Qikiqtarjuaq

Photo: Brenda Johnson

Overview

The hamlet of Qikiqtarjuaq is a community of about 593 people (2021 census) located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut.

Qik (as it is often fondly referred to) is in the Eastern Time Zone along with Iqaluit. Getting to Qikiqtarjuaq from southern Canada involves about 4.5 hours of flying, including a 3-hour flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit and a 1.5-hour flight from Iqaluit to Qikiqtarjuaq.

Highlights

Many species of marine mammals thrive in the Qik area, including bowhead whales, narwhals and orca whales. Qikiqtarjuaq is conveniently close to the northern boundary of the majestically mountainous Auyuittuq National Park. The park offers a range of activities, such as hiking in the summertime and cross-country skiing in the winter. Travelling inland from Qik leads to many picturesque views of mountains and glaciers.

The dramatic Pangnirtung Pass ice cap is another special place to experience. In the early spring, when the days are longer and there is lots of snow, snowmobiling is very popular. You can also go dog sledding to enjoy a truly unique adventure that only the arctic can provide. In the fall, highly qualified guides can escort visitors to safe places in the region for viewing polar bears, which is an unforgettable experience.

Qikiqtarjuaq is one of Nunavut’s closest communities to Greenland, and its residents are experts in navigating the challenging seas and rugged landscape. Qik has an excellent clothing industry creating traditional Inuit clothes that can be purchased from a number of sources. Inuit art is available in a local craft store and there are plenty of talented individual artists from whom you can acquire beautiful carvings, prints and jewelry.

Every year, Qikiqtarjuaq hosts an annual Suicide Prevention Walk, a significant event where local participants walk a total distance of 60 km across the tundra from Kivitoo, an old whaling station. The community also hosts a two-week celebration over the Christmas and New Year period.

Weather and landscape

Situated between the 67th and 68th parallels, just north of the Arctic Circle, Qikiqtarjuaq has a tundra climate. Summers are beautiful in Qik with 24 hours of sunshine from May 29 to July 15. The community is known as the ‘iceberg capital of Nunavut.’

Temperatures hover around 10°C in the months of July and August. During the winter months temperatures can sometimes drop to -40°C. It is often very windy in Qik and it is quite dry, with an average of 270 cm of snowfall each year and 3.5 cm of rain.

Qikiqtarjuaq is located on Broughton Island, adjacent to the eastern coast of Baffin Island at the Davis Strait. It is known as the "Big Island". Surrounded by rolling hills, Qikiqtarjuaq is situated near the Baffin Mountains, which are part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range.