Iqaluit - ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ

Iqaluit is the territorial capital of Nunavut, located on Baffin Island near the mouth of the Sylvia Grinnell River. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement was signed here in 1993. Iqaluit was chosen to be the capital of the new territory of Nunavut in 1995. The community’s hunting and fishing area spans approximately 262km north, 258km south, 228km east and 143km west of the municipality of Iqaluit, including Frobisher Bay, Resolution Island, Meta Incognita Peninsula, and Amadjuak Lake. Near Iqaluit are several parks, including Qaummaarviit Territorial Historic Park, Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park and Katannilik Territorial Park.

The CRN research team visited the community in April 2021. 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 the map presented in the downloadable profile (see below).

Coastal issues included: decreasing water levels as there is less rainfall and snow, causing rivers to become too shallow for fish to migrate upstream and/or they struggle to migrate to/from nearby rivers.

Community restoration priorities included: clean-up garbage and debris especially along the shoreline, and at Amadjuak Lake, ecological surveys (not just arctic char stock assessments) are needed to protect the ecosystem.

To learn more about Iqaluit (English version), please download our research profile here.

The website community map for Iqaluit is currently not available but will be coming shortly.