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Introduction

History

Introduction
Arctic Bay is located at 73°02' N and 85°10' W, making it the third most northerly community in Canada. Arctic Bay is located directly north of Sudbury Ontario and is within the Eastern Standard Time zone. The hamlet itself is located on a south-facing gravel beach surrounded by majestic hills. This is where Arctic Bay derives its Inuktitut name, Ikpiarjuk, which translates as "bag" or "pocket" referring to the way the town site
is nearly surrounded by protective hills. This safe harbour that attracted the first Europeans now makes Arctic Bay extremely habitable. Protected from strong north winds, Arctic Bay enjoys a surprisingly stable climate.
Arctic Bay today is home to approximately 750 people, 95% of whom are Inuit. There are few jobs available in Arctic Bay, especially since the closure of the mine in nearby Nanisivik. The jobs that do exist are provided mostly through various levels of government, although there are several private businesses located in the community as well.
The land around Arctic Bay is comprised of plains and plateaus. The land was at one time sea floor, so the tops of hills appear very flat. Erosion and glacial movement have created deep valleys and coastal plains. The action of glaciers is easy to identify in the area, with Admiralty Inlet, 10km from Arctic Bay being the longest Fiord in the world.

History
It was Uluksan Point, located at the mouth of Arctic Bay that first drew Inuit to the town site long ago. Here, slate could be found that could be used to make the ulu, or women's knife. The whole of the Lancaster Sound - Admiralty Inlet area is one of plenty, with abundant sea mammal resources, as well as land animals. This allowed Inuit to prosper in the area, evidence of which can be found all over the region with ancient qarmaq (stone house) remains, old stone fox traps, Inuksuit, and fish traps.
The explorer Parry entered Admiralty Inlet in 1820. No further note is made of the area until 1872 when Captain William Adams, a whaler from Dundee, Scotland sailed into what is now known as Adams Sound on board the whaling ship, the ARCTIC. Adams came again the following summer and took home 27 whales from the Lancaster Sound-Admiralty Inlet area.
The next recorded history was the arrival of Captain Bernier in his vessel the ARCTIC in 1911. Bernier was on a government mission to establish and proclaim sovereignty over the Arctic region of Canada. Threats at the time included a Norwegian claim for the High Arctic Islands. The ARCTIC wintered at Arctic Bay, and Bernier left several markers in the area to record the event- a wooden cross, several cairns, a lead plaque, painted rocks, and a grave.
The Hudsons Bay Company chose this site to build a trading post in 1926. The bay afforded a safe harbour and excellent landing beach for the shipment of trade goods. However, due to the establishment of the Arctic Islands Game Preserve by the government, the post closed after only a year of operation. Until the HBC post opened again, local Inuit were forced to travel to Pond Inlet or Igloolik to conduct trade.
The Game Reserve was closed in 1936 and the Hudson Bay Post was re-opened permanently. This attracted other Europeans to the area, and in the 1940's, Jack Turner established a church at Moffat Inlet, south of Arctic Bay. A weather station was operated here by the Ministry of Transport from 1942-52. The 1960s saw a movement of Inuit into the community from surrounding areas following the establishment of the first school here in 1959. Medical services were soon to follow, along with an increased
presence of government administration.
By the 1970s the community had grown large enough that it demanded local administration and the hamlet of Arctic Bay was established in 1976. Since that time, Arctic Bay has continued to grow and modernize to where today, many amenities and technologies associated with the south are present in the community.

View of Arctic Bay

View from the Plane in Winter

Beautiful Summer Day!

The Community of Arctic Bay from the Air

Weather

Wildlife

Weather
In spite of the northern latitude, the weather in Arctic Bay is quite livable. During summer, daytime temperatures range from 0°C to -15°C. Evenings see temperatures drop to around freezing. There is, however,24 hour daylight which seems to make the cooler temperatures acceptable. Winters are colder, with temperatures starting to drop in late-August and continue to grow colder until late November when temperatures stabilize around -35°C. The fall and spring are the most unstable for weather, with fog and wind at times interrupting air travel. Winter sees a clearing of skies, decrease in wind, and the settling of a cold, dry air mass in the area. Temperatures can drop extremely low from time to time, on occasion nearing -50°C without wind-chill, but keep in mind these temperatures only come for a few days each year.

Spring, beginning in late March or early April brings warmer temperatures and more frequent white-out conditions. This is due to increased precipitation, not high winds. Spring temperatures range from -30°C to 0°C, and are accompanied by a return of the midnight sun. The snow on the land begins to melt, although sea ice will remain until late July.

Wildlife
Arctic Bay is famous for its abundance of marine mammal life. Ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus can be found in the area year round. Spring and summer bring in many others including harp seals, beluga whales, narwhals, and the bowhead whale. The annual migration of these marine mammals brings these mammals close to the community, and occasionally into the bay itself.

Fish are abundant in the many lakes around Arctic Bay. Arctic Char are ubiquitous. Springtime brings the possibility of catching codfish in cracks in the sea ice. Land mammals are also common. Arctic Fox and Hare are everywhere. Caribou are located close to town some years and further away in others. Polar bears are located throughout the region, although sightings in town are rare.

During winter, ptarmigan and ravens are the most commonly sighted birds. Spring brings sea birds to the area in the hundreds of thousands. A trip to the floe edge is worth the expense at this time of year to view the birds and marine mammals. Be sure to contact the local wildlife officer to purchase hunting and fishing licenses and to understand the rules for observing all types of wildlife in the area.

The Community of Arctic Bay

Buluga Whale

View of the Nuna

Transportation

Housing

Transportation
When you travel to Arctic Bay, you will actually need to book travel to Nanisivik Airport. This airport is located 30 km from town and serviced both Arctic Bay and the Nanisivik Mine until it closed down. Travel to Nanisivik is a lengthy ordeal, but we are quite lucky as we are one of only two communities in the High Arctic that are serviced by a jet. Travel begins in Ottawa early in the morning. The flight stops in Iqaluit, then on to Resolute Bay, and finally arrives in Nanisivik around 5pm EST. Alternatively a person traveling from the western Arctic could fly from Yellowknife into Iqaluit, then make the connection to Nanisivik.

First Air is the only airline that services Arctic Bay and Nanisivik. A Boeing 737 carries passengers from Ottawa right to the community. Baggage allotments are the same as any domestic flight in southern Canada, two pieces of checked baggage and a carry on.

From the airport in Nanisivik, you will need to get a taxi ride with Arvaaqtuuq Services. This is an expensive $40.00 ride, but is the only option. The views on the trip from the airport into town are spectacular. Try to get a seat next to the window. Once in the community, everything is within walking distance. Skidoos and four-wheelers are popular forms of transportation in the community, and there are an ever increasing number of trucks on the roads. Students who live farther away from the school have a
bus service that teachers may take advantage of if they wish.

Housing
There are one, two, and three bedroom houses available. All government units in Arctic Bay come furnished. If you decide to rent privately be sure to inquire about furnishings. Furniture, stove, fridges, washers, and dryers come standard with government housing.
Some things you may want ot consider bringing or purchasing from outgoing staff are microwaves, televisions, toasters, and deep freezers for sea-lift orders. Rent ranges from $900.00 to $1400.00 per month depending on the unit. Arctic Bay has had existing government houses upgraded in recent years, and several new units have been constructed, so your housing needs should be easily met.
Utilities such as water delivery, sewage pump-out, cable, satellite, power, and telephone are not included with your rent, although heating fuel is in all government housing.

Domes

Plane arrives in Arctic Bay

The Community

School

School
There is only one school in Arctic Bay, Inuujaq School. The school offers education from Kindergarten to grade 12. There are approximately 240 students registered at Inuujaq School. Class sizes range from 12 to 25 depending on the grade. The school houses a community library, the community gym, along with classrooms, a kitchen, computer lab, and workshop.

It is strongly advised that you bring some educational materials with you, especially if you are teaching from Kindergarten to grade 9. The school is gradually building on its classroom resources, but there is much less on hand than you might be used to in a southern school.

Classes are offered in Inuktitut up to grade 3, 4, or 5 depending on staffing, after which education is in English. ESL is taught to all students learning in Inuktitut in the classroom, and Inuktitut taught to all students learning in English during the school day.

Food

Communications

Postal Service

Power

Medical

Police

Churches

Recreation

Food
Arctic Bay has two stores, the Northern Store and the Taqqut Co-Op. Both stores sell fresh, frozen, and dried goods, along with basic hardware and household goods. Flights into Nanisivik/ Arctic Bay arrive only twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This means fresh produce, bread, and perishables like milk are best purchases on days immediately following flights. Demand for some fresh items is high, and supply at times
can be limited.

Many teachers also do sealift orders out of Montreal. These orders arrive in late-August and can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared to shopping locally. Be sure to speak to staff members at the school for suggestions of what to order, it can be tricky planning for 10 months of eating and cleaning supplies. Marche Turenne is the most common grocery service to use out of Montreal.

Another option for food is food-mail. Orders can be placed by fax on a weekly basis through several companies based out of Montreal or Yellowknife. This is cheaper than shopping locally, and is very reliable for fresh fruit, vegetables etc. The school receives faxes advertising specials from Metro out of Montreal. Let the office know if you are interested.

Banks
There are no banks in Arctic Bay. There is a bank machine, and cash can be taken out with a client card at the Northern and Co-Op for a fee. Personal cheques can be difficult to cash.

Communications
For telephone service call Northwestel at 1-800-661-0493. A residential line costs $35.00 per month plus long distance charges.
CBC radio broadcasts on 107.1. Local radio is also broadcast on this station, and is great for getting all sorts of community information.
The Co-op can be contacted for cable television service. Bell Express Vu is another option, and can be ordered, along with hardware, from the Northern Store.
Dial Up internet service is available at the school, and through a local service provider, Nunavut Youth Consulting. High speed internet services will be available in all Nunavut communities very soon for reasonable rates.
The Post Office is located in the Co-Op. Hours vary depending on planes.

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
The health centre has three nurses on staff. Doctors and other specialists come to the community throughout the year. For emergencies that the nursing station cannot deal with, patients will be flown to Iqaluit or Ottawa for treatment.

Police
There are two officers on duty in Arctic Bay at all times. There are two police numbers, one direct to the community detachment, and one to dispatch in Iqaluit for emergencies. Numbers can be found at the end of this page.

Churches
There are two active churches in the community, an Anglican Church and the Full Gospel Church. There is also a Catholic Church in the community that has a minister visit annually.

Recreation
The community hall/ school gym opens each night at 5pm for the community. There are many sports run for all ages Monday through Friday. Friday evenings there are teen dances and occasionally community dances are held for fund-raising purposes.

Traveling by boat, skidoo, or four-wheeler on the land or sea is a great way to spend leisure hours. The "great outdoors" is at your doorstep. There are spectacular views, historical sites, and opportunities to spot wildlife everywhere around Arctic Bay. It is an opportunity you do not want to miss during your stay here. If you are inexperienced on the land, it is fairly easy to connect with local people for a day out. If you are not so inclined, there are several outfitters in the community who will take you on the land for a fee. This way you do not require your own transportation.

Additional Information