Nunavut General Information Area: 1,900,000 sq km (733,590 sq miles). Population: 26,745 (2001). Population Density: 0.01 per sq km. Capital: Iqaluit. Population: 4500 (1997). GEOGRAPHY: The Nunavut Territory covers one-fifth of Canada, stretching from Ellesmere Island off Greenland’s north coast to a border that runs north from the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border and then angles west to the arctic coast near Amundsen Gulf. The mainland portion of the territory is an untouched wilderness, where the stark northern tundra changes into cliffs and plateaux along the Northwest Passage. To the north and east, the Arctic Islands are surrounded by pack ice for most of the year and the region extends to the glaciers, jagged mountains and fjords of the eastern shores of Baffin and Ellesmere Islands. Language: Although Canada is officially bilingual (English and French), Inuktitut is an official language in Nunavut. English is commonly spoken throughout. Time: (Eastern Standard Time) GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 in summer). (Central Standard Time) GMT - 7 (GMT - 6 in summer). (Mountain Standard Time) GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 in summer). Note: Daylight Saving Time (summer) officially lasts from the first Sunday in April to the Saturday before the last Sunday in October. Public Holidays Public holidays as for the rest of Canada (see general Canada section). Travel - International AIR: The usual way to reach the communities within the Territory is by air, although an increasing number of expedition cruise ships are putting in to Nunavut each summer. Float planes are rarely used owing to tidal areas, but do provide access to some northern lakes. The three airlines providing scheduled flights into the region are Canadian North (CP), Calm Air and First Air. Other carriers provide scheduled or charter flights within Nunavut which are generally timed to meet inbound flights. These include Adlair Aviation, Kenn Borek Air, Air Nunavut, Skyward Air, Kivalliq Air and Air Tindi. Airports: Iqaluit Airport (YFB) is less than 1km (0.6 miles) from the town centre (travel time – 5 minutes). International visitors will need to fly to Ottawa (Ontario), Montréal (Québec), Edmonton (Alberta) or Winnipeg (Manitoba) to board domestic flights to the Nunavut entry airports – Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay or Rankin Inlet. SEA/LAKE/RIVER: There is no water access to Nunavut for visitors except on cruises during the open water season – July to September. A number of tour operators offer Northwest Passage, Hudson Bay and High Arctic cruises each year. ROAD: There are no roads to Nunavut and only one road in Nunavut, between the communities of Nanisivik and Arctic Bay – 21km (13 miles) in length. Accommodation HOTELS: All communities have accommodation facilities, hotels, hostels and/or bed & breakfast establishments open all year. The accommodation and facilities may be shared, and are often quite basic. There are however full service hotels in the larger centres that also have meeting and conference facilities. Iqaluit, the capital, now hosts approximately 260 rooms, including hotels and bed & breakfast establishments. ‘Lodges’ designed for outdoor activity holidays or naturalist trips can be found in some areas. Nunavut Tourism publishes an annual vacation planner detailing accommodation and other tourism services in Nunavut (see Contact Addresses section). CAMPING: Backpacking and tent camping is a popular summer activity. Ellesmere Island National Park, Auyuittuq National Park and Katannilik Territorial Park are particularly popular with hikers. Introduction The majority of the population, and most commercial activity, is based around the communities, where the majority of the people are Inuit still living a subsistence life of fishing and hunting. The Inuit comprise 85 per cent of the Territory’s population. The Arctic coastline and islands of Nunavut have a spectacular landscape of tundra, glaciated mountains and deep fjords. Baffin Island has some of the best of the area’s rugged beauty; it is most accessible in Auyuittuq National Park, a haven for experienced hikers, skiers and climbers with its frozen peaks and glaciers. From Iqaluit, trips across the frozen tundra by dog sled with an Inuit guide and overnight accommodation in an igloo can be arranged. Pond Inlet or Arctic Bay are particularly popular as destinations to visit the floe edge to view arctic marine mammals. A trip to Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island will afford the visitor the opportunity to view musk ox or tundra swans in their natural environment, or join an arctic cruise on the Northwest Passage. Polar bears in their summer habitat are the special feature at Sila Lodge. Contact Nunavut Tourism (see Contact Addresses section) for a complete listing of operators. Sport & Activities Nunavut’s sparsely populated and untouched Arctic wilderness is best visited as part of a package tour or in the company of an experienced guide. Individual travellers should note that they are likely to be exposed to a number of hazards, including severe cold, reduced hours of daylight and potentially aggressive wildlife, including bears. Before setting out on individual trips, travellers should contact Nunavut Tourism for advice (see Contact Addresses section). The ‘Nunavut Handbook’, which is also available on the Internet (website: www.arctic-travel.com), contains a wealth of practical information. Nunavut Tourism also publishes ‘The Arctic Traveller’ brochure, which contains a directory of tour operators and outfitters plus a brief description of their offerings, as well as the ‘Nunavut Travel Planner’. To learn about Nunavut’s fauna, flora, culture and history, nature and cultural tours offer a good overview of the territory. Wildlife viewing plays an important part in most tours and wildlife is particularly abundant in the summer at the so-called ‘floe edge’, where the land ice meets the open sea and the blooming plankton attracts large schools of shrimp and fish as well as seals, whales and polar bears. The method of transport depends on the season: in summer, boating (in an Inuit freighter canoe, a kayak, a high-powered, motorised dinghy or a larger boat) is the most common, while, in spring, dog sledding (in the company of experienced local Inuit guides) or snowmobiling are widespread. The seasonal variations in light and temperature, and the dramatic scenery, provide rewarding conditions for photography enthusiasts. One of the best times for taking photographs is during the sunlit nights (between 2000 and 0300 in spring and summer), when shadows are long and colour and texture are particularly well defined. Inuit art tours offer visitors an opportunity to learn about native carving, tool-fashioning, jewellery-making and hat-making (out of Quivviuq wool collected from the land). Some of the best hiking destinations include the mountains of Auyuittuq National Park, the willow forest of Katannilik Park, North Ellesmere National Park (which has particularly rich wildlife), the new Sirmilik National Park (surrounding the scenic community of Pond Inlet) or the trail from Kugluktuk (Coppermine) to the Bloody Falls. Fishing enthusiasts should note that catch-and-release is practised in all areas and that possession limits are based on regular and seasonal evaluation of stock. Chief catches are Arctic char and lake trout. For general information about sport and activities in Canada, see the main Canada section. Social Profile Food & Drink: Arctic char, mussels, clams, shrimp, musk ox and caribou are specialities. Local bannock (a mixture of flour and water blended into a dough and cooked slowly in a frying pan) dates from the old prospecting rations which kept for weeks in an easily transportable form. Other unusual specialities include muktuk (skin of the whale). Alcohol is controlled in Nunavut and in some communities is prohibited. Hotels and restaurants in Iqaluit are licenced. Shopping: There are general retail stores in almost all communities in Nunavut, some specialise in handicrafts, furs, fisheries and Inuit Art. The high cost of goods (an increase of up to 50 per cent on the rest of Canada) is due to the supply and distribution costs caused by the large distances that goods must be transported by air or sea. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2000, Sat 1000-1800 (although these may vary regionally). Special Events: For full details, contact Nunavut Tourism (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events held in Nunavut in 2003: Mar Annual Nunavut Trade Show, Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce. Apr Toonik Tyme (week long festival including dogsled and snowmobile racing), Iqaluit. Jul Annual Midnight Sun Golf Tournament, Kugaaruk; Midnight Sun Marathon, Nanisivik/Arctic Bay; Nunavut Quest Dogteam Race, North Baffin island (date to be confirmed). Aug Kitikmeot Northern Games. Oct Kitikmeot Trade Show, Cambridge Bay. Business Profile Commercial Information: For further information contact Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce, Building 607, Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory X0A 0H0 (tel: (867) 979 4095; fax: (867) 979 2929) or Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 59, Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory X0A 0H0 (tel: (867) 979 4653; fax: (867) 979 2929; e-mail: brcc@nunanet.com; website: www.businessinnunavut.com). Conferences/Conventions: Contact Nunavut Tourism for further information (see Contact Addresses section). Climate Owing to the vast size of the territory there are great variations in the weather. Winters can be severe – the northernmost community of Grise Fiord has a mean January temperature of -35ºC (-31ºF) and a mean July temperature of 10ºC (50ºF). Summers are milder, but the temperature can drop suddenly. Note: Conditions in all parts of the territory can become hazardous when there is a combination of a low temperature and a strong wind. Local advice concerning weather conditions should be followed very carefully. Nevertheless, the summer months are suitable for a wide range of activities. Required clothing: Winter weather requires down-filled and other polar-temperature gear. Special clothing is required for adventure expeditions. Good-quality windproof and waterproof clothes, warm jerseys, gloves and moulded sole shoes are needed at all times of the year. In the summer, thinner clothes are required. Sunglasses and protective lotion are strongly advised. Mosquitoes are a significant irritant in some areas during July and August. A mosquito net and repellant are essential. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.