Kangiqsualujjuaq ᑲᖏᕐᓱᐊᓗᑦᔪᐊᖅ | |
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  Kangiqsualujjuaq | |
| Coordinates:58°41′N65°57′W / 58.683°N 65.950°W /58.683; -65.950[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Nord-du-Québec |
| TE | Kativik |
| Constituted | February 2, 1980 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hilda Snowball |
| • Federal riding | Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou |
| • Prov. riding | Ungava |
| Area | |
• Total | 35.50 km2 (13.71 sq mi) |
| • Land | 34.33 km2 (13.25 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[3] | |
• Total | 956 |
| • Density | 27.9/km2 (72/sq mi) |
| • Change (2016–21) |  1.5% |
| • Dwellings | 270 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code | 819 |
| Website | www |
Kangiqsualujjuaq (/kænˌdʒɪksuˈæluːdʒuæk/kan-JIK-soo-AL-oo-joo-ak;Inuktitut:[kaŋiqsu.alujːu.ˈaq];French:[kɑ̃dʒiksɥalydʒɥak])[4] is anInuit village located at the mouth of theGeorge River on the east coast ofUngava Bay inNunavik,Quebec, Canada. Its population was 956 as of the2021 census.
The settlement's original name,Fort Severight, honoured John Severight, aNorth West Company man who had headedFort Coulonge during McLean's time there. After its re-establishment, it was variously known from its location asFort George, George's River,[5] George River, George River Post, and Fort George River. It was also sometimes known asPort-Nouveau-Québec (French for "Port New Quebec").
The name "Kangiqsualujjuaq" (Inuktitut:ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᔾᔪᐊᖅ) isInuktitut for "the very large bay". It is also sometimes spelled "Kangirsualujjuaq" (ᑲᖏᕐᓱᐊᓗᔾᔪᐊᖅ).
John McLean established Fort Severight for theHudson's Bay Company in 1838.[5] It was a bit south of the present-day town, at58°31′43.03″N65°53′34.58″W / 58.5286194°N 65.8929389°W /58.5286194; -65.8929389 (now marked asIllutaliviniq ontopographic maps). It served as asalmon andseal fishery, supplyingFort Chimo to the west andFort Trial andFort Nascopie to the south. It was abandoned in 1842[5] after Fort Chimo turned out to be an unprofitable station and a path was found to supply Nascopie fromFort 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 50 km (31 mi) 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 theMoravians. The new buildings were built from the old. The site was 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 toPort Burwell in 1917. HBC shuttered its office in June 1952.[5]
In 1959, local Inuit established, on their own initiative, the first co-operative in NorthernQuebec for the purpose of marketingArctic char. Construction of the village began in 1962 and Inuit began to settle there permanently. In 1963 a school, a co-operative store, andgovernment buildings were built. In 1980, Kangiqsualujjuaq was legally established as amunicipality.
Thecommunity was struck by anavalanche in the early morning of January 1, 1999, which destroyed the Satuumavik School gymnasium duringNew Year celebrations, killing nine.[6] Another 25 people were injured, 12 of them seriously enough to have to be airlifted 1,500 km (930 mi) toMontreal for treatment. Some speculated that it may have been triggered by lively dancing at the party.[7] The school was rebuilt on the new, safer location and renamed to Ulluriaq School.
Kangiqsualujjuaq is located 1,688 km (1,049 mi) to the northeast ofMontreal. Enveloped by mountains, the township is framed by picturesque surroundings and its elevated position affords unobstructed views of theGeorge 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), the village landscape is dotted with stands of stunted trees and prostrate groundcover that clings perilously to the ruggedgranite terrain. In low-lying areas, the ground is covered by thick carpets ofmoss andlichen.
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Kangiqsualujjuaq had a population of956 living in247 of its270 total private dwellings, a change of1.5% from its 2016 population of942. With a land area of 34.33 km2 (13.25 sq mi), it had a population density of27.8/km2 (72.1/sq mi) in 2021.[8]
Industries in Kangiqsualujjuaq includehunting ofcaribou,seal andbeluga whale,Arctic charfishing, and the production ofInuit art. The town is also the main terminus of theGeorge Rivercanoeing expeditions (e.g. one ofChewonki Foundation'scanoe trips).[9]
The police services are provided by theKativik Regional Police Force.[9] TheKativik School Board formerly operated the Ulluriaq School, previously the Satuumavik School.[10]
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The town is served by the smallKangiqsualujjuaq Airport.[9] Access is usually by plane, although Kangiqsualujjuamiut occasionally travel toKuujjuaq in winter bysnowmobile and in summer by boat, a journey of approximately 160 km (99 mi) to the southwest. Journeys across theTorngat Mountains by snowmobile to theLabrador settlementsNain andNachvak are rarely embarked upon these days, but were commonplace when dog teams were used.Cargo ships fromBecancour deliver cumbersome supplies and equipment to the community every summer.
Inuit elders from Kangiqsualujjuaq include:
Explorers and missionaries who have visited the town include:
