A recent CBC North Inuktitut-language segment is shining national attention on the Inuit leadership and community-driven success behind the Coral Harbour Remediation and Inuit Capacity Building Project. In the interview, Dino Bruce (ᑎᓄ ᐳᒃᓯ), President of Salumaq Environmental Contracting, speaks with Teresa Qiatsuq (ᑎᕉᓴ ᖃᐃᑦᓱᖅ) about how partnership, training, and local decision-making shaped one of Nunavut’s most impactful remediation initiatives.
The project was delivered by Salumaq Environmental Contracting, Sudliq Developments Ltd. (SDL), and Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. It recently earned the 2025 Brownie Award for Partnerships and Community Engagement, recognizing its transformative environmental work and long-term benefits for the community.
Inuit Leadership at the Centre
During the CBC interview, Dino Bruce highlights the strength of Inuit knowledge, the value of working in Inuktitut, and the importance of keeping community priorities at the heart of the remediation process. This leadership was foundational to the Coral Harbour Inuit Capacity Building Program, which delivered tens of thousands of hours of Inuit employment and training, supporting growing expertise in equipment operation, safety, logistics, and project administration.
“This project demonstrates that when we work together and set aside individualism, we can make daily life better and build healthier communities,” says Bruce.
A Partnership Built on Community Priorities
What began as early-phase collaboration between SDL and Milestone grew into a multi-year, community-first remediation project shaped around Inuit values and local capacity building. From this success, the partners formed Salumaq Environmental Contracting, now a majority Inuit-owned company leading projects across the North, including work in Cambridge Bay, Pond Inlet, Pelly Lake, and a full-scale potable water treatment plant for Grise Fiord.
The CBC North feature underscores how this approach continues to resonate. Meaningful remediation is not only technical work, but also a pathway for training, employment, and long-term community development.