Chesterfield Inlet - ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᒃ

Chesterfield Inlet, in the Kivalliq region is located on a narrow, fiord like arm of the northwest coast of Hudson Bay that stretches 160 km inland to the Thelon River. The economy in Chesterfield Inlet comprises of traditional subsistence harvesting and hunting, and wage-based activities. The waters are home to beluga, seals, walruses, and other aquatic species.

The CRN research team visited the community in March 2018. Team members held participatory mapping workshops with the Hunters and Trappers Association, Hamlet staff, Elders, and other resource users, collecting observations on coastal health and changing coastal conditions. Participants provided all data illustrated on this map.

Coastal observations and issues included: belugas appeared every second year or so, and tend to follow shipping traffic; during shipping season, all the seals leave the bay and move north along the coast to avoid disturbances; fishing is plentiful and accessible (still close to the community); ice is melting from below (currents); and shipping is hard on the community, impacting caribou and pushing them further inland.

Community restoration priorities included: the development of a deep seaport for the community, and the mitigation of impacts from shipping.

To learn more about Chesterfield Inlet (English version), please download our research profile here. If you would like to view the Inuktitut version of our research profile, please download here.

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