Pine Point Railbed Remediation Project

SLR is proud to be presenting the Pine Point Railbed Remediation Project at the 2026 RPIC Summit.

The Pine Point Railbed Remediation Project was undertaken to address lead contamination along the former railway associated with the former Pine Point mine and support safe community and traditional land use. Through close collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, SLR provided integrated technical, engagement, regulatory, and project management support to help deliver this important remediation outcome.

Challenge

Delivering effective environmental remediation in Canada's North requires navigating a complex mix of technical, regulatory, logistical, and stakeholder considerations.

Remediating legacy contamination along the Pine Point Rail Bed in the Northwest Territories

The Pine Point Railbed Remediation Project demonstrates that even modestly scaled projects in Canada's North can involve significant technical, regulatory, and logistical complexity. Located in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, the project focused on remediating legacy metals contamination along an 80 km decommissioned railway corridor originally constructed in 1964 to support operations at the former Pine Point Mine.

Managing environmental, regulatory, and logistical challenges in Northern Canada

While the site is more accessible than many northern projects, its location and history presented a unique set of challenges. The rail bed extends across a large geographic area near the communities of Hay River and Fort Resolution, requiring careful coordination to support safe and efficient project delivery.

Project planning and implementation took place amid several external pressures, including evolving Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) guidance on lead contamination, federal election cycles, and seasonal weather constraints. At the same time, maintaining stakeholder alignment, supporting communication across project teams, and managing access along Highway 5 required ongoing attention. The project also involved navigating regulatory approvals, supporting procurement activities, and ensuring meaningful Indigenous and community participation throughout the process.

Together, these factors highlighted an important reality of northern project delivery: smaller projects can face many of the same challenges as larger infrastructure and remediation programs.

Solution

SLR provided integrated project support services to help Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) advance the Pine Point Railbed Remediation Project from planning through implementation. Our team delivered project management and planning services, regulatory support, engineering oversight, and procurement assistance, while also assuming the role of Engineer of Record.

Supporting regulatory approvals, procurement, and Indigenous participation

Our team worked closely with PSPC, CIRNAC, and project stakeholders to adapt to a changing regulatory framework and evolving project requirements, helping ensure project implementation remained aligned with regulatory obligations and remediation objectives.

We also assisted procurement activities by preparing and translating tender documents and bidder conference materials into French, ensuring compliance with federal requirements and broad accessibility for participants.

Throughout the tendering process, our team facilitated bidder engagement, coordinated responses to contractor inquiries, and provided ongoing technical and procurement support. We also worked alongside project partners to support local and Indigenous engagement initiatives, including PSPC's Indigenous Participation Plan (IPP) scoring process.

Collaborative project leadership in a dynamic Northern environment

SLR worked closely with PSPC, CIRNAC, and the Contractor to help guide the project through a delayed start resulting from procurement delays associated with a federal election, challenging weather conditions, evolving construction schedules, and a geographically extensive site. Through ongoing coordination, timely communication, and collaborative decision-making, our team helped identify practical solutions to emerging challenges and supported rapid adjustments to field activities as conditions changed. This integrated approach enabled the project team to remain flexible, minimize impacts to the schedule, and successfully deliver remediation objectives despite a complex and changing operating environment.

By combining technical expertise with proactive project management and stakeholder coordination, SLR helped the project adapt to changing conditions while maintaining progress toward remediation goals.

Impact

The project delivered environmental benefits for local communities while generating valuable lessons for future remediation projects in northern Canada.

Advancing safe community and traditional land use in the Northwest Territories

Completed in 2025/2026, the Pine Point Railbed Remediation Project successfully addressed legacy contamination along the former railway corridor, helping to support safer community, recreational, and traditional land use in the region.

Lessons learned for environmental remediation projects in Canada's North

Beyond achieving its remediation objectives, the project provided valuable lessons in the delivery of environmental projects across Canada's North. The experience demonstrated the importance of early planning, adaptive project management, effective stakeholder engagement, and strong regulatory coordination when navigating evolving project requirements.

The project also reinforced the value of meaningful Indigenous participation and collaboration, creating opportunities for engagement throughout procurement and project execution.

By helping PSPC overcome a range of technical, regulatory, and operational challenges, SLR contributed to a successful remediation outcome and delivered insights that can help inform future environmental remediation and infrastructure projects in northern and remote regions.