POND INLET, Nunavut, September 24, 2026 — The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) is celebrating the completion and grand opening of the $34-million Research and Training Centre in Pond Inlet alongside community members, funders and partners.
The Inuit-led Centre is the first facility of its kind in the High Arctic. It will expand access to training and post-secondary education while enabling Inuit students to remain connected to their culture, environment and families.
QIA’s vision for the Centre began in 2016 as an ambitious response to the need for greater Inuit employment at the Mary River Project. Building on its initial focus on transferable skills for mine-related work, the vision grew during the 2018 negotiations for the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area into a bold commitment to Inuit-led learning, research and long-term capacity building across the Qikiqtani Region.
“This Centre is proof that years of hard work and determination pay off. It is a made-in-Nunavut solution, made possible through strong partnerships and a shared commitment to Inuit. Inuit are strong and capable, and we need access to education, training and capacity-building opportunities closer to home—opportunities that respect our language, culture and worldview,” said the QIA President Olayuk Akesuk.
QIA is seeking partnerships with education and training providers to deliver programs from the new facility. Nunavut Arctic College will be the first institution to offer programming at the Centre. Over time, QIA’s goal is to make university-level programming available in Pond Inlet, creating more pathways for Inuit to pursue advanced education closer to home.
The purpose-built Centre supports learning, research and community with more than 2,880 square feet of flexible classroom space equipped with videoconferencing, smart technology and high-speed internet; a full-service cafeteria; on-site accommodations for up to 33 people with a student lounge, study space and gym; laboratory facilities; $2.1 million heavy-equipment simulators; and up to 2,390 square feet of meeting and event space.
The Research and Training Centre was made possible through funding from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, Indigenous Services Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
For further information, please contact:
Markoosie Qaunirq
Acting Director, Strategic Communications
Qikiqtani Inuit Association
(p) 867.975.8398 or toll-free 1.800.667.2742
mqaunirq@qia.ca
