Iqaluit is the capital of the
Canadian territory of
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...
. It is the territory's largest community and its only city, and the northernmost city in Canada. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the
large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. Its traditional
Inuktitut
Inuktitut ( ; , Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics ), also known as Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the North American tree line, including parts of the provinces of ...
name was restored in 1987.
In 1999, Iqaluit was designated the capital of Nunavut after the division of the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...
into two separate territories. Before this event, Iqaluit was a small city and not well known outside the
Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada (), colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada, variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories a ...
or Canada, with population and economic growth highly limited. This is due to Iqaluit's isolation and heavy dependence on expensive imported supplies, as the city, like the rest of Nunavut, has no road or rail connections to the rest of Canada, and has ship connections for only part of the year. Iqaluit has a
polar climate
The polar climate regions are characterized by a lack of warm summers but with varying winters. Every month a polar climate has an average temperature of less than . Regions with a polar climate cover more than 20% of the Earth's area. Most of ...
, influenced by the cold deep waters of the
Labrador Current just off
Baffin Island
Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada, the second-largest island in the Americas (behind Greenland), and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is (slightly smal ...
, which makes the city cold, although it is well south of the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circl ...
.
As of the
2021 Canadian census
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, 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%, whic ...
, the population was 7,429
(
population centre: 6,991
), a decrease of 4.0 per cent from the
2016 census. Iqaluit has the lowest population of any capital city in Canada. Inhabitants of Iqaluit are called ''Iqalummiut'' (singular: ''Iqalummiuq'').
History
Iqaluit has been a traditional fishing location used by
Inuit
Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...
and their predecessors, the
Paleo-Eskimo
The Paleo-Eskimo meaning ''"old Eskimos"'', also known as, pre-Thule people, Thule or pre-Inuit, were the peoples who inhabited the Arctic region from Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka (e.g., Chertov Ovrag) in present-day Russia across North Am ...
(
Dorset culture) and
Thule, for thousands of years. The name, ''Iqaluit,'' comes from
Inuktitut
Inuktitut ( ; , Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics ), also known as Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the North American tree line, including parts of the provinces of ...
Iqaluit (ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ), which means ''place of many fish''.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
resulted in an influx of non-Inuit to the area in 1942, when the United States built
Frobisher Bay Air Base there, on a long-term lease from the
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
, in order to provide a stop-over and refuelling site for the short-range aircraft being ferried to Europe to support the war effort. Iqaluit's first permanent resident was
Nakasuk
Nakasuk (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ) was an Inuit, Inuk who was born at a Seal hunting, sealing camp near Pangnirtung, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut) in the early 20th century and grew up around Kimmirut, Nunavut, Kimmirut (formerly ...
, an
Inuk
Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labr ...
guide who helped
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
planners to choose a site with a large flat area suitable for a landing strip. The wartime airstrip was known as Crystal Two and was part of the
Crimson Route. It operates today as
Iqaluit Airport.
The US and Canadian authorities named it ''Frobisher Bay'', after the name of the body of water it borders.

In 1949, after the war, the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
moved its south Baffin operations to the neighbouring valley of ''Niaqunngut'', officially called
Apex
The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to:
Arts and media Fictional entities
* Apex (comics)
A-Bomb
Abomination
Absorbing Man
Abraxas
Abyss
Abyss is the name of two characters appearing in Ameri ...
, in order to use the airfield. In the mid-1950s, the population of Frobisher Bay increased rapidly during the construction of the
Distant Early Warning Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the north coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska (see List o ...
(DEW line), a system of defensive radar stations—see
NORAD
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ; , CDAAN), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and pr ...
(North American Aerospace Defense Command).
Hundreds of mostly non-Inuit construction workers, military personnel, and administrative staff moved into the community, and several hundred Inuit followed, to take advantage of the access to jobs and medical care provided by the base operations. By 1957, 489 of the town's 1,200 residents were reported to be Inuit. After 1959, the Canadian government established permanent services at Frobisher Bay, including full-time doctors, a school, and social services. The Inuit population grew rapidly in response, as the government encouraged Inuit to settle permanently in communities supported by government services.
Naval Radio Station (NRS) Frobisher Bay (HMCS Frobisher Bay), callsign CFI, was established in July 1954 as a result of the closure of NRS Chimo, Quebec. Station CFI was part of the Supplementary Radio network. Because of its remoteness and size, it was very expensive to operate. Renamed
CFS Frobisher Bay
Canadian Forces Station Frobisher Bay, also known as NRS Frobisher Bay, was a military high-frequency direction-finding station located on Baffin Island at what is now Iqaluit, Nunavut. It opened in July 1954 and closed on July 11, 1966.
See also
...
in 1966, advancing technology eventually forced the closure of CFI later that year.
The American military left Iqaluit in 1963, as their development of the
intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range (aeronautics), range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear warheads). Conven ...
s (ICBM) diminished the strategic value of the
DEW line and
Arctic
The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
airbases. Canada continued to operate an administrative and logistical centre for much of the eastern Arctic at Frobisher Bay. In 1964, the first local elections were held for a community council, and in 1979 for the first mayor. The founding of the Gordon Robertson Educational Centre, now
Inuksuk High School, in the 1971 at Iqaluit confirmed the government's commitment to the community as an administrative centre. At the time of its founding, this was the sole high school operating in what constituted more than one-seventh of Canadian territory.
On 1 January 1987, the name of the municipality was changed from "Frobisher Bay" to "Iqaluit." This aligned official usage with the name that the Inuit population had always used, although many documents were made that referred to Iqaluit as Frobisher Bay for several years after 1987. In the non-binding
1995 Nunavut capital plebiscite, held 11 December, the residents of what would become the new territory selected Iqaluit (over
Rankin Inlet) to serve as the future capital. On 19 April 2001, it became an official city.
Canada designated Iqaluit as the host city for the 2010 meeting of the
G7 (Group of Seven) finance ministers. It was held on 5–6 February. The requirements for the international meeting strained the northern communications technology infrastructure and required supplemental investment.
Timeline
*1576 – Englishman
Martin Frobisher sails into
Frobisher Bay
Frobisher Bay is an inlet of the Davis Strait in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island. Its length is about and its width varies from about at its outlet into the Davis Strait ...
believing he has found the westward route to China. He held the first Anglican church service in North America here.
*1861 –
Charles Francis Hall, an American, camps at the
Sylvia Grinnell River and explores the waters of Koojesse Inlet,
which he names after his Inuit guide.
*1942 – The
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
selects this area as the site of a major air base to support war efforts in the United Kingdom and Europe.
*1949 – The
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
(HBC) moves its
trading post
A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.
Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...
from
Ward Inlet to nearby Apex.
*1955 – Frobisher Bay becomes the centre for the United States/Canada
DEW Line construction operations. Many Inuit continue to settle here for local services.
*1958 – Telephone exchange service established by
Bell Canada
Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun, Quebec, in Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in the province ...
.
*1963 – United States military move out, resulting in some population loss.
*1964 – First community council formed. The population of Frobisher Bay is 900.
*1970 – Frobisher Bay officially recognized as a settlement.
*1974 – Settlement of Frobisher Bay gains village status.
*1976 – Inuit present a proposal for a separate Nunavut Territory to the Federal government.
*1979 – The first mayor elected, Bryan Pearson.
*1980 – Frobisher Bay designated as a town.
*1982 –
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
agrees in principle to the creation of Nunavut.
*1987 – Frobisher Bay is renamed as ''Iqaluit,'' its original Inuktitut name meaning "place of (many) fish".
*1993 – The
Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is signed in Iqaluit.
*1995 – Nunavut residents select Iqaluit as the capital of the new territory
*1 April 1999 – The territory of Nunavut is established.
*19 April 2001 – Iqaluit is chartered as a city.
*2002 – Iqaluit, along with
Nuuk
Nuuk (; , formerly ) is the capital and most populous city of Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the territory's largest cultural and economic center. It is also the seat of gove ...
,
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
, co-host the first jointly hosted
Arctic Winter Games; the
Arctic Winter Games Arena was constructed in Iqaluit for the event.
*5 February 2010 – Canada designates Iqaluit to host the finance meeting as part of the 2010
G7 summit.
*29 July 2022 –
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
visits Iqaluit to meet with a group of former residential school alumni on his
penitential apostolic visit to Canada. He is the first Pope to visit Nunavut.
Geography
Iqaluit is the northernmost city in Canada, at 63 degrees north of the
Equator
The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
. Iqaluit is located in the
Everett Mountains, which rise from Koojesse Inlet,
an inlet of Frobisher Bay, on the southeast part of Baffin Island. It is well to the east of Nunavut's mainland, and northeast of
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay, sometimes called Hudson's Bay (usually historically), is a large body of Saline water, saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of . It is located north of Ontario, west of Quebec, northeast of Manitoba, and southeast o ...
.
Climate
Iqaluit has a
tundra climate
The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''ET'',
Trewartha: ''Ftkd'') typical of the Arctic region, although it is well outside the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circl ...
. The city features long, cold winters and brief, cool summers. Average monthly temperatures are below freezing for eight months of the year.
Iqaluit averages just over of precipitation annually, much wetter than many other localities in the
Arctic Archipelago
The Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is an archipelago lying to the north of the Canadian continental mainland, excluding Greenland (an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, which is, by itself, much larger ...
, with the summer being the wettest season. Temperatures of the winter months are comparable to other northern communities further west on the continent such as
Yellowknife
Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...
and to some extent even
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a Municipal home rule, home rule city and the county seat, borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior Alaska, interior region of Alaska and the second la ...
, even though Iqaluit is a few degrees colder than the latter. Summer temperatures are, however, much colder due to its easterly maritime position affected by the waters of the cold
Baffin Island Current. This means that the
tree line
The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...
is much further south in the eastern part of Canada, being as southbound, in spite of low elevation, as northern
Labrador
Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...
.
Although it is north of the natural tree line, there are some short, south-facing imported
black spruce (''Picea mariana'') specimens protected by
snowdrift
A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind has virtually stopped, usu ...
s in the winter, in addition to a few
shrub
A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
s, which are
woody plant
A woody plant is a plant that produces wood as its structural tissue and thus has a hard stem. In cold climates, woody plants further survive winter or dry season above ground, as opposed to Herbaceous plant, herbaceous plants that die back to t ...
s. These include the
Arctic willow (''Salix arctica''). The Arctic willow may be up to around horizontally, but only tall.
The climate of Iqaluit is also colder than
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...
locations on the same latitude. For example, the Norwegian city of
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
has an annual mean temperature that is milder.
The lowest temperature ever recorded was on 10 February 1967.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Iqaluit was on 21 July 2008.
[
Iqaluit's climate is changing. In 1979, the mean temperature was , but in 2023, it was . Furthermore, during the first 23 years of that period, there were 14 years which displayed a negative temperature anomaly and 9 which displayed a positive one, whereas in the second 23 years, there were only 3 negative and 20 positive temperature anomaly years.
]
Cityscape
Neighbourhoods
*Downtown (central)
*Happy Valley (north)
*Lake Subdivision (north) – residential area
*Lower Base (south)
*Lower Iqaluit (southeast)
*North 40 (northwest) – located on the north side of the airport
*Plateau Subdivision (northwest) – residential area
*Road To Nowhere (north)
*Tundra Valley (west)
*Tundra Ridge (west) – home to two of the city's schools and youth centre
*West 40 (southwest) – commercial area
Suburbs
Apex (Niaqunngut), officially and functionally part of the City of Iqaluit, is a small community about southeast () from Iqaluit's centre and is known in Inuktitut as ''Niaqunngut''. It is located on a small peninsula separating Koojesse Inlet from Tarr Inlet. There is a women's shelter, a church, a primary school ( Nanook Elementary School), a design shop and a bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house.
''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
in the community. Apex was where most Inuit lived when Iqaluit was a military site and off-limits to anyone not working at the base.
Architecture and attractions
Much of Iqaluit's architecture is functionaldesigned to minimize material costs, while retaining heat and withstanding the climate. Early architecture runs from the 1950s military barracks of the original DEW line installation, through the 1970s white hyper-modernist fibreglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...
block of the Nakasuk School and Municipal Offices and Arena, to the lines of the steel-reinforced concrete high-rise complex on the hill above it. A number of older Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
(HBC) and early 1950s buildings have been retained and restored in Apex (the former nursing station has been revived as the Rannva Bed and Breakfast, the HBC buildings as an art gallery). The newer buildings are more colourful and diverse, and closer to the norms of southern architecture.
The principal exception is the Nunavut Legislative Assembly Building, which is remarkable for its colourful interior, adorned with some of the very best in Inuit art. A new legislative building is in planning to be developed and built outside the city on the Apex Road.
Another distinctive building is St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral, see of the Anglican Diocese of The Arctic, which is a white building shaped like an igloo. The old St Jude's Cathedral, also in the shape of an igloo, was built in 1972 but arson severely affected the Cathedral structure and interior on 5 November 2005, and it was demolished on 1 June 2006. Its altar was built by the parishioners, under the guidance of Markoosie Peter, a traditional master carpenter. It was shaped like a traditional Inuit sled, and the cross composed of two crossed narwhal
The narwhal (''Monodon monoceros'') is a species of toothed whale native to the Arctic. It is the only member of the genus ''Monodon'' and one of two living representatives of the family Monodontidae. The narwhal is a stocky cetacean with a ...
tusks.
In December 2010, the exterior of a similarly shaped replacement cathedral was completed, and interior work was planned for 2011 with a potential opening for Christmas 2011. The current building, informally referred to as the Igloo Cathedral, was opened on 3 June 2012. The unique building, in the shape of an igloo, has traditionally been a landmark and tourist attraction in Iqaluit, besides its important spiritual role for Iqalummiut (people of Iqaluit).
On a ridge overlooking the city is the distinctive blue and white Inuksuk High School. The school is made up of four square sections joined that give a cloverleaf shape when viewed from the air.
The city is also the location of the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, which houses a large collection of Inuit and Arctic objects. The museum is housed in a restored and extended Hudson's Bay Company building, clad in the HBC signature red and white, transported to Iqaluit from its original site on the Apex Beach.
Just west of Iqaluit is the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. This park is dominated by the valley of the Sylvia Grinnell River. A small visitor's centre with viewing platform is located on top of a hill overlooking scenic waterfalls, tidal flats and traditional fishing sites.
Nearby on an island near Peterhead Inlet, is the Qaummaarviit Territorial Park. It is a site with a long Inuit history and numerous artifacts have been recovered, including the remains of 11 semi-buried sod house
The sod house or soddy was a common alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of North America in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, they came into use ...
s.
A little farther, across Frobisher Bay, are the Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve and the Soper River
The Soper River (Inuktitut: , meaning "the great river") () is a waterway on Baffin Island, Nunavut. The river flows over and then empties into Soper Lake and Pleasant Inlet. The Soper River was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1992.
Rese ...
, a Canadian Heritage River, forming a park corridor linking Iqaluit along traditional overland travel routes with Kimmirut (formerly Lake Harbour). Frobisher Bay extends for almost to the east, with moderate hills, glaciers and traditional and summer camp sites, opening into the Davis Strait
The Davis Strait (Danish language, Danish: ''Davisstrædet'') is a southern arm of the Arctic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The ...
, which divides Nunavut from Greenland.
Iqaluit, like many Nunavut communities, has a volunteer-run annual spring festival. Called Toonik Tyme, it involves a combination of traditional Inuit activities combined with more modern events, while the Alianait Music and Arts Festival is held for a week each 21 June. The festival has attracted Canadian and international artists such as Joshua Haulli, Quantum Tangle, Washboard Hank and Namgar.
Demographics
In the 2021 Canadian census
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, 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%, whic ...
conducted by Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Iqaluit had a population of 7,429 living in 2,708 of its 3,297 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 7,740. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
The median value of these dwellings is $376,639, quite a bit higher than the national median at $280,552. The average household has about 2.8 people living in it, and the average family has 1.4 children living at home with them. The median (after-tax) household income in Iqaluit is quite high, $98,921, almost double the national rate at $54,089. The median income for an individual in the city, is also high, $60,688. 5.9 per cent of people (over 15 years old) are either divorced or separated, which is quite a bit lower than the national rate at 8.6 per cent. Also, 53.3 per cent of the population is either married or living with a common law partner.
Iqaluit has quite a young population, the median age of the population is more than 10 years younger than the national rate, 30.1 years old compared to 40.6 years old.
For those over the age of 25:
*75.7% are high school educated (15.9% as their highest level of education)
*59.8% are post-secondary school educated
*24.3% have no certificate, diploma or degree
The 2021 census reported that immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
(individuals born outside Canada) comprise 750 persons or 10.3% of the total population of Iqaluit. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were Philippines (195 persons or 26.0%), Cameroon (50 persons or 6.7%), United Kingdom (40 persons or 5.3%), Nigeria (40 persons or 5.3%), Zimbabwe (40 persons or 5.3%), United States of America (35 persons or 4.7%), India (25 persons or 3.3%), Pakistan (20 persons or 2.7%), China (20 persons or 2.7%), Jamaica (20 persons or 2.7%), and Ethiopia (20 persons or 2.7%).
Ethnicity
As of 2016, Iqaluit has the most Inuit in both numbers (3,900) and percentages (59.1 per cent), of all Canadian cities with populations greater than 5,000.
Language
There is no "majority mother tongue" in Iqaluit, as 45.4 per cent reported their mother tongue as being English, and 45.4 per cent also reported their mother tongue as Inuktitut
Inuktitut ( ; , Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics ), also known as Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the North American tree line, including parts of the provinces of ...
. English is spoken by 97.2 per cent of Iqaluit residents, however, whereas only 53.1 per cent can speak Inuktitut. French was the mother tongue of 4.8 per cent of the population, which is the same figure of the population who can speak the language. As of 2012, "Pirurvik, Iqaluit's Inuktitut language training centre, has a new goal: to train instructors from Nunavut communities to teach Inuktitut in different ways and in their own dialects when they return home."
Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Iqaluit included:
*Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
(3,975 persons or 54.4%)
*Irreligion
Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, ...
(3,060 persons or 41.9%)
*Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
(90 persons or 1.2%)
* Indigenous spirituality (50 persons or 0.7%)
*Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
(30 persons or 0.4%)
*Judaism
Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
(20 persons or 0.3%)
*Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
(10 persons or 0.1%)
*Other (75 persons or 1.0%)
Education
The Qikiqtani School Operations based in Pond Inlet
Pond Inlet () is a small, predominantly Inuit community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada, located on northern Baffin Island. To the Inuit the name of the place "is and always has been Mittimatalik." The Scottish explorer John Ross (R ...
operates five schools in the area. Nanook Elementary School, located in Apex, Nakasuk School and Joamie Ilinniarvik School offer kindergarten to grade 5. Aqsarniit Ilinniarvik School offers grades 6 to 8 and Inuksuk High School offers grades 9 to 12.
The Commission scolaire francophone du Nunavut runs École des Trois-Soleils and offers kindergarten to grade 12.
At the post-secondary level there are two, Nunavut Arctic College (Nunatta Campus) and Akitsiraq Law School.
Infrastructure
Emergency services
Emergency services (fire and ambulance) are provided by city from a single station on Niaqunngusiariaq.
The emergency services fleet consists of:
*1 engine
*1 ladder
*2 staff vehicles
*3 ambulances
Iqaluit Airport Emergency Services is responsible for fire services at the airport. Following a fire at the airport in 1998, the Government of Nunavut re-opened the fire station at the airport. Their fleet consists of:
*Waltek C-5500 ARFF
* Oshkosh T3000 ARFF
Policing in Iqaluit, as with the rest of Nunavut, is contracted to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
(RCMP) V Division and the city is home to the divisional headquarters.
Iqaluit also has a Municipal Enforcement Service that enforces local city bylaws. The services include handling of noise and traffic violations and animal control.
Medical services
Qikiqtani General Hospital is the primary care facility in the city. The local public health office also provides primary care services like STI screening and tuberculosis related services. Two dental clinics exist in the city.
Sports facilities
Iqaluit features two arenas, the Arctic Winter Games Arena and Arnaitok, the Iqaluit Aquaplex, a curling rink, Timmianut Pikiuqarvik, an eighteen hole disc golf course, the Frobisher Inn Fitness Centre, in the W.G. Brown Building / Astro Hill Complex, a golf course, outdoor basketball courts, soccer nets, seasonal outdoor ice rinks, a shooting range, a skatepark, and more.
Waste and water treatment
The city's infrastructure is stressed by growth and lack of means to upgrade. Waste from the city is disposed of into an open air dump on Akilliq Drive (West 40) located south of the city.
Although the city has water treatment facilities, raw sewage from the city is often dumped untreated into nearby Frobisher Bay
Frobisher Bay is an inlet of the Davis Strait in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island. Its length is about and its width varies from about at its outlet into the Davis Strait ...
.
As the dump has reached capacity, the city plans to open a second dump north of the city. Iqaluit does not have a recycling program in place; all recyclable materials are sent into the waste stream.
In October 2021, residents of Iqaluit, experienced a water crisis when their tap water was found to be contaminated with fuel. The contamination was traced to a decades-old underground fuel tank that had leaked into the city's water supply. The crisis led to a state of emergency, with residents relying on bottled water and water from nearby rivers for drinking, cooking, and other daily needs. The situation highlighted the challenges of providing safe and reliable water services in remote and Arctic communities.
Transportation
Iqaluit is the smallest Canadian capital in terms of population, and the only capital that is not connected to other settlements by a highway. Located on an island remote from the Canadian highway system, Iqaluit is generally only accessible by aircraft and, subject to ice conditions, by boat.
Iqaluit Airport is a modern facility with a runway long enough for most modern jet aircraft
A jet aircraft (or simply jet) is an aircraft (nearly always a fixed-wing aircraft) propelled by one or more jet engines.
Whereas the engines in Propeller (aircraft), propeller-powered aircraft generally achieve their maximum efficiency at much ...
. A new, larger passenger terminal building north of the old terminal was completed in 2018.
Canadian North serves Iqaluit from Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Yellowknife
Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...
, and several communities in Nunavut. Locally based airlines Air Nunavut, Canadian Helicopters, Nunasi Helicopters, and Unaalik Aviation provide air charter
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).
Regulation
Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flight ...
s, and Air Nunavut and Keewatin Air provide MEDIVAC / air ambulance
Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...
service. Jazz Aviation provided daily service to Iqaluit from Ottawa in 2010 and 2011, but cancelled service due to rising fuel costs, which prevented the route from being profitable.
Iqaluit shared its runway with the Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...
until the Canadian Armed Forces
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...
stopped using Iqaluit as a Canadian NORAD Region Forward Operating Location. The barracks and CF-188 hangars are maintained. The airport has been a centre for cold-weather testing of new aircraft, such as the Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...
in February 2006.
A deep sea port opened in Iqaluit in July 2023, after five years of construction. The port features a dredged fixed dock, mooring space, a cargo laydown area, an all-tide barge ramp, and a fuel manifold.
Initial plans for the port included facilities for a vehicle ferry connection to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...
, however these plans were dropped due to high cost. Experienced locals also cross the Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait () in Nunavut links the Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea to Hudson Bay in Canada. This strait lies between Baffin Island and Nunavik, with its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut ...
from the Canadian mainland when it freezes over, either on foot or by dog sled
A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow, a practice known as mushing. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for Sled dog racing, dog sl ...
or snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow.
Their engines normally ...
, a distance of over .
Iqaluit has a local road system only stretching from the nearby community of Apex
The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to:
Arts and media Fictional entities
* Apex (comics)
A-Bomb
Abomination
Absorbing Man
Abraxas
Abyss
Abyss is the name of two characters appearing in Ameri ...
to the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park, west of town. Iqaluit has no public transportation, although there is citywide taxi service. Iqaluit Public Transit used to offer bus service in the city, but the service was cancelled due to low ridership. Motor cars are increasing in number, to the extent of causing occasional traffic jams known locally as "the rush minute". The cost of shipping automobiles and the wear-and-tear of the harsh Arctic climate combined with its notoriously rough roadways mean that snowmobiles remain the preferred form of personal transportation. All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat ...
s are also common in most of the Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada (), colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada, variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories a ...
. Snowmobiles are used to travel within the city and in the surrounding area. In winter, dog sled
A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow, a practice known as mushing. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for Sled dog racing, dog sl ...
s are still used, but primarily for recreation. In winter, the nearby Qaummaarviit Territorial Park and the more remote Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve are only accessible by snowmobile, dog sled or foot. In the summer, both are accessible by boat. Most major roads within Iqaluit are paved with asphalt, but local and smaller roads are gravel
Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gr ...
. Roads do not have traffic signals, but use stop signs to control intersections.
Residents and businesses identify their locations mostly by building number, and occasionally by the name of a prominent structure. Residents know where in the city certain series of building numbers are located; numbers tend to be aggregated in blocks, so someone might say that they live in the 2600s. Around 2003, street names were developed, although there were delays in finalizing them and posting the signs. Street numbers have not been assigned, and building numbers continue to be used. Iqaluit is the only Canadian capital city not to have traffic signals
Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...
, although some have been installed on a temporary basis.
Communications
Landline services in Iqaluit (established in 1958 by Bell Canada
Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun, Quebec, in Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in the province ...
) and throughout northern Canada (established by Northwestel in five western Nunavut communities, and by Bell Canada elsewhere in Nunavut), are provided since 1992 by Northwestel.
Cell service is provided by Ice Wireless, Bell Mobility, and Qiniq.
Internet service is available through Northwestel, Ice Wireless, Qiniq ( SSi Canada), Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to around 130 countries ...
and Meshnet. Meshnet Community WiFi is a free community WiFi and paid service available in most areas of the city. Free services include access to Isuma.tv, and many other resources.
Media
Press
*'' Nunatsiaq News ''
*'' News/North''
Radio
Television
Iqaluit was served by CFFB-TV channel 8, a CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
/CBC North
CBC North (; ; ) is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio and television service for the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon of Northern Canada as well as Eeyou Istchee and Nunavik in the Nord-du-Québec region of Quebec.
Hist ...
repeater of CFYK-DT (Yellowknife
Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...
) until 31 July 2012 when it was closed because of budget cuts at the CBC.
Notable people
* Eva Aariak, politician, former Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...
(MLA) and second Premier of Nunavut
* Paul-André Brasseur, former child actor
* Alexander Fathoullin, speed skater
* Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, former Commissioner of Nunavut
* Kenn Harper, grocer, amateur historian, and entrepreneur
* Lucie Idlout, rock singer, songwriter
* Matty McNair, US-born explorer
* Mosha Michael, filmmaker["Inuk filmmaker mourned"]
. CBC News
CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...
, 20 November 2009.
* Simonie Michael, first Inuk to be elected to what is now the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, or Legislative Council of the Northwest Territories (with Northwest hyphenated as North-West until 1906), is the legislature and the seat of government of Northwest Territories in Canada. It is a u ...
in 1966
The road to Nunavut: the progress of the eastern Arctic Inuit since the Second World War
' by Ronald Quinn Duffy
*Nakasuk
Nakasuk (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ) was an Inuit, Inuk who was born at a Seal hunting, sealing camp near Pangnirtung, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut) in the early 20th century and grew up around Kimmirut, Nunavut, Kimmirut (formerly ...
, founder of Iqaluit
* Paul Okalik, lawyer, politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, first Premier of Nunavut and former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Provinces and territories of Canada, territorial legislature in Nunavut, Canada. Since 1999 the position has been elected by Members of the Legi ...
. Unsuccessful federal Liberal candidate for Nunavut
* Abe Okpik, politician, worked on Project Surname to obtain family names for Inuit rather than disc number
Disc numbers (, singular: ujamik, dual: ujamiik, plural: ujamiit; ) were used by the Government of Canada in lieu of surnames for Inuit. They were similar to dog tags.
Prior to the arrival of European customs, Inuit had no need of family names ...
s and first Inuk to sit (appointed) on what is now the NWT Legislative Assembly
*Dennis Patterson
Dennis Glen Patterson (born December 30, 1948) is a Canadian politician and lawyer who was Senate of Canada, senator from Nunavut from 2009 until his retirement in 2023. He was the fifth premier of the Northwest Territories from 1987 to 1991. ...
, politician, former MLA and Premier of the NWT (prior to division), former Canadian Senator for Nunavut
* Bryan Pearson, politician, former MLA, first mayor of Iqaluit, businessman
* Ed Picco, politician, former MLA in NWT and Nunavut
* Annabella Piugattuk, actress
* Elisapee Sheutiapik, ex-politician & mayor
* Enooyaq Sudlovenick, marine biologist
* Hunter Tootoo, territorial and federal politician, and former speaker of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly
* Sheila Watt-Cloutier, politician, environmental activist, Nobel nominee
* Anna Lambe, actress
See also
* List of municipalities in Nunavut
Notes
References
Further reading
*Baffin Regional Health Board (Nunavut), and Health Needs Assessment Project (Nunavut). ''Iqaluit Community Profile''. Iqaluit, Nunavut?: Health Needs Assessment Project, Baffin Regional Health Board?, 1994.
*Eno, Robert V. ''Crystal Two: The Origin of Iqaluit''. Arctic. 2003.
*Hodgson, D. A. Quaternary geology of western Meta Incognita Peninsula and Iqaluit area, Baffin Island, Nunavut. Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada, 2005.
*Keen, Jared. Iqaluit Gateway to the Arctic. Calgary: Weigl Educational Publishers Limited
Weigl Educational Publishers Limited is a publishing house in Canada, one of the country's largest.
Linda A. Weigl founded the company in 1979 as a textbook publisher. First based in Saskatchewan, the company moved to Alberta in 1984, and now has ...
, 2000.
* Kublu, Alexina, and Mélanie Gagnon. ''Inuit Recollections on the Military Presence in Iqaluit''. Memory and history in Nunavut, v. 2. Iqaluit, N.W.T.: Nunavut Arctic College, 2002.
*Newbery, Nick. ''Iqaluit gateway to Baffin''. Iqaluit, NT: Published for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 4, Iqaluit by Nortext Pub. Co, 1995.
External links
*
{{Authority control
1942 establishments in Canada
Cities in Nunavut
Hudson's Bay Company trading posts in Nunavut
Populated places established in 1942
Populated places in Baffin Island
Road-inaccessible communities of Nunavut