Northern research post to be upgraded and expanded in $11M project

Resolute Bay, Nunavut – A contract valued at more than $10.9 million has been awarded to expand and modernize Natural Resources Canada’s Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) facility at Resolute Bay, Nunavut. The project will upgrade and expand the facility, which is a key hub for Arctic research.

PCSP has been supporting science in the Canadian Arctic for the past 50 years, and is nationally and internationally recognized as an outstanding and efficient research logistics provider.

Every year, PCSP provides ground and air support services to approximately 165 research projects involving over 1,100 researchers from more than 40 Canadian and other international universities, government and foreign agencies. The studies are in a range of disciplines in the natural and social sciences, including archaeology, biology, climatology, glaciology, geology, limnology, permafrost science, sea ice studies and traditional knowledge.

The renovation project, which is being managed by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to enhance and modernize the PCSP facility in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, will include:

– expansion of the accommodation area;
– a new kitchen and dining facility;
– a new area specifically designed for social and health sciences studies;
– replacement of existing laboratory space with an expanded office area; and
– construction of a new laboratory.

The project will help ensure the PCSP’s continued support of field research throughout Canada’s North. It will also significantly boost the capacity of the Resolute Bay facility to ensure that current and future client demands are met. As well, the expanded infrastructure resulting from the contract will extend the facility’s operational season, and reduce the environmental impact of the PCSP’s northern operations.