| Grise Fiord ᐊᐅᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ Aujuittuq   |
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| — Hamlet — | |
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| Coordinates: 76°25′03″N 082°53′38″W / 76.4175°N 82.89389°WCoordinates: 76°25′03″N 082°53′38″W / 76.4175°N 82.89389°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Territory |  Nunavut |
| Region | Qikiqtaaluk Region |
| Electoral district | Quttiktuq |
| Settled | 1953 |
| Government [1][2] | |
| - Mayor | Meeka Kigutak |
| - MLA | Ron Elliott |
| Area [3] | |
| - Total | 332.7 km2 (128.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[3] | |
| - Total | 141 |
| - Density | 0.4/km2 (1.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Canadian Postal code | X0A 0J0 |
| Area code(s) | 867 |
| Website | www.grisefiord.ca |
Grise Fiord, (Inuktitut: Aujuittuq, "place that never thaws"; Inuktitut syllabics: ᐊᐅᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ) is a small Inuit hamlet, Qikiqtaaluk Region in the territory of Nunavut, Canada. Despite its low population (141 residents as of the Canada 2006 Census,[3]), it is the largest community on Ellesmere Island. Nunavut is one of the least densely populated areas of any developed country.
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Geography
Grise Fiord is the northernmost civilian settlement in North America, but was eclipsed by Alert as the North America's northernmost community when Environment Canada and the Canadian Forces began to station permanent personnel there.
Located at the southern tip of Ellesmere Island, Grise Fiord is one of three permanent settlements on the island. Grise Fiord lies 1,160 km (720 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.
Grise Fiord lies in the Arctic Cordillera mountain range which is the only major mountain system east of the Canadian Rockies.
Living conditions
Transportation
Grise Fiord is connected to the rest of the world by Grise Fiord Airport.
Climate
The climate in Grise Fiord is severely cold. Grise Fiord has an Arctic climate, which means that there is less than 250 mm (10 in) precipitation, and temperature stays well below 0 °C (32 °F) for more than eight months of the year.
Crime and safety
A Simon Fraser University study of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) activity in the Baffin Region states that Grise Fiord had the lowest rate of criminal offences of all communities looked at in 1992,[4] and cites a 1994 Statistics Canada survey that gives the highest perception of personal safety.[5]
History
Settlement
The settlement (and Resolute) was created by the Canadian government in 1953, partly to assert sovereignty in the High Arctic during the Cold War. Eight Inuit families from Inukjuak, Quebec (on the Ungava Peninsula) were relocated after being promised homes and game to hunt, but the relocated people discovered no buildings and very little familiar wildlife.[6] They were told that they would be returned home after a year if they wished, but this offer was later withdrawn as it would damage Canada's claims to sovereignty in the area and the Inuit were forced to stay. Eventually, the Inuit learned the local beluga whale migration routes and were able to survive in the area, hunting over a range of 18,000 km² (6,950 mi²) each year.[7].
In 1993, the Canadian government held hearings to investigate the relocation program. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples issued a report entitled The High Arctic Relocation: A Report on the 1953-55 Relocation, recommending a settlement.[8] The government paid $10 million CAD to the survivors and their families, but as of 2007 has yet to apologize.[9]
Telephone network
In 1970, Bell Canada established what was then the world's most northerly telephone exchange (operated since 1992 by Northwestel).
Naming
Grise Fiord means "pig inlet" in Norwegian and was named by Otto Sverdrup from Norway during an expedition around 1900. He thought the walrus in the area sounded like pigs. Grise Fiord's Inuktitut name is Aujuittuq which means "place that never thaws."
See also
Other settlements on Ellesmere Island
References
- ^ Hamlets elect new councils
- ^ Election Results - 2008 General Election
- ^ a b c Population and dwelling counts
- ^ Curt Taylor Griffiths, Gregory Saville, Darryl S. Wood, and Evelyn Zellerer. POLICING THE BAFFIN REGION, N.W.T.: Findings From the Eastern Arctic Crime and Justice Study, 1995 [1]
- ^ "Aboriginal Peoples Survey", Statistics Canada, 1994, cited on p17 of Curt Taylor Griffiths, Gregory Saville, Darryl S. Wood, and Evelyn Zellerer, POLICING THE BAFFIN REGION, N.W.T.: Findings From the Eastern Arctic Crime and Justice Study [2]
- ^ Grise Fiord: History
- ^ McGrath, Melanie. The Long Exile: A Tale of Inuit Betrayal and Survival in the High Arctic. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006 (268 pages) Hardcover: ISBN 0007157967 Paperback: ISBN 0007157975
- ^ The High Arctic Relocation: A Report on the 1953-55 Relocation by René Dussault and George Erasmus, produced by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, published by Canadian Government Publishing, 1994 (190 pages)[3]
- ^ Royte, Elizabeth (2007-04-08). "Trail of Tears". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/books/review/Royte.t.html?ex=1188964800&en=4b6eb6a89d7e85dd&ei=5070.
External links
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