West Kitikmeot Resources Corp. (WKR) has shortlisted three construction teams for the Major Works package of the approximately $1 billion Grays Bay Road and Port Project, moving the major Nunavut infrastructure initiative into its next procurement stage.
The three respondents were selected following a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) publicly released on June 1, 2026.
The shortlisted teams are:
-
Kiewit Construction Services ULC, working with North American Construction Group, Hatch, WSP and Thurber Engineering Ltd.
-
Arctic Passage Partners GP, a partnership between Ledcor and Bird Construction, supported by Parsons Corporation, Associated Engineering, Tetra Tech, Baird & Associates, PND Engineers Inc. and Alietum Ice Inc.
-
Grays Bay Infrastructure Partners, a partnership between Samsung C&T and Webuild S.p.A., with Jacobs and CIMA+ as subcontractors.
WKR said a Request for Proposals (RFP) package will be issued to the shortlisted respondents later this month. The company is targeting March 2027 for the selection of a preferred proponent.
The proposed Grays Bay development combines several major pieces of Arctic transportation infrastructure. At its centre would be a 230-kilometre all-season road linking the port to the former Jericho mine site, providing an inland connection to the planned deepwater facility.
The port would be designed to accommodate vessels of up to 240 metres in length and with a 15-metre draft. The project would also include a 6,000-foot airstrip, with the potential for a future extension to 8,000 feet.
The marine facilities would comprise two large deep-water wharves capable of handling a 100,000-dwt ore carrier, as well as polar icebreakers, offshore patrol ships and patrol submarines.
The port configuration would also include one medium-vessel wharf, two barge landing areas, including one with roll-on, roll-off capability, and a small craft harbour with a boat launch.
Supporting infrastructure would include year-round accommodation for 80 people and seasonal barracks-style accommodation for another 150, together with fuel storage and handling facilities.
The project has also been identified by the federal government as strategically significant. In September 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the proposed Grays Bay port would serve the dual purpose of strengthening Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic while helping create infrastructure capable of unlocking mining investment that has been delayed for years.
The federal Major Projects Office says the project was referred to the office on March 12, 2026. In June, the government began consultations on potentially listing Grays Bay as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act.
For WKR, the completion of the RFQ process marks another step toward determining how the road, port, airstrip and related infrastructure could ultimately be delivered in one of Canada’s most remote regions.
