Route

Iqaluit Iqaluit ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ

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Image courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org

March 2

June 5

Population: 6184

Generational Status (over 15 years of age)
 4535 3rd Generation
   250 2nd Generation
   315 1st Generation

Inuit-Identified Population: 3650

Mother-Tongue
 2605  English
     10  French
       0  English/French
 1125  Other

Total Private Dwellings: 2460

Population Density: 118.1 per sq²

More statistics about Iqaluit & its residents

Learn to pronounce Iqaluit

Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay) is Inuktitut for 'place of many fish'. It is located near the mouth of the Sylvia Grinnell River that empties into Frobisher Bay - named after Martin Frobisher who sailed into the bay in search of the Northwest Passage. Frobisher believed that he had discovered gold on an island in the bay, but it was only fools gold that he took home to England. Iqaluit is the business and government centre for the Baffin region and as of April 1, 1999, the capital of the new territory of Nunavut.

The main portion of Iqaluit (pronounced "ee-kal-a-wheat") overlooks Koojesse Inlet, which has some of the country's longest stretches of exposed area at low tide. At one time, these beaches were dotted with clusters of Inuit huts. Later, as modern houses, shops and public buildings were constructed, this little village grew to reflect its increasing population and impending importance as a government town. A decentralized government that will add jobs to Iqaluit alone, and private enterprises built around this public sector growth are burgeoning as well. Iqaluit's population too is a mix: a mix of cultures (only about two-thirds of residents here are Inuit, compared to other communities that are more than 90 per cent Inuit) and languages. Iqaluit, due north of the province of Quebec, is also home to about 400 francophones and a French-language radio station.

The United States airbase to the north of town used to separate from the main village, with a road linking the two sites. What was once wide open county is now one large urban development. About eight kilometers to the south lies the small suburb of Niaqunngut, or Apex as it's officially called. Built by the Canadian government as a model community in 1955, it used to be the main centre of activity; with a public school, nursing station, community and fire hall. The Hudson's Bay Co. store and warehouses were also built nearby.

History:
Thousands of year ago, when Iqaluit, like the rest of the Arctic, was still uncharted wilderness, the ancient explorers of the Dorset and Thule cultures hunted and camped on this pure and silent land. The lands and waters here were prime hunting and fishing grounds; local vegetation provided edible plants and berries in season. These nomadic hunters would remain as long as there was game, then move on to other areas where animals were more plentiful.

In 1942, during the Second World War, the US Air Force, with the blessing of the Canadian government, selected Iqaluit as an ideal site to build an airstrip. It was to be long enough to handle large aircraft transporting war materials from the United States to its European allies. During this time, many Inuit surrounding hunting camps were recruited to help construct the airstrip, aircraft hangars and related buildings.

These hunters and their families had no choice by to begin building year-round huts on the beaches of Koojesse Inlet, using wood discarded from the airbase and the local dump. The Inuit referred to the little village that grew here as Iqaluit, meaning "a school of fish." Fish, especially arctic char, abound here in spring and summer, after their swim down the Sylvia Grinnell River, two kilometers west of the village. They reappear in droves in autumn, when it's time for them to swim back up to Sylvia Grinnell Lake for the winter.

Before long, the village -together with the airbase and Apex Hill (its previous name)- appeared on official government maps as Frobisher Bay. And this is how it came to be known to the outside world. The name was in honor of Martin Frobisher, the English sailor who "discovered" the bay in 1576 while searching with his crew for the Northwest Passage to the Orient. Frobisher made three voyages to the bay, mainly to mine black ore from Kabloona ("White Man") Island at the mouth of the bay. Frobisher believed the island contained gold. Several skirmishes with local Inuit ensued; in one incident, Inuit took five of Frobisher's men hostage. They were never heard from again. In other instances, Frobisher captured four Inuit whom he took back with him to England, presumable to display to the Royal Family and to the curious English public. The Unuit did not live long in that strange land.

In another clash with Inuit, Frobisher was stabbed in the buttocks by an arrow, earning him the dubious distinction of being the first Englishman known to have been wounded by an Inuk. As for the precious ore he and his men carried to England, it turned out to be fool's gold! This ended Frobisher's quest for polar gold and his explorations of the lands and waters beyond the bay that later bore his name.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, other explorers and whalers from Europe and later, North America, embarked on similar northern expeditions. The impace of western culture intensified in south Baffin Island when missionaries arrived, spreading Christian religion that would replace centuries-old Inuit shamanistic rituals and beliefs.

Like other Inuit communities throughout the North, Iqaluit couldn't escape westernization of its traditional culture and heritage. The Hudson's Bay Co. trading post, for example, moved to Iqaluit in 1950 from Ward Inlet, almost 50 kilometers south on the north coast of Frobisher Bay. In 1955, activity further escalated when supplies and workers arrived in Iqaluit as construction of the eastern section of the DEW Line began. By 1957, Iqaluit had a population of approximately 1,200, of whom 489 were Inuit.

The United States turnede over its airbase to the Royal Canadian Air Force after the Second World War. By 1963, the Americans had gone, and Iqaluit was to become the Canadian government administration, communications and transportation centre for the Eastern Arctic. This coincided with Canada's efforts, during these Cold War years, to claim sovereignty in the Canadian North.

Since its early days as a village, Iqaluit has been home to many strong Inuit leaders. Simonie Michael is one who comes to mind. A carpenter by trade, Simonie became chairman of the Sisi Housing Co-op in Apex Hill. In that position, he was one of the first community leaders to make decisions affecting both Inuit and Euro-Canadians. By the mid-1960s, he became president of Inook Ltd., the first Inuit-owned company in Iqaluit and in Canada. Simonie was also president of the Frobisher Community Council and a member of the St. Simon's Anglican Church Council.

Abraham "Abe" Okpik, a MacKenzie Delta Inuk who became chairman of the Apex Hill Community Association in 1963, was the first Inuk to be appointed to the GNWT, at a time when the federal government alone chose representatives for that assembly. He also served, in 1979, as the head of Project Surname, a plan that required all Inuit families to select a surname to replace the disk-numbers previously assigned to them as identification by the federal government.

Another able leader was Simonie Alainga, an inspirational hunting and traditional games instructor to many young Inuit. Simonie was the thread connecting many Inuit community dwellers to the land and to their hunting traditions. In the early 1960s, he was among the first to encourage those having difficulty with community life to return to the land if they chose. His memory has endured as a comfort to Inuit aught in the clash between western and traditional values.

Anakudluk was another traditionalist who became a lay reader in the Anglican ministry. He was always a source of great spiritual strength to a community in transition. Arnitook Ipeelie, too, became a lay reader and was among the first Inuit to teach youngsters to read and write Inuktitut syllabics. He was a respected orator and a powerful singer, as well.

Inutsiaq was one of the first of Iqaluit's leaders to organize Inuit games during festive seasons. A deeply spiritual man, he was a wonderful storyteller who often told his tales over the radio. He was also famous for his childbirth carvings, sought by collectors from across Canada and abroad.

Then there are Iqaluit's eccentric Euro-Candaians! Scotsman Bill MacKenzie, a long-time resident who came here as a Hudson's Bay Co. clerk, will always be remembered as the first, and perhaps last, farmer in the eastern Arctic. Former mayor and GNWT Legislative Assembly member Bryan Pearson, whom Inuit know as "Sudluq," the skinny one, is the Brit who could be pretender to Frobisher's fame in these parts. If you want to hear a good yarn about Iqaluit in the early days, "Sudluq" is your man!

Another respected resident is Gordon Rennie, the smiling, long-time manager of the Northern store, who's fluent in Inukitut. Fre Coman, too, as an art dealer and business man, has contributed much to the community through his entrepreneurship and volunteer work over many years.

Its Land and Wildlife
In summer, you can follow a well-worn foot trail from Iqaluit along the water's edge to Niaqunngufrom Iqaluit along the water's edge to Niaqunngut, where you can enjoy the region's many delicate plants and flowers. You're also likely to discover an inuksuk or two -those legendary stone markers that Inuit traditionally built as landmarks on many parts of the tundra. Some inuksuit were built to resemble humans, to help hunters lead caribou into lakes where they could be more easily killed from a kayak. You'll probably see the enigmatic black scavenger bird of the North, the raven. If you're hiking in mid-summer, be sure to bring mosquito repellent or appropriate protective gear, to avoid being stung by blood-thirsty arctic "vampires"!

The majestic landscape around Iqaluit and Apex is a major feature of the area. You can take a short hike out of town to get to the tundra or head towards Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park on the banks of the Sylvia Grinnell River.


For more information about Iqaluit and its attractions, visit the Nunavut Handbook website

Source courtesy of:
http://www.gov.nu.ca, http://www.qia.ca/i18n/english/, htto://www.arctictravel.com/, http://www12.statcan.ca