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Iqaluit, Nunavut

Welcome to:

ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ

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Nunavut

Nunavut is the largest, northernmost, and least populousterritory of the three territories in Canada. It wasseparated officially from the Northwest Territories on April1, 1999. Nunavut has a population of 31,906 (2011 census).

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Some symbols of Nunavut:

Territorial Bird:Rock Ptarmigan

Territorial Symbol:Inuksuk

Flag of Nunavut Coat of Arms

Territorial Animal:Canadian Inuit Dog

Iqaluit

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The capital andlargest city ofNunavut is Iqaluit.Iqaluit is the only cityin Nunavut and has apopulation of 6,699(2011 census). It islocated on BaffinIsland, the largestisland in Canada. Thecity was known asFrobisher Bay until1987. Iqaluit has beena traditional fishingplace used by Inuitfor thousands ofyears. The nameIqaluit means placeof many fish.

Map:

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History:

A thousand years ago, the Thule people lived on BaffinIsland near Iqaluit. At nearby Qaummaarviit TerritorialPark, there are artifacts of the Thule people. The areashows evidence of sod houses, stone rings and tentremains, and a large number of seal and whale bones. Itis suggested that the Thule people used umiaks (open skinboats) and qajaqs (kayaks).

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History:

British explorer Sir Martin Frobisher was one of the firstexplorers to visit the island in 1576. He sailed into the bayand believed he had found a direct route to China. By 1870,Frobisher Bay was frequently visited by whaling vesselsand fur trading began.

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Iqaluit is usually only accessible by aircraft at the IqaluitAirport and in the summer by boat. It is the only capitalcity that is not connected to other cities by a highway.

Transportation:

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There are an increasing number of cars in Iqaluit, butmost people travel by snowmobiles or ATVs. There are nobuses, but a city-wide taxi service. Roads do not havetraffic lights; they use stop signs to control traffic.

Transportation:

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Transportation:

The most famous road in Iqaluit is called the Road toNowhere. You can hike or walk it year-round, ski it in thewinter, or drive it in the summer. It is a scenic route thateventually ends in the middle of nowhere!

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Legislative Building:

The Legislative Building of Nunavut is in Iqaluit. It was builtbetween 1998 and 1999, and became the home ofthe Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in 1999. It has acolourful interior and is filled with some of the best Inuitart.

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Three important industries in Iqaluit are government, artsand crafts, and fishing. Farming was never possible in thetundra, so many people relied on hunting, fishing, andtrapping. Other jobs are available in construction, retail,tourism, and communications.

Industries & Jobs:RCMP

Royal Bank of Canada

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Stores & Restaurants:

There are a few local shops and restaurants in Iqaluit.NorthMart is the largest store, which has groceries,housewares, clothing, and more. Another grocery store iscalled The Marketplace (or Arctic Ventures). Prices inIqaluit are very high because most food has to be shippedfrom far away. In 2010, Tim Hortons opened up in Iqaluit.

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St. Jude’s Cathedral:

The current church, often called the Igloo Cathedral, wasopened on June 3, 2012. The unique building, in the shape ofan igloo, has been a landmark and tourist attraction inIqaluit, as well as an important spiritual place for thepeople of Iqaluit. The original cathedral was demolished in2006 after a fire destroyed much of the building.

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Education:

The Qikiqtani School Operations runs five schools in theIqaluit area. Nanook Elementary School, Nakasuk School,and Joamie Ilinniarvik School are K-5. Aqsarniit IlinniarvikSchool is 6-8 and Inuksuk High School is 9-12. The Commissionscolaire francophone du Nunavut runs École des Trois-Soleils and offers K-8. There are also two post secondaryschools: Nunavut Arctic College and Akitsiraq Law School.

Nanook Elementary School

Inuksuk High School

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Climate:

Iqaluit has a polar climate. It has cold winters and shortsummers. In the summer though, the sun is up foralmost twenty-four hours.

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Sports:

Iqaluit has an aquatic centre, an arena, a curling rink, asoftball field, an indoor sports field, outdoor rinks,playgrounds, a skate park, and a fitness centre. Manypeople enjoy dog sledding, cross-country skiing,snowmobiling, hiking, fishing, and camping.

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There are many different neighbourhoods in Iqaluit:Downtown, Happy Valley, Lake Subdivision, Lower Base,Lower Iqaluit, North 40, Plateau Subidivison, Road ToNowhere, Tundra Valley, Tundra Ridge, and West 40. Inthese cold areas, most buildings are built on stilts toprevent sinking in the melting permafrost.

Neighbourhoods:

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People:

People who live in Iqaluit are called Iqalummiuts. Almost allIqalummiuts can speak English, but only about half ofthem can speak Inuktitut. Iqaluit is made up of 61%Aboriginal people (59% Inuit), 34% white people, and 5%other minorities.

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Natural Environment:

Iqaluit is on southern Baffin Island. It is located on thenorthern end of Frobisher Bay near the mouth of theSylvia Grinnell River. It is surrounded by the EverettMountains. There are three nearby territorial parks(Qaummaarviit, Katannilik, and Sylvia Grinnell) and they areaccessible by boat, snowmobile, or dog team. Iqaluit is inthe Arctic, so it is very cold and there is lots of snow/ice.

River at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park

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Natural Resources:

Plants and animals are the main natural resources foundin Iqaluit. Inuit hunt animals such as caribou, whales, polarbears, birds, fish, and seals. They use the animal meat forfood, animal hides to make clothes, and the bones/antlersfor tools or art. Two main plants on the island are Arcticcotton (for candle wicks) and cloudberry (edible fruit).

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