its value for further expenditures or joint venture opportunities. Nonetheless, we consider the Ferguson Lake deposit our crown jewel and it will remain our major focus." (André Douchane, President/CEO, Starfield, March 13, 2008)
The following week, on March 20, Starfield announced that its scoping study yielded positive results with anticipation of economical operations, 27% IRR
Internal rate of return
The internal rate of return is a rate of return used in capital budgeting to measure and compare the profitability of investments. It is also called the discounted cash flow rate of return or the rate of return . In the context of savings and loans the IRR is also called the effective interest rate...
, plus enough cobalt, copper, and nickel mineral resources for operations through 2030. The study includes assumptions of a Ferguson Lake open pit mine, a later underground mine, and an on-site processing plant. Additional assumptions include a slurry pipeline to Rankin Inlet, along with ship loading and port facilities there.