VY0BRR, VY0BRR

CORAL HARBOUR, Nunavut

DX'PEDITION 

NA-007 IOTA SOUTHAMTON ISLAND

COMING SOON!!!

64° 8′ 0″ N, 83° 10′ 0″ W

Iqaluit (/iˈkæluɪt/ ee-KAL-oo-it; French: [ikalɥi(t)]; Inuktitut: ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ [iqaːluit]), meaning "place of fish",^[10] is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut; its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay until 1987, after the large bay on the coast of which the city is situated. In 1999, Iqaluit became the capital of Nunavut after the division of the Northwest Territories into two separate territories. Before this event, Iqaluit was a small city and not well-known outside the Canadian Arctic or Canada, with population and economic growth highly limited. This is due to the city's isolation and heavy dependence on expensively imported supplies as the city, like the rest of Nunavut, has no road, rail, or even ship connections for part of the year to the rest of Canada. The city also has a polar climate, influenced by the cold deep waters of the Labrador Current just off Baffin Island; this makes the city of Iqaluit cold, even though the city is well south of the Arctic Circle.

As of the 2016 census the population was 7,740 (Population Centre: 7,082, an increase of 15.5 percent from the 2011 census. Iqaluit has the lowest population of any capital city in Canada. Inhabitants of Iqaluit are called Iqalummiut (singular: Iqalummiuq).2018 pop figures are 8500 and growing. Lots of construction to make new homes, buildings and expansion to Nunavut Arctic College.

Two hams in Nunavut, VY0BRR and Mike, in Rankin, VY0CF.

Iqaluit is a bustling capital and modern Inuit community, home to Inuit people from around the territory as well as proud newcomers from around the world. Set along the spectacular hills of Frobisher Bay, Iqaluit (Inuktitut for Place of Many Fish) is a sparkling jewel in Nunavut's crown.

Iqaluit will expose one to an excellent taste of Nunavut's culture and history. Walking through the beautiful community one will be delighted with the stunning vistas of mountains and sea ice, and can catch a glimpse of what makes Nunavut so, special.Home to people from around the world, one may encounter a famous Inuk artist dining at a restaurant or catch a visiting Hollywood celebrity at a local museum.

Iqaluit boasts many fine hotels and restaurants, where one can relax after a hike through the Sylvia Grinnell Park or Apex beach. There are hiking trails for people of all abilities that lead to the untamed beauty of the Arctic tundra.

The city is home to many famous Inuit artists, and their work can be found at several local galleries. Iqaluit's artists not only excel at traditional artmaking, but also draw inspiration from the influx of newcomers to the area, creating a truly modern and vibrant art scene.

In the spring, one can experience the Toonik Tyme Festival, and see the community celebrate the end of a long winter. The games and activities bring the residents of this small city together, creating a warm and welcoming environment.

The annual Alianait Festival in late June/July brings together musicians and artists from around the North and welcomes artists and performers from around the world. Music, theatre, circus acts, story-telling and visual arts are all featured. Te festival also produces a concert series throughout the year.

There is much to see and do in the Nunavut capital. In and around Iqaluit, four territorial parks offer a variety of cultural and wildlife experiences. Historical buildings, such as the original Hudson's Bay Trading Post on the shore in Apex are also within easy reach.

For nature buffs, local outfitters can take one on an amazing experience down the bay and out to the floe edge where one can encounter whales, pods of seals, and perhaps even one or two wandering polar bears. The stark contrast of leaving a bustling community and finding oneself lulled by the silent breaths of a hard working dog team will tug at your soul.

The history of Iqaluit is unique. While Inuit have lived, fished, and hunted in the area for millennia, the modern history of the city began with the establishment of the Iqaluit Airport--a part of the staging route for American aircraft being delivered to Europe during WW2. In Iqaluit, one can still see some of the remaining buildings left behind.

Checking in with the Unikkaarvik Visitor's Centre will provide the latest up to-date information on the various seasonal activities available. This centre is conveniently located next to the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, allowing one to place this wonderful city in a historical context.

Geography

Iqaluit is located in the Everett Mountains rising from Koojesse (Kuujussi) Inlet, an inlet of Frobisher Bay, on the southeast part of Baffin Island. It is well to the east of Nunavut's mainland, and northeast of Hudson Bay.

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 that are classed, locally, as trees. 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.^[16] 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.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Iqaluit was 26.7 °C (80 °F) on 21 July 2008. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −45.6 °C (−66ºC with the windchill is common now) Thanks Trump for pulling out of the Paris Accords to reduce carbon footprint. And for gutting EPA and FDA. NIce of you to NOT clean up the great lakes or push coal and add once banned chemicals to the fruits and vegetables and of course, increase the pollution. We love you.Bite me?!

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) 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.

Emergency services

Royal Canadian Mounted Policeduring 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.

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. 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 with 28 RCMP members stationed here.

Medical services

Qikiqtani General Hospital is the primary care facility in the city. There is also a Family Practice Clinic providing primary care services. There are two dental clinics in the town and one in the hospital.

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 fibreglassblock 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,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 clover leaf 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.

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. Plans are underway to build a new, larger passenger terminal building north of the current terminal, which would also include a larger apron adjacent to the new terminal.

Canadian North and First Air serve Iqaluit from Ottawa, Montreal, 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. 

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.

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.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.

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.

The city has water treatment, raw sewage from the city is treated in a facility that cost over 100 million, so water quality is quite good all year long.

As the dump has reached capacity, the city is planning to open a second dump 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of the city.Iqaluit does not have a recycling program in place with all recyclable materials sent into the waste stream.This needs to be changed as the dumps are getting larger and larger...

Media

Offices for the Nunatsiaq News. Nunatsiaq News is one of two weekly newspapers that circulate in Iqualuit.

Communications

• Meshnet Community WiFi—free community WiFi and paid service available in most areas of city. Free services include access to Isuma.tv, and many other resources.

Press

• Nunatsiaq News
• News/North

Radio

Television

There is Iqaluit cable tv, but most people have Shaw or Bell satellite dishes. There is 4G cell service and internet 4G as well.

Food and groceries:

Iqaluit is served by Northmart and Arctic Ventures. AV is carrying more unusual exotic foods to offer the more cosmopolitain population that is becoming more evident: foods spices and fruits including mangos, papayas, lots of different nuts and spices and juices of all kinds.

There are a few depanneurs or convenience stores around town, a fish store, a few Tim Hortons but they only serve coffee and donuts.

The shawarma restaurant serves lamb, chicken and beef plates, bakluva, cabobs and pizza. A small pizza is plenty for me and a friend.

There is also Caribrew in the Frobisher Inn which carries lots of terrific salads and wraps and amazzzing soups and desserts.And of course, their yummy coffees.

And Le Snack has a yummy breakfast and brunch with coffee and is usually packed at lunch time.

And and a special thanks to all of my Elmers, Bill, w2gjr/ve2(RIP) Ron, ve2kw(RIP),  Don, ve3rm (RIP) and Stan, WA2BAH (RIP). All of my Elmers inspired me to get my ticket when I was young. It was especially nice to visit with Don at his well equipped shack and home in Eastern Ontario where I was ve2xb/3. He is gone but not forgotten. I miss him dearly as a close friend and talked with him right up until the end. I am setting up some older gear in my shack and the schools in Qik, Kimmirut, Pangnirtung, Clyde River, Cambridge Bay and Coral Harbour to pay tribute and honor to my Elmers. These will be Clubs so the students can earn their ham tickets and hopefully, get on the air...I am planting the seeds for the next generation...

I will be traveling to other places in Nunavut and will activate some very rare IOTAs including: Coral Harbour, Southampton Island/COATS, na-007, Sanikiluaq, Belcher, Islands, NA-196, Igloolik, NA-174, Cambridge Bay, Victoria Island, NA-006, and Qikiqtarjuaq/ Broughton Island, NA-130

It is starting to feel like summer and some arctic ravens are flying around. I did see some Caribou and Belugas recently.

Last edited on July 14, 2018

RIP: wa2bah, Stan, Don, ve3rm, Ron, ve2kw

Get dx in real time and add me to the cluster on