Igloolik Island

Igloolik Island
Remnants of older Inuit sod houses in Igloolik Point
Igloolik Island is located in Nunavut
Igloolik Island
Igloolik Island
Igloolik Island is located in Canada
Igloolik Island
Igloolik Island
Geography
LocationFoxe Basin
Coordinates69°23′N 81°40′W / 69.383°N 81.667°W / 69.383; -81.667 (Igloolik Island)[1]
ArchipelagoArctic Archipelago
Administration
Canada
NunavutNunavut
RegionQikiqtaaluk
Largest settlementIgloolik
Demographics
Population1,538
Ethnic groupsInuit

Igloolik Island is a small island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the Foxe Basin, very close to the Melville Peninsula (and to a lesser degree, Baffin Island), and it is often thought to be a part of the peninsula. It forms part of the Arctic Archipelago.

The word Igloolik (Inuktitut: "there is an igloo here") comes from iglu (meaning: "house"/"building") and refers to the sod houses (qarmaq)[2] that were originally in the area.[3][4] Inuit and their ancestors have inhabited the island since 2000 BC. The archaeological sites on the island, which show a sequence up to 1000 AD, were designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1978.[5][6]

There is only one community on the island, also named Igloolik.

Qikiqtaarjuk

On the north of Igloolik Island at 69°24′45″N 081°30′07″W / 69.41250°N 81.50194°W / 69.41250; -81.50194 (Qikiqtaarjuk) is a peninsula called Qikiqtaarjuk (Inuktitut syllabics: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᕐᔪᒃ,[7] English: little island).[8][9] About 400 – 500 years ago Qikiqtaarjuk was a separate island but due to isostatic rebound it became part of the main island.[8] Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (traditional knowledge) says that prior to that there was an even smaller island called Puqtuniq from which the waters receded forming Qikiqtaarjuk.[10] Qikiqtaarjuk is associated with several Inuit legends and stories and was the place from where Atanarjuat starts his run.[8][9][10]

Climate

Igloolik has a polar climate (ET) with nine months averaging below 0 °C (32 °F). Winters are long and cold, with October being the snowiest month. Summers range from chilly to sometimes mild, with cold nights.

Climate data for Igloolik (Igloolik Airport)
Climate ID: 2402543; coordinates 69°22′N 81°49′W / 69.367°N 81.817°W / 69.367; -81.817 (Igloolik Airport); elevation: 52.7 m (173 ft); 1991–2020 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex −4.2 −0.6 −3.9 0.3 5.6 18.7 24.3 24.5 11.2 3.4 −0.5 −1.5 24.5
Record high °C (°F) −1.0
(30.2) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		1.5
(34.7) 		7.0
(44.6) 		19.0
(66.2) 		24.5
(76.1) 		25.0
(77.0) 		15.0
(59.0) 		5.0
(41.0) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		−1.5
(29.3) 		25.0
(77.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −27.6
(−17.7) 		−27.8
(−18.0) 		−23.8
(−10.8) 		−14.3
(6.3) 		−4.5
(23.9) 		4.1
(39.4) 		11.7
(53.1) 		8.8
(47.8) 		1.8
(35.2) 		−4.6
(23.7) 		−15.0
(5.0) 		−21.6
(−6.9) 		−9.4
(15.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −30.9
(−23.6) 		−31.0
(−23.8) 		−27.7
(−17.9) 		−18.4
(−1.1) 		−7.8
(18.0) 		1.6
(34.9) 		7.9
(46.2) 		5.8
(42.4) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−6.8
(19.8) 		−18.4
(−1.1) 		−25.4
(−13.7) 		−12.6
(9.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −34.1
(−29.4) 		−34.2
(−29.6) 		−31.3
(−24.3) 		−22.6
(−8.7) 		−11.3
(11.7) 		−0.9
(30.4) 		4.0
(39.2) 		2.7
(36.9) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		−9.1
(15.6) 		−21.7
(−7.1) 		−29.0
(−20.2) 		−15.8
(3.6)
Record low °C (°F) −45.0
(−49.0) 		−45.5
(−49.9) 		−47.0
(−52.6) 		−37.5
(−35.5) 		−28.0
(−18.4) 		−13.5
(7.7) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−5.5
(22.1) 		−11.0
(12.2) 		−22.5
(−8.5) 		−36.0
(−32.8) 		−42.5
(−44.5) 		−47.0
(−52.6)
Record low wind chill −61.0 −66 −58 −49 −35 −21 −4 −11 −18 −50 −50 −56 −66
Average precipitation mm (inches) 6.6
(0.26) 		7.1
(0.28) 		13.4
(0.53) 		17.0
(0.67) 		15.2
(0.60) 		16.5
(0.65) 		25.7
(1.01) 		34.9
(1.37) 		27.6
(1.09) 		35.0
(1.38) 		18.5
(0.73) 		11.5
(0.45) 		228.9
(9.01)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.00) 		0.2
(0.01) 		12.8
(0.50) 		25.7
(1.01) 		32.2
(1.27) 		17
(0.7) 		1.3
(0.05) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		89.2
(3.51)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 6.6
(2.6) 		7.2
(2.8) 		14.0
(5.5) 		17.5
(6.9) 		15.3
(6.0) 		3.8
(1.5) 		0.0
(0.0) 		2.7
(1.1) 		11.7
(4.6) 		33.4
(13.1) 		18.5
(7.3) 		11.6
(4.6) 		142.2
(56.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 4.2 4.4 6.6 7.3 6.7 7.2 9.3 10.4 9.5 11.6 7.9 6.3 91.4
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.11 0.11 5.6 9.3 9.9 5.9 0.42 0.0 0.0 31.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 4.4 4.4 6.6 7.2 6.6 1.7 0.0 0.59 4.5 10.8 7.7 6.2 60.7
Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST) 73.3 80.5 73.2 — — 79.8 — — — — 81.4 78.6 —
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020[11] (Humidex, wind chill, and humidity from Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010)[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Igloolik Island". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ Irniq, Peter (February 2009). Joe Kremmidjuar Testimony. Isuma. Archived from the original on 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  3. ^ "Igloolik, Nunavut". Archived from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  4. ^ "Igloolik". Qikiqtani Inuit Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06.
  5. ^ Igloolik Island Archaeological Sites National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  6. ^ Igloolik Island Archaeological Sites National Historic Site of Canada. Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. Parks Canada.
  7. ^ "Qikiqtaarjuk". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  8. ^ a b c Eber, Dorothy Harley (2008). Encounters on the Passage: Inuit Meet the Explorers. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-9275-5.
  9. ^ a b Aporta, Claudio (December 2003). "New Ways of Mapping: Using GPS Mapping Software to Plot Place Names and Trails in Igloolik (Nunavut)" (PDF). Arctic. 56 (4): 321–327. doi:10.14430/arctic629.
  10. ^ a b Kublu, Alexina (1999). "Interviewing Inuit Elders". Nunavut Arctic College. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08.
  11. ^ "Igloolik A". Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2024-10-01. Climate ID: 2402543. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  12. ^ "Igloolik A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2024-10-01. Climate ID: 2402543. Retrieved 2025-01-13.