Hotels near Iqaluit, Nunavut

A little about Iqaluit...

Iqaluit, formerly Frobisher Bay, is the territorial capital and the largest community of Canada's youngest territory, Nunavut. According to the 2001 census, Iqaluit has a population of 5,236 of which about 60% is Inuit. Iqaluit was selected to serve as the new territory's capital in a territory-wide referendum, in which it was chosen over Rankin Inlet. Inhabitants of Iqaluit are called Iqalummiut (singular: Iqalummiuq).

Much of Iqaluit's architecture is functional — designed to minimise material costs, while retaining heat and withstanding the climate. Early architecture runs from the 1950s military barracks of the original DEW line installation, through the 1970s white hyper-modernist fibreglass block of the Nakasuk elementary school, to the lines of the steel-reinforced concrete high-rise complex on the hill above it. The newer buildings are more colourful and diverse, and closer to the norms of southern architecture, but largely unremarkable.

The principal exception is the Nunavut Legislative Assembly Building, which is remarkable for its colourful interior, adorned with some of the very best in Inuit art. Another distinctive building was St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral which was a white building shaped like an igloo. Originally built by the parishioners, the altar was shaped like a traditional Inuit sled, and the cross composed of two crossed narwhal tusks. An incident of arson severely affected the cathedral structure and interior on 5 November 2005, and the cathedral was finally demolished on June 1, 2006. On a ridge overlooking the city is the distinctive blue and white Inuksuk High School. The school is made up of four square sections joined together that give a clover leaf shape when viewed from the air.

The city is also the location of the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, which houses a large collection of Inuit and arctic objects.

Just west of Iqaluit is the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park Reserve. This park is characterised by the valley of the Sylvia Grinnell River. A small visitor's centre with viewing platform is located on top of a hill overlooking scenic falls in the river.

Nearby on an island near the Peterhead inlet, is the Qaummaarviit Territorial Historic Park. It is a site with a long Inuit history and numerous artifacts have been recovered, including the remains of 11 semi-buried sod houses.

A little farther, across Frobisher Bay, are the Katannilik Territorial Park and the Soper Heritage River Park.

Iqaluit has a typically arctic climate, with very cold winters and short summers that are too cool to permit the growth of trees.

Iqaluit has an arctic climate, which suggests temperatures are well below 0 degree Celsius for most of the year, with only less than 250 millimetres of precipitation annually. However, Iqaluit's precipitation averages just over 400 millimetres annually, and is much wetter than many other localities in the Canadian arctic islands, with the summer being the wettest season. Average monthly temperatures are below freezing for eight months of the year.