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There are many similarities between the moon and the Canadian Arctic — at least according to the Canadian Space Agency.
“A similar environment in some respects and some of the same constraints apply in Nunavut as might apply on a moon mission,” said Corey Ellis, CEO of Growcer, a vertical farming company based in Ottawa.
The company, along with Nunavut-based Arctic Fresh, were awarded a $745,000 contract from the space agency to develop designs for greenhouses in Nunavut. If successful, those designs might become a blueprint that could later be used to grow food in space, Ellis said.
Nunavut — like the moon — is cold and has a lot of vast land.
“There’s no Home Depot that you can just walk to and get spare parts. So you’ve got to plan for that,” Ellis said.
“We will be demonstrating some technologies that will be needed on a moon mission or just a space mission in general.”
After the design stage, the space agency will have to award another contract for construction of the greenhouses, said Merlyn Recinos, co-CEO of Arctic Fresh.
If that happens, Recinos says, the greenhouses will likely come to five communities: Coral Harbour, Arctic Bay, Igloolik, Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord.
For now, the company is planning consultations with those communities to determine what kind of freshly-grown produce they would like to see, he said.
It can be anything from fruits and vegetables to medicinal plants that grow on the land.
Recinos believes this space-inspired project will help feed not only future astronauts, but also residents of Nunavut, where more than half of the population lives in food insecure households.
“And what better way to benefit Earth than food autonomy, food security in the communities,” he said.
The design work for the greenhouses is set to be completed in a year, but it’s still unclear when the facilities will come to the territory, Ellis said.
Greenhouse brings freshness to Gjoa Haven
Greenhouse technician Betty Kogvik says fresh produce is hard to come by in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. (Arctic Research Foundation)
This is not the first time the idea of Arctic greenhouses has made its way to Nunavut.
The greenhouse in Gjoa Haven has been growing mint, strawberries and spicy peppers since 2019.
Run by the Arctic Research Foundation it delivers produce for free to community members.
“It’s really expensive to get produce in our community, some come in rotten,” said Betty Kogvik, a technician at the greenhouse.
The facility brings some freshness and joy to the community, Kogvik noted.
“Elders really appreciate it,” she said. “There is one elderly lady, she jumps with joy when she receives anything we bring.”