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Cambridge Bay

Introduction

Along the shores of the Queen Maud Gulf on the southeast coast of VictoriaIsland, nestled beside high hills, lies Cambridge Bay, the regional center for theKitikmeot Region. The traditional name for Cambridge Bay, Iqaluktuuttiaq,means "one with plenty of fish", for the excellent fishing that can be found inlakes and rivers nearby.

Within walking distance of the community, you'll discover many archeologicalsites as you venture near the river to the northeast and further into the MountPelly and Ovayok Territorial Park area.

Cambridge Bay is a community of approximately 1400 people, the majority beingInuit. Although English is widely spoken throughout the community,Inuinnaqtun is the traditional language of the Inuit people of Cambridge Bay.

History

Over the centuries, Cambridge Bay was often used as a summer gathering placefor the Copper Inuit (so called by the non-Inuit because they made many of their

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tools and weapons from copper). The Copper Inuit were attracted to the regionbecause of its abundance of good hunting, notably seals, caribou and ArcticChar. Caribou and Char are local food staples to this day, and continue toprovide work and income to the Inuit.

The Hudson's Bay Company arrived in 1921, late by Canadian standards. Thecompany purchased the Maud, explorer Roald Amundsen's schooner, for use asa supplies and trading ship. This little piece of Arctic history was used for yearsbefore being left to sink into disrepair at the bottom of the harbour, where its hullcan still be seen today.

The Distant Early Warning site, known as the DEW Line, started operations onFebruary 15th, 1954. The DEW Line was designed and built during the Cold Waras the primary air defense warning station, to be used in case of an over-the-poleinvasion aimed at North America. Attack by enemy nuclear bombers andmissiles from across the pole was considered a real threat to the security of theUnited States and Canada at that time. To provide early warning of such anattack, the DEW Line sites were established in a strategic pattern across thetundra of northern Greenland, Canada andAlaska. The DEW Line consisted ofradar stations with overlapping radar coverage and the ability to detect aircraftand missiles within their areas of surveillance. The Distant Early Warning site inCambridge Bay remains operative to this day, although its purpose has changed.

Wildlife

The traditional Inuit lifestyle is still valued today due, in part, to the variety ofwildlife that thrive on the tundra; Caribou, Muskoxen, Polar Bears and RingedSeals abound. Tundra birds, such as Tundra Swans, Whistling Swans, Jaegers,and other waterfowl can be seen on the brilliantly flowered tundra during Julyand August. Arctic char are also plentiful in the waters around Cambridge Bay.

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Weather

Cambridge Bay’s weather is typical of most northern communities.Temperatures are extremely cold in the winter, ranging from -25 to -35°C. If youinclude the wind chill, temperatures can drop to _60°C or below. Thetemperature in July and August usually averages between 5 and 15oC. There willbe the occasional blizzard (or two) in Cambridge Bay during the course of thewinter.

At a latitude of 69ºN, Cambridge Bay experiences six weeks of darkness in thewinter. The light diminishes steadily until the first week of December andremains almost completely dark until the first week of January. At that point, webegin to gain twenty minutes of sunlight a day until we reach the 24-hour

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daylight period around the start of June. The cycle then reverses and we begin toinch towards the dark season as the summer solstice comes to pass in June. Youmay find that you are very tired during the dark season so it is important to havegood quality light sources in your living quarters. Many people put tin foil orblack garbage bags over their windows to make sleeping easier during the lightnights. Even with these provisions in place, you may find that you are ready tostart your day at 4am.

Transportation

Cambridge Bay is very fortunate to have two airlines, Canadian North and FirstAir, providing passenger air service to and from Yellowknife every day of theweek. First Air offers jet service on Tuesdays and Thursdays; ATR planes areused on all other scheduled runs. First Air does not fly to Cambridge onSaturdays. Canadian North provides jet service into Cambridge Bay onMondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. First Air and Kenn Borek also providescheduled flights to other destinations in the region. Various companies areavailable for private air charter requirements.

Transportation means vary from trucks and SUVs to snowmobiles and ATVs. Allpoints in town are within walking distance, if the weather chooses to cooperate.Taxi service is available during specified hours.

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Housing

One, two and three bedroom apartments are available. When you are assignedan apartment, be sure to ask if it is a furnished or unfurnished unit.

A furnished unit includes complete bedroom, dining room, living roomfurniture, fridge, stove, and washer & dryer. Microwave ovens, televisions,stereos, and curtains are not included. Rent ranges from approximately $785-$1500 monthly and is deducted from your pay. Utilities such as water delivery,sewage pump out, power, telephone, and cable/satellite services are notincluded in your rent.

Both water and sewage services are provided by trucks on a regular basis and itis a good idea to use your water wisely. Upon arrival in Cambridge Bay, visit thehamlet office to have your service connected. The telephone number for thewater and sewage delivery is 983-2186. Water and sewage services are availableuntil 7:00 pm each evening.

The Schools

There are two schools in Cambridge Bay. Kullik Ilihakvik, the elementary school,offers Kindergarten through grade six. Kiilinik High School offers grades seventhrough twelve. The population of Kullik is approximately 250 students, 11teachers, a language/cultural specialist, and 1 counselor. The average class size is25 students per class (give or take a few). At Kullik Ilihavik, there is a computerlab of Macintosh, Internet-accessible computers, a gymnasium, library, andlanguage/cultural area.

Kullik Ilihakvik is located in the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay in the central Arcticknown as the Kitikmeot Region. We are a kindergarten to grade 6 school withapproximately 240 students consisting of ten classrooms, fully equipped library,computer lab, large gym with stage, language cultural area and kitchen. Ourschool promotes cultural activities whenever possible and is moving towardsbilingual education with support from our language instructor and bilingualteachers. We have a community school counselor, Program Support Teacher andStudent Support assistants. Our school bus runs from October to April. Ourschool year is filled with special interest days such as Theme Days, On the LandDays and Sport Days. We are an active dynamic school in Western Nunavut.

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Kiilinik High School is a fairly new school, having been completed in 2002. Thestudent population at Kiilinik High School is approximately 250 students, with13 teachers and a language/cultural specialist. The average class size at themiddle level is around 22 students with high school classes averaging about 15students. Kiilinik High School has new facilities, including a home economicsand industrial arts area, science labs, full-size gymnasium, art room, and mobile,wireless computers. Although the two schools are well resourced, you arewelcome to bring your own favourite resources.

For most students, English is the first language spoken; however, to somestudents, English is a second language.

To contact the schools:

Kullik Ilihakvik (K-6): phone (867) 983-2510 fax (867) 983-2515Kiilinik High School (7-12): phone (867) 983-2726 fax (867) 983-2455

Food

Northern Store- Cambridge Bay has a Northern store. You can purchasegroceries, clothing, music/movies, electronics, hardware, hunting, camping andfishing supplies. You can also place an order from the Selections catalogue forvarious types of merchandise ranging from clothing to snowmobiles to furniture.Attached to the Northern is the Quick Stop, which is a fast food outlet servingKFC, Pizza Hut, and submarine sandwiches, as well as movie/DVD rentals.

Co-op Store- as with the Northern, you can purchase groceries, some clothing,music/movies, electronics, hardware, hunting, camping and fishing supplies,furniture, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc. Orders can also be placed for large ticketitems. If you need to fill up your vehicle, gasoline and diesel pumps operateoutside the building.

Food and other items at both stores can be very expensive. Here are someexamples of food costs:

Bread- $2.69 - $5.19Produce- prices vary according to season, but substantially higher than the costin southern Canada

2L of Milk- $7.49Meat- prices vary, but are substantially higher than the cost in southern Canada.

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Eggs- $4.492L Pop- $6.49

**Most produce is available all year round, though the quality is not alwaysguaranteed.

Kitikmeot Foods- our meat processing plant, where you can purchase traditionalfood such as fish, caribou and muskox in various forms (jerky, steaks, roasts).Prices are high, but it is well worth tasting some traditional country foods.

Kitikmeot Supplies- this hardware store sells building supplies, automotive,electrical appliances, naphtha, and office/business supplies. You can also placeorders for various types of merchandise, such as furniture, snowmobiles, ATV’s,and automobiles.

As a result of high food prices in the north, many people place food orders withvarious companies in Yellowknife and Edmonton. Orders can usually be placed2-3 times a week, and will come up via airfreight. It is your responsibility to pickup your orders from the various cargo depots or have it delivered at $10/box.

People also place orders to come up once a year - August/September _ on thebarge, via NTCL (Northern Transportation Company Ltd.) These may includecase lots of food or cleaning supplies, furniture, appliances, and vehicles. Againorders are placed with various southern companies, and delivered on the bargeat the end of the summer. You have to contact the individual companies for theirbarge order deadlines _usually sometime in June, or the first of July.

Here is a list of some of the companies you can order from:

Northern Store (Hay River, NT) Phone (867) 874-6545Fax (867) 874-2544

Independent Cash & Carry (Enterprise, NT)Phone (867) 984-3002Fax (867) 984-3005

The Grocery People (Edmonton, AB)Phone (780) 451-0882

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*For boat and sailing details and schedules, call NTCL at (867) 983-2472. It is veryimportant to place your order before the cut-off times.

Services

Banks: There is a Royal Bank in Cambridge Bay. For those who do not bank withRBC, normal banking activities can be done over the phone, Internet, or throughmail. The bank has a full-service ATM machine that can be accessed until 10:00pm each evening. Cheques can be cashed at the Co-Op and Northern Stores inaddition to the bank. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. There is a cash machineinside the Northern Store that can be used for withdrawals only.

Communications: For phone service, call Northwestel at 1-800-661-0493. Aresidential line costs $35 per month. A long distance calling plan is available for$25 per month.

CBC radio broadcasts on an FM station, which is interrupted at intervals duringthe day with local programming. There is a local radio station, CFBI, whichbroadcasts various types of music along with community announcements.

Cable is provided in Cambridge Bay through the Co-op Store. Many people haveBell ExpressVu satellites because they offer more channels. Order the largest sizedish if you choose to buy a satellite.

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Internet service is available at the school or the library free of charge. There isalso a community access, or CAP site at the Hamlet office. Polarnet offers dial-upInternet services to residents of the Kitikmeot communities. At this time theconnection is rather slow, compared to Internet services in southern Canada; wehope this changes in the near future. Call the local Internet provider at 983-2176.

The Canada Post Office is open from 8:30am to 5pm. Allow two to three weeksfor letter or parcel delivery in Canada. Express Post is available, and willsignificantly cut down on the time of delivery.

Power: The Nunavut Power Corporation supplies the town with diesel drivenelectricity. Power service is well subsidized and fees vary depending on yourresidence, consumption, and household. A typical power bill can cost anywherefrom $50 to $150 per month. To set up your electricity account, call NunavutPower Corporation at 983-7100, or 1-800-491-8127.

Medical: The Health Centre is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm, staffed byregistered nurses who treat routine health problems. Nurses are also on call foremergencies. A mini-hospital is being built in Cambridge Bay. Contact the healthcentre at 983-2531 if you need medical attention. Serious medical conditions,procedures, or emergencies are flown to Yellowknife or Edmonton.

Police: the RCMP has a detachment in Cambridge Bay. To contact the RCMP call983-1111 for emergencies, or 983-1234 for non-emergency calls. There are alsocommunity by-law officers, employed by the hamlet, who regularly patrol thecommunity.

Recreation

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For recreational activities, Cambridge Bay has an arena, game hall, curling rink,seasonal pool, playgrounds for children, outdoor basketball courts, and abaseball diamond. The school gyms are used by the community for activities inthe evenings and on weekends. Activities include soccer, floor hockey,basketball, and volleyball. The Hamlet operates a weight room which has somefixed weights, bike, rowing machine, treadmill, free weights, and a punchingbag.

Omingmak Frolics is a community event held on the third weekend of May thatfeatures a competitive seal hunt, talent show, snowmobile races, children'sgames, cooking and tea boiling, ice chiseling and fishing contests.

Outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing, and snowmobile riding arepopular. Many teachers either purchase a skidoo or bring one with them to goout exploring on the land. For hunting and fishing licenses, call the departmentof sustainable resources.

Alcohol is permitted in Cambridge Bay; with a permit, you may order alcoholfrom Iqaluit.