Coral Harbour

Photo: Coastal Restoration Nunavut

Overview

A community of about 1,035 people (2021 census) in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Coral Harbour is located on Southampton Island at the entrance to Hudson Bay.

Coral Harbour shares the Eastern Standard time zone with Quebec and most of Ontario. (It is the only Nunavut community that does not observe daylight savings.) The hamlet is a one-hour and 15-minute flight from Rankin Inlet. To get to Rankin Inlet from southern Canada, you can take a 2.5-hour flight from Winnipeg or a 3-hour flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit followed by a nearly 2-hour flight from Iqaluit to Rankin Inlet.

Highlights

Coral Harbour is known as "Salliq" in Inuktitut, meaning large, flat island in front of the mainland. Its English name is derived from the fossilized coral that can be found around waters of the community. The community was established in 1924 as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post and used for military training during World War II.

Coral Harbour has many beautiful natural attractions, such as Fossil Creek near the municipal airport, for which the community gets its name for the fossilized coral and shells dating back thousands of years. It also has nearby both the East Bay Bird Sanctuary and the Harry Gibbons Bird Sanctuary, which protect prime nesting and habitats of some of the area’s birds, namely Lesser Snow Geese and Common Eiders. Coral Harbour is also home to Nunavut's first Minister of Education, James Arvaluk.

Weather and landscape

Located near the 64th parallel, Coarl Harbour has a subarctic climate. The longest day of the year in Coral Harbour receives 20.5 hours of sunlight and the shortest day receives 3.5 hours.

The average annual temperature in Coral Harbour is -11.7°C, reaching highs of 14°C in the summer and lows of -33°C in the winter. Summer months begin in June and temperatures can begin to drop very fast starting September.

The hamlet’s unique landscape includes small waterfalls and overhanging cliffs. Its rocky, rough terrain is home to an abundance of wildlife that can be seen on the variety of trails surrounding the community.

Photo: Nunatsiaq News