Aklavik

Aklavik Akłarvik
—  Hamlet  —
Motto: Never Say Die
Aklavik
Coordinates: 68°13′13″N 135°00′42″W
Country	Canada
Territory	Northwest Territories
Region	Inuvik Region
Constituency	Mackenzie Delta
Census division	Inuvik Region, Northwest Territories
Incorporated (hamlet)	1 January 1974
Government
• Mayor	William Storr
• Senior Administrative Officer	Evelyn Storr
• MLA	David Krutko
Area
• Land	8.16 km2 (3.15 sq mi)
Elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population
• Total	594
• Density	72.8/km2 (189/sq mi)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC6)
Canadian Postal code	X0E 0A0
Area code(s)	867
Telephone exchange	978
Prices
- Living cost	162.5
- Food price index	183.5
Website	www.aklavik.ca
Sources: Community Governance Data List 2006 Canada Census Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre Yellowknife profile at the Legislative Assembly Canada Flight Supplement ^A 2005 figure based on Edmonton = 100 ^B 2004 figure based on Yellowknife = 100

Aklavik (from the Inuvialuktun meaning barrenground grizzly place) is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, the community served as the regional administrative centre for the territorial government. Building conditions at the time considered to be unsuitable resulted in the development of Inuvik to the east, meant to entirely replace Aklavik. However, many residents have persevered and kept Aklavik as a community. The mayor of Aklavik is Billy Storr, whose term ends in 2012.

Climate

Climate data for Aklavik
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−23 (−10)	−23 (−9)	−18 (0)	−7 (19)	4 (40)	14 (58)	19 (66)	14 (58)	7 (44)	−4 (25)	−16 (3)	−22 (−8)	−4.5 (24)
Average low °C (°F)	−32 (−26)	−31 (−24)	−27 (−17)	−19 (−2)	−6 (22)	4 (40)	8 (47)	6 (42)	0 (32)	−9 (15)	−23 (−9)	−31 (−24)	−13.3 (8.0)
Precipitation mm (inches)	15 (0.6)	13 (0.5)	10 (0.4)	13 (0.5)	13 (0.5)	20 (0.8)	36 (1.4)	36 (1.4)	23 (0.9)	23 (0.9)	20 (0.8)	10 (0.4)	231 (9.1)
Source: Weatherbase

History

The community

Aklavik began in the early 1900s with the Hudson's Bay Company opening a trading post in 1912 and the Roman Catholic Church establishing a mission in 1926. Located on the Peel Channel, in a good trapping area, the community became a transportation hub in the Mackenzie.

In 1931, Albert Johnson, also known as the "Mad Trapper of Rat River" moved into the area. A complaint was made to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police post in Aklavik and the two members attempted, unsuccessfully, to talk with him concerning trapline tampering. A second attempt was made a few days later, after a search warrant had been obtained, and Johnson shot one of the RCMP. This sparked a 42-day manhunt and ended with the death of Johnson. This incident is famous for introducing the airplane and communications radio as tools to help track a person. Museums dedicated to Albert Johnson can be found in Aklavik and in Fort Smith.

By the 1950s the community had developed and grown to over 1,600 people. However, the Peel Channel was subject to flooding, and the river banks were being washed away. Due to the flooding, the Federal Government built a new community at what is now Inuvik, with the intention of closing Aklavik.

In the 1960s, the principal of Aklavik's school, A. J. (Moose) Kerr, started a committee to help save the community. The efforts were successful and the community survived. The local school is named for him.

Today

Sidewalks in Aklavik

The community has a school with approximately 150 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and Aurora College provides adult education at the Community Learning Centre.

There are two general stores, the Aklavik General Store and the Northern Store operated by The North West Company. The community has a two person RCMP detachment, a health centre with four nurses, a Canada Post outlet, the Aklavik Lodge and the Aklavik Inn (Bessie's Boarding House) for visitor accommodation and two taxi companies.

Like most northern communities, Aklavik has a community hall, a gymnasium that is attached to the school and, uncommonly, a swimming pool.

The community is served only by air, via the Aklavik/Freddie Carmichael Airport, and by winter ice road directly from Inuvik across the streams of the Mackenzie Delta. When the river is open, usually June to September, the Aklavik Water Aerodrome is available for float planes.

Land claims

Mad Trapper grave

Aklavik is one of the few places in the NWT to be included within two different land claims areas, being part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and the Gwich'in Settlement Region.

The Inuvialuit, whose claim, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was settled in 1984, are represented by the Aklavik Community Corporation which in turn forms part of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

The Gwich’in of Aklavik are covered under the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, signed in 1992, and are represented by the Ehdiitat Gwich'in Council. The Ehdiitat Gwich'in Council in turn forms part of the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

Aboriginal peoples

The Inuvialuit of Aklavik are primarily Uummarmiut and are descendants of the Nunatamiut, Inupiat people who migrated from Alaska in the early 20th century. Although at first antagonistic they later intermarried with the local Siglit, whose numbers had dwindled due to disease. They speak Uummarmiutun, which is almost identical to Inupiaq language but is grouped with Inuvialuktun.

The Gwich’in are an Arctic dwelling Dene peoples who inhabit Alaska, Yukon and the NWT. They speak the Gwich’in language which is part of the Athabaskan language family.

Both Inuvialuktun and Gwich’in are official languages of the NWT and as of 2004, 19.3% of the Aboriginal population spoke at least one Native language.

Demographics

A road in Aklavik

Aklavik, as of the 2006 census, had a population of 594 down 6.0% from 2001. Like most other NWT communities the majority of the population, 93.2%, is Aboriginal. However, unlike other communities Aklavik has a large number of both North American Indian, 31.6%, and Inuit, 59.8%, along with a small number of Métis, 1.7%, and non-Aboriginal, 6.8%.

Historical populations
Year	Pop.		%±
1996	756		–
1997	739		-2.2%
1998	736		-0.4%
1999	714		-3.0%
2000	706		-1.1%
2001	687		-2.7%
2002	674		-1.9%
2003	638		-5.3%
2004	624		-2.2%
2005	629		0.8%
2006	616		-2.1%
2007	637		3.4%
2008	642		0.8%
2009	645		0.5%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics

In 2009 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 645 with an average yearly growth rate of -1.2 from 1996. From 1998 to 2007 there were 93 births and 16 deaths in the community. As of the 2009 figures, 15.5% of residents were 9 or under, 7.6% were from 10 to 14 years old, 20.3% were from 15 to 24, 27.6% were from 25 to 44, 19.1% were from 45 to 59, and 9.9% were 60 or older. As of the 2006 Census the median age in Aklavik was 29.0 compared to 31.2 for the NWT and 39.5 for Canada as a whole.

The crime rate for 2008 was 101.2 (per 1,000 persons) for violent crimes, and 68.5 (per 1,000 persons) for property crimes, both numbers above the average for the NWT of 64.8 and 68.5. In 2006 the average income in the hamlet was C$27,372, compared to $48,396 for the NWT, and the average income for a family was $55,813, compared to $101,622 for the NWT, with 37.5% of all families earning less than $30,000.

The community

Notable people

• Frank Carmichael, trapper and former MLA for Mackenzie West and Mackenzie Delta
• Nellie Cournoyea, former Premier of the Northwest Territories
• Glenna Hansen, former Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
• Robert C. McLeod, MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes
• Abe Okpik, first Inuk on the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and spearheaded Project Surname to replace disc numbers
• Vince Steen, former MLA for Nunakput

External links

• Official site
• Municipal Affairs and Community Administration profile