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Rankin Inlet ( iu, Kangiqliniq;
Inuktitut syllabics Inuktitut syllabics ( iu, ᖃᓂᐅᔮᖅᐸᐃᑦ, qaniujaaqpait, or , ) is an abugida-type writing system used in Canada by the Inuktitut-speaking Inuit of the territory of Nunavut and the Nunavik and Nunatsiavut regions of Quebec and Labrador ...
: ᑲᖏᕿᓂᖅResearch Database
/ref> or ''Kangirliniq'', ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ, or ''Kangir&iniq'' meaning ''deep bay/inlet'') 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 Territorie ...
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
on Kudlulik Peninsula in
Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the '' Nunavut Act'' and the '' Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act'' ...
, Canada. It is the largest hamlet and second-largest settlement in Nunavut, after the territorial capital,
Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the Frobisher Bay, large bay on the c ...
. On the northwestern
Hudson Bay Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...
, between Chesterfield Inlet and Arviat, it is the regional centre for the Kivalliq Region. In the 1995 Nunavut capital plebiscite,
Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the Frobisher Bay, large bay on the c ...
defeated Rankin Inlet to become territorial capital of Nunavut.


History

Archaeological sites suggest the area was inhabited around 1200 A.D. by
Thule people The Thule (, , ) or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by the year 1000 and expanded eastward across northern Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people o ...
,
bowhead whale The bowhead whale (''Balaena mysticetus'') is a species of baleen whale belonging to the family Balaenidae and the only living representative of the genus '' Balaena''. They are the only baleen whale endemic to the Arctic and subarctic waters, a ...
hunters. By the late 18th century, they were succeeded by Caribou Inuit who hunted the inland
barren-ground caribou The barren-ground caribou (''Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus''; but subject to a recent taxonomic revision. See Reindeer: Taxomony.) is a subspecies of the reindeer (or the caribou in North America) that is found in the Canadian territories of Nu ...
, and fished for
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 Spawn is the eggs a ...
along the coast, as well as the Diane River and Meliadine River. 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 ...
(HBC) established itself throughout the bay in the 17th century, and after 1717, sloops from
Churchill, Manitoba Churchill is a town in northern Manitoba, Canada, on the west shore of Hudson Bay, roughly from the Manitoba–Nunavut border. It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname ...
traded north to Rankin Inlet and beyond. There was an unfortunate expedition shipwrecked on
Marble Island Marble Island is one of several uninhabited Canadian arctic islands in Nunavut, Canada, located within western Hudson Bay. The closest community is Rankin Inlet. In the nineteenth century, the island was valued as a harbour for overwintering. ...
, east of Rankin Inlet: James Knight's expedition died on the island around 1722. It was surveyed by
William Moor William Moor (died 1765) was a British sailor and explorer associated with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and the annual supply ships to the bay area. Moor was involved, under the supervision of his cousin, Christopher Middleton, with voyages ...
in 1747. HBC contact was followed in the mid-19th century by American and European whalers, who were followed by
fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
rs trapping
white fox , is a Japanese animation studio founded in April 2007 by Gaku Iwasa. The studio's most successful productions include adaptations of ''Steins;Gate'', and '' Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World'', and '' Akame ga Kill!''. History The stu ...
skins in the early 20th century, followed by missionaries who brought a written language system. The town itself was founded by the owners of the Rankin Inlet Mine, just north of Johnston Cove. Starting in 1957, the mine produced
nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow t ...
and
copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...
ores from an underground operation. The mine was the first case of
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 Territorie ...
miners in Canada. When the mine closed in 1962, Rankin Inlet had a population of approximately 500 Inuit, and 70-80% had been mine workers. Several unsuccessful attempts followed to develop alternate sources of income for the town. These included a pig ranch in 1969 and a chicken-raising venture in the 1970s. Both animal groups were fed a diet of local fish, which gave the meat an unpleasant flavour. It was also common for the animals to freeze to death or be eaten by polar bears. The Meliadine Gold Mine operated by Agnico-Eagle opened in 2019 and is expected to produce until at least 2034. From 1985 to 1997, Kivalliq Hall operated as a boarding school for Inuit pupils; it had been recognised as a residential school for the pre-1995 period when it was operated by the Federal government.


Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...
, Rankin Inlet 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.


Arts and culture

Rankin Inlet is not only notable for its artists and artisans, it is recognized as housing the only Inuit fine-arts ceramics production facility in the world. Community artists work in a variety of media including ceramics, prints, bronze castings, carvings, watercolour and drawing. The Matchbox Gallery, founded in 1987, showcases art work and provides educational resources. The community is served by '' Kivalliq News'', a weekly newspaper which publishes in both English and Inuktitut. The annual spring festival Pakallak Tyme includes a fishing competition and snowmobile races.


Services

The community is served by the Rankin Inlet Airport, and by annual supply sealift. Groceries and household goods can be purchased at The North West Company's Northern Store or at the Kissarvik Cooperative. There are two convenience stores, one being The Red Top Variety Shop, formally the Innukshuk Shop, and the other being Kativik True Value Hardware. Both are locally owned and operated. There are several places to dine out which include The Captain's Galley (which is in the Siniktarvik Hotel), Turrarvik Inns North (Kissarvik Cooperative) and three
Tim Hortons Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service res ...
(in the Northern Store and two convenience stores) outlets. There is an auto parts store called Rankin Auto Value. This store has automotive and heavy equipment parts, oils and tooling.


Broadband communications

The community has been served by the Qiniq network since 2005. Qiniq is a fixed wireless service to homes and businesses, connecting to the outside world via a satellite backbone. The Qiniq network is designed and operated by
SSI Micro SSi Canada (formerly known as SSi Micro Ltd.) is a Canadian wireless broadband internet service provider primarily serving remote areas that lack terrestrial service options. SSi was established in 1990 by Jeffrey Philipp and is headquartered in Y ...
. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.


Lodging

Rankin Inlet has several hotels, including the Siniktarvik Hotel and Katimavik Suites.


Geography

Rankin Inlet is notable for the chilling wind, severe winter storms, and water resources. The Diana River empties from the north into the hamlet's namesake inlet. The small Kivalliq Region has several lakes, the largest being Nipissa Lake, and is flanked by two bays, Melvin Bay on the west and Prairie Bay on the east. Paniqtoq Peninsula, on the inlet's far western shore, provides a barrier shelter for the smaller Kivaliq Region. Dozens of islands dot the inlet, including Thomson Island, the largest, and the Barrier Islands, the longest chain. These natural resources attract tourists who hunt, fish, and canoe. The Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park, northwest of Rankin Inlet, is notable for hiking, fishing, bird watching and
Thule Thule ( grc-gre, Θούλη, Thoúlē; la, Thūlē) is the most northerly location mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature and cartography. Modern interpretations have included Orkney, Shetland, northern Scotland, the island of Saar ...
archaeological sites.


Climate

Rankin Inlet has a
subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, g ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
''Dfc''), just short of a
tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...
climate. It is above the
tree line The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snow ...
. Temperatures stay below freezing from late September to early June. Although the climate is
subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic, north of humid continental regions and covering much of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and the Cairngorms. Genera ...
, temperatures rise and fall too rapidly and do not stay above for long enough (30 days) for trees to grow. Under the alternate formula for determining the boundary between Arctic and subarctic climates posited by Otto Nordenskiöld, however, Rankin Inlet, along with Arviat and Baker Lake, qualify as Arctic based on the relationship between the temperatures of the coldest and warmest months; in the case of Rankin Inlet, with a coldest-month (January) mean of , said boundary for the warmest month would be using the Nordenskjöld formula and Rankin Inlet's warmest month (July) averages only . Beginning on January 16, 2008, Rankin Inlet endured the longest recorded
blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling ...
in Canada. Wind speed was or above, with gusts to , and
wind chill Wind chill or windchill (popularly wind chill factor) is the lowering of body temperature due to the passing-flow of lower-temperature air. Wind chill numbers are always lower than the air temperature for values where the formula is valid. When ...
values were as low as . This blizzard lasted 7 days 5 hours.


Notable people

* Jack Anawak *
Levinia Brown Levinia Nuqaalaq Brown (born in 1947 at Dawson Inlet, south of Whale Cove, Nunavut) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the electoral district of Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove in the Legislati ...
*
Tagak Curley Tagak Curley (born 1944) is an Inuit leader, politician and businessman from Nunavut. As a prominent figure in the negotiations that led to the creation of Nunavut, Tagak is considered a living father of confederation in Canada. He was born ...
*
Peter Irniq Piita Taqtu Irniq, formerly Peter Irniq, (born February 1, 1947) is an Inuk politician in Canada, who served as the second commissioner of Nunavut from April 2000 to April 2005. Biography Born in Lyon Inlet near Repulse Bay, Northwest Terri ...
*
Peter Ittinuar Peter Freuchen K. Ittinuar (Inuktitut: ᐲᑎᕐ ᐃᑦᑎᓄᐊᕐ; born January 19, 1950) is a Canadian politician. He was the first Inuk in Canada to be elected as an MP, and represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Co ...
* Jose Kusugak * Lorne Kusugak * Michael Kusugak * Manitok Thompson * John Tiktak * Hunter Tootoo, former Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard *
Jordin Tootoo Jordin John Kudluk Tootoo (; born February 2, 1983) is a Canadian former professional hockey player, who played for the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks. Of Inuit, Ukrainian and English descent, ...
, former
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
player


See also

* Keewatin Air *
Kivalliq Air Keewatin Air (IATA: FK) is an airline that operates from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The airline was started by Frank Robert May (who had been a pilot for Lamb Air) and his wife Judy Saxby in 1971, in the Keewatin Region, then part of the Northwe ...
*
Meadowbank Gold Mine The Meadowbank Gold Mine is an open pit gold mine operated by Agnico-Eagle Mines in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially f ...
* List of municipalities in Nunavut


References


Further reading

*England JI. 1998. "Rankin Inlet Birthing Project: Outcome of Primipara Deliveries". ''International Journal of Circumpolar Health''. 57: 113–5. *''Igalaaq The Rankin Inlet Community Access Centre''. Ottawa, Ont:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy The Caledon Institute of Social Policy, also Caledon Institute, is a private Canadian think tank focused on social policy Social policy is a plan or action of government or institutional agencies which aim to improve or reform society. Some p ...
, 1999. *Jansen, William Hugh. ''Eskimo Economics An Aspect of Culture Change at Rankin Inlet''. Mercury series. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada, 1979. *Mallon, S. T. ''Inuktitut, Rankin Inlet Version''. Yellowknife, N.W.T.: Dept. of Education, 1974. *Shirley, James R., and Darlene Wight. ''Rankin Inlet Ceramics''. Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2003. *Watson, Linvill. ''Television Among Inuit of Keewatin The Rankin Inlet Experience''. Saskatoon, ask. Institute for Northern Studies, University of Saskatoon, 1977. *Feeney, Mara. ''Rankin Inlet''. Fiddletown: Gaby Press, 2009. .


External links

* {{Authority control Mining communities in Nunavut Populated places on Hudson Bay Hamlets in the Kivalliq Region Road-inaccessible communities of Nunavut