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Introduction

History

Introduction
Gjoa Haven is situated on King William Island (off the continent directly north of Winnipeg). It is in the Mountain Time zone as a preference, to harmonize with Yellowknife, which is the centre one travels through, in and out of Gjoa Haven. The island itself consists of sand, gravel, boulders and sandstone covering limestone bedrock.

History
Gjoa Haven (pronounced “Joe”), or Uqsuqtuuq (“place of plenty blubber” for the herds of seals which once flourished here) was founded on August 28, 1903 by arctic adventurer, Roald Amundsen. He was the first European explorer to successfully navigate the Northwest Passage in his ship the “Gjoa”. Many believe his success was due to using arctic survival methods such as hunting, fishing and tool making that he learned from the Nattilik people he met and lived amongst when he wintered the “Gjoa” in the “finest little harbour in the world”.

In 1927, the Hudson’s Bay company moved its port from Douglas Bay to Gjoa Haven. By April 1, 1981, Gjoa Haven achieved hamlet status. Although the Nattilik seem to lead a modern lifestyle, they are very traditional people. Many
families spend a month or two on the land each summer. Handicrafts, particularly carvings and distinctiveall hangings, also provide a source of income.

View of Gjoa Haven

Sunset in Nunavut

Weather

Wildlife

Weather
Temperatures are very moderate in summer, often reaching only as high as 12° to 15°C. These temperatures are further moderated by winds of varying intensities. Winter temperatures run well into the -30°s and -40°s (not including wind-chill). Ice starts to freeze over in November and breaks up in late July or
early August. Being an arctic desert, precipitation is low, 8.4 cm per year.

Wildlife
Numerous migratory birds visit the area in late spring and summer, many of them nesting locally, including loons, geese, ducks, terns, jaegers, plovers, snow buntings and snowy owls. There is a small herd of muskox on the island and a few caribou.

View of the community

Transportation

Housing

Transportation
First Air operates daily return flights from Yellowknife. Currently, from Gjoa Haven, one can reach Edmonton in the same day five days out of seven. It is important to know that the weight allowance from Yellowknife to Gjoa Haven is less than that on the larger planes: travelers are permitted to check in two suitcases that weigh 20kg each, and bring two carry-on bags, which must fit under the seat or in the overhead bin. Overweight charges are very expensive! If you paid for excess baggage on another airline, such as Air Canada, present your receipts for those charges and First Air usually will not charge you for your extra baggage.
Kenn Borek flies a circuit flight from Cambridge Bay to Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay).
Most people in town get around by ATV or snowmobile, though an increasing number of people own cars and trucks.
There is also a taxi service in town (360-6122). The fare is $5 per person, except if one is being transported to the airport, the fare is $10 per person.

Housing
Be sure to ask the principal for his/her recommendation and assistance in your search for accommodation. Housing is in SHORT supply. Expect rents to be approximately $1200 per month, plus heat and utilities. (A few places include the heat.)
Remember to speak to the landlord to find out exactly what is available in your house/apartment to guide you in packing for your move. Water is pumped into water tanks in each home and sewage trucks pump the used water out of the houses’ sewage tanks. For water delivery or sewage emptying dial 360-6138.

For detailed information concerning removals & about reimbursements for relocation expenses call: Christabelle Westwood, the Human Resources Officer at the Kitikmeot School Operations (KSO) office in Kugluktuk.

Flight to Gjoa Haven

Health Center in Gjoa Haven

Qiqirtaq High School - Gjoa Haven

Schools

Quqshuun Ilihakvik

Food

Banks

Communications

Power

Medical

Police

Recreation

Food
As in other northern communities, groceries are much more expensive than in the south.
Some examples: [Mar. 2005]
2L 2% milk - $6.99
1 doz. med. eggs - $3.89,
1lb. butter - $5.65
16 singles cheese - $7.99
ready to bake pizza - $15.00
1 kg coffee - $10 to $17
10 kg flour - $24.09
4 kg sugar - $11.19
tomatoes, apples, oranges - ($1+ each) green pepper - ($3+ each)
Romaine lettuce - ($4+ each) iceberg lettuce - ($3 approximately).

Both the Co-op and Northern stores are reasonably well-stocked; however, many teachers choose to order through the Co-op or Sunspun Foods in Yellowknife and have groceries shipped in by plane. It comes by the government-subsidized Food Mail, and is an economical alternative to shopping locally exclusively.
In May-June, people can also place barge orders (out of Hay River). This is an economical way to buy a wide range of products.

Banks
There are no banks in Gjoa Haven, but there is a cash withdrawal
machine at The Northern ($2.50 per transaction). As elsewhere, banking can be done over the phone, Internet, or through mail. The nearest bank is in Cambridge Bay (Royal Bank), next comes Yellowknife with the Royal Bank, Bank of Montreal, Scotia bank, Toronto Dominion and CIBC. Automatic salary deposits can also be made directly to your bank in the south. The stores accept either debit or credit card (Visa and Master card) to pay for purchases, or to obtain cash.

Communications
Telephone services in Gjoa Haven are provided by Northwestel and you should have this set up before you arrive. They can be reached at 1-867-979-4917. Connections are reliable and it is possible to phone virtually anywhere with a minimum of difficulty. Affordable weekend and evening long distance plans are available.
CBC radio broadcasts on an FM station, which is interrupted at intervals during the day with local programming.
The Qiqirtaq Co-op is the cable television provider. Their cable TV service offers about 36 channels for $59.95/month. Phone them at 360-7271; however, many residents set up satellite dishes (the largest-sized dish is needed because the percentage of signal received is low).
High-speed Internet is not available but will be soon. To have Internet access at home you must pay dial-up fees to an Internet Service Provider. Polarnet provides this service to the Kitikmeot region. Their phone number is 867-983-2176.
There is a small post office located in the Qiqirtaq Co-op building. Mail is delivered and sent out four times a week. The post office sells stamps and money orders and has a limited supply of things like Expresspost envelopes. Their phone number 867-360-7271.

Power
The Nunavut Power Corporation supplies the town with electricity. Power service is well subsidized and fees vary depending on your residence, consumption, and household anywhere from $50 to $150 per month.

Medical Care
The Health Centre is open weekdays from 9AM - 5PM, staffed by registered nurses who treat routine health problems. Nurses are also on call for emergencies. Be sure to bring along prescriptions and extra refills as doctors visit only once a month at the most. Dentists and eye doctors also make regular visits to the community. When serious medical situations arise, one is approved for medical travel to either Yellowknife or Edmonton.
The phone number for the Health Center is 360-7441.

Police
RCMP During the day, the local number used:
360-0123 for general enquiries
360-1111 in cases of Emergencies

Recreation
The island’s flat terrain, blanketed in summer and fall with an abundance of flowers and many other ground-hugging plants, makes bird watching, fishing, hiking and camping especially rewarding. There is a small herd of muskox on the island and a few caribou. For hunting and fishing licenses, call the
Department of Sustainable Resources at 867-360-7605. Numerous migratory birds visit the area in late spring and summer, many of them nesting locally, including loons, geese, ducks, terns, jaegers, plovers, snow buntings and snowy owls.
Boating in late summer and early fall is a favourite activity of many, especially as the mainland can be accessed for meat and fish. ATVs can take you to many places and, in winter, snowmobiling is the choice of travel, whether across ice or
land.
Sports November to April the arena is open for skating and curling. There is no exercise facility in Gjoa Haven, so teachers are encouraged to bring things like weights and treadmills with them if they wish to use equipment of this sort.
There are some sports in the gym in the evenings.

August-September: expect cool temperatures similar to southern fall. Fleecelined jackets are a good choice along with comfortable hiking boots and waterproof footwear.
October-April: The snow arrives and temperatures drop drastically, (temperatures may reach the -70°sC with wind-chill). A high quality parka, very warm boots and good mitts are necessary.
May-August: spring-like temperatures. Fleece-lined jackets are appropriate. An effective mosquito repellent is recommended.

Anglican Church in Gjoa Haven

View of Gjoa Haven

Government building in Gjoa Haven

Another View of Qiqirtaq

The Coop Store in Gjoa Haven

The Hamlet of Gjoa Haven

The Northern Store

Roman Catholic Church

The shore in Gjoa Haven

Additional Information