I have a question with respect to the route taken by the (unescorted) Canadian Polar class ore carrier from Deception Bay to China. The route was on the north side of Baffin Island. To take the same route a ship from Moosonee would either need to make it across James Bay to Deception Bay, or go north to the south side of Baffin Island and turn West to continue to plough through ice to head for the Orient. If the ship is not powerful enough it would need an icebreaker escort. Presumably, this is technical doable.

A recent article in the link below discuss the return trip in the Spring (still need to plough through some 12m thick ice at some locations) and the use of of drone for nagivation of the cargo vessel Umiak I, which was taking nickel concentrates through the Northwest Passage to China last Fall.

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/01/31/a-drone-boost-for-a-canadian-arctic-icebreaker-and-cargo-ship.html

Regarless of which route, opening up the Northwest Passage (with or without an ice breaker escort) would involve ice breaking...but the sea would freeze up again in the wake of the icebreaker, hence a cargo ship would need to follow the icebreaker closely to avoid getting stuck in ice, unless it's a Polar Class vessel.

Disturbance to the environment? Yes, ice breaking is a disturbance, but as indicated the ice will freeze again, rather quickly, hence the disturbance would be minimal. As far as the polar bears are concerned they are excellent swimmers and broken ice and open water would not be a concern. In fact, they need some open water to hunt for seals, etc...Beluga whales and narwhals need open water to surface (to breathe). Every year, hundreds are trapped in ice holes and the government would need to rescue them (by ploughing a channel for them to escape to open water) or allow the natives to cull them for food, or the animals would suffer a slow death by drowning.

One way to test out a potential route to the Northwest Passage from the Port of Moosonee, and to assert our sovereignty, is to send the Canadian most powerful icebreaker to James Bay to see if ice breaking here is doable in deep Winter. Perhaps, this has been done?

In addition to significant saving in shipping time and cost, the Northwest passage is another option for shipping for our export and import. We should explore it, or Ontario could become "landlocked", and we would have no way to ship the RoF chromite concentrates or value-added products to potential customers, the Orient or Europe.

goldhunter