Kimmirut

Photo: Canadian North

Overview

This community of approximately 426 people (2021 census) is part of the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. The hamlet shares the Eastern Standard time zone with Iqaluit and most of Quebec and Ontario.

Travelling to Kimmirut from southern Canada involves a flight of 3 hours and 10 minutes from Ottawa to Iqaluit, followed by a 38-minute flight from Iqaluit to Kimmirut. Flights leave three times a week and a one-way ticket is about $1,200.

Highlights

One of Kimmirut’s special features is Katannilik Territorial Park, which contains the Soper Heritage River valley and the Itijjagiaq Trail — a 120-kilometre (75-mile) traditional overland trail from Iqaluit to Kimmirut.

Kimmirut is a culturally important part of the North. Known in the past as Lake Harbour, the hamlet is on the site of the first Hudson Bay trading post on Baffin Island, founded in 1911. in Inuktitut it is called Kuujjuaq or "the Great River" (Not to be confused with Kuujjuaq in Northern Quebec).

Photo: Inns North Hotels

Weather and landscape

Kimmirut is located between the 62nd and 63rd parallels and has an arctic climate. During the summers, the community sees very long days with up to 16 hours of sunlight, and temperatures ranging between 5°C and 20°C. As there is little rainfall, the area sees very few mosquitos. The sea ice begins to break up in June. Winters set in around October, when snow begins to accumulate. Winter temperatures range from -15°C to -40°C and the shortest day in December is just under 5 hours.

Kimmirut gets its name from the Inuktitut word for “heel,” which refers to a rocky hill that rises some 60 meters across the water from the hamlet.