We are located on a small bay on the south shore of Chesterfield Inlet on the west shore of Hudson Bay. Our town is located within Nunavut (previously the Northwest Territories) in Canada's far North. Specifically, we are located 63 degrees 20' North, 90 degrees 42'W, which is 101 km NE of Rankin Inlet and 1,147 air km's E of Yellowknife. Click below for a tour of Chesterfield Inlet's location.
TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Sand to gravel landscape with low granite outcrops and inland lakes. We are located on a low and narrow coastal strip.
Our average annual precipitation consists of 14.6 cm of rainfall and 112 cm of snowfall. Our mean high in July is 13.1 degrees with a mean low of 4.6 degrees. In January, our mean high is -27.8 degrees and a mean low of -35.2 degrees. Our current temperature is shown below.
Today, Chesterfield Inlet is a closely knit Inuit settlement of approximately 400 people. Our community has a strong community spirit blended with both modern and traditional lifestyles.
You'll find modern structures in Chesterfield: houses, a health centre, a school, a Co-op and a Northern store. But you'll also spot polar bear and caribou hides drying outside people's homes. Local women sew these into sleeping mats and make parkas from caribou calf skins that may also be drying outside. You may spot fish drying outside which is called "pipsi" or dried arctic char, which is a popular food in the North. Some of the Inuit men may be working outside on snowmobiles or qamutiit (a wooden sled that slides on the ice and snow, often pulled by dog teams). Out in the inlet during summer, you will see commercial fishermen fishing for char with nets.
The Iqalukpik fish plant Arctic char commercial fishing starts from June to September, and is administered by the local Aqigiq Hunters & Trappers Organization.
In winter, most people remain in the community, but year round some of our local people hunt for caribou or fish (with nets) for Arctic char or Lake trout in surrounding lakes. In spring, they're off to the lakes nearby fishing for char and lake trout. In late March, April or May, they head to the floe edge about a half-hour away, to hunt ringed, bearded or harp seals. In October and November, they quickly fill their quota of the polar bears that roam the region — that sometimes make unwelcome appearances in the community! Throughout the year, caribou are only about an hour or so outside of town, making the men's hunting easier.
The ice floe-edge near the Inlet of the bayfront community starts to break-up approximately June 24 and starts to freeze up mid-November.
View our exciting, new booklet about the “original ” Arctic community,
Chesterfield Inlet, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. It takes you back to the early 20th century - our noble beginnings when the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Roman Catholic Church established permanent
operations at this location in 1911. Travel through our history and then take a virtual walking tour of our community. More walking tour information including photos can be found here.
WHAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY
Our children are Chesterfield Inlet's future. They too are a blend of tradition and modern society. They learn both the old ways of our elders and new skills to help them meet the challenges of today's modern society.
Our main learning institutions are Victor Sammurtok School and the Nunavut Arctic College Learning Centre. We asked some Victor Sammurtok School students to tell us about living in Chesterfield Inlet. From their short essays below you will see that the focus is not on television, movies, and other entertainment venues popular in modern Urban centers. Read their stories and get a flavor of what our children do in Chesterfield Inlet.
Fishing derby (long weekend), Hamlet day celebration (day after Victoria Day), Snowmobile Snowcross
June:
National Aboriginal Day - June 21st
July:
Canada Day Celebration Nunavut Day - July 9th
October:
Halloween
November:
Hockey Season Starts
December:
Christmas Celebrations
STATUTORY HOLIDAYS
January 1st - New Year's Day
April - Good Friday & Easter Monday
May - Victoria Day
July 1st - Canada Day
August - Civic Holiday
September - Labour Day
October - Thanksgiving Day
November - Remembrance Day
December 25th - Christmas Day
LIST OF POLITICAL POSITIONS - YEAR 2011 - 2012
Council meetings are scheduled Thursday on the third week of each month.
Senator: Dennis Patterson
Member of Parliament: Leona Aglukkaq Member of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly - Nanulik: Johnny Ningeonan
Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet - Municipal Government
