Nunavut: Inuit Culture in Iqaluit

Week 13: Canadian Summer Staycation Series!

This is the final blog post in a series of 13 weekly blog posts highlighting one iconic Canadian experience in each Province and Territory.

In this weeks’ blog post we’re exploring Inuit culture in Nunavut.

The territory of Nunavut is located north of the province of Manitoba and to the east of the North West Territories. Because of it’s northern location, Nunavut has a polar climate in most regions of the territory.

Nunavut is the largest of the territories in Canada and it covers 20% of Canada’s land mass. Even though it’s the largest, it is also the least populated and many communities are only accessible by air or sea. There are no highways, roads or rail-lines connecting communities in Nunavut.

To get to Nunavut, most travelers arrive by plane or ship.

Iqaluit

The capital city of Iqaluit (some of us older Canadians will remember it by it’s former name of Frobisher’s Bay) is the gateway into the Eastern Arctic.

The modern city of Iqaluit is rich with traditional Inuit culture.  Elders and locals still wearing traditional sealskin clothing, art galleries display traditional soapstone carvings and the Government of Nunavut works to preserve and care for tradition and culture in the area.

Here are just a few ways to experience Inuit culture in Iqaluit:

Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre

If you are visiting Iqaluit for the first time, make a stop at the Visitor’s Centre to pick up brochures and maps. Staff can provide you with information on what to do in the area and can recommend local outfitters for specific tours. You can also see Inuit artifacts, interpretive displays and art at the Visitor Centre.

Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum

The museum is located next to the Visitor Centre and is housed in a former Hudson’s Bay Company building. Nunatta is the only museum in this area. It houses a permanent gallery of traditional Inuit artifacts and art as well as temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.

Nunavut Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut is located in Iqaluit and is worth a tour just to see the inside of the building with igloo-inspired construction, door frames that look like qamutik rails and sealskin chairs.

Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park

This park is located just a short 30 minute walk from the city of Iqaluit. Besides the beautiful landscape of the park, you can learn about the history of the area through archaeological sites located in the park. There are interpretive signs to show how plants are used by Inuit for traditional medicine and you can also see animals like caribou, arctic hares, arctic foxes and a variety of birds.

This is our final blog post in the Canadian Summer Staycation Series!

Thank you for following along with us as we traveled across Canada, through our blog posts, over the past 13 weeks.

Let us know what you think about this blog post by leaving a response in the comments section below.

And if you want to catch up on our other blog posts in this Canadian Summer Staycation series…click on the links below:

Newfoundland and Labrador: Iceberg Alley

Nova Scotia: Tidal Bore Rafting

Prince Edward Island: All Things Anne

New Brunswick: Hopewell Rocks

Quebec: Old Quebec

Ontario: Tobermory

Manitoba: Going on Safari

Saksatchewan: Notoriously Moose Jaw

Alberta: The Drumheller Dinosaurs

British Columbia: Rainforest and Beaches

Yukon: Klondike Gold Rush

North West Territories: Northern Lights

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If you haven’t had the pleasure of traveling for a vacation within Canada before, now is the ideal time to do so.

With a decrease in the number of international tourists expected to visit because of the Covid-19 travel restrictions in place, popular tourist destinations within Canada will be less crowded this summer. Hotels and resorts have been offering discounted room prices and free room upgrades to entice travelers to book accommodations.

In addition to a less expensive and more enjoyable travel experience, the tourism industry in Canada has been hit hard by Covid-19 and they are going to need our help to recover as quickly as possible with our tourism dollars.

Let’s all do our part and help support our own economy and tourism industry to recover by choosing to spend money on Canadian travel experiences this summer.