Igloolik

Igloolik (Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒃ, Iglulik, Inuktitut pronunciation: [iɣ.lu.ˈlik]) is an Inuit hamlet in Foxe Basin, Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, northern Canada. Because its location on Igloolik Island is close to Melville Peninsula, it is often mistakenly thought to be on the peninsula. The name "Igloolik" means "there is a house here". It derives from iglu meaning house or building, and refers to the sod houses that were originally in the area, not to snow igloos.^[7] In Inuktitut^[8] the residents are called Iglulingmiut (the suffix miut means "people of").

Igloolik ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒃ Iglulik
Hamlet
Igloolik
Igloolik Show map of Nunavut Igloolik Show map of Canada
Coordinates: 69°23′N 081°48′W[1]
Country	Canada
Territory	Nunavut
Region	Qikiqtaaluk
Electoral district	Aggu Amittuq
Government [3][4]
• Mayor	Merlyn Recinos
• MLA Aggu	Joanna Quassa
• MLA Amittuq	Joelie Kaernerk
Area  (2021)[5]
• Total	104.86 km2 (40.49 sq mi)
Elevation [6]	53 m (174 ft)
Population  (2021)[5]
• Total	2,049
• Density	19.5/km2 (51/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC– 05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
Canadian Postal code	X0A 0L0
Area code	867

History

Traditional amautiit made from seal (left) and caribou (right) are occasionally worn by infants and mothers, although fabric versions are more common today

Information about the area's earliest inhabitants comes mainly from numerous archaeological sites on the island; some dating back more than 4,000 years. First contact with Europeans came when the British Royal Navy ships HMS Fury and HMS Hecla, under the command of Captain William Edward Parry, wintered in Igloolik in 1822.

The island was visited in 1867 and 1868 by the American explorer Charles Francis Hall in his search for survivors of the lost Franklin Expedition. In 1913, Alfred Tremblay, a French-Canadian prospector with Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier’s expedition to Pond Inlet, extended his mineral exploration overland to Igloolik, and in 1921 a member of Knud Rasmussen’a Fifth Thule Expedition visited the island.

The first permanent presence by southerners in Igloolik came with the establishment of a Roman Catholic Mission in the 1930s. By the end of the decade, the Hudson's Bay Company had also set up a post on the island.

Non-indigenous establishments, such as Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stations, day schools, and clinics, were here before they came to be in surrounding communities. The Igloolik Research Centre focuses on documenting Inuit traditional knowledge and technology, as well as climatology and seismic data research.^[9]

Culture

Anthropologically, Iglulik Inuit are usually considered to be the Iglulingmiut, the Aivilingmiut,^[10] and the Tununirmiut, the Inuit from northern Baffin Island, on Southampton Island, and in the Melville Peninsula.^[11]

An ancient legend from the Igloolik area was adapted by Zacharias Kunuk into the award-winning Canadian film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner in 2001. In 2004, Isuma produced the film The Journals of Knud Rasmussen which was released in September 2006 after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Igloolik is also the home-base of the only Inuit circus, Artcirq. This collective is active in video-making, music production and live circus show performances. Early in 2008, when temperatures in Igloolik were at −50 °C (−58 °F), eight members of Artcirq went to Essakane north of Timbuktu, Mali, where temperatures were 40 °C (104 °F), to perform at the Festival au Désert.^[12][13] In February 2010, six members of Artcirq represented Nunavut in performances at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.^[14]

In late 2007, the Igloolik Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) banned all forms of tourism (sport hunting, filming, photography, watching) related to the northern Foxe Basin walrus population for a period of two years.^[15] This ban was in response to an observed decrease in walrus. The Igloolik Inuit continued to harvest walrus while the tourism ban was in place.

In 2017, documentary film maker Alan Zweig released There Is a House Here, a documentary film about his visits to the community.^[16]

Demographics

Federal census population history of Igloolik

Year	Pop.	±%
1971	566	—
1976	675	+19.3%
1981	746	+10.5%
1986	857	+14.9%
1991	936	+9.2%
1996	1,174	+25.4%
2001	1,286	+9.5%
2006	1,538	+19.6%
2011	1,454	−5.5%
2016	1,744	+19.9%
2021	2,049	+17.5%
Source: Statistics Canada [5][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Igloolik had a population of 2,049 living in 394 of its 468 total private dwellings, a change of 17.5 per cent from its 2016 population of 1,744. With a land area of 104.86 km² (40.49 sq mi), it had a population density of 19.5/km² (50.6/sq mi) in 2021.^[5]

Panethnic groups in Igloolik (2001−2021)

Panethnic group	2021[26]		2016[27]		2006[28]		2001[29]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Indigenous	1,935	94.85%	1,580	94.61%	1,445	93.83%	1,230	96.09%
European[lower-alpha 1]	90	4.41%	70	4.19%	95	6.17%	45	3.52%
South Asian	0	0%	10	0.6%	0	0%	0	0%
Southeast Asian[lower-alpha 2]	0	0%	10	0.6%	0	0%	0	0%
Latin American	0	0%	10	0.6%	0	0%	0	0%
East Asian[lower-alpha 3]	0	0%	0	0%	10	0.65%	0	0%
African	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Middle Eastern[lower-alpha 4]	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Other/multiracial[lower-alpha 5]	15	0.74%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Total responses	2,040	99.56%	1,670	95.76%	1,540	100.13%	1,280	99.53%
Total population	2,049	100%	1,744	100%	1,538	100%	1,286	100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Environmental concerns

Sunset in Igloolik

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed people from the region in April 2008, about their concerns over plans to ship iron ore from the nearby Steensby Inlet on Baffin Island from the Baffinland Iron Mine.^[30] Jaypetee Palluq, an Igloolik resident who had been asked to serve on a Baffinland advisory committee, was concerned that the mine's operation would interfere with the traditional hunts for sea mammals, like walrus. He called on Baffinland to "find an alternate shipping route to the mine, regardless of the cost."

Paul Quassa, former mayor of Igloolik, also expressed concern, over the effect of freighters on the ice used by the walrus. He said the region was known for its highly prized aged, fermented walrus meat, a valuable export from the region.

On November 2, 2016, CBC News reported that residents were describing a hum or buzz, coming from deep within the Fury and Hecla Strait—near Steensby Inlet where Baffinland has one of its ports.^[31]

Paul Quassa, Igloolik's representative to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, said the hum had been disturbing the sea mammals community members rely on for food.^[31] The hum is very loud, so loud the complement of vessels transiting the straits can hear it transmitted through the hulls, without any electronic aids. The Royal Canadian Air Force sent a Lockheed CP-140 Aurora to the area but were unable to detect the noise or the source.^[32]

Climate

Igloolik has a polar climate (ET) with nine months averaging below 0 °C (32 °F). Winters are long and cold, with October being the snowiest month. Summers range from chilly to sometimes mild, with cold nights.

Climate data for Igloolik (Igloolik Airport) Climate ID: 2402543; coordinates 69°22′N 81°49′W; elevation: 52.7 m (173 ft); 1981–2010 normals
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high humidex	−4.2	−0.6	−3.9	0.3	5.6	18.7	24.3	24.5	11.2	3.4	−0.5	−1.5	24.5
Record high °C (°F)	−1.0 (30.2)	−1.0 (30.2)	−3.0 (26.6)	1.5 (34.7)	7.0 (44.6)	16.5 (61.7)	24.5 (76.1)	21.5 (70.7)	11.5 (52.7)	2.0 (35.6)	−1.0 (30.2)	−1.5 (29.3)	24.5 (76.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−28.4 (−19.1)	−28.5 (−19.3)	−24.2 (−11.6)	−14.9 (5.2)	−4.9 (23.2)	3.8 (38.8)	11.2 (52.2)	8.2 (46.8)	1.6 (34.9)	−5.8 (21.6)	−15.7 (3.7)	−23.4 (−10.1)	−10.1 (13.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−31.6 (−24.9)	−31.8 (−25.2)	−28.0 (−18.4)	−19.1 (−2.4)	−8.4 (16.9)	1.2 (34.2)	7.4 (45.3)	5.3 (41.5)	−0.3 (31.5)	−8.1 (17.4)	−19.2 (−2.6)	−26.8 (−16.2)	−13.3 (8.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−34.8 (−30.6)	−35.1 (−31.2)	−31.8 (−25.2)	−23.3 (−9.9)	−11.9 (10.6)	−1.3 (29.7)	3.6 (38.5)	2.3 (36.1)	−2.1 (28.2)	−10.4 (13.3)	−22.6 (−8.7)	−30.2 (−22.4)	−16.5 (2.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−47.0 (−52.6)	−47.0 (−52.6)	−47.0 (−52.6)	−40.5 (−40.9)	−28.0 (−18.4)	−13.5 (7.7)	−1.0 (30.2)	−5.5 (22.1)	−11.0 (12.2)	−30.5 (−22.9)	−37.0 (−34.6)	−42.5 (−44.5)	−47.0 (−52.6)
Record low wind chill	−60.9	−65.9	−58.3	−48.6	−35.5	−21.3	−4.3	−10.8	−17.9	−49.8	−49.9	−56.4	−65.9
Average precipitation mm (inches)	6.2 (0.24)	7.8 (0.31)	12.8 (0.50)	16.7 (0.66)	14.7 (0.58)	13.2 (0.52)	28.2 (1.11)	35.1 (1.38)	27.3 (1.07)	34.5 (1.36)	14.4 (0.57)	11.6 (0.46)	222.4 (8.76)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.00)	0.2 (0.01)	8.9 (0.35)	28.2 (1.11)	32.7 (1.29)	15.9 (0.63)	1.1 (0.04)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	86.9 (3.42)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	6.2 (2.4)	7.9 (3.1)	13.4 (5.3)	17.1 (6.7)	14.8 (5.8)	4.5 (1.8)	0.0 (0.0)	2.4 (0.9)	11.1 (4.4)	32.8 (12.9)	14.5 (5.7)	11.5 (4.5)	136.2 (53.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	4.4	3.8	6.5	7.0	6.9	6.3	9.3	10.1	9.5	12.4	7.6	5.8	89.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	4.4	9.3	9.7	5.2	0.4	0.0	0.0	29.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	4.5	3.8	6.5	6.9	6.8	2.1	0.0	0.5	4.7	11.2	7.5	5.6	60.0
Average relative humidity (%)	73.3	80.5	73.2	—	—	79.8	—	—	—	—	81.4	78.6	77.8
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[33]

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.

Transportation

The community is served by the Igloolik Airport.

Notable people

• Germaine Arnaktauyok (born 1946), artist
• Levi Barnabas (born 1964), politician
• Lori Idlout, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Nunavut
• Northern Haze, rock band
• Annabella Piugattuk (born 1982), actress
• Paul Quassa, Premier of Nunavut (2017–2018)
• Aua, spiritual leader
• Kelly Fraser (1993–2019), singer-songwriter
• Terry Uyarak, singer-songwriter

Gallery

• 
  Part of the hamlet, August 2002
• 
  After the sun has gone below the horizon
• 
  The Igloolik Return of the Sun festival
• 
  The old stone church, August 2002, prior to being torn down in 2006
• 
  The Igloolik Research Centre
• 
  Women carry their children in amautiit while walking to Northern Store, past Isuma productions (left) and the Coop hotel (right)
• 
  Tummivut Iglu - The Nunavut government building in Igloolik
• 
  Remnants of older Inuit sod houses in Igloolik Point

See also

• List of municipalities in Nunavut
• Kayak angst

Notes

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
2. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
3. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
4. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References

1. "Igloolik". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
2. "Igloolik". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
3. "Municipal Election Results 2019–2020" (PDF). Elections Nunavut. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
4. "2021 General Election" (PDF). Elections Nunavut. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
5. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nunavut". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
6. Elevation at airport. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
7. "Igloolik, Nunavut". Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
8. Igloolik at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association Archived 6 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
9. "Igloolik, NU". Alias:Arctic Logistics Information and Support. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
10. "Clothing, footwear and territory of the Caribou Inuit". aaanativearts.com. Retrieved 26 December 2007.
11. "Iglulik Inuit". everyculture.com. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
12. "Hottest ticket in Malian capital involves the Inuit". The Globe and Mail. 9 January 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008.
13. Artcirq
14. "People Making a Difference". Christian Science Monitor. csmonitor.com. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
15. "Ban on walrus tourism divides Igloolik". CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcast Corporation. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
16. "Trailer for Alan Zweig’s TIFF-bound ‘There is a House Here’". POV, August 15, 2017.
17. "1976 Census of Canada: Population – Geographic Distributions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. June 1977. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
18. "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
19. "1986 Census: Population – Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
20. "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions – Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
21. "96 Census: A National Overview – Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
22. "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.
23. "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.
24. "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.
25. "Population and dwelling count amendments, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
26. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
27. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 October 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
28. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (20 August 2019). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
29. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2 July 2019). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
30. "Baffin Island residents resist proposed iron mine plans". CBC News. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
31. Jimmy Thomson (2 November 2016). "Mysterious 'ping' sound from sea floor baffles Igloolik". CBC News. Retrieved 3 November 2016. Sometimes called a beep, a ping, or a hum, the sound is blamed for scaring away animals.
32. "No unusual sounds near Nunavut's Fury and Hecla Strait, RCAF reports". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
33. "Igloolik A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate ID: 2402543. Retrieved 17 November 2013.

Further reading

• Allen, Kristiann. Negotiating Health The Meanings and Implications of Building a Healthy Community in Igloolik, Nunavut. Ottawa: National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2002. ISBN 0-612-64124-4
• Aporta, Claudio. Old Routes, New Trails Contemporary Inuit Travel and Orienting in Igloolik, Nunavut. Ottawa: National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2004. ISBN 0-612-87930-5
• Dredge, L. A. The Geology of the Igloolik Island Area, and Sea Level Changes. Yellowknife, N.W.T.: Science Institute of the Northwest Territories, 1992.
• Ford, James D., Barry Smit, Johanna Wandel, and John MacDonald. 2006. "Vulnerability to Climate Change in Igloolik, Nunavut: What We Can Learn from the Past and Present". Polar Record (journal). 42, no. 2: 127–138.
• Leontowich, Kent. A Study of the Benthic Faunal Distribution in the Subtidal Zone of Turton Bay, Igloolik Island, Nunavut. Ottawa: National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2005. ISBN 0-612-92856-X
• Niwranski, K., P. G. Kevan, and A. Fjellberg. 2002. "Effects of Vehicle Disturbance and Soil Compaction on Arctic Collembolan Abundance and Diversity on Igloolik Island, Nunavut, Canada". European Journal of Soil Biology. 38, no. 2: 193–196.
• Wachowich, Nancy. Making a Living, Making a Life Subsistence and the Re-Enactment of Iglulingmiut Cultural Practices. Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2001. ISBN 0-612-61191-4

External links