Iqaluit

Timeline

• 1576 – Englishman Martin Frobisher sails into Frobisher Bay believing he has found the route to China. First Anglican/Episcopalian church service in North America.
• 1861 – Charles Francis Hall, an American, camps at the Sylvia Grinnell River and explores the waters of Koojesse Inlet, which he names after his Inuit guide
• 1942 – U.S. Army Air Forces selects Iqaluit’s current location as the site of a major air base
• 1949 – The HBC moves its trading post from Ward Inlet to Apex
• 1955 – Frobisher Bay becomes the centre for U.S. Canada DEW Line construction operations
• 1958 – Telephone exchange service established by Bell Canada
• 1963 – US military move out of Iqaluit
• 1964 – First community council formed; population of Frobisher Bay is 900
• 1970 – Frobisher Bay officially recognized as a Settlement
• 1974 – Settlement of Frobisher Bay gains village status
• 1976 – Inuit present the Nunavut proposal to the Federal government
• 1979 – First mayor elected
• 1980 – Frobisher Bay designated as a town
• 1982 – Government of Canada agrees in principle to the creation of Nunavut
• 1987 – Frobisher Bay becomes Iqaluit, reverting to its original Inuktitut name meaning "place of (many) fish"
• 1993 – The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is signed in Iqaluit
• 1995 – Nunavut residents select Iqaluit as capital of the new territory^[13]
• 1 April 1999 – The Territory of Nunavut comes into being
• 19 April 2001 – Iqaluit receives its order of status as a city
• 2002 – Iqaluit, along with Nuuk, Greenland, co-host the first jointly hosted Arctic Winter Games; the Arctic Winter Games Arena was constructed in Iqaluit for the event.
• 5 February 2010 – Iqaluit hosted the finance meeting as part of the 2010 G7 summit.^[14]

Climate

Iqaluit has a tundra climate, featuring long, cold winters, and brief summers that are too cool to permit the growth of large trees.

Iqaluit has a tundra climate (Köppen: ET) typical of the Arctic region, although it is well outside the Arctic Circle. The city features very long, cold winters and brief summers that are too cool to permit the growth of trees. Although it is north of the tree line, there are still shrubs, which are woody plants. These include the Arctic willow (Salix arctica) which is hard to recognize as a tree because of its low height. The permafrost does not allow the taproot to get deeper than 150 mm (6 in) so this does not allow vertical growth. The Arctic willow may be up to around 7.6 m (25 ft) horizontally, but only 150 mm (6 in) tall. Average monthly temperatures are below freezing for eight months of the year.^[15] Iqaluit averages just over 400 mm (16 in) of precipitation annually, much wetter than many other localities in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, with the summer being the wettest season. Temperatures of the winter months are comparable to other northern communities further west on the continent such as Yellowknife and to some extent even Fairbanks, even though Iqaluit is a few degrees colder than the latter. Summer temperatures are, however, much colder due to its easterly maritime position affected by the waters of the cold Baffin Island Current. This means that the tree line is much further south in the eastern part of Canada, being as southbound, in spite of low elevation, as northern Labrador.^[16]

The highest temperature ever recorded in Iqaluit was 26.7 °C (80 °F) on 21 July 2008.^[17] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −45.6 °C (−50 °F) on 10 February 1967.^[18]

Neighbourhoods

View of Apex, a suburban neighbourhood of Iqaluit.

Suburbs

Apex, officially and functionally part of the City of Iqaluit, is a small community about 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast (63°43′47″N 068°26′48″W / 63.72972°N 68.44667°W / 63.72972; -68.44667 (Apex)) from Iqaluit's centre and is known in Inuktitut as Niaqunngut. It is located on a small peninsula separating Koojesse Inlet from Tarr Inlet. There is a women's shelter, a church, a primary school (Nanook Elementary School), a design shop and a bed-and-breakfast in the community. Apex was where most Inuit lived when Iqaluit was a military site, and as such the suburb was off-limits to anyone not working at the base.

Architecture and attractions

The Legislative Building of Nunavut is a distinctive building in Iqaluit.

Much of Iqaluit's architecture is functional – designed to minimize material costs, while retaining heat and withstanding the climate. Early architecture runs from the 1950s military barracks of the original DEW line installation, through the 1970s white hyper-modernist fibreglass block of the Nakasuk School and Municipal Offices and Arena, to the lines of the steel-reinforced concrete high-rise complex on the hill above it. A number of older Hudson's Bay Company and early 1950s buildings have been retained and restored in Apex (the former nursing station has been revived as the Rannva Bed and Breakfast, the HBC buildings as an art gallery). The newer buildings are more colourful and diverse, and closer to the norms of southern architecture.

The principal exception is the Nunavut Legislative Assembly Building, which is remarkable for its colourful interior, adorned with some of the very best in Inuit art. A new legislative building is in planning to be developed and built outside the city on the Apex Road.

Shaped like an igloo, St. Jude's Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of the Arctic.

Another distinctive building was St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral, see of the Anglican Diocese of The Arctic, which was a white building shaped like an igloo. The altar was built by the parishioners, under the guidance of Markoosie Peter, a traditional master carpenter. It was shaped like a traditional Inuit sled, and the cross composed of two crossed narwhal tusks. An incident of arson severely affected the Cathedral structure and interior on 5 November 2005,^[23] and it was demolished on 1 June 2006. The cathedral is slowly being rebuilt (foundation 2008 superstructure 2010) and fund-raising continues locally and internationally. In December 2010, the exterior of a similarly shaped replacement cathedral was completed, and interior work was planned for 2011 with a potential opening for Christmas 2011. The current building, informally referred to as the Igloo Cathedral, was opened on June 3, 2012. The unique building, in the shape of an igloo, has traditionally been a landmark and tourist attraction in Iqaluit, besides its important spiritual role for Iqalummiut (people of Iqaluit).

On a ridge overlooking the city is the distinctive blue and white Inuksuk High School. The school is made up of four square sections joined together that give a cloverleaf shape when viewed from the air.

The city is also the location of the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, which houses a large collection of Inuit and Arctic objects. The museum is housed in a restored and extended Hudson's Bay Company building, clad in the HBC signature red and white, transported to Iqaluit from its original site on the Apex Beach.

Sylvia Grinnell River in Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. The territorial park is located just outside the city limits.

Just west of Iqaluit is the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park Reserve. This park is dominated by the valley of the Sylvia Grinnell River. A small visitor's centre with viewing platform is located on top of a hill overlooking scenic waterfalls, tidal flats and traditional fishing sites.

Nearby on an island near Peterhead Inlet, is the Qaummaarviit Territorial Historic Park. It is a site with a long Inuit history and numerous artifacts have been recovered, including the remains of 11 semi-buried sod houses.

A little farther, across Frobisher Bay, are the Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve and the Soper Heritage River Park forming a park corridor linking Iqaluit along traditional overland travel routes with Kimmirut (formerly Lake Harbour). Frobisher Bay extends for almost 110 kilometres (70 mi) to the east, with moderate hills, glaciers and traditional and summer camp sites, opening into the Davis Straits which divide Nunavut from Greenland.

Iqaluit, like many Nunavut communities, has a volunteer-run annual spring festival. Called Toonik Tyme it involves a combination of traditional Inuit activities combined with more modern events, while the Alianait Music and Arts Festival is held for a week each June 21.

Emergency services

Royal Canadian Mounted Police during a Canada Day parade in 1999. Policing is provided by the RCMP's V Division.

Emergency services (fire and ambulance) are provided by city from a single station on Niaqunngusiariaq.^[34]

The emergency services fleet consists of:

• Engine 1: Spartan Diamond/Smeal pumper
• Ladder 1: Spartan Metro Star/Smeal 75' aerial
• Command 1: Ford SUV
• Command 2: Ford F250 4×4 pickup
• Medic 1 and 2: Ford F450 Type II ambulances

Iqaluit Airport Emergency Services is responsible for fire services at the airport. Following a fire at the airport in 1998, the Government of Nunavut re-opened the fire station at the airport.^[35] Their fleet consists of:

• Waltek C-5500 ARFF
• Oshkosh T3000 ARFF

Policing in Iqaluit, as with the rest of Nunavut is contracted to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) V Division.^[36]

Medical services

Qikiqtani General Hospital is the primary care facility in the city. There is also a Family Practice Clinic providing primary care services by Nurse Practitioners. There are two dental clinics in the city.

Transportation

Iqaluit is the smallest Canadian capital in terms of population, and the only capital that is not connected to other settlements by a highway. Located on an island remote from the Canadian highway system, Iqaluit is generally only accessible by aircraft and, subject to ice conditions, by boat.

Iqaluit Airport hosts a number of scheduled flights to Ottawa, Montreal, Rankin Inlet, Kuujjuaq, and smaller communities throughout Nunavut.

Iqaluit Airport is a modern facility with a runway long enough for most modern jet aircraft. A new, larger passenger terminal building north of the old terminal was completed in 2018.

Canadian North and First Air serve Iqaluit from Ottawa, Yellowknife and several communities in Nunavut. Locally based airlines Air Nunavut, Canadian Helicopters, Nunasi Helicopters and Unaalik Aviation provide air charters, and Air Nunavut and Kivalliq Air provide MEDIVAC/air ambulance service. Air Canada Jazz provided daily service to Iqaluit from Ottawa in 2010 and 2011, but cancelled service due to rising fuel costs, which prevented the route from being profitable.^[37][38]

Iqaluit shared its runway with the Royal Canadian Air Force until the Canadian Forces stopped using Iqaluit as a Forward Operating Location (FOL). The barracks and CF-18 hangars are maintained. The airport was a centre for cold-weather testing of new aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 in February 2006.

Rumours that Iqaluit was an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle are false.^[39]

In the middle of summer, a few ships—generally no larger than a Liberty-class vessel—transport bulk and heavy goods to the city. Cargo is off-loaded onto barges as the harbour is not deep enough. The city is planning a deepwater port.^[40] Experienced locals also cross the Hudson Strait from the Canadian mainland when it freezes over, either on foot or by dog sled or snowmobile, a distance of over 100 km (62 mi).

Iqaluit has a local road system that does not extend far beyond the city limits. During the winter, remote areas near the city are only accessible by snowmobiles, dog sled, or foot.

Iqaluit has a local road system only stretching from the nearby community of Apex to the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park, 1 km (0.62 mi) west of town. Iqaluit has no public transportation, although there is citywide taxi service. (There used to be bus service in the city, but the service was cancelled due to low ridership.) Motor cars are increasing in number, to the extent of causing occasional traffic jams known locally as "the rush minute". However, the cost of shipping automobiles and the wear-and-tear of the harsh Arctic climate combined with its notoriously rough roadways mean that snowmobiles remain the preferred form of personal transportation. All-terrain vehicles are also increasingly common in most of the Canadian Arctic. Snowmobiles are used to travel within the city and in the surrounding area. In winter, dog sleds are still used, but primarily for recreation. In winter, the nearby Qaummaarviit Territorial Historic Park and the more remote Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve are only accessible by snowmobile, dog sled or foot. In the summer, both are accessible by boat. Most major roads within Iqaluit are paved with asphalt, but local and smaller roads are gravel. Roads do not have traffic signals, but use stop signs to control intersections.

Residents and businesses identify their locations mostly by building number, and occasionally by the name of a prominent structure. Residents know where in the city certain series of building numbers are located; numbers tend to be aggregated in blocks, so someone might say that they live in the 2600s. Around 2003, street names were developed, although there were delays in finalizing them and posting the signs. Street numbers have not been assigned, and building numbers continue to be used. Iqaluit is the only Canadian capital city not to have traffic signals.^[41]

Waste and water treatment

The city's infrastructure is stressed by growth and lack of means to upgrade. Waste from the city is disposed off into an open air dump on Akilliq Drive (West 40) located south of the city.^[42]

While the city has water treatment facilities, raw sewage from the city is often dumped untreated into nearby Frobisher Bay.^[42]

As the dump has reached capacity, the city is planning to open a second dump 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of the city.^[43] Iqaluit does not have a recycling program in place with all recyclable materials sent into the waste stream.