Sanikiluaq

Photo: Eileena Arragutainaq

Overview

A community of just over 1,000 people (2021 census), Sanikiluaq is located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut on Flaherty Island in Hudson Bay.

Sanikiliaq is in the Eastern time zone along with most of Quebec and Ontario. Air Inuit, which serves Nunavik communities primarily, flies to Sanikiluaq from the Umiujaq Airport. To travel from Montreal to Sanikiluaq, one would fly first to Kuujjuaraapik, then to Umiujaq, and finally to Sanikiluaq. As of March 2024, no flights from Ottawa or Iqaluit are being offered to Sanikiluaq.

Highlights

Flaherty Island is the largest of the Belcher Islands, an archipelago containing almost 1,500 islands. As such, the people of Sanikiluaq call themselves Sanikiluarmiut, meaning “people of the islands.” Sanikiluaq became a hamlet in 1976. According to Travel Nunavut, Sanikuluaq is known for its gifted seamstresses, who make dolls from fish skin. There are also many talented soapstone carvers.

When caribou disappeared from the islands in the late 1800s, the women started sewing winter parkas from eider duck skins (source: Travel Nunavut).

Weather and landscape

Located between the 56th and 57th parallels, Sanikiluaq is the southernmost community of Nunavut. On June 21 there are just under 18 hours of sunlight; on December 21 the sun shines for close to 7 hours.

Sanikiluaq receives a lot of sun with occasional fog; the weather conditions in Hudson Bay sometimes produce windy storms. In summer the temperatures range from 10°C to 25°C; in winter it can get as cold as -10°C to -30°C. This is a warmer climate than in many other Nunavut communities.

The dramatic landscape of Sanikiluaq includes rock cliffs that reach a height of 155 metres above sea level. The area has sparse vegetation and a lively ecosystem of birds, freshwater and saltwater fish, and Arctic mammals.

Photo: Sarah Meeko