Open Letter to Beneficiaries of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association Mary River Project Agreements

QIA would like to take this opportunity to extend great thanks to our Beneficiaries for their involvement, patience, and interest in the Mary River Project. QIA appreciates that you have an interest and recognize that you have a stake in the development and exploitation of natural resources within our Inuit Owned Lands. QIA would also like to extend great thanks to the Mary River Project Committees and negotiating team for their past and ongoing work related to this major mining development project. QIA has worked to achieve an Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) and Commercial Production Lease (CPL) that are fair, balanced, and directly incorporate Inuit values, beliefs and principles. These agreements were negotiated to enhance and improve quality of life for all Inuit, and help lead to greater self-reliance. QIA recognizes that it will be important to continue to work closely with Beneficiaries to bring the potential of these agreements into reality in a way that produces meaningful benefits for Inuit and effective mitigations for environmental impacts associated with the project. Inuit will be involved in many aspects of this project and will be paying attention and taking part in making sure that these agreements are carried out and implemented in a meaningful way. It will be important for Inuit to become more involved in the implementation of these agreements in order to help realize critical roles for Inuit in environmental stewardship, training, education, social programming and helping to breathe life into environmental protection measures contained within the CPL and IIBA and building upon the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. QIA will be working to make sure that Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation (BIMC) keeps the promises it has made in these agreements. QIA must also keep its promises to serve the interests of all Qikiqtaalummiut. QIA is organized to better serve Beneficiaries and will be working in cooperation with Inuit and Inuit Leaders, Inuit subsidiary organizations, BIMC, as well as the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut to help bring the many aspects of the IIBA into reality. This will mean partnering with Qikiqtaaluk Communities in order to ensure that the implementation of the agreements are aligned with the Inuit values and beliefs which are built into these important contracts. The ability of these agreements to deliver benefits like improvements to education, professional and technical employment will depend upon how passionately we all work to ensure these agreements are fully implemented and realized. We want to keep bringing business to the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut in a way that recognizes and respects our rights and values. QIA is working to ensure that a principled approach to achieving agreements guides QIA actions and considerations related to natural resource development. QIA is balancing advances in natural resource development in a way that places the values and beliefs of Inuit at the forefront of decision-making. Many advances will be possible through the effective leadership, inclusion, and communication with Beneficiaries and communities. The IIBA and CPL contain a number of important opportunities and challenges for Inuit. There will be a variety of employment opportunities associated with the project. This will include such things as environmental monitors, inspectors, QIA project related personnel, as well as a variety of positions within the mine itself. These agreements also include a strong suite of social and socio-economic provisions which will be implemented in order to support work to improve the quality of life and self reliance of Inuit generally. QIA will be working to ensure the programs and initiatives anticipated in the

IIBA become a positive reality for Qikiqtaalummiut. A Plain Language Guide for the Mary River Project Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement has been developed and is available to Beneficiaries through the local QIA Community Liaison Officer. QIA will rely upon your participation and active involvement in order to lead the way forward as Qikiqtaalummiut deal with advances in natural resource development. Through greater cooperation, QIA will help to advance environmental protection measures and improve the social and economic conditions in our Region of Nunavut. Throughout the lifecycle of the Mary River Project, QIA will be working to ensure the protection of Inuit rights in land, water and environment, by building accountability into the implementation of such agreements. It is important to clearly state and share how important these issues are to the Inuit way of life. By negotiating agreements that protect the environment and recognize Inuit authorities and rights, QIA will uphold our longstanding values and beliefs.