Worker killed in polar bear attack on island southeast of Iqaluit

A worker for Nassituq Corporation was killed on Aug. 9 after an attack by two polar bears on Brevoort Island, southeast of Baffin Island.

“An attack by two polar bears has resulted in the loss of one of our value employees,” stated a news release issued the same day. One of the animals was subsequently killed but those details have not yet been made clear.

“We have been made aware of an attack at a North Warning Site operated by Nassituq Corp. on Brevoort Island,” said Jaleen Tagoona, the manager of communications and outreach from the territorial Department of the Environment. “It is about 200 kilometres (east-southeast) of Iqaluit.”

The company, which specializes in technical, logistics, and operations and maintenance services in the Arctic, has not yet released the name of the deceased employee.

Chris Webb, president of Nassituq Corporation, did not respond to requests for comment from Nunavut News.