Taloyoak

Overview

Photo: Roger Clowater

Taloyoak is a community of about 934 people (2021 census) in Nunavut’s western region, Kitikmeot. It is located at the Northwest Passage on the southwestern coast of Boothia Peninsula, and is the northernmost community on Canada’s mainland.

The hamlet is part of the Mountain Standard time zone along with Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Getting to Taloyoak from southern Canada involves first flying to Yellowknife, then a 2-hour flight to Cambridge Bay and a 1-hour 10-minute flight to Taloyoak.

Highlights

Photo: George Akah

Taloyoak means “large caribou hunting blind” in Inuktitut, referring to the rich caribou hunt in the area. In particular, the name pays tribute to the screens hunters would build with stones along caribou migration routes, hiding their location.

According to Travel Nunavut, Taloyoak is home to some of the best fishing (arctic char) in Nunavut. Muskoxen are also found in the area.

The community is known for its “packing dolls” depicting animals dressed in amautiit (parkas worn by Inuit women) carrying their babies on their back. Packing dolls are handsewn by Inuit women.

Weather and landscape

Taloyoak is located between the 69th and 70th parallels and has a tundra climate. From late November to mid-January, the community experiences 24-hour darkness; from summer solstice to late July there is 24-hour sunlight.

According to Travel Nunavut, summer temperatures in Taloyoak “range from 5°C to 20°C. The snow begins to fall in late September or early October. Winter days have four hours of daylight and temperatures that range from -15°C to -35°C. With winter wind chill it can feel like -50°C. Taloyoak enjoys constant 24-hour sunshine from May 17 to July 27.”

Taloyoak is ruggedly beautiful. It is “surrounded by expanses of gently rolling dark tundra and boulder strewn coastal features. There are innumerable small lakes and rivers. Much of the terrain is rocky with an impressive formation rising from the landscape” (Travel Nunavut).