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Covering an area of approximately 26,000 sq. miles, the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, straddling the boundary of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada's mainland Arctic, is the largest and most remote wildlife refuge on the North America continent - and possibly the world. As there is little surrounding development in this region, the unusual forest oasis located far out on the tundra truly represents one of the last great, unaltered ecosystems on our planet. For those few fortunate enough to have ever visited this extreme remote region, the experience is like stepping back to a time when grizzly, wolves and musk-ox ruled the earth... |
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During the intense studies carried out by the International Biological Program (IBP) in the 1960's, the Thelon Sanctuary was identified as a 'Biological Site of Universal Importance'. This was primarily due to the extreme biological diversity found in the unusual boreal forest oasis that for nearly 100 miles follows the meandering Thelon River valley located 200 + km north of the tree-line. Many other important sites throughout the North identified by the IBP later became UNESCO World Heritage Sites. However, accessible only with difficulty and high expense, the Thelon Sanctuary was all but a forgotten entity. |
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The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary has always been a political enigma: control over this vast area has been passed from one government department to another - both federally and territorially - and subsequently there has never been a true management policy in effect - no department had the budget to police or even patrol such a vast, remote area. It remained closed to all development activity including native hunting since the 1920's; and was probably the only Sanctuary or Park in Canada that offered such full protection for wildlife. This anonymity of the Thelon Sanctuary was most probably its best protection during those times, as everyone seemingly left the Thelon alone. |
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However, behind the scenes, huge international conglomerates were quietly out in that country bordering the Sanctuary while conducting sizeable uranium exploration programs and drilling camps in the 1970's and 1980's. These companies began lobbying the Federal Government and native communities in the early 1980's intending to instigate changes to the protected disposition of the Sanctuary, and slowly but surely subtle changes were taking place; such as the removal of the Sanctuary off of the Federal maps. As of 2007, and the resurgence of interest in nuclear energy, renewed interest and exploration is now occuring in the upper Thelon River area. In 1986, a closed-door government review board was established to determine the fate of the Thelon Sanctuary along with other IBP sites in the Northwest Territories. The intent was to examine opening part or all of the Thelon Sanctuary for mining development. However, overwhelming public support to keep the Sanctuary closed to such development poured in from visitors, outfitters and biologists alike. and finally a decision was (hesitantly) reached to keep the Sanctuary closed to development - for the time being... |
Diamonds have now entered the scene. Major discoveries of Kimberlite pipes producing gem-grade diamonds have been discovered on the barrenlands north and east of Yellowknife, resulting in mining activities and huge developments slated or already underway. One huge mine has just recently gone into production, a multi-billion dollar affair known as Ekati’ owned by Australian-based BHP Diamonds. De Beers, the world's leading diamond cartel, have set up offices in Yellowknife and are preparing to open their own mine within the next few years - as is London based Rio Tinto - the worlds' largest mining company. All this new mining development has singly introduced the largest influx of human activity on the remote Canadian mainland tundra in history. |
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In 1992, as part of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, a draft Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary management plan was prepared, which then went to the hands of the Government of the Northwest Territories for their approval. It passed back and forth over the next few years for 'changes'. In 1999/00, the Government of Nunavut, Kivalliq Inuit Association, Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. met to finalize a management plan for the Sanctuary in keeping with the obligations under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. The plan recommends, among other things, the establishment of a co-management Advisory Committee made up of government and community representatives to consider such things as special management areas outside the Sanctuary, use and access, and other management and planning recommendations. This plan apparently has been sitting in the 'basket' of the Minister of Resources, Wildlife & Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories for the past two years, without any further public consultation as to the proposed changes made.
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