Kimmirut, Nunavut
Encyclopedia
Kimmirut is a community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut
, Canada
. It is located on the shore of Hudson Strait
on Baffin Island
's Meta Incognita Peninsula
. Kimmirut means "heel", and refers to a rocky outcrop in the inlet.
It was at one time a Hudson's Bay Company
trading post, and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
post. The Canadian explorer J. Dewey Soper
used these posts as headquarters during his explorations in the 1920s and 1930s.
The community is served by Kimmirut Airport
and by annual supply sealift
. A proposal in 2005 for a road to Iqaluit was shown to be impractical owing to roundabout routing over the mountains.
As of the 2006 census
the population was 411 a decrease of 5.1% from the 2001 census
.
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...
. It is located on the shore of Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. It lies between Baffin Island and the northern coast of Quebec, its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley and Resolution Island. It is long...
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...
's Meta Incognita Peninsula
Meta Incognita Peninsula
The Meta Incognita Peninsula is located on southern Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It's bounded by Hudson Strait to the west, and Frobisher Bay to the east. The hamlet of Kimmirut is on the peninsula's northwestern coast....
. Kimmirut means "heel", and refers to a rocky outcrop in the inlet.
It was at one time a 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...
trading post, and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
post. The Canadian explorer J. Dewey Soper
J. Dewey Soper
Joseph Dewey Soper was a widely-traveled Canadian Arctic explorer, zoologist, ornithologist, and prolific author.-Early years:...
used these posts as headquarters during his explorations in the 1920s and 1930s.
The community is served by Kimmirut Airport
Kimmirut Airport
Kimmirut Airport is located at Kimmirut, Nunavut, Canada, and is operated by the Government of Nunavut. Unlike most airports in Nunavut, it uses magnetic headings for the runway rather than true headings.At the Kimmirut airstrip is the shortest in Nunavut...
and 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...
. A proposal in 2005 for a road to Iqaluit was shown to be impractical owing to roundabout routing over the mountains.
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 was 411 a decrease of 5.1% 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...
.