Iqaluit Totally Explained

Everything about Iqaluit totally explained

Iqaluit (;, ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ in Inuktitut syllabics) is the territorial capital and the largest community of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Iqaluit is located on the south coast of Baffin Island at the head of Frobisher Bay. As of the 2006 census the population was 6,184, an increase of 18.1% from the 2001 census; it has the lowest population of any capital city in Canada.

April 1, 1999 - The Territory of Nunavut officially comes into being

April 19, 2001 - Iqaluit receives its Order of Official status as a city

Geography

Iqaluit is located in the Everett Mountains rising from Koojesse Inlet, an inlet of Frobisher Bay, on the south-east part of Baffin Island. It is well to the east of Nunavut's mainland, and northeast of Hudson Bay.

Communities

Apex About 5 km south-east from Iqaluit's centre is the community of Apex, or in Inuktitut known as Niaqunngut. It is located on a small peninsula separating Koojesse Inlet from Tarr Inlet. Historically Apex was the place where most Inuit lived when Iqaluit was a military site and off-limits to anyone not working at the base. Located here are the women's shelter, a church, a primary school, and a bed-and-breakfast.

Climate

Iqaluit has a typically arctic climate, with very cold winters and short summers that are too cool to permit the growth of trees. Average monthly temperatures are below freezing for eight months of the year.. Iqaluit's precipitation averages just over 400 millimetres annually, much wetter than many other localities in the Canadian Arctic islands, with the summer being the wettest season.

Iqaluit Climatological Data
Temperature
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Mean
Record high °C (°F)	4 (39)	4 (39)	4 (39)	7 (45)	13 (55)	22 (72)	26 (79)	26 (79)	17 (63)	7 (45)	6 (43)	4 (39)
Average high °C (°F)	-23 (-9)	-24 (-11)	-19 (-2)	-10 (14)	-1 (30)	7 (45)	12 (54)	10 (50)	5 (41)	-2 (28)	-9 (16)	-19 (-2)	-6 (21)
Mean °C (°F)	-27 (-17)	-28 (-18)	-24 (-11)	-15 (5)	-4 (25)	4 (39)	8 (46)	7 (45)	2 (36)	-5 (23)	-13 (9)	-23 (-9)	-10 (14)
Average low °C (°F)	-31 (-24)	-32 (-26)	-29 (-20)	-20 (-4)	-8 (18)	0 (32)	4 (39)	3 (37)	-0 (32)	-8 (18)	-18 (-0)	-27 (-17)	-14 (7)
Record low °C (°F)	-45 (-49)	-46 (-51)	-45 (-49)	-34 (-29)	-26 (-15)	-10 (14)	-3 (27)	-3 (27)	-13 (9)	-27 (-17)	-36 (-33)	-43 (-45)
Precipitation and Sunshine Hours
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
Total mm (in)	21 (0.8)	15 (0.6)	22 (0.9)	28 (1.1)	27 (1.1)	35 (1.4)	59 (2.2)	66 (2.6)	55 (2.2)	37 (1.5)	29 (1.1)	18 (0.7)	412 (16.2)
Rainfall mm (in)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3 (0.1)	25 (1.0)	59 (2.3)	65 (2.6)	42 (1.7)	5 (0.2)	1 (0)	0 (0)	198 (7.8)
Snowfall cm (in)	23 (9.1)	16 (6.3)	25 (9.8)	32 (12.6)	25 (9.8)	10 (3.9)	0 (0)	1 (0.4)	14 (5.5)	35 (13.8)	32 (12.6)	22 (8.7)	236 (92.9)
Sunshine hours	34	98	170	224	194	197	218	170	89	54	40	19	1506
Data recorded at Iqaluit Airport for Environment Canada. Average data recorded over a 30 year span from 1971 to 2000.

Demographics

Aboriginal people

Inuit 57.9%
First Nations 0.7%
Métis 0.4%
Non-aboriginal 41.0%

Languages

Religion Iqaluit Airport is a centre for cold-weather testing of new aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 in February 2006.
In the middle of summer, a few ships — generally no larger than a Liberty class vessel — transport bulk and heavy goods to the city. Iqaluit doesn't have a deep water harbour, so goods must be barged ashore, or the ship may be beached at high tide and the goods unloaded when the tide goes out. The city is currently planning a deepwater port(External Link

). It is in principle possible to reach Iqaluit on foot or by dog sled or snowmobile, both from other parts of Baffin Island and from the Quebec mainland when Hudson Strait freezes. This was how the Inuit traditionally travelled, and how they still do sometimes, but it isn't advised for anyone who isn't experienced in Arctic travel.
Iqaluit has a local road system only stretching from the nearby community of Apex to the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park Reserve, a kilometre west of town. Iqaluit currently has no public transportation, however there's city-wide taxi service. (There was bus service in the city before, but lack of riders forced the closure of the service.) Although a growing number of people have personal automobiles, the cost of shipping them and the wear-and-tear of the harsh Arctic climate and notoriously rough roadways mean that snowmobiles are the preferred form of personal transportation. Nevertheless, the ever-increasing number of personal automobiles is beginning to create traffic problems at peak times. All-terrain vehicles are also an increasingly common form of transportation in most of the Canadian Arctic. Snowmobiles are extensively used to travel both within the city and in the surrounding area. In winter, dog sleds are still used, however this is primarily recreational. In winter, the nearby Qaummaarviit Territorial Historic Park and the more remote Katannilik Territorial Park are only accessible by snowmobile, dog sled or foot. In the summer, both are accessible by boat.
Both residents and businesses identify their locations mostly by building number, and occasionally by the name of a prominent structure. Residents must know where in the city certain building numbers are located; numbers tend to be aggregated in blocks, so a person might say that they live "in the 2600s" (twenty-six hundreds). Around 2003, street names were adopted, although there were delays in finalising them and then posting the signs. Street numbers have not been assigned, and building numbers continue to be used.

Architecture and attractions

Much of Iqaluit's architecture is functional — designed to minimize material costs, while retaining heat and withstanding the climate. Early architecture runs from the 1950s military barracks of the original DEW line installation, through the 1970s white hyper-modernist fibreglass block of the Nakasuk elementary school, to the lines of the steel-reinforced concrete high-rise complex on the hill above it. The newer buildings are more colourful and diverse, and closer to the norms of southern architecture, but largely unremarkable.
   The principal exception is the Nunavut Legislative Assembly Building, which is remarkable for its colourful interior, adorned with some of the very best in Inuit art. Another distinctive building was St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral which was a white building shaped like an igloo. Originally built by the parishioners, the altar was shaped like a traditional Inuit sled, and the cross composed of two crossed narwhal tusks. An incident of arson severely affected the Cathedral structure and interior on 5 November 2005, and it was finally demolished on June 1, 2006. Fundraising is in hand for rebuilding the Cathedral. On a ridge overlooking the city is the distinctive blue and white Inuksuk High School. The school is made up of four square sections joined together that give a clover leaf shape when viewed from the air.
   The city is also the location of the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, which houses a large collection of Inuit and Arctic objects.
   Just west of Iqaluit is the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park Reserve. This park is characterised by the valley of the Sylvia Grinnell River. A small visitor's centre with viewing platform is located on top of a hill overlooking scenic falls in the river.
   Nearby on an island near the Peterhead inlet, is the Qaummaarviit Territorial Historic Park. It is a site with a long Inuit history and numerous artifacts have been recovered, including the remains of 11 semi-buried sod houses.
   A little farther, across Frobisher Bay, are the Katannilik Territorial Park and the Soper Heritage River Park.

Media

Radio

AM 1230 - CFFB, CBC Radio One

FM 88.3 - CBM-FM-3, CBC Radio Two

FM 93.3 - CIQA-FM, weather, marine info

FM 99.9 - CKIQ-FM, adult contemporary

FM 107.3 - CFRT-FM, community radio (French)

Television

Channel 8 - CFFB, CBC North

Channel 10 - CH4161, APTN

Channel 12 - CH2260, SRCFurther Information

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