Nunavik Map
**Thank you Makivik Co-operation for providing the information for this page**
**The following desciptions for the villages, are viewed as if you are travelling up North..**
Kuujjuarapik
Meaning: "Little great river"
Population: 1210
Kuujjuarapik is nestled in golden sand dunes at the mouth of the Great Whale River. Beyond the village, the land is rather flat; a carpet of moss and rock unfold as far as the eye can see. From the crest of the dunes, there is a good view of Hudson Bay and the Manitounuk Islands which are just a little to the north along the coast.
These breath-taking islands are representative of the Hudsonian cuestas that rise along the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. They are characterized by rocky beaches on the side facing the open sea and vertiginous cliffs on the coastal side. The Manitounuk Islands constitute an ideal shelter for birds, seal, whale and beluga. About 12 km up the Great Whale River, there is an enchanting waterfall, the Amitapanuch Falls.
Kuujjuarapik is Nunavik's southernmost village. It is also unique as it is a bicultural community of Inuit and Cree. The Cree community is called Whapmagootsui (where there are whales, in the Cree language). This village is also officially designated Poste-de-la-Baleine, making it one of the few places in Canada with three official names.
Ancestors of the Inuit, as well as Cree, have occupied the area for roughly 2800 years. In the 18th century, hunters travelled throughout the region setting up camps on Richmond Gulf, Little Whale River and Great Whale River. The Hudson's Bay Company opened a trading post called Great Whale River in 1820 on the site of today's Kuujjuarapik. The main activities at the post were processing whale products of the commercial whale hunt and trading furs. An Anglican mission was established in 1882 and a Catholic mission in 1890.
Although the federal government set up a weather station in Great Whale River in 1895, it only started providing some medical assistance and policing services through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the first half of the 20th century.
The village itself started to develop in the late 1930s. During World War II, the United States built in Kuujjuarapik a military base and airport, which they turned over to the Canadian government in 1948. This base was also the control station of the Mid-Canada Line, a line of military radar stations constructed in 1955 from the Atlantic Ocean to the Hudson Bay along the 55th parallel. The population of Kuujjuarapik decreased significantly however in 1985 when many families, fearing the negative impacts of the Great Whale River hydro-electric project, decided to relocate to Umiujaq, another Inuit community about 160 km north of Kuujjuarapik.
ATTRACTIONS
Manitounuk Islands: incredible cuestas and abundant wildlife.
Amitapanuch Falls.
The old church: fresco by Eddy Weetaluktuk representing Christ walking on the waters of the Great Whale River.
Asimautaq School: superb collection of Inuit carvings and paintings by Eddy Weetaluktuk.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Umiujaq
Meaning: "Which resembles a boat"
Population: 315
It is at the foot of a hill resembling an overturned umiaq (traditional Inuit walrus-skin boat) that Umiujaq was established. The landscape around the village is splendid and varied. Exploration is particularly enjoyable by foot as the mountainous surroundings are well drained with only a few lakes.
Richmond Gulf (Tasiujaq), located 15 km east of the village, is an immense inland bay. It is joined with Hudson Bay by a rocky, glacier-polished gulch, named the "Goulet," which resembles a canyon. Due to the strong current, the passage does not freeze even in winter. The western shores of the Gulf are bordered by beaches and remarkable cliffs. The many rivers flowing into the Gulf make its water brackish but a healthy habitat for brook trout and whitefish, seal and beluga. This sheltered maritime environment also nurtures scattered black spruce and larch, defying the surrounding tundra. On the south shore, there can still be seen the remnants of an abandoned Hudson's Bay Company trading post.
From the cliffs of Richmond Gulf, there is a spectacular view to the west of Hudson Bay and the nearby Nastapoka Islands. Many species of birds, such as common loons, eider ducks and peregrine falcons, find summer shelter and nest here. Like the Manitounuk Islands near Kuujjuarapik, the Nastapoka are, in geographical terms, cuestas. The abrupt, rocky cliffs plunge into Nastapoka Sound, where the water can reach 110m deep. Only 30 km to the north of Umiujaq is the Nastapoka River which possesses a scenic 30-m-high falls. The river estuary is an extraordinary place for anglers and hikers, alike.
Located about 160 km north of Kuujjuarapik, Umiujaq was established in 1986. In light of the La Grande hydro-electric project and the proposed Great Whale hydro-electric project, Inuit negotiated a clause into the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement that provided for the relocation of Inuit from Kuujjuarapik to the Richmond Gulf. In 1982, by way of referendum, they opted to create a new community where they could preserve their traditional lifestyle in an area where fish and game were not threatened. After numerous archaeological, ecological and land planning studies, construction of the little village of Umiujaq began in the summer of 1985 and ended in December 1986. During the construction period, Inuit from Kuujjuarapik, who had decided to relocate to Umiujaq, lived in tents in the area of their future community.
ATTRACTIONS
Clearwater Lake: third largest natural lake in Quebec
Seal Lake and Lower Seal Lake: support a population of seal adapted to fresh water
Wildlife observation.
Collection of traditional tools and household items as well as artefacts found during the archaeological excavations prior to construction of the village: displayed at the offices of the municipal council.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Inukjuak
Meaning: "The giant"
Population: 1184
Inukjuak is located on the north bank of the Innuksuak River, known for its turquoise water and turbulent rapids. The many archaeological sites scattered along the meandering river evidence thousands of years of inhabitation. The land around Inukjuak is marked by gently rolling hills and open spaces which endow the landscape with a "silent beauty," in the words of local Inuit. From the tundra, one may admire a splendid view of the village, its small port, the Hopewell Islands and Hudson Bay. In spring, ice between these islands and the mainland is moved by the action of tides and currents to create a spectacular field of immense, upraised blocks of ice.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the area was given the name Port Harrison and the French fur trading company Révillon Frères established a post here. For its part, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) opened its in 1920. Competition between these companies ended in 1936 when the HBC bought out Révillon Frères.
The subsequent HBC fur trade monopoly continued until 1958. The St. Thomas Anglican mission was founded in 1927 and, in the years following, the federal government began delivering basic community services in Inukjuak: a post office and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police attachment were opened in 1935, a nursings station in 1947 and a school in 1951. In 1962, the co-operative store opened and, in 1980, Inukjuak was legally established as a municipality. Throughout this period, most Inuit however continued to prefer their traditional lifestyle on the land and only began settling in the village in the 1950s.
A much more painful period in the history of Inukjuamiut incongruously involves Resolute Bay and Grise Fjord, communities created 2000 km away in the High Arctic. It was in 1953 that Inuit from Inukjuak were involuntarily relocated north by the Government of Canada, essentially, in order to act as flagpoles. They represented this country's efforts to occupy the uninhabited High Arctic and counter the feared expansionist activities of other nations. Families were split up and relocatees were placed in the cruel position where to survive they had to quickly acquire new hunting techniques in the face of much harsher climatic conditions. In 1996, the Canadian government provided monetary compensation to the surviving relocatees and their families, but this settlement fell short of apologizing to the Inuit for the hardships they had endured. Instead, it offered a of reconciliation.' History should remember these people for their important role in establishing Canada's presence in the High Arctic.
ATTRACTIONS
Daniel Weetaluktuk Museum: the museum exhibits a magnificent collection of Inuit arts and crafts as well as traditional tools, hunting and fishing gear.
Innalik School lobby: bas-relief sculptures depicting day-to-day life in an Inuit community are permanently on exhibit.
Hopewell Islands: summer nesting area of many migratory birds.
Wildlife observation.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Puvirnituq
Meaning: "Place where there is a smell of rotten meat"
Population: 1169
Located 4 km from Povungnituk Bay, on the north shore of the major river by the same name, this Inuit village is surrounded by an expansive plateau. It is a mixture of countless lakes and rivers, rich wildlife and precious arctic plants and flowers. Puvirnituq also witnesses every year the migration of the Leaf River caribou herd.
For several days every fall, thousands of caribou, their hooves pounding the frozen tundra, arrive and plunge across the Povungnituk River in a spectacular display.
Two explanations are commonly given for the peculiar name of this village.
The first recounts, that many years ago when migrating caribou attempted to cross the river many were swept downstream and drowned. Their carcasses, it seems, were washed up on shore where they began to rot, producing a putrid odour. The other explanation of the site's name tells how everyone living in the area were once the victims of a deadly epidemic.
In the end, there was no one left to bury the dead bodies. When the corpses began to decompose, the air was filled with an awful stench. The whole area, however, is know by a more pleasant name. Amaamatisivik means the place where women breast-feed their babies. According to legend, in this area the women would continually breast-feed their babies to keep them from crying and disturbing the herds of migrating caribou.
In 1921, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) established an outpost at Puvirnituq. Inuit who came to trade their furs in these early years occupied various camps scattered throughout the region. In 1951, the HBC opened a general store in Puvirnituq and closed its posts at Qikirtajuaq (Cape Smith near Akulivik) and Kangirsuruaq. Inuit living in those areas had no other choice but to relocate in the following years to Puvirnituq.
In 1956, a catholic mission was founded in Puvirnituq. Two years later, Father André Steinman inspired residents to form the Carvers Association of Povungnituk which became the Co-operative Association of Povungnituk. Today a symbol of the community's solidarity and independence, it is one of the most dynamic co-operatives which make up the Federation of Co-operatives of Northern Quebec.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Puvirnituq is the hub of the Hudson coast. The village's airport is also the gateway to more remote communities. Puvirnituq and Kuujjuaq, Nunavik's administrative centres, are also connected directly by plane two times a week.
ATTRACTIONS
Puvirnituq Snow Festival: a celebration of traditions. The highlight of the Festival is the sculpturing contest where Inuit legends impressively take shape in their most natural element - snow.
Tamusi Qumak artefacts: traditional tools, hunting and fishing gear, domestic items and clothing. Archaeological sites dating back to the Thule culture.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Akulivik
Meaning: "Central prong of a kakivak"
Population: 411
Akulivik takes its name from surrounding geography. A peninsula jutting into Hudson Bay between two small bodies of water, the area evokes the shape of a kakivak, a traditional, trident-shaped spear used for fishing. To south is the mouth of the Illukotat River and to the north is a deep bay which forms a natural port and the village against strong winds. Ice around the peninsula tends to break up particularly early in the spring, making the area good for hunting. The soil around Akulivik carries vestiges of the last ice age: its white, sandy texture are the crumbly remains of fossilized seashells.
The area around Akulivik teems with game. The many lakes of the region abound in fish and the Youville Mountains, or Qimiit in Inuktitut, are the natural habitat of ptarmigan, arctic hare and foxes. Numerous islands the village are the summer refuge of various species of birds. Just a few minutes from Akulivik is Smith, known as Qikirtajuaq by Inuit and one of their traditional hunting grounds. The steady currents of Hudson Bay make it favourable habitat for marine wildlife and flora. In winter, Akulivimmiut practise a unique method of harvesting mussels in nearby shallow waters. After piercing holes through the ice, they use a hooped net fixed to one end of a long pole to scoop mussels from the sea floor.
Akulivik was incorporated as a community in 1976.
However, the history of the area goes back thousands of years. Relatively recently in 1610, the explorer Henry Hudson passed by Qikirtajuaq. Later, in 1750 the island was given the name Smith Island in honour of Sir Thomas Smith, merchant, first Governor of The Company of Adventurers and discoverer of the North-west Passage.
In 1922, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) established a post on the site of today's settlement. The outpost was moved to a more strategic and accessible point on Qikirtajuaq, in 1926. Inuit at that time were still living all the coast. However, over time some groups began to congregate around the trading post. Between 1922 and 1955, the area where Akulivik is located today was the summer camp of these groups. By 1933 according to HBC records, there were about 140 Inuit living on Qikirtajuaq. In 1952, the post was closed, forcing the now somewhat sedentary groups to move to Puvirnituq, the next closest trading post.
The displaced people, however, never forgot the land where they had grown up. In 1973, one family moved back to the area. The following year, many others followed and, together, they built the village of Akulivik.
ATTRACTIONS
Smith Island for its natural beauty and, in the spring, for the thousands of migratory Canada and snow geese.
Wildlife observation.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Ivujivik
Meaning: "Place where ice accumulates because of strong currents"
Population: 274
Roughly 2000 km north of Montreal, Ivujivik is Quebec's northernmost village. Nestled in a small, sandy cove, the village is surrounded by imposing cliffs that plunge into the tormented waters of Digges Sound. This is the place where the strong currents of Hudson Bay and the Hudson Strait clash. During particularly strong tides, hapless animals are even known to have been crushed between violent movements of sea ice. On the Ungava Plateau which crowns the cliffs around Ivujivik, the only plants which stubbornly cling to the rocky tundra are lichen.
Located 30 km north-east of Ivujivik is Cape Wolstenholme. Its wind-lashed cliffs are the nesting place of one of the world's largest colonies of thick-billed murre. To the north-west of Ivujivik are Nottingham and Salisbury islands with their impressive walrus populations.
Different peoples, including most recently the nomadic ancestors of the Inuit, have inhabited the coast and islands of this area for about 4000 years, seal, walrus and beluga forming their staple food source. Such marine animals tend to be abundant as these waters are a migratory pass between Hudson Bay and the Hudson Strait. Strong currents which prevent the sea from freezing also allow hunting to be carried out with greater year-round. In addition, the myriad of islands offer superb shelter for waterfowl in summer.
The first recorded encounter between Europeans and Inuit of Nunavik took place in 1610 on nearby Digges Islands during Henry Hudson's last and fatal expedition to the Arctic in search of a polar route leading to Asia. Later, in 1697, Captain Pierre LeMoyne D'Iberville and his crew, in search of commercial opportunities in Bay, met Inuit at Cape Wolstenholme. In 1909, the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post on the site of today's settlement. Thereafter, in 1938, a Catholic mission was also founded, but it was only after 1947 that Inuit gradually began to settle close to these two establishments. When the mission closed in the 1960s, the federal government took over delivery of services in the emerging Inuit village. In 1967, the Inuit of Ivujivik founded a co-operative store.
ATTRACTIONS
Digges Islands: First documented encounter between Europeans (Henry Hudson in 1610) and Inuit of Nunavik.
Cape Wolstenholme: abandoned Hudson's Bay Company trading post and site where Captain Pierre LeMoyne D'Iberville conducted first commercial dealings with the Inuit of Nunavik in 1697.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Salluit
Meaning: "The thin ones"
Population: 1143
Salluit stands at the far end of the narrow Sugluk Inlet, 10 km inland from the Hudson Strait, hidden between high, rugged mountains rising close to 500 m. Salluit being the middle point between Nunavik's 14 communities, it is a strategic location for meetings attended by people of the Hudson and Ungava coasts.
Though the village's name suggests that it has not always been the case, the area is rich in wildlife and arctic plants. The coastal seabed teems with mussels and clams. Sallumiut enjoy a variety of dishes which include arctic char, caribou, bannock, berries, roots and herbs. The very harsh climate endured by Sallumiut is indelibly engraved in their way of life, endowing them with an incredible sense of survival. An explanation for the name of this village recounts that, long ago, some Inuit were told the region abounded in wildlife. Yet when they arrived, they found almost nothing to eat and, as a result, suffered near starvation.
In 1958, archaeology work was carried out on Qikirtaq Island, at the entrance of the Sugluk Inlet. The evidence collected showed that people of the Dorset period occupied the area from approximately 800 BC to 1000 AD. The three sites excavated were named Keataina, Tyara and Toonoo. The Sugluk Masquette, a minuscule mask 2 cm in size carved out of ivory, was excavated from the Tyara site and dates back to about 400 BC.
In 1925, an independant trader opened a trading post on the site of present-day Salluit. Competition was fierce however and the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) quickly established its own post on the far shore of Sugluk Inlet. The following year, the HBC moved to Deception Bay but, in 1930, it built a combined store and dwelling at present-day Salluit. In 1932, it closed its post at Deception Bay. The golden years of fur trading came to an end around 1936 when the price of pelts plummeted. Although a Catholic mission was established in 1930, it operated for only some twenty years. In 1955, an Anglican mission was established and, two years later, a federal day school was opened. As more public services were being delivered, Inuit settled around the small village. The first residential houses were built in 1959. Sallumiut joined together in 1968 to open a co-operative store. Salluit legally became a municipality in 1979.
ATTRACTIONS
Deception Bay: beautiful site renowned for excellent hunting and fishing.
Sugluk Inlet: its waters leave all nature lovers speechless.
Wildlife observation
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Kangiqsujuaq
Meaning: "The large bay"
Population: 479
Kangiqsujuaq occupies an exceptional site, 10 km from the Hudson Strait, on the south-eastern shore of Wakeham Bay. The village is snuggled in the hollow of a splendid valley surrounded by majestic mountains, a landscape of unspeakable beauty. Of particular note is the method employed by local Inuit to harvest mussels in winter. As the tide ebbs in shallow areas, they pierce holes in the sea ice. With the water having receded, they themselves through these holes and are able to crawl under the ice to collect this succulent seafood delicacy.
In 1884, members of the Canadian Hudson's Bay Expedition, aboard the steamship Neptune, arrived in the area anxious to establish a commercial route to Europe through the Hudson Strait. An ice observation and meteorological station were built at Stupart Bay (known as Aniuvarjuaq by the Inuit). Inuit began to trade frequently with observers posted at the station: seal-skin mitts and boots for tobacco and gun powder.
Wakeham Bay takes its name from Captain William Wakeham who, in 1897, lead an expedition to determine whether the Hudson Strait was safe for navigation. In 1961, the provincial government renamed the settlement Sainte-Anne-de-Maricourt, until with the establishment of a municipality it officially readopted its Inuktitut name, Kangiqsujuaq.
In 1910, the French company Révillon Frères established a post at Kangiqsujuaq. Four years later, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) followed suit. In 1928, the HBC established an experimental fox farm which it operated for 12 years. In 1936, the Révillon Frères trading post was closed, but a Catholic mission was established. Many Oblate priests have lived at the mission, among them, Father Dion since 1964. In 1960, the first school was opened, followed the next year by a nursing station. An Anglican church was established in 1963. Kangiqsujuammiut established their co-operative store in 1970.
Kangiqsujuaq is located north of the Cape Smith belt, an area rich in mineralization. Since the 1950s, exploitation has been carried out irregularly. Through the 1970s and 80s, asbestos was mined at Purtuniq.
Today, a copper and nickel mine is operated by the Société minière Raglan du Québec in the area. Roughly 15% of this mine's workforce is drawn from Nunavik communities.
ATTRACTIONS
Pingualuit: accessible from Kangiqsujuaq.
Douglas Harbour: spectacular double fjord with steep, rocky walls.
Qikertaaluk Island and Qajartalik: only 15 km south-east of the village. Petroglyph masks dating back to the late Dorset period, about 1200 years ago. Also, remnants of semi-subterranean houses built by Inuit of the Thule period, 800 years ago.
Wildlife observation
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Quaqtaq
Meaning: "Tapeworm"
Population: 257
The village of Quaqtaq is located on the eastern shore of Diana Bay, called Tuvaaluk (the large ice field) in Inuktitut, on a peninsula which protrudes into the Hudson Strait where it meets Ungava Bay. Mountains stand on the peninsula to the north and to the south-east are short, rocky hills. The region around Diana Bay is rich with land and sea mammals, as well as fish and seafood, including mussels, scallops and clams.
Up until the early 1930s, the peninsula was known as Nuvukutaaq (the long point). However, according to stories still told, a man who once came to the area to hunt beluga found live parasites in his faeces. His hunting companions began to call the place Quaqtaq (tapeworm), and the use of this new name spread rapidly.
Evidence found nearby shows that different people have occupied the area for about 3500 years. People of the Thule culture, the ancestors of today's Inuit, arrived around 1400 or 1500 AD.
An independent trader built the first trading post in 1927 at Iggiajaaq, a few kilometres south-west of Quaqtaq. It operated for 11 years. At that time, the site of present-day Quaqtaq was one of the Tuvaaluk Inuit's winter campsites as it was near the limit of land-fast ice. Sea mammals were abundant at this place during the cold season. In 1931, the French fur trading company Révillon Frères opened a second store at Iggiajaaq, which the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) assumed control of in 1936. A Baffin Trading Company (BTC) post was established in 1939 in the same area and the following year the HBC closed its post at Iggiajaaq. The BTC post also closed 10 years later at which time the Inuit who normally wintered at Iggiajaaq moved to Quaqtaq. In 1947, a Catholic mission was established at Quaqtaq.
Public services were not delivered in the area as early as in other communities. Quaqtaq was considered toosmall. Only after a measles epidemic tore through the area in 1952, killing 11 adults, which is to say 10% of Quaqtaq's population, did the federal government begin delivering some basic care. A nursing station was built in 1963. In the 1960s, the Quebec government opened a store and a post office equipped with a radio-telephone. In 1974, the store became a co-operative and, in 1978, Quaqtaq was legally established as a Northern village.
Akpatok Island, which rises like a fortress out of the waters of Ungava Bay to the east of Quaqtaq, has long been known as the finest area in the region for walrus and polar bear hunting. Moreover, the vertiginous, rocky cliffs that guard the island are the nesting area of a large summer colony of thick-billed murre.
ATTRACTIONS
Tuvaaluk (Diana Bay): excellent site for hunting and wildlife observation.
Numerous archaeological sites scattered throughout the region.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Kangirsuk
Meaning: "The bay"
Population: 394
Kangirsuk, meaning 'the bay' in Inuktitut, is located on the north shore of the Payne River, 13 km inland from Ungava Bay. The village lies between a rocky cliff to the north and a large, rocky hill to the west. It is situated 118 km south of Quaqtaq and 230 km north of Kuujjuaq. The numerous lakes and rivers of the area are well-known for their arctic char and lake trout. The strong tides that occur on the Payne River make it an extraordinary place for mussel harvesting. The richness of wildlife and flora of the surroundings of Kangirsuk is also impressive. On the islands of Kyak Bay and Virgin Lake located to the east and north-east of
Kangirsuk, respectively, important colonies of eider ducks nest every year. Inuit women collect the precious down of those birds to make the warm parkas which protect Kangirsumiut from the biting, winter cold.
Kangirsuk, like many Inuit villages of Northern Quebec, developed around trading posts. The French fur company Révillon Frères built a trading post in 1921 and, four years later, the Hudson's Bay Company followed. Both trading posts were managed at times by Inuit. The federal day school was inaugurated in 1959.
Thereafter, Inuit from the region started to settle permanently in the village. In 1961, the federal government introduced health, housing and social services to Kangirsuk and throughout the 1960s the community developed intensively. In 1965, an Anglican mission opened a church in Kangirsuk and the following year the local co-operative store was established. In 1981, Kangirsuk was incorporated as a municipality.
ATTRACTIONS
Payne River: renowned for its high tides and excellent mussel harvesting.
Nearby numerous lakes and rivers: abundance of arctic char and lake trout.
Wildlife observation: beluga, seal, caribou and many bird species.
Archaeological sites: not far from the village on Pamiok Island is the stone foundation of a long-house which some archaeologists believe to be vestiges of Vikings, presumed to have sojourned in the area in the 11th century.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Aupaluk
Meaning: "Where the earth is red"
Population: 159
Aupaluk, the smallest Nunavik community, is located on the southern shore of Hopes Advance Bay, an inlet on the western shore of Ungava Bay. It is about 150 km north of Kuujjuaq and 80 km south of Kangirsuk. The village is built on the lowest of a series of natural terraces about 45 m above sea level. The landscape around is rather flat and is ideal for hiking excursions. The village offers a superb view of Ungava Bay. Aupaluk owes its meaning to the reddish colour of its ferruginous soil. This soil constitutes the northern reaches of the Labrador Trough which is rich in iron deposits. There was even mining activity in the region in the late 1950s.
Unlike the majority of Nunavik communities, Aupaluk did not develop around trading or mission posts. With its abundance of caribou, fish and marine mammals, it was a traditional camp. In 1975, Inuit from Kangirsuk and some other villages relocated to this area where several generations of hunters before them, their ancestors, had sojourned and built temporary camps. For the first time in the Canadian Arctic, Inuit themselves planned and conceived the site of their village. Aupaluk was incorporated as a Northern Village in 1981 and opened its co-operative store in the early 1980s. Life of Aupalummiut remains essentially centred on traditional activities.
ATTRACTIONS
First village of the Canadian Arctic to have been entirely designed by Inuit.
Aupaluk is located near the October/December migration path of the Leaf River caribou herd.
Many of these animals winter in the area.
Marine mammal observation.
Being a very small community, it is easier to make contacts with Inuit who can accompany travellers wishing to discover the area.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Tasiujaq
Meaning: "Which resembles a lake"
Population: 191
Tasiujaq was built on the shores of Leaf Lake at the head of Deep Harbour on the Finger River. It lies a few kilometres north of the tree line. Here, the shrub tundra finally gives way to the arctic tundra. Tasiujaq, which means 'resembling a lake,' actually refers to the whole of Leaf Basin: Leaf Lake, Leaf Passage and Leaf Bay. Leaf Basin is renowned for its high tides which regularly exceed 15 m.
The region is very rich in marine mammals (seal and beluga), fish (arctic char, Atlantic salmon, trout), ducks (particularly eider ducks) and many seabirds. As well, close to 1000 musk-ox roam the surrounding area. Gyrfalcons and peregrine falcons are commonly found nesting on the islands of Leaf Basin and surrounding cliffs.
The French fur company Révillon Frères and the Hudson's Bay Company each opened trading posts in 1905 and 1907, respectively, on a site located east of today's settlement. This settlement was along a traditional dogsled route used by Inuit to travel between Kuujjuaq and Kangirsuk. However, both posts had been closed by 1935 without any village ever having developed around them.
In the 1950s, when the federal government opened a school in Kuujjuaq and started delivering social services, many Inuit congregated around the emerging village. The wildlife resources of Kuujjuaq however were scarce and many Inuit were forced to rely on government allowances. In 1963, the Northern Quebec directorate of the provincial government, hoping to remedy in part this problem, decided to create a new village on the south shore of Leaf Lake where wildlife resources were more plentiful.
In 1966 with the project about to start, the Inuit families which would relocate were divided as to where their future village should be built. A choice had to be made between a site known as Qaamanialuk Paanga and the site of the old trading posts. Qaamanialuk Paanga was finally selected because it was easily accessible by boats used for summer hunting and fishing; nearby Finger River provided the necessary drinking water; and there was room to construct a landing strip. Subsequently, the new village was given the name Tasiujaq. The main reason the old trading post site was not selected as the site for the new village was its foreshore (tide land) was dotted with large boulders, and access by boat in summer would have been difficult. In 1971, once the community was organized, a co-operative store was established independently by residents. It continues to be the only Nunavik co-operative not associated with the Federation of Co-operatives of Northern Quebec.
ATTRACTIONS
Leaf Basin: exceptional world-record-setting tides.
Good hunting and world-class arctic char fishing opportunities.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Kuujjuaq
Meaning: "Great river"
Population: 2055
Kuujjuaq, Nunavik's largest community, is located on the west shore of the Koksoak River, about 50 km upstream from Ungava Bay. Daily life in this community is closely tied to the mighty river. The ebb and flowof its tides are continually altering the landscape and they impose their rhythm on the practice of traditional summer activities.
The boreal forest is present around Kuujjuaq. Patches of black spruce and larch stand in marshy valleys. Kuujjuaq also witnesses annual migrations of the George River caribou herd. These animals pass through the region throughout August and September.
Kuujjuaq was known before by another name, that of Fort Chimo. 'Chimo' is a mispronunciation of the phrase saimuk, 'Let's shake hands!' Early fur traders were often welcomed with this phrase which they eventually adopted as the name of the trading post.
The first Europeans to have contact with local Inuit were Moravians. On August 25, 1811, after a perilous trip the coasts of Labrador and Ungava Bay, Brother Benjamin Kohlmeister and Brother George Kmoch arrived at an Inuit camp on the east shore of the Koksoak River, a few kilometres downstream from the present-day settlement. Their aim was to convert "the Esquimaux to Christianity." According to the journal kept by Brother Kohlmeister, Inuit of the Koksoak River were very interested in having a Moravian mission in the area.
Around 1830, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) started the fur trade business in Nunavik by establishing their first post on the east shore of the Koksoak River, about 5 km downstream from the present-day settlement. The post closed in 1842, then reopened in 1866. At that time, Inuit, Montagnais and Naskapi cameto trade at the post.
The construction of a U.S. Air Force base (Crystal 1) in 1942 on the west shore of the Koksoak River, the site of today's settlement, and the occupation of the site by the American army between 1941 and 1945 sped up the development of the community. After the end of World War II, the United States turned the base over to the Canadian government. In 1948, a Catholic mission was established, followed by a nursing station, a school and a weather station. When the HBC moved upstream closer to the airstrips in 1958, it was followed by the remaining families that still lived across the river at Fort Chimo. In 1961, a co-operative was created.
With its two airstrips, Kuujjuaq is the transportation hub of the entire region. The village boasts a number of hotels, restaurants, stores, arts and crafts shops and a bank.
ATTRACTIONS
Atlantic salmon and arctic char fishing, as well as caribou hunting opportunities.
Old Chimo: original settlement a few kilometres downstream on the opposite shore.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Kangiqsualujjuaq
Meaning: "Very large bay"
Population: 648
Kangiqsualujjuaq is the easternmost village of Nunavik, located about 160 km to the north-east of Kuujjuaq. It is situated 25 km from Ungava Bay on the George River, nestled at the end of a cove called Akilasakalluq. Tidal movements reach as far upstream as the village so that, at low tide, water recedes almost entirely from the cove. Kangiqsualujjuamiut's summer life is therefore closely linked to the rhythm of the tides. The village itself stands in the shadow of an imposing granite rock outcropping which rises to the north of the bay. Despite its northerly location, the valley sheltering the village is beautified by a luxuriant vegetation. In the 1960s, the village even operated a small spruce lumber mill.
For hunters, anglers and adventure lovers alike, the surroundings of Kangiqsualujjuaq are full of natural attractions. The calving grounds of the George River herd, the largest ungulate population in the world estimated at several hundreds of thousands of head, is nearby. The George River, as well as other rivers in the area, teem with fish, particularly arctic char, Atlantic salmon and a variety of trout. At the site of the beautiful Helen's Falls, 64 km up the George River, many outfitter camps welcome visitors and offer unbelievable fishing adventures.
About 100 km to the east of Kangiqsualujjuaq are the Torngat Mountains. This range stretches for 300 km along the Quebec-Labrador border, between Ungava Bay and the Labrador Sea. Its eternal snow, glacial troughs, cirques, fjords and the majestic Mount D'Iberville which dominates the range at 1646 m make it an exceptional destination. The Koroc River, which flows from the Torngat Mountains all the way to Ungava Bay, as well as the Abloviak Fjord conceal countless natural beauties and are entrancing settings for hikers, canoeists and kayakers to explore.
Also well-known as simply George River, Kangiqsualujjuaq did not really develop as a village before the early 1960s. The Hudson's Bay Company operated a post south of today's village during the periods of 1838-42, 1876-1915 and 1923-32. However, Inuit of the area never settled around the post, preferring to live along the coast in summer and setting their camps about 50 km inland in winter. In 1959, local Inuit established, on their own initiative, the first co-operative in Northern Quebec for the purpose of marketing arctic char. The construction of the village began in 1962 and, a few years later, all inhabitants of George River lived in prefabricated houses. A school was built in 1963 as well as a co-operative store and government buildings. In 1980, Kangiqsualujjuaq was legally established as a municipality.
ATTRACTIONS
Excellent Atlantic salmon and arctic char fishing, as well as caribou hunting opportunities. Torngat Mountains including Mount D'Iberville which reaches 1646 metres.
Koroc River.
Abloviak Fjord.
George River and Helen's Falls.
Wildlife observation: caribou, black bear, fox and wolf.
Source: Nunavik Tourism Association
Background music"Inuit".
