Parks Canada Spring Exploratory Skidoo Patrol to Qausuitttuq National Park
April 2017
Full Project Description: Qausuittuq National Park on Bathurst Island became the newest national Park in Nunavut on September 1st, 2015. Parks Canada would like to explore spring access into Qausuittuq National Park for potential visitor opportunities and possible future operational projects. Three Parks Staff members will be completing a spring exploratory patrol to Bathurst Island by snowmobile. They will be accompanied by a conservation officer from Resolute and a local guide/outfitter. Parks Canada is requesting to utilize the Polar Bear Pass Cabin for two nights on the way in and out of Qausuittuq National Park. Weather permitting the team will travel from Resolute Bay to Polar Bear Pass Cabin on April 27th, 2017 and will then continue on to Qausuittuq National Park on April 28th, 2017. The five team members will be returning to Polar Bear Pass Cabin either on April 29th, 2017 or on April 30th, 2017 before returning to Resolute Bay the following day. The team may travel on different dates if there are delays due to weather.
The proposed travel route through Polar Bear Pass Wilderness Area to Qausuittuq National Park is seen in Figure 1.0. The actual travel route will depend on direction provided by the local outfitter and Tabitha Mullin, Conservation Officer for the Government of Nunavut.
The group of five will travel on four skidoos, with four qamutiiks. In order to have sufficient fuel for the expedition Parks Canada is requesting to cache 1-2 fuel drums of gasoline of 205L each to refuel the machines to continue on to Parks Canada’s field camp in Qausuittuq National Park from Polar Bear Pass Cabin. Weather permitting the fuel drums will be brought in by twin otter on April 24th, 2017. The drums will be placed in a secondary containment fuel berm to prevent soil or water contamination in the unlikely event of a fuel spill. Fuel caching will we done following Parks Canada’s fuel caching protocols (currently being finalized), a full description of the draft protocols including spill response is attached below (Appendix 1). A spill kit will be placed with the fuel cache in case of a spill. The empty fuel barrels and spill supplies will be hauled out by skidoo if possible. Any partial barrels or empty that cannot be hauled out by skidoo will be flown out by twin otter later in the spring or early summer by PCSP staff. All garbage and human waste will be packed out and properly disposed of.