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Canadian Red Cross / Croix-Rouge canadienne

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She is kind. She is creative. Susan and Madeline

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She is kind. She is creative. Susan and Madeline

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She is kind. She is creative. Susan and Madeline.

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Inuit break silence on skin graft experiments

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Theo Ikummaq on Being Attacked by a Polar Bear

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"I am trying to do this with my videos-tell the story behind how we lived"

By Sarah Rogers

One of Canada's top stars in this year's Venice Biennale is nowhere to be found near the famed international arts exhibition.

Instead, Nunavut filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk is at home in Igloolik, with a film crew and equipment that will allow him to webcast footage directly to the exhibition's Canadian pavilion.

Isuma, the artists collective and video production company Kunuk runs with his filmmaking partner Norman Cohn, was selected to represent Canada at La Biennale di Venezia 2019, the 58th edition of the Italian exhibition. It's the first time an Inuit artist or group has been chosen to do so.

Isuma, which was launched in 1990 by Kunuk and Cohn along with their late co-founders Paul Apak Angilirq and Pauloosie Qulitalik, has always sought to preserve Inuit language and stories.

That's exactly what Silakut: Live From the Floe Edge intends to do, with plans to webcast live interviews with Inuit and snippets of life from the region to Venice.

"Inuit went from Stone Age to Digital Age in my lifetime," Zacharias Kunuk told the National Gallery of Canada when Isuma was first selected. "I was on Baffin Island, living on the land, and I saw the last of that era.

"Since we have an oral history, nothing is written down-everything is taught by what you see. Your father's fixing up the harpoon; you watch how he does it and you learn from it. For the medium I work in now, it was the same. Oral history and new technology match. I am trying to do this with my videos-tell the story behind how we lived."

One of the Isuma's first webcasts, posted to its Facebook page this week, broadcasts an interview with a dog team owner and musher, who explains in Inuktitut how he manages his team of six huskies, while he harnesses the dogs in fan hitch style.

But the real goal of Silakut is to show an international audience the potential impacts of mining on Inuit in the region-this as Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. looks to ramp up production and ship iron ore by a proposed railway across Baffin Island, and then by supertanker through walrus breeding grounds visible from Kapuivik, a hunting camp overlooking Foxe Basin.

That was once the home of Noah Puigattuk, the main character in Kunuk and Cohn's new feature-length film that will also show at the Biennale.

One Day in the Life of Noah Puigattuk tells the real-life story of the elder of one of the last nomadic Inuit families who, in the early 1960s, were forced by RCMP officers to settle in nearby Igloolik.

With a new and international audience, Isuma is also hoping to draw new viewers to its collection of thousands of Inuit-made films and video footage available on its website.

Isuma selected five curators to organize its presentation in Venice, including Asinnajaq, an artist, filmmaker and curator from Inukjuak, Nunavik; Catherine Crowston, executive director and chief curator of the Art Gallery of Alberta; Barbara Fischer, executive director and chief curator of the Art Museum at the University of Toronto; Candice Hopkins, senior curator of the Toronto Biennial of Art; and Josée Drouin-Brisebois, senior curator of contemporary art at the National Gallery of Canada.

Viewers can tune into Silakut: Live From the Floe Edge at the same website on May 8-10 from 10 a.m. to noon EST and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST, and then again on May 11 from noon to 5 p.m. EST.

The 58th Venice Biennale runs from May until the end of November 2019.

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From Igloolik to Venice: Inuit represent Canada at this year's Biennale arts exhibit | Nunatsiaq News

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"I am trying to do this with my videos-tell the story behind how we lived" By Sarah Rogers One of Canada's top stars in this year's Venice Biennale is nowhere to be found near the famed international arts exhibition.

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INUKTITUT MASTER CLASS: An Interview with Pakak Innuksuk, Igloolik

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Igloolik, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1976, population 1454 (2011c), 1538 (2006c). The Hamlet of Igloolik is located on an island of the same name at the eastern entrance to FURY AND HECLA STRAIT, off the coast of the MELVILLE PENINSULA.

Igloolik, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1976, population 1454 (2011c), 1538 (2006c). The Hamlet of Igloolik is located on an island of the same name at the eastern entrance to FURY AND HECLA STRAIT, off the coast of the MELVILLE PENINSULA. The area provides a unique record of unbroken INUIT habitation, with the oldest site established about 2000 BC. The modern community dates from 1959.

Mass among the Inuit retains elements of Inuit society and tradition. Image: Corel Professional Photos.

Sir William PARRY with his 2 ships Fury and Hecla were the first Europeans to visit Igloolik. Parry and his crews wintered there in 1822-23. Umik, an Inuk from Pond Inlet, set up a mission at the site in the early 1920s where he preached his own brand of Christianity. A Roman Catholic mission was established in 1931 and a Hudson's Bay Company post in 1939. The school was opened in 1960. Most of the community's residents rely on their traditional lifestyle of hunting, fishing and sealing.

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Igloolik, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1976, population 1454 (2011c), 1538 (2006c). The Hamlet of Igloolik is located on an island of the same name at the eastern entrance to FURY AND HECLA STRAIT, off the coast of the MELVILLE PENINSULA. Igloolik, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1976, population 1454 (2011c), 1538 (2006c).

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Igloolik, Nunavut

Inuktitut meaning: There is a house here

Igloolik is situated on an island adjacent to the flat expanse of the Melville Peninsula's eastern coastal plain in Nunavut. The establishment of a Roman Catholic Mission in the 1930s brought the first permanent southerners to Igloolik. The settlement has long been off the beaten track for tourists in the eastern Arctic. Today, whether you come to see its people, wildlife or a wilderness vastly different from Baffin Island's craggy peaks and fiords, you will find a region rich in its own treasures that are well-worth exploring.

Igloolik is not only the geographic centre of Nunavut, but it is also widely considered the cultural hub of Nunavut. Ancient ties to northern and southern Baffin Island, as well as the Kivalliq and eastern Kitikmeot regions, contribute to the distinct mix of Inuit cultural traditions practised and nurtured in Igloolik today.

Natural resources that are key to Inuit culture are abundant in the region, and include walruses, seals, whales, polar bears and caribou.

Igloolik sculptures have much in common, stylistically, with those of Pangnirtung, in terms of scale, subject matter and aesthetics. The drama of the hunt and the emotional intensity of mythological subjects are depicted in large, strongly realistic works.

Igloolik stone is mostly dull grey. Naturalistic details are vigorously carved but not polished. The light green stone used in some sculptures is imported from the Mary River deposit on Baffin Island. One well-known Igloolik artist is Celina Iyyiraq.

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Inuit and Dene Artists & Communities in Canada's Arctic featuring one of the finest collections of Inuit Art

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Inuktitut meaning: There is a house here Igloolik is situated on an island adjacent to the flat expanse of the Melville Peninsula's eastern coastal plain in Nunavut. The establishment of a Roman Catholic Mission in the 1930s brought the first permanent southerners to Igloolik.

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Nunavut Economic Developers Association | NEDA

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Learn more about the Nunavut Economic Developers Association

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As I recount my incredible adventure across Canada from the far North, I realize that every hamlet we stopped in had so many interesting elements. Igloolik is no exception. Here are my top 5 most impactful experiences I had there.

5) SUPER RAD LOOKING TOWN

My team from the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference landed in Igloolik, Nunavut. Igloolik I must say is a pretty cool place. The hamlet rests on the side of a hill overlooking the frozen Foxe basin between the Nunavut mainland and Baffin Island. At the top of the hill is the Igloolik Research Center, that looks like a building made by "The Others" in the TV series Lost.

4) BEST PIZZA NORTH-WEST OF SICILY

Aside from the physically interesting elements of this arctic hamlet, the cultural elements are incredibly dynamic. There is a sense of entrepreneurship, innovation and artistic expression here that I find rare in communities. The pizza makers at the world's northern-most pizzeria proudly bake some of the best pizza I have ever had.

3) WORLD CLASS FILM SCENE

We were able to meet Zacharias Kunuk, the Cannes Lion award winning film director of ' Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner', one of Canada's top-grossing films and winner of many Genie Awards the Caméra d'Or ( Golden Camera) at Cannes. Zacharias met with us at his studio that doubles as the community television station. The film industry in the North is becoming a very important way to document the stories and life of the Inuit people, and Zacharias was kind enough to share his perspectives on the political and social power of the medium.

2) JAW DROPPING CIRQUE

We also had a chance to witness one of the coolest (literally and figuratively) Cirque acts that I have ever witnessed. Artcirq is a world-class cirque group that travels the globe. It was established as a response to a suicide epidemic that the community wanted to end. The empowerment, skill, joy and pride that has resulted is powerful. Art and impact.

1) ELDERS & THE DOG SLAY

The biggest impact for me during my visit to Igloolik was the humbling opportunity to meet with the elders of the community. They invited us to a council meeting, and were so incredibly welcoming, loving and kind. The meeting quickly became emotional when a few of the elders recounted their experience being taken away from their parents when they were children to be put into residential schools.

This led to an opening-up of others to share with us a lot of traumatic experiences that their community has gone through. One gentleman with tears in his eyes described what it was like when the RCMP shot many of the loose sled dogs across the arctic, including his. The RCMP claimed it was a public health issue, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions as to why this happened. The sled dogs were an important tool for Inuit to hunt and provide for their families. Killing the dogs literally tethered the previously nomadic Inuit to their communities, which has had an impact on their culture, health and self sufficiency.

What I learned at this meeting inspired me to look deeper, and there are accounts from communities all across the arctic of a mass slaying of dogs.

We ended our day blessed with an invite to actually go dog-sledding, which we did. It was amazing. These dogs are incredible, and I can see how loosing the ability to go out on the ice with these incredible animals would be such a great loss, for so many reasons.

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My 5 Most Impactful Experiences in Igloolik, Nunavut.

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As I recount my incredible adventure across Canada from the far North, I realize that every hamlet we stopped in had so many interesting elements. Igloolik is no exception. Here are my top 5 most impactful experiences I had there. My team from the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference landed in Igloolik, Nunavut.

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Shortlist from Station Catalogue over facilities and science disciplines.

STATION NAME AND OWNER

The Igloolik Research Center is owned by the Department of Environment of the Government of Nunavut, CANADA.

LOCATION

The Igloolik Research Center (IRC) with its main building with offices and laboratories, as well as warm and cold warehouses is located in the hamlet of Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada (69°22'34" N, 81°48'11" W). The center is located on a small island at the northern tip of the Foxe Basin, in between the continent and the large Baffin Island. Additional facilities include stations in Kugluktuk (67°49' N, 115°06' W), Arviat (61°06' N, 94°03' W), Pond Inlet (72°41'57" N, 77°57'33" W), and Iqaluit (63°44' N, 68°31' W).

BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Igloolik is located in the zone and is part of the northern ecozone. Snow cover usually remains from September to June. Extremely low temperatures are common (-30°C as a mean temperature during winter month). The average precipitation per year is c. 280 mm. Much of the landscape is composed of barren plains covered by frost-patterned soils and rock outcrop. This area is rich in sea mammals and seabirds, with charismatic polar bears, belugas, and killer whales. The terrestrial wildlife includes in particular caribou (although declining in abundance), Arctic foxes, several waterfowl species, snow geese, falcons, and lemmings.

HISTORY AND FACILITIES

The facility was established by the federal government of Canada in the early 1970s to strengthen research in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Within the main building, eight offices and two labs lead radially from a central area used for meetings. The research centre supplies local transportation with trucks, snowmobiles, sledges, boats with outboard motors, and all-terrain vehicles all stored in a warm and a cold warehouse. Biologists, social scientists, and technicians of the Department of Environment, conduct research on a variety of terrestrial wildlife and management issues.

GENERAL RESEARCH AND DATABASES

Research focuses on terrestrial wildlife and habitats with a special mandate on species directly linked to the traditional life of Inuit, i.e. caribou, polar bears, and muskoxen. The main research objectives of the station are to provide up-to-date information from various sources, including in-house scientific research and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, to co-management partners in order to make responsible wildlife management and land use decisions. Existing data bases include reports and publications arising from research at the station, records, terrestrial wildlife survey and trends, as well as habitat mapping, wildlife monitoring, and modelling.

HUMAN DIMENSION

Nunavut is the newest territory in Canada and is one of the most remote and sparsely populated regions in the world. It covers a large area of c. 2 millions km2. The Igloolik hamlet is located almost centrally in Nunavut and harbors approximately 1600 inhabitants (1/20 of the total population in Nunavut). The traditional Inuit culture still plays a major role in the daily life. Fishing and hunting is very important to local residents, all year round, focusing in particular on caribous, polar bears, seals, and beluga whales.

ACCESS

During the summer, there are commercial plane and boat services available to reach the station. Regular flights are available from Iqaluit (Nunavut capital), which is connected every day to Montreal and Ottawa. For local transportation the center offers logistical support to researchers working on site and in the larger area. This includes snowmobiles, a 4X4 truck, ATVs, and boats.

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STATION NAME AND OWNER The Igloolik Research Center is owned by the Department of Environment of the Government of Nunavut, CANADA. LOCATION The Igloolik Research Center (IRC) with its main building with offices and laboratories, as well as warm and cold warehouses is located in the hamlet of Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada (69°22'34" N, 81°48'11" W)....

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hotels are located in:

Arviat, Nunavut
Baker Lake, Nunavut
Cambridge Bay, NU
Chesterfield Inlet, NU t
Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
Hall Beach, Nunavut
Igloolik, Nunavut
Kimmirut, Nunavut
Kugaaruk, Nunavut
Pangnirtung, Nunavut
Pond Inlet, Nunavut
Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
Repulse Bay, Nunavut
Resolute Bay, Nunavut
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut
Whale Cove, Nunavut
Fort McPherson, NWT
Ulukhaktok, NWT

Welcome to
Igloolik, Nunavut

Situated on an island adjacent to the flat expanse of the Melville Peninsula's eastern coastal plain, the settlement of Igloolik has long been off the beaten track for tourists in the eastern Arctic.Today, whether you come to see people, wildlife or a wilderness vastly different from Baffin Island's craggy peaks and fiords, you will find a region rich in its own treasures and well worth exploring.

Igloolik is not only the geographic centre of Nunavut but also to what is widely considered the cultural hub of Nunavut. Ancient ties to northern and southern Baffin Island, as well as the Kivalliq and eastern Kitikmeot regions, contribute to the distinct mix of Inuit cultural traditions practised in Igloolik today. The area has long been blessed with abundant natural resources central to Inuit culture and identity: walruses, seals, whales, polar bears, caribou, fish and waterfowl. These resources continue to provide the economic, spiritual and intellectual basis for cultural continuity within Igloolik. People here take immense pride in nurturing Inuit heritage and traditions while embracing the inevitable changes brought on by modernization. The challenge in maintaining this balance is the very essence of Igloolik's vibrancy.

The Co-op Store in Igloolik

Igloolik

Playing Hockey in Igloolik

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hotels are located in: Arviat, Nunavut Baker Lake, Nunavut Cambridge Bay, NU Chesterfield Inlet, NU t Gjoa Haven, Nunavut Hall Beach, Nunavut Igloolik, Nunavut Kimmirut, Nunavut Kugaaruk, Nunavut Pangnirtung, Nunavut Pond Inlet, Nunavut Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Repulse Bay, Nunavut Resolute Bay, Nunavut Sanikiluaq, Nunavut Whale Cove, Nunavut Fort

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This is our Igloolik guide for visitors, part of our series of crowd-sourced Nunavut community travel guides. If you would like to write a guide for your community, please send us an email! This guide was written by Denis Thibeault.
Although Igloolik is a small (100 square kilometre) island with not many (2,000) inhabitants, it is a lively, active, and involved community with many great options for visitors. It is the geographic centre of the territory, and is known as the cultural hub of Nunavut. In fact, in 1970, the community refused free English television services in order to ensure that local language and culture would not be affected by southern broadcasts. Now Igloolik boasts its own production company, Isuma, and has local television hardwired into homes playing locally produced material. A stronghold of Inuit culture, Igloolik has so much to share with the world.

Where to Eat
Co-op Restaurant
The Co-op Restaurant is Igloolik's primary eatery. The food is standard fare, and the menu can be found on the TV, channel 6. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9am-11am for breakfast, 12pm-2pm for lunch, and 5pm-7pm for dinner. You can expect to pay around $20-$30 for a meal. The poutine ordered with a chicken salad wrap is recommended locally. It's also a great place to check out local carvings for sale on display by the restaurant entrance. It is located in the same building as the Co-op Inns North accommodations; turn right from the door.

Top of the World Pizza
If you haven't heard of Top of the World Pizza in Igloolik's Tujurmivik Hotel, you've still got a lot to learn about the north. Famous from Yellowknife to Ottawa, it's not uncommon for a Specialty or Arctic Char pizza to travel over land and sea for long distance orders. And with good reason - the pizza is great. You can order for delivery or eat in the Tujurmivik dining room, with prices starting at $30 a pie. They also serve lunch and supper options for hotel guests and specialize in local country food. It's best to call before ordering, but if the kitchen is closed they just might fire up the ovens for you with enough notice. Know that the famous Arctic Char pizza is specially made on Fridays only. Call 867-934-8810 to order Nunavut's most sought-after 'zas.

Co-op Coffee Shop
If you just want a snack and a warm drink, head over to the Co-op Coffee Shop. This is the best place to get a coffee for a few bucks and practice your Inuktitut with some Igloolingmiut. It is located in the Co-op grocery store; turn right from the entrance.

Where to Sleep
Igloolik Hotel (Inns North)
The Igloolik Hotel, owned and operated by the Igloolik Co-op, is the largest accommodation option in the community, with 15 rooms that include either single or double beds. Each room has a mini fridge and a full bathroom and shower for $249 per person per night. An added bonus is access to the Inns North Airport Shuttle (contact the Inn for details). The Igloolik Hotel is located in the same building as the Co-op Restaurant; turn left at the doorway, or check in at the restaurant. Call 867-934-8627 to make your reservation.
Tujurmivik Hotel
The Tujurmivik Hotel has been home to visitors for 45 years. Owner and local rock star, Elijah Evaluarjuk and his family welcome guests like old friends. Home of Top of the World Pizza, Tujurmivik Hotel offers guests a self-serve continental breakfast and home cooked meals with country food for a reasonable rate. Also, it's rumored that Tujurmivik makes the best Nanaimo bars in the circumpolar north. Beds start at $230 per person per night with shared bathrooms. Call 867-934-8814 to make your reservation.

LRT Lodging and B&B
LRT Lodging and B&B is operated by LRT Construction, which is owned by Lee and Richard Turbide. Two accommodation options exist with LRT. The bed and breakfast costs $250 per person per night, which includes a private room, self-serve breakfast, and access to the home's amazing facilities (including a pool table, movie projector, popcorn machine, satellite TV, wifi, full kitchen, and laundry). LRT also offers lodging by way of a four-bedroom house. The lodging costs $200 per person per night, which includes access to a fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities and cable TV. The entire house is available for $800 per night. Both locations have shared bathrooms and common areas. Lee and Richard also own a cabin on the land and ATVs, which they try to make accessible for guests. In doing so, LRT has created welcoming lodging options that feel more like visiting family down south. Call 867-934-8767 to make a reservation.
Qarmaq
The Hamlet of Igloolik has built a traditional style Qarmaq for programs. Anyone is welcome to use it respectfully at no cost. It is stocked with stoves, lamps, mats, caribou pelts, and a sleeping platform. But do bring your own fuel, stoves, and sleeping gear just in case. The Qarmaq is located behind the new Community Hall: hike out onto the land away from town veering slightly to the right until you reach a large mound about a kilometre away. If you cannot see town after walking 20-30 minutes, you have gone too far or are way off target, so follow your tracks back. Be prepared for a night on the land. Please respect this space and use it at your own responsibility.

What to Do
In Town
Check out the Government of Nunavut Department of Environment office
Also known as the Igloolik Research Centre or simply "The Mushroom," this building houses Nunavut's Polar Bear Expert and other knowledgeable biologists. If you happen to run into them, they just might tell you all about the great things that the GN Department of Environment is up to.

Check out the new Community Hall
There are all sorts of events held at the hall, including ceremonies, feasts, dances, board game tournaments, and concerts. If you're lucky, you might catch a traditional hukki (square dance). Just keep your ears open and you'll hear about what's happening while you're in town.

Watch a local hockey game
Like many Nunavut communities, the Igloolik Hockey Arena is where the excitement happens almost everyday.

Check out the murals.
Igloolik has some fantastic artwork throughout town. Be sure to have a look at the new Community Hall (inside and outside), old Community Hall (inside), Radio Station, and Kinguliit (formerly Isuma). On your walk, don't be afraid to poke your head into the buildings - you never know who you might meet or what might happen. Kinguliit is home to many Igloolik productions including the renowned film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. They operate an amazing production company out of one of the oldest cabins in the community. Visit the radio station and introduce yourself; maybe you can help out as a guest DJ for one of the many popular radio shows.

Learn about the Oral History Project
Upon the recommendation of Mary Ellen Thomas, Senior Research Officer with the Nunavut Research Institute, this is a must. Simply go into "the GN building" and ask nicely to check out the Oral History Project. It includes 326 audio recordings and 321 transcriptions (in English and Inuktitut) of interviews with Elders between 1986 and 1997.
Out of Town
Go dogsledding
Talk your way into a dogsled ride with the 3-time Nunavut Quest champion, Andy Attagutalukutuk. Though there are no commercial dogsled operators, Andy runs his dogs everyday training for the quest and is a great to talk to about traditional dogsledding and racing. Just ask around and you'll find him easily.

Walk to the Qarmaq
If you don't feel comfortable sleeping out on the land, you can still visit the Qarmaq during the daytime. There might even be an Elder hanging out making bannock over the qulliq or brewing tea on the stove.

Hike up Cemetery Hill
Walk out of town up the gentle slope until you can get a great view of the whole town. Maybe link this with a visit to the Qamarq for a cup of tea and warm-up stop.

Check out the Dump
This is actually a cool thing to do, as the Igloolik dump is rather unique. It's recommended you go by vehicle or snowmobile in case there are polar bears around.

How to get around

Take a taxi
Taxi fares are flat-rate, depending on where you're going. Rides around town are $6. Rides from the airport to town (and vice versa) are $10. Call Kanayuk Taxi at 867-934-4042. Make sure you're ready when you call them - they can be quick!

Use your feet
Many Igloolingmiut walk everywhere. It's an easy community to navigate and there are enough people walking around to give you directions if you think you're lost. Chances are you're right beside what you are looking for.

Rent a truck
You can rent a truck for $200 per day from LRT Construction. Nothin' like riding in style if you've got things to move around town or just want to stay warm. A bonus is that the rental includes a free airport pick-up. Larger construction vehicle are also available for rent. Call LRT Construction at 867-934-8767.

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Igloolik: Eat, Sleep, Do - Finding True North

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This is our Igloolik guide for visitors, part of our series of crowd-sourced Nunavut community travel guides . If you would like to write a guide for your community , please send us an email ! This guide was written by Denis Thibeault.

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More About:

North of the Arctic Circle, Igloolik is located between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island, on a small island in Foxe Basin just off the northeast corner of Melville Peninsula.

Spelled 'Iglulik' in Inuktitut, this vibrant community is considered a cultural hub for Inuit, mixing cultural traditions from three regions: Qikiqtaaluk, Kitikmeot and Kivalliq. This little island, inhabited 4,000 years ago, consists of 95% Inuit population. Igloolik comes alive in the summer months, when the sun never sets, with music festivals and circus performances by Artcirq, the only Inuit circus troupe in the world.

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Explore Igloolik, Nunavut | Arctic Kingdom

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North of the Arctic Circle, Igloolik is located between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island, on a small island in Foxe Basin just off the northeast corner of Melville Peninsula. Igloolik comes alive in the summer months when the sun never sets. Discover all about this amazing destination right here.

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Located north of the Arctic Circle, between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island, Igloolik is situated on a small island in Foxe Basin just off the northeast corner of Melville Peninsula.

Spelled 'Iglulik' in Inuktitut, this vibrantly artistic community is considered to be a cultural epicentre for the Inuit people.

Although it is part of the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, the community has a mix of cultural traditions from all three regions, including Kitikmeot and Kivalliq.

The award-winning movie 'Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner' was produced and filmed here.

Igloolik is also home to Artcirq, the only Inuit circus troupe in the world, and each summer the hamlet hosts the Rockin' Walrus Arts Festival. This gifted little island, inhabited 4,000 years ago, is an ideal place to visit for an authentic arctic adventure, to go dog sledding, to view whales, to visit an iceberg, to experience the Inuit way of life and enjoy the Northern Lights.

Current Weather in Igloolik

Igloolik summers have 24-hour daylight from May 18 to July 26, with long days of nice sunny weather lasting to mid-August.

The snow and ice disappear by July. Summer temperatures range from 8°C to 15°C. In November, regular snowfalls begin and the sea ice forms. Winter temperatures hover around -30°C, but in January the temperature can sometimes feel like -50°C with the extreme wind-chill here.

As evidenced at nearby archaeological sites, Dorset people lived here 4,000 years ago.

Iglulik Inuit are the Iglulingmiut, Aivilingmiut and Tununirmiut people.

Their first contact with Europeans was not until 1822, when two British Navy ships wintered in Igloolik. In 1867, the year Canada was born, the American explorer Charles Francis Hall visited Igloolik in his search for survivors of the lost Franklin Expedition. A French-Canadian mineral prospector named Tremblay of the Bernier Expedition visited the island in 1913.

In 1921, a member of Knud Rasmussen's Fifth Thule Expedition also visited here. The first permanent presence of southerners came with the establishment of a Roman Catholic Mission here in the 1930s. It had the one-and-only radio in Igloolik. By the end of that decade, the Hudson Bay Company had founded a trading post on the island. Igloolik was one of the first communities in the High Arctic to get other permanent non-indigenous establishments such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, day schools and medical facilities.

Activities and Wildlife

The creative community of Igloolik is a cultural hub of Nunavut that comes alive in the summer months - when the sun never sets - with music festivals and circus performances.

The land becomes dappled with colourful flowers and numerous birds flock to the area, including loons, geese, eider ducks, jaegers, plovers, snow buntings and snowy owls.

Icebergs drift past the island through the narrows of Fury and Hecla Strait, which also funnels migrating beluga and bowhead whales, herds of walrus and pods of narwhal to within easy viewing distance.

There are ancient Dorset archaeological sites nearby, to be visited with extreme care and respect.

In the springtime, when there is still lots of snow and the sea ice is rock solid, there are many enjoyable opportunities to go out 'onto the land' by dog sled or snowmobile expedition, to camp in an igloo or climb upon an iceberg. Expert local guides are happy to escort you and your family safely across the snow and ice, lands and waters that make this place so special.

In early April, you are also invited to participate in feasts of local foods and traditional Inuit games that celebrate Igloolik becoming a hamlet.

Balancing the ancient with the modern, the fine arts of the future with the greatest traditions of the past, this highly creative island community is rich in Inuit culture.

Artcirq
Famous Igloolik arctic circus troupe that performed during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Home of renowned Igloolik film director Zacharias Kunuk and the epic Inuit movie 'Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner' (based on an ancient Inuit legend) that won the prestigious Caméra d'Or award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

Rockin' Walrus Arts Festival
An annual Igloolik festival of music, dance, acrobatic and theatrical performances that takes place in mid-to-late June.

There are no territorial or national parks located near Igloolik, only pristine lands and pure waters with abundant arctic wildlife species.

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Located north of the Arctic Circle, between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island, Igloolik is situated on a small island in Foxe Basin just off the northeast corner of Melville Peninsula. Spelled 'Iglulik' in Inuktitut, this vibrantly artistic community is considered to be a cultural epicentre for the Inuit people.

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What's on your travel bucket list? Experience the rare and unique arctic wildlife. Take a ride on a dog sled across ancient Inuit hunting trails. Witness centuries-old traditions in modern time. All of this is possible in Nunavut.

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Our Land. Energetic and Confident. Nunavut is an awe-inspiring, pristine and timeless place that awakens and inspires. Explore our land with exceptional adventures - kayaking, sledding hiking, camping, cruises and more. Nunavut offers all this within the immersive, authentic, warm and welcoming culture of Inuit.

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Igloolik ( Inuktitut Syllabics: ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒃ Inuktitut pronunciation: , sometimes spelled Iglulik) 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".