Milne Inlet

rdf:langString Milne Inlet

rdf:langString Milne Inlet (72°15′N 080°30′W / 72.250°N 80.500°W) is a small, shallow arm of Eclipse Sound which, along with Navy Board Inlet, separates Bylot Island from Baffin Island in Nunavut's Qikiqtaaluk Region. Milne Inlet flows in a southerly direction from Navy Board Inlet at the confluence of Eclipse Sound. Milne Inlet is shallow and has high tides and strong winds. It only has 90 days where it is ice-free—from August to October. The hamlet of Mittimatalik —Pond Inlet which is 92% Inuit, is the gateway to many tourist attractions in the region, and is 80 km from Milne Inlet. The region is part of the Arctic Cordillera, with one of Canada's most inhospitable climates—with long, dark winters and temperatures averaging −35 °C (−31 °F). Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, which owns the Mary River iron ore mine—100 km (62 mi) from Milne Inlet, began to develop a harbour infrastructure in Milne Inlet in the 2000s, which became operational in 2015. Baffinland which has submitted plans to double—and eventually triple its production—has applied for the use of ice-breakers to keep the waters open for ten months, much to the concern of surrounding Inuit communities.