Arctic Bay, Nunavut
Encyclopedia
Arctic Bay (Inuktitut syllabics
: ᐃᒃᐱᐊᕐᔪᒃ, Ikpiarjuk "the pocket") is an Inuit
hamlet
located in the northern part of the Borden Peninsula
on Baffin Island
in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut
, Canada
. Arctic Bay is located in the Eastern Time Zone although it is quite close to the time zone boundary. The predominant languages are Inuktitut
and English. As of the 2006 census
the population has increased by 6.8% from the 2001 census
.
The Arctic Bay area has been occupied for nearly 5000 years by Inuit nomads migrating from the west. In 1872, a European whaling ship, the Arctic, captained by Willie Adams, passed through and gave the area its English name. It has the lowest tidal range
in Canada
.
The Inuktitut name for Arctic Bay is Ikpiarjuk which means "the pocket" in English. This name describes the high hills that surround the almost landlocked bay. To the southeast, the flat-topped King George V Mountain dominates the landscape of the hamlet. The community is served by annual supply sealift
, and by Arctic Bay Airport
in emergencies. There is also a road connecting it to Nanisivik
, a mining community just inland that is being closed up. Residents had hoped to boost their housing and public facilities with buildings relocated from Nanisivik, but those hopes were dashed due to lead-zinc contamination. However, a church was relocated from Nanisivik to Arctic Bay in April 2007.
The Army Cadets meet three times a week. This is a program under the purvey of the Ministry of National Defence. Youth aged 12 and up are welcome to join and take part in a variety of activities. The cadets regularly practice marksmanship and do a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, orienteering and the biathlon.
For adults, there are several sports teams and activities that meet regularly at the gym attached to the school. Basketball, soccer, volleyball and hockey are the most popular activities. There is a hockey rink that is open to the public during the winter months. There is also a community art class hosted every Thursday evening.
The Youth Council is actively involved in recreation. They run an assortment of events and activities for the community. Most recently, they have opened up a CAP (community access point) site at a local church hall for community internet use. Aside from almost daily internet access, this hall is also used weekly for the community Elders to gather and socialize. Various other activities and classes take place here.
The local Community Hall, also known as the Sea Hall, is host to a variety of recreational activities. It is a place of general socialization, but also has a ping pong table, a pool table and a few pieces of physical training equipment (an elliptical machine, a treadmill, some weights, and a bowflex). The Sea Hall also hosts a community dance every Friday night.
Outdoor activities remain quite common. While some residents maintain the traditional skills of their ancestors, most now hunt with guns. Tents are still hand made and used frequently during the summer months. Ice fishing is a common activity during the winter months. Seal and narwhal hunting are quite common to supplement food and clothing.
Common Canadian events also take place in Arctic Bay, such as the Terry Fox Run, which is particularly popular in Arctic Bay.
The area is popular for sport hunters coming to hunt polar bear
s although this may change with the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species. The current mayor is Andrew Taqtu who is well known for his preservation of traditional hunting skills as shown on a BBC film A Boy Among Polar Bears. Arctic Bay is home to the annual Midnight Sun Marathon
, which is one of the northernmost contests held in the world.
. Currently, regular flights to the Nanisivik airport are available through First Air
from Iqaluit and Resolute
.
Prior to the existence of this airport, Twin Otter airplanes would use the main street leading into the town as a landing strip.
Like most high schools in Nunavut, Inuujaq uses the Alberta educational curriculum. However, one challenge faced by educators in this community is that most students read at a lower level, lower than their Alberta counterparts (as of 2007). As with most schools in Nunavut, the school is under the partial authority of the locally elected District Education Authority (DEA) who design policy as well as make decisions regarding discipline, spending, and cultural activities.
Inuujaq School was recently involved in a Toronto YMCA exchange (March 2006). After a great deal of fundraising, fifteen children and two adults from Ikpiarjuk made their way to Toronto for a seven-day trip. Then, 15 people from Toronto travelled to Ikpiarjuk for nine days to experience the land and culture. While in Arctic Bay students participated in the annual fishing derby; camping out at Ikpikituarjuk over the May long weekend. Also students enjoyed the 24-hour light experience and an Arctic Bay festival on the ice. Sites visited in Ontario included the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, MuchMusic, Niagara Falls, and the Harriet Tubman Church in St. Catharines.
Inuktitut syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics is a writing system used by the Inuit in Nunavut and in Nunavik, Quebec...
: ᐃᒃᐱᐊᕐᔪᒃ, Ikpiarjuk "the pocket") is an Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
located in the northern part of the Borden Peninsula
Borden Peninsula
The Borden Peninsula is a peninsula on northern Baffin Island, in Nunavut, Canada. It lies south of Lancaster Sound. Northeastern Borden Peninsula is home to Sirmilik National Park.-Geography:Borden Peninsula extends north for . It is - wide....
on Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Arctic Bay is located in the Eastern Time Zone although it is quite close to the time zone boundary. The predominant languages are Inuktitut
Inuktitut
Inuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
and English. As of the 2006 census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
the population has increased by 6.8% from the 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
.
History
Tidal range
The tidal range is the vertical difference between the high tide and the succeeding low tide. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The Inuktitut name for Arctic Bay is Ikpiarjuk which means "the pocket" in English. This name describes the high hills that surround the almost landlocked bay. To the southeast, the flat-topped King George V Mountain dominates the landscape of the hamlet. The community is served by annual supply sealift
Sealift
Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies...
, and by Arctic Bay Airport
Arctic Bay Airport
Arctic Bay Airport, , is a registered aerodrome located southeast of Arctic Bay, Nunavut, Canada. Until January 12, 2010 Nanisivik Airport, about from Arctic Bay, was used for scheduled flights. On January 13, 2010, First Air transferred all air services to Arctic Bay's newly expanded airport...
in emergencies. There is also a road connecting it to Nanisivik
Nanisivik, Nunavut
Nanisivik was a company town which was built in 1975 to support the lead-zinc mining and mineral processing operations for the Nanisivik Mine, in production between 1976 and 2002...
, a mining community just inland that is being closed up. Residents had hoped to boost their housing and public facilities with buildings relocated from Nanisivik, but those hopes were dashed due to lead-zinc contamination. However, a church was relocated from Nanisivik to Arctic Bay in April 2007.
Recreation
Arctic Bay is host to multiple recreational events and institutions.The Army Cadets meet three times a week. This is a program under the purvey of the Ministry of National Defence. Youth aged 12 and up are welcome to join and take part in a variety of activities. The cadets regularly practice marksmanship and do a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, orienteering and the biathlon.
For adults, there are several sports teams and activities that meet regularly at the gym attached to the school. Basketball, soccer, volleyball and hockey are the most popular activities. There is a hockey rink that is open to the public during the winter months. There is also a community art class hosted every Thursday evening.
The Youth Council is actively involved in recreation. They run an assortment of events and activities for the community. Most recently, they have opened up a CAP (community access point) site at a local church hall for community internet use. Aside from almost daily internet access, this hall is also used weekly for the community Elders to gather and socialize. Various other activities and classes take place here.
The local Community Hall, also known as the Sea Hall, is host to a variety of recreational activities. It is a place of general socialization, but also has a ping pong table, a pool table and a few pieces of physical training equipment (an elliptical machine, a treadmill, some weights, and a bowflex). The Sea Hall also hosts a community dance every Friday night.
Outdoor activities remain quite common. While some residents maintain the traditional skills of their ancestors, most now hunt with guns. Tents are still hand made and used frequently during the summer months. Ice fishing is a common activity during the winter months. Seal and narwhal hunting are quite common to supplement food and clothing.
Common Canadian events also take place in Arctic Bay, such as the Terry Fox Run, which is particularly popular in Arctic Bay.
The area is popular for sport hunters coming to hunt polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s although this may change with the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species. The current mayor is Andrew Taqtu who is well known for his preservation of traditional hunting skills as shown on a BBC film A Boy Among Polar Bears. Arctic Bay is home to the annual Midnight Sun Marathon
Nunavut Midnight Sun Marathon
The Nunavut Midnight Sun Marathon is an annual ultramarathon race that takes place in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, Canada....
, which is one of the northernmost contests held in the world.
Transportation
Scheduled flights to and from Arctic Bay arrive at Nanisivik AirportNanisivik Airport
Nanisivik Airport was located south of Nanisivik, Nunavut, Canada, and was operated by the Government of Nunavut. Although Nanisivik Mine closed in September 2002 the airport was in operation until 2011 and served the community of Arctic Bay. This was due to the small size of Arctic Bay Airport...
. Currently, regular flights to the Nanisivik airport are available through First Air
First Air
Bradley Air Services Limited, operating as First Air, is an airline headquartered in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. It operates services to 30 communities in Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Northwest Territories. The majority of its fleet is available for charters worldwide...
from Iqaluit and Resolute
Resolute, Nunavut
Resolute or Resolute Bay is a small Inuit hamlet on Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada. It is situated at the northern end of Resolute Bay and the Northwest Passage and is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region....
.
Prior to the existence of this airport, Twin Otter airplanes would use the main street leading into the town as a landing strip.
Education
The community is serviced by a single K–12 school, Inuujaq School, that has an enrollment around 200 students. There is also an Arctic College host site where the Nunavut Teachers Education Program (NTEP)is being taught. In 2009 many of the NTEP graduates, who are locals, will become teachers in levels from kindergarten to grade 7. As the only outsiders in the community are government workers, the student population is almost entirely Inuit and the first language spoken is Inuktitut.Like most high schools in Nunavut, Inuujaq uses the Alberta educational curriculum. However, one challenge faced by educators in this community is that most students read at a lower level, lower than their Alberta counterparts (as of 2007). As with most schools in Nunavut, the school is under the partial authority of the locally elected District Education Authority (DEA) who design policy as well as make decisions regarding discipline, spending, and cultural activities.
Inuujaq School was recently involved in a Toronto YMCA exchange (March 2006). After a great deal of fundraising, fifteen children and two adults from Ikpiarjuk made their way to Toronto for a seven-day trip. Then, 15 people from Toronto travelled to Ikpiarjuk for nine days to experience the land and culture. While in Arctic Bay students participated in the annual fishing derby; camping out at Ikpikituarjuk over the May long weekend. Also students enjoyed the 24-hour light experience and an Arctic Bay festival on the ice. Sites visited in Ontario included the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, MuchMusic, Niagara Falls, and the Harriet Tubman Church in St. Catharines.
Climate
History
Nanisivik, the mining community mentioned above, was officially closed in 2006. Currently all that remains are two small houses, the rest of the community was demolished and stored underground.External links
- Arctic Bay at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association
- Arctic Bay at the Government of Nunavut - PDF
- CBC Story about young film makers in Arctic Bay at YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....