Kangiqsualujjuaq (; ) is an
Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
village located at the mouth of the
George River on the east coast of
Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay (french: baie d'Ungava, ; iu, ᐅᖓᕙ ᑲᖏᖅᓗᒃ/) is a bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik (far northern Quebec) from Baffin Island. Although not geographically apparent, it is considered to be a marginal sea of the ...
in
Nunavik,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada. Its population was 956 as of the
2021 census.
Names
The settlement's original name, Fort Severight, honoured John Severight, a
North West Company man who had headed
Fort Coulonge during McLean's time there. After its reestablishment, it was variously known from its location as Fort George, George's River,
[ George River, George River Post, and Fort George River. It was also sometimes known as ( French for "Port New Quebec").
The name "Kangiqsualujjuaq" ( iu, ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᔾᔪᐊᖅ, i=no) is Inuktitut for "the very large bay". It is also sometimes spelled "Kangirsualujjuaq" ().
]
Geography
Kangiqsualujjuaq is located to the northeast of Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
. Enveloped by mountains, the township is framed by picturesque surroundings and its elevated position affords unobstructed views of the George River. The town itself is laid out on a grid pattern over levelled-ground, with two unsealed roads leading a few kilometres beyond the mountain ridges at either end of the village. Amidst rocky outcrops and stone way-finding markers (Inukshuk
An inuksuk (plural inuksuit) or inukshuk (from the iu, ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ, plural ; alternatively in Inuinnaqtun, in Iñupiaq, in Greenlandic) is a type of stone landmark or cairn built by, and for the use of, Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit, Yu ...
), the village landscape is dotted with stands of stunted trees and prostrate groundcover that clings perilously to the rugged granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
terrain. In low-lying areas, the ground is covered by thick carpets of moss and lichen.
History
John McLean
John McLean (March 11, 1785 – April 4, 1861) was an American jurist and politician who served in the United States Congress, as U.S. Postmaster General, and as a justice of the Ohio and U.S. Supreme Courts. He was often discussed for t ...
established Fort Severight for the Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
in 1838.[ It was a bit south of the present-day town, at (now marked as ''Illutaliviniq'' on ]topographic maps
In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but histori ...
). It served as a salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
and seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
fishery, supplying Fort Chimo
Kuujjuaq (; iu, ᑰᑦᔪᐊᖅ, i=no or iu, ᑰᔾᔪᐊᖅ, i=no, label=none, "Great River"), formerly known as and by other names, is a former Hudson's Bay Company outpost at the mouth of the Koksoak River on Ungava Bay that has become ...
to the west and Fort Trial and Fort Nascopie
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
to the south. It was abandoned in 1842[.] after Fort Chimo turned out to be an unprofitable station and a path was found to supply Nascopie from Fort Smith to the southeast. The Inuit of the area never settled around the post, preferring to live along the coast in summer and setting their camps about inland in winter.
The site was taken up again in September 1876, mostly to capture the local indigenous peoples' trade which had been going to the Moravians. The new buildings were built from the old. The site abandoned again in the summer of 1878 before reopening again in 1883. It again functioned as a salmon and seal fishery for Fort Chimo, although it carried on some local trading until that was removed to Port Burwell in 1917. HBC shuttered its office in June 1952.[
In 1959, local Inuit established, on their own initiative, the first co-operative in Northern ]Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
for the purpose of marketing Arctic char
The Arctic char or Arctic charr (''Salvelinus alpinus'') is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes and arctic and subarctic coastal waters. Its distribution is Circumpolar North. It spawns in freshwater and populat ...
. Construction of the village began in 1962 and Inuit began to settle there permanently. In 1963 a school, a co-operative store, and government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
buildings were built. In 1980, Kangiqsualujjuaq was legally established as a municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
.
The community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...
was stricken by an avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain.
Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and eart ...
in the early morning of January 1, 1999, which destroyed the Satuumavik School gymnasium during New Year
New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...
celebrations, killing nine. Another 25 people were injured, 12 of them seriously enough to have to be airlifted to Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
for treatment. Some speculated that it may have been triggered by lively dancing at the party. The school was rebuilt on the new, safer location and renamed to Ulluriaq School.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...
conducted by Statistics Canada, Kangiqsualujjuaq had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Economy
Industries in Kangiqsualujjuaq include hunting
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...
of caribou, seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
and beluga whale
The beluga whale () (''Delphinapterus leucas'') is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus ''Delphinapterus''. It is also known as the ...
, Arctic char
The Arctic char or Arctic charr (''Salvelinus alpinus'') is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes and arctic and subarctic coastal waters. Its distribution is Circumpolar North. It spawns in freshwater and populat ...
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
, and the production of Inuit art
Inuit art, also known as Eskimo art, refers to artwork produced by Inuit, that is, the people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos, a term that is now often considered offensive. Historically, their preferred medium was walrus ivory, but s ...
. The town is also the main terminus of the George River canoeing expeditions (e.g. one of Chewonki Foundation
The Chewonki Foundation is a non-profit institution in Wiscasset, Maine which runs educational programs with an environmental focus.
Background
Founded in 1915 as a summer camp for boys, the Foundation now runs a four-month high school program ...
's canoe trips).[
]
Government
The police services are provided by the Kativik Regional Police Force
The Nunavik Police Service (NPS; french: Service de police du Nunavik, iu, ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥ ᐳᓖᓰᑦ ᐱᒍᑦᔨᔨᖏᑦ) delivers regular policing services in the 14 remote northern villages of the Kativik Region. The headquarters of the N ...
. The Kativik School Board
The Kativik School Board (KSB; french: Commission scolaire Kativik, iu, ᑲᑎᕕᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᕐᓂᓕᕆᓂᖅ Kativik Ilisarniliriniq) is a school district with territory in Nunavik in northern Quebec; it has an office in the Saint-Laurent ar ...
formerly operated the Ulluriaq School, previously the Satuumavik School.
Transportation
The town is served by the small Kangiqsualujjuaq Airport.[ Access is usually by plane, although Kangiqsualujjuamiut occasionally travel to ]Kuujjuaq
Kuujjuaq (; iu, ᑰᑦᔪᐊᖅ, i=no or iu, ᑰᔾᔪᐊᖅ, i=no, label=none, "Great River"), formerly known as and by other names, is a former Hudson's Bay Company outpost at the mouth of the Koksoak River on Ungava Bay that has become ...
in winter by snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...
and in summer by boat, a journey of approximately to the southwest. Journeys across the Torngat Mountains
The Torngat Mountains are a mountain range on the Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador and eastern Quebec. They are part of the Arctic Cordillera. by snowmobile to the Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
settlements Nain and Nachvak are rarely embarked upon these days, but were commonplace when dog teams were used. Cargo ships from Montreal deliver cumbersome supplies and equipment to the community every summer.
Notable people
* Mary Simon (Ningiukadluk), 30th Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
* Donat Savoie
Donat Savoie (born in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian anthropologist, was the interim Executive Director of Canada's Inuit Relations Secretariat and chief federal negotiator for Nunavik self-government before his retirement in 2006.
Early year ...
Inuit elders from Kangiqsualujjuaq include:
* Noah Angnatuk
* George Annanack
* Johnny Sam Annanack
* Maggie Annanack (Elsie Imaq)
* Sarah Annanack
* Willie Emudluk
* Tivi Etok
* Willie Etok
* Benjamin Jararuse
Explorers and missionaries who have visited the town include:
* Mina Benson Hubbard
* George Kmoch
* Benjamin Gottlieb KohlmeisterBenjamin Gottlieb Kohlmeister
/ref>
* Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low (May 24, 1861 – October 9, 1942) was a Canadian geologist, explorer and athlete. His explorations of 1893–1895 were important in declaring Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic, and eventually defining the border between Quebec ...
* John McLean
John McLean (March 11, 1785 – April 4, 1861) was an American jurist and politician who served in the United States Congress, as U.S. Postmaster General, and as a justice of the Ohio and U.S. Supreme Courts. He was often discussed for t ...
Images
Image:2850 LK Kangiqsualujjuaq Hotel.jpg, Kangiqsualujjuaq Hotel
Image:2941 LK Kangiqsualujjuaq at night.jpg, Kangiqsualujjuaq at night
Image:3088 LK Kangiqsualujjuaq hike.jpg, Inukshuk
An inuksuk (plural inuksuit) or inukshuk (from the iu, ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ, plural ; alternatively in Inuinnaqtun, in Iñupiaq, in Greenlandic) is a type of stone landmark or cairn built by, and for the use of, Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit, Yu ...
Image:3070 LK Kangiqsualujjuaq hockey rink.jpg, Kangiqsualujjuaq hockey rink
References
External links
{{Commons category
Kativik Regional Government
Nunavik tourism - Kangiqsualujjuaq website
Kangiqsualujjuaq, Quebec
Statistics Canada
Ulluriaq School, Kangiqsualujjuaq
''Inuit Knowledge and Perceptions of the Land-Water Interface''
a comprehensive study of the Kangiqsualujjuaq people and their knowledge and perceptions of their homelands by Scott Heyes (2007)
Schooling the North
Populated coastal places in Canada
Inuit communities in Quebec
Road-inaccessible communities of Quebec