Kangirsuk, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Kangirsuk is an Inuit
village in northern Nunavik
, Quebec
, Canada
. It is 230 kilometres (142.9 mi) north of Kuujjuaq
, between Aupaluk
and Quaqtaq
. The community is only accessible by air (Kangirsuk Airport
) and, in late summer, by boat. The village used to be known also as Payne Bay and Bellin.
on the north shore of Payne Bay, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) inland from the western coast of Ungava Bay
. A rocky cliff to the north and a large, rocky hill to the west partially surround the village.
s. Not far from the village on Pamiok Island, Thomas E. Lee
, an archaeologist from Laval University, has discovered a stone foundations of what is believed to be a Viking long house. Another archeological site, Hammer of Thor
, is located on north shores of Payne River about 25 km west from the village.
Inuit have hunted and fished along the Ungava Bay
coast for centuries. Permanent European settlement did not occur until 1921 when the Revillon Frères
company set up a trading post
here, named Payne River in memory of Frank F. Payne, who explored the region during the winter of 1885-1886. Four years later, the competing Hudson's Bay Company
also set up a post. The Inuit remained nomadic however and only visited the site as a summer encampment because of the abundance of game.
In 1945, the location was known as Payne Bay. In 1959, the federal day school was founded. From then on permanent settlement by Inuit finally began. In 1961, the federal government provided healthcare facilities, housing, and social services. That same year, the Quebec Government decided to give French names to places of the northern Quebec coast and changed the name of the post to Francis-Babel, in honor of Louis-François Babel
(1826-1912). But this name did not take root, and was replaced a year later with Bellin, named after Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
(1703-1772). It was subsequently known as Bellin (Payne) until 1980. That year, the name was changed to Kangiqsuk when the village was incorporated as a Northern Village Municipality . Local authorities disagreed with this transliteration
, and in 1982 it was corrected to Kangirsuk.
harvesting. Numerous nearby lakes and rivers provide an abundance of arctic char
and lake trout
.
On the islands of Kyak Bay and Virgin Lake located to the east and north-east of Kangirsuk, respectively, important colonies of eider duck
s nest every year.
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...
village in northern Nunavik
Nunavik
Nunavik comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, Canada. Covering a land area of 443,684.71 km² north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the Inuit of Quebec...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
. It is 230 kilometres (142.9 mi) north of Kuujjuaq
Kuujjuaq, Quebec
Kuujjuaq is the largest Inuit village in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada with a population of 2,132 as of the 2006 census. This is up roughly 10% from 1,932 as of the 2001 Census. It is the administrative capital of Nunavik and lies on the western shore of the Koksoak River.Kuujjuaq previously was known...
, between Aupaluk
Aupaluk, Quebec
Aupaluk is the smallest Inuit settlement in Nunavik. In 2001, there were 159 residents; the 2006 population of 174 marks a 9.4% increase over these five years. There are 49 private dwellings in the settlement, all occupied by usual residents. The settlement spans 30.12 km² in terms of area and...
and Quaqtaq
Quaqtaq, Quebec
Quaqtaq is an Inuit village in Nunavik, northern Quebec, Canada. The village is one of the northernmost inhabited places in Quebec, located on the eastern shore of Diana Bay , on a peninsula which protrudes into the Hudson Strait where it meets Ungava Bay.The name Quaqtaq signifies tapeworm...
. The community is only accessible by air (Kangirsuk Airport
Kangirsuk Airport
Kangirsuk Airport, , is located east of Kangirsuk, Quebec, Canada....
) and, in late summer, by boat. The village used to be known also as Payne Bay and Bellin.
Geography
Kangirsuk is located above the tree line near the mouth of the Arnaud RiverArnaud River
The Arnaud River is a river in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, flowing from the low plateaux of the Ungava Peninsula through a series of glacial lakes to Ungava Bay. Its mean discharge is approximately 15 km³ per year, but the river flows only in the summer as it is frozen to several metres for the...
on the north shore of Payne Bay, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) inland from the western coast of Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
. A rocky cliff to the north and a large, rocky hill to the west partially surround the village.
History
In the 11th century the area was possibly visited by VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s. Not far from the village on Pamiok Island, Thomas E. Lee
Thomas E. Lee
Thomas Edward Lee was an archaeologist for the National Museum of Canada in the 1950s and discovered Sheguiandah on Manitoulin Island. Public interest in the find contributed to passage in Ontario of a bill to protect archeological sites...
, an archaeologist from Laval University, has discovered a stone foundations of what is believed to be a Viking long house. Another archeological site, Hammer of Thor
Hammer of Thor (monument)
The Hammer of Thor is a tall, t-shaped, man-made rock formation, located along the Arnaud River in the Ungava Peninsula, Quebec, Canada. It was discovered in 1964 by an archaeologist who thought it was erected by Vikings. He named it "The Hammer of Thor", in reference to Norse culture...
, is located on north shores of Payne River about 25 km west from the village.
Inuit have hunted and fished along the Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
coast for centuries. Permanent European settlement did not occur until 1921 when the Revillon Frères
Revillon Freres
Révillon Frères was a French fur and luxury goods company, founded in 1723.At the end of the 19th century, Revillon had stores in Paris, London, New York, and Montreal. -Fur trading operation:...
company set up a trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
here, named Payne River in memory of Frank F. Payne, who explored the region during the winter of 1885-1886. Four years later, the competing Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
also set up a post. The Inuit remained nomadic however and only visited the site as a summer encampment because of the abundance of game.
In 1945, the location was known as Payne Bay. In 1959, the federal day school was founded. From then on permanent settlement by Inuit finally began. In 1961, the federal government provided healthcare facilities, housing, and social services. That same year, the Quebec Government decided to give French names to places of the northern Quebec coast and changed the name of the post to Francis-Babel, in honor of Louis-François Babel
Louis Babel
Louis Babel was an Oblate priest who might be considered multi-faceted in his career. He was born in Veyrier, Switzerland and received his formal training in Europe before coming to Canada in 1851...
(1826-1912). But this name did not take root, and was replaced a year later with Bellin, named after Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques Nicolas Bellin was a French hydrographer, geographer, and member of the French intellectual group called the philosophes....
(1703-1772). It was subsequently known as Bellin (Payne) until 1980. That year, the name was changed to Kangiqsuk when the village was incorporated as a Northern Village Municipality . Local authorities disagreed with this transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
, and in 1982 it was corrected to Kangirsuk.
Demographics
Population:- Population in 2006: 466
- Population in 2001: 436
- 2001 to 2006 population change: 6.9 %
- Population in 1996: 394
- Population in 1991: 351
Flora and fauna
Payne Bay and the Arnaud River are renowned for its excellent musselMussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
harvesting. Numerous nearby lakes and rivers provide an abundance of arctic char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
and lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
.
On the islands of Kyak Bay and Virgin Lake located to the east and north-east of Kangirsuk, respectively, important colonies of eider duck
Common Eider
The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on...
s nest every year.