Chesterfield Inlet

June 28th, 2009

Welcome to Chesterfield

A few facts about Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut

  • Traditional name is: Igluligaarjuk, which means: “place with few houses.” It is the oldest community in Nunavut.
  • Population of 332 (2006 Census).
  • It is located on the north western shore of Hudson Bay, in the Kivalliq Region
  • The closest neighboring community is Rankin Inlet, which is located 100km southwest of Chesterfield Inlet.
  • Historically, Chesterfield Inlet was a meeting place for inuit seal hunters to carry out an annual hunt in the late spring and early summer.
  • Europeans became interested in the area after the explorations of William Moor and Francis Smith in 1746-47. As a result of this voyage, Arthur Dobbs thought that the inlet was a possible location of the Northwest Passage. This hope was dashed when the area was fully mapped in 1762. In this same year a Hudson’s Bay Company sloop reached Baker Lake at the head of the inlet, but the company did not establish a post there until 1912. Before this date trade with the local Inuit people was carried on by sloops and schooners coming along the coast.
  • After 1912, Chesterfield Inlet became an important religious, medical and educational centre for the region. The community’s population grew when several groups of Netsilik Inuit migrated there from Foxe Basin, joining the Qairnilirmeot, group who were the area’s traditional inhabitants.
  • The economy of the hamlet remains traditional and includes hunting, trapping and carving. Some commercial fishing and limited tourism are also carried out.

Average Temperatures/Precipitation

  • Summer: Highs of 13°C and lows of 4°C
  • Winter: Lows of -35°C and highs of -28°C
  • Extreme temperatures during the winter can be as low as –46°C (not including the wind chill). With the wind chill factor included, it can feel like –50°C to -70°C!
  • March and April are the “storm” months for Chesterfield Inlet.
  • The days become longer during April and May the sea ice starts to break up and the average temperature increases to approximately –5°C to –10°C.
  • During the spring and summer months the sun may be in the sky for 18-20 hours becoming less and less as the months move into the winter season. During the months of August and September, fog and rain are regular occurrences. The first snowfall can be expected to take place usually around the end of September or early October. The winter sees the shortest days in December with the sun rising at about 10 am and setting at about 3:00 on the shortest days. The coldest days of the year occur in January and February when the wind adds more of a bite.

Wildlife

  • Beluga whales, Arctic char, and other fish are some of the marine life that patrols in the waters surrounding the community. Although not seen regularly, orcas can sometimes be viewed further out from shore in Chesterfield Inlet area.
  • Polar bears, foxes, lemmings, and arctic hare are some of the land mammals seen around the community (polar bears frequent the area in the months of October and November).
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