Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut

Chesterfield Inlet (Inuktitut: Igluligaarjuk, syllabics: ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᒃ) is a hamlet located on the western shore of Hudson Bay, Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut, Canada, at the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Igluligaarjuk is the Inuktitut word for "place with few houses", it is the oldest community in Nunavut. The community is served by air, Chesterfield Inlet Airport, and by an annual supply known as sealift.

Chesterfield Inlet ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᒃ Igluligaarjuk
Hamlet
Chesterfield Inlet Mission Hospital
Chesterfield Inlet Show map of Nunavut Chesterfield Inlet Show map of Canada
Coordinates: 63°20′20″N 090°42′05″W[1]
Country	Canada
Territory	Nunavut
Region	Kivalliq
Electoral district	Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet
Settled	1911, Hudson's Bay Company post
Incorporated (hamlet)	1 April 1980
Government [3][4]
• Mayor	Barnie Aggark
• Senior Administrative Officer	Richard Van Horne
• MLA	Alexander Sammurtok
Area  (2021)[5]
• Total	139.49 km2 (53.86 sq mi)
Elevation [6]	11 m (36 ft)
Population  (2021)[5]
• Total	397
• Density	2.8/km2 (7.4/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00 (CDT)
Canadian Postal code	X0C 0B0
Area code	867
Website	chesterfield-inlet.ca/

Inuit from the Chesterfield Inlet region are called Qaernermiut, though previously, they were referred to as Kenepitic, Kenepetu or Kenepitu.^[7]

Demographics

Federal census population history of Chesterfield Inlet

Year	Pop.	±%
1976	243	—
1981	249	+2.5%
1986	294	+18.1%
1991	316	+7.5%
1996	337	+6.6%
2001	345	+2.4%
2006	332	−3.8%
2011	313	−5.7%
2016	437	+39.6%
2021	397	−9.2%
Source: Statistics Canada [5][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Chesterfield Inlet had a population of 397 living in 116 of its 131 total private dwellings, a change of -9.2% from its 2016 population of 437. With a land area of 139.49 km² (53.86 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.8/km² (7.4/sq mi) in 2021.^[5]

Broadband communications

The community has been served by the Qiniq network since 2005. Qiniq is a fixed wireless service to homes and businesses, connecting to the outside world via a satellite backbone. The Qiniq network is designed and operated by SSI Micro. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.

Climate

Chesterfield Inlet has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with short but cool summers and long cold winters.

Climate data for Chesterfield Inlet (Chesterfield Inlet Airport) Climate ID: 2300707; coordinates 63°20′49″N 90°43′52″W; elevation: 9.8 m (32 ft); 1981–2010 normals
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high humidex	−7.4	−8.0	1.6	1.5	12.6	23.8	35.4	37.0	20.8	12.1	1.4	0.2	37.0
Record high °C (°F)	−3.0 (26.6)	−5.5 (22.1)	2.0 (35.6)	3.5 (38.3)	14.0 (57.2)	26.0 (78.8)	30.5 (86.9)	27.0 (80.6)	22.0 (71.6)	10.0 (50.0)	2.0 (35.6)	−2.0 (28.4)	30.5 (86.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−27.3 (−17.1)	−26.9 (−16.4)	−20.6 (−5.1)	−11.1 (12.0)	−2.3 (27.9)	7.9 (46.2)	15.2 (59.4)	12.7 (54.9)	5.7 (42.3)	−1.8 (28.8)	−12.7 (9.1)	−21.1 (−6.0)	−6.9 (19.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−30.9 (−23.6)	−30.8 (−23.4)	−25.1 (−13.2)	−15.8 (3.6)	−5.7 (21.7)	4.3 (39.7)	10.6 (51.1)	9.2 (48.6)	3.3 (37.9)	−4.5 (23.9)	−16.7 (1.9)	−25.2 (−13.4)	−10.6 (12.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−34.3 (−29.7)	−34.2 (−29.6)	−29.4 (−20.9)	−20.1 (−4.2)	−9.0 (15.8)	0.5 (32.9)	5.9 (42.6)	5.7 (42.3)	0.9 (33.6)	−7.0 (19.4)	−20.7 (−5.3)	−29.1 (−20.4)	−14.2 (6.4)
Record low °C (°F)	−46.0 (−50.8)	−49.0 (−56.2)	−45.0 (−49.0)	−35.5 (−31.9)	−29.0 (−20.2)	−11.5 (11.3)	−1.5 (29.3)	−2.0 (28.4)	−9.0 (15.8)	−26.0 (−14.8)	−37.5 (−35.5)	−44.0 (−47.2)	−49.0 (−56.2)
Record low wind chill	−66.3	−70.7	−64.7	−50.5	−33.6	−18.3	0.0	−9.5	−17.9	−40.1	−54.6	−60.9	−70.7
Average precipitation mm (inches)	10.4 (0.41)	9.6 (0.38)	14.9 (0.59)	15.5 (0.61)	15.1 (0.59)	23.3 (0.92)	41.2 (1.62)	51.2 (2.02)	37.4 (1.47)	26.6 (1.05)	22.0 (0.87)	14.0 (0.55)	281.2 (11.07)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.00)	6.1 (0.24)	19.7 (0.78)	41.2 (1.62)	51.2 (2.02)	33.9 (1.33)	11.7 (0.46)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	163.9 (6.45)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	11.2 (4.4)	10.2 (4.0)	15.0 (5.9)	17.0 (6.7)	9.4 (3.7)	3.7 (1.5)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	3.5 (1.4)	15.0 (5.9)	23.1 (9.1)	15.4 (6.1)	123.6 (48.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	4.2	3.7	4.3	5.0	4.9	6.0	7.9	9.9	9.7	8.8	7.6	5.4	77.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	1.6	5.4	7.9	9.9	8.4	3.4	0.0	0.0	36.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	4.2	3.7	4.4	4.9	3.3	0.7	0.0	0.0	1.5	5.7	7.7	5.4	41.4
Average relative humidity (%)	79.0	67.6	74.9	82.0	84.4	70.9	68.0	72.5	77.4	87.3	83.0	75.3	76.9
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[16]

See also

• List of municipalities in Nunavut
• Charlie Panigoniak
• Kiviaq
• Aivilingmiut
• Ukkusiksalik National Park
• Caribou Inuit

References

1. "Chesterfield Inlet". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
2. "Chesterfield Inlet". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
3. "Municipal Election Results 2019-2020" (PDF). Elections Nunavut. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
4. "2021 General Election" (PDF). Elections Nunavut. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
5. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nunavut". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
6. Elevation at airport. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
7. "Image is described as "this shows the tattooing of the Kenepitic [Qaernermiut] tribe"". cthistoryonline.org. 16 February 1904. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
8. "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
9. "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
10. "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
11. "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
12. "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Nunavut)". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
13. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Nunavut)". Statistics Canada. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
14. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Nunavut)". Statistics Canada. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
15. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Nunavut)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
16. "Chesterfield Inlet A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2300707. Retrieved 9 August 2020.

Further reading

• King, David Paul. The History of the Federal Residential Schools for the Inuit Located in Chesterfield Inlet, Yellowknife, Inuvik and Churchill, 1955-1970^{[permanent dead link‍]}. Theses Canada digitization project. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada, 2000. ISBN 0-612-40475-7
• Tella, Subhas. Precambrian Geology of Parts of Tavani, Marble Island, and Chesterfield Inlet Map Areas, District of Keewatin A Progress Report. [Ottawa], Canada: Geological Survey of Canada, 1986. ISBN 0-660-12113-1
• Choque, Charles : 75ème anniversaire de la premiere mission catholique chez les Inuit de la Baie d'Hudson, Chesterfield Inlet 1912-1987 Igluligaarjuk. ISBN 0-9693266-0-2

External links