Baker Lake, Nunavut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Baker Lake ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ Qamani’tuaq   |
|
|---|---|
| — Hamlet — | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 64°19′05″N 096°01′03″W / 64.31806°N 96.0175°WCoordinates: 64°19′05″N 096°01′03″W / 64.31806°N 96.0175°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Territory |  Nunavut |
| Region | Kivalliq Region |
| Electoral district | Baker Lake |
| Government [1][2] | |
| - Type | Hamlet Council |
| - Mayor | David Aksawnee |
| - MLAs | Moses Aupaluktuq |
| Area [3] | |
| - Total | 182.22 km2 (70.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation [4] | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Population (2006)[3] | |
| - Total | 1,728 |
| - Density | 9.5/km2 (24.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC−6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−5) |
| Canadian Postal code | X0C 0A0 |
| Area code(s) | 867 |
Baker Lake (Qamani’tuaq ("where the river widens"), Inuktitut syllabics:ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ, "big lake joined by a river at both ends"), is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located 320 km (200 mi) inland from Hudson Bay, it is near the nation's geographical centre, and is notable for being the Canadian Arctic's sole inland community.[5] The hamlet is located at the mouth of the Thelon River on the shore of Baker Lake. The community was given its English name in 1761 from Captain William Christopher who named it after Sir William Baker 11th Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.[5][6][7]
In 1946 the population was 32 of which 25 were Inuit.[5] By the 2006 census, the population of 1,728 represented an increase of 14.7% from the 2001 census There are also roughly 1,000 miners that work in nearby mines. A new Uranium mine is expected in a few years. Controversy exists regarding the final resting place of the toxic wastes created from this mine. There is concern that it will be dumped in an un-environmental fashion with the chemicals leaching into the water table. As the town gets its drinking water from the lake, this is a source of the town's concerns.[3]
The mayor of Baker Lake is David Aksawnee.
The settlement is served by Baker Lake Airport, linking it to the nearby coastal town of Rankin Inlet. Calm Air and First Air serve the town with 2 flights daily. They also fly on Sundays from Winnipeg to Rankin Inlet then Baker Lake. Baker Lake is approximately 30 minutes by air from Rankin Inlet.
Although Baker Lake is not a dry town, the only source of local alcohol is through the rural RCMP detachment where one can order wine, beer and hard liquor. Food mail is also available. Residents can order their items from Thompson, MB where the freight is subsidized. Groceries can also be purchased from the Northern (formerly The Hudson's Bay Company) and the local Co-op Store.
Baker Lake has a woman's shelter, elder's centre and youth centre. The Baker Lake Blizzards are considered the town's hockey favourites. Many teens play hockey, volleyball and badminton in competitive tournaments with other Arctic towns.
Baker Lake has cellular telephone service and the local teenagers are texting wizards like their counterparts at lower latitudes.
The community has a FM radio station, (radio bingo is considered very popular), a health centre, social services, mental health services, community library, an art gallery and hotel accommodations. Sunday brunch is offered every other week at some of the hotels.
There are three churches in the community, Anglican, Catholic and Glad Tidings.
Baker Lake is host to a variety of wildlife including: Caribou, muskox, arctic hares and jack rabbits, wolves, wolverines, sik-siks, geese, lake trout, among others.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1916, the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post at Baker Lake, followed by Anglican missionaries in 1927. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been in the area for fifteen years before establishing a post at Baker Lake in 1930. A small hospital was built in 1957, followed by a regional school the next year.
[edit] People
Baker Lake is home to eleven Inuit groups:
- Ahiarmiut/Ihalmiut, originally from the north of Back River area, and from Ennadai Lake
- Akilinirmiut, originally from the Akiliniq Hills, Thelon River area of Beverly Lake, Dubawnt Lake, Aberdeen Lake
- Hanningajurmiut, originally from Garry Lake
- Harvaqtuurmiut, originally from the Kazan River area
- Hauniqturmiut, originally from Whale Cove's south, between Sandy Point and Arviat
- Iluilirmiut/Illuilirmiut, originally from Adelaide Peninsula (Iluilik), Chantrey Inlet area
- Kihlirnirmiut, originally from the Garry Lake area between Bathurst Inlet, Cambridge Bay
- Natsilingmiut, originally from Baker Lake area between Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Kugaaruk, Repulse Bay
- Padlermiut, originally from the Baker Lake to Arviat area
- Qaernermiut, originally from the lower Thelon River, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Corbett Inlet areas, between Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove
- Utkuhiksalingmiut, originally from the Back River and Gjoa Haven/Wager Bay area
The Baker Lake community is known for its printmaking and has been home to internationally exhibited artists such as Simon Tookoome, and the late Jessie Oonark and Luke Anguhadluq. There are also great handmade seal skin mitts, parkas, shirts, handbags among other things made at the Jessie Oonark Crafts Ltd store and studio.
[edit] Climate
| Weather data for Baker Lake Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | -1.7 (29) |
-4.1 (25) |
1.5 (35) |
5.0 (41) |
13.9 (57) |
28.1 (83) |
33.6 (92) |
30.9 (88) |
22.6 (73) |
9.7 (49) |
2.2 (36) |
-1.1 (30) |
33.6 (92) |
| Average high °C (°F) | -28.7 (-20) |
-27.9 (-18) |
-22.9 (-9) |
-12.6 (9) |
-2.2 (28) |
9.2 (49) |
16.7 (62) |
14.0 (57) |
5.9 (43) |
-4.2 (24) |
-16.3 (3) |
-24.8 (-13) |
-7.8 (18) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | -32.3 (-26) |
-31.5 (-25) |
-27.2 (-17) |
-17.4 (1) |
-5.8 (22) |
4.9 (41) |
11.4 (53) |
9.5 (49) |
2.6 (37) |
-7.5 (19) |
-20.1 (-4) |
-28.4 (-19) |
-11.8 (11) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -35.8 (-32) |
-35.1 (-31) |
-31.5 (-25) |
-22.1 (-8) |
-9.4 (15) |
0.5 (33) |
6.0 (43) |
5.0 (41) |
-0.6 (31) |
-10.7 (13) |
-23.9 (-11) |
-31.9 (-25) |
-15.8 (4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | -50.6 (-59) |
-50.0 (-58) |
-50.0 (-58) |
-41.1 (-42) |
-27.8 (-18) |
-13.9 (7) |
-1.7 (29) |
-3.4 (26) |
-14.4 (6) |
-30.6 (-23) |
-42.7 (-45) |
-45.6 (-50) |
-45.6 (-50) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 7.5 (0.3) |
7.2 (0.28) |
10.5 (0.41) |
13.6 (0.54) |
15.6 (0.61) |
24.1 (0.95) |
41.8 (1.65) |
47.0 (1.85) |
44.1 (1.74) |
32.1 (1.26) |
17.0 (0.67) |
10.2 (0.4) |
270.4 (10.65) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.5 (0.02) |
6.7 (0.26) |
20.8 (0.82) |
41.8 (1.65) |
45.7 (1.8) |
35.8 (1.41) |
5.3 (0.21) |
0.1 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
156.7 (6.17) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 8.4 (3.3) |
8.4 (3.3) |
12.8 (5) |
15.3 (6) |
10.2 (4) |
3.3 (1.3) |
0.0 (0) |
1.3 (0.5) |
8.1 (3.2) |
29.4 (11.6) |
21.3 (8.4) |
12.2 (4.8) |
130.7 (51.5) |
| Sunshine hours | n/a | 103.1 | n/a | 229.5 | 229.5 | 271.9 | 320.7 | 208.9 | 96.4 | n/a | 48.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Humidex | -2.0 | -4.7 | 1.2 | 4.1 | 13.5 | 30.5 | 37.8 | 33.4 | 26.1 | 9.5 | 1.7 | -1.7 | 37.8 |
| Wind chill | -71.5 | -70.5 | -66.1 | -58.5 | -42.3 | -23.5 | -6.2 | -10.2 | -23.0 | -46.9 | -59.2 | -64.0 | -71.5 |
| Avg. rainy days | 0 | 0 | 0.03 | 0.33 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 9.2 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 42.7 |
| Avg. snowy days | 6.9 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 5.6 | 1.7 | 0.03 | 0.43 | 5 | 13.3 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 75.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days | 6.7 | 7 | 7.8 | 8 | 6.9 | 7.5 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 110.7 |
| Source: Environment Canada[8] 2009-12-09 | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Environment Canada[9] 2009-12-09 | |||||||||||||
[edit] See also
- David Simailak
- Baker Lake Water Aerodrome
- Inuujarvik Territorial Park
- Glenn McLean
- Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq
- William Noah
- Cosmos 954
[edit] References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baker Lake |
- ^ Hamlets elect new councils
- ^ Election Results - 2008 General Election
- ^ a b c Baker Lake Community Profile
- ^ Elevation at airport. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 7 May 2009 to 0901Z 2 July 2009
- ^ a b c "Sandy Lunan, Hudson's Bay Co. Factor, baking his own bread, Baker Lake, Northwest Territories, 1946". Library and Archives Canada. http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3201263&rec_nbr_list=3201263,3409362,3409360&title=Sandy+Lunan%2C+Hudson%27s+Bay+Co.+Factor%2C+baking+his+own+bread%2C+Baker+Lake+%2F+Sandy+Lunan%2C+fait+du+pain+au+lac+Baker.+&ecopy=a141736&back_url=(http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/result/all-tout.php?FormName=Fed+Simple+Search&SourceQuery=&ResultCount=5&PageNum=1&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&SearchIn_1=&SearchInText_1=Baker+Lake+Lunan&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&Sources_1=amicus&Sources_2=mikan&Sources_3=genapp&Sources_4=web&soundex=on&cainInd=0). Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ Governors
- ^ Baker Lake history
- ^ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 09 December 2009
- ^ "WMO Standards for "CLIMATE NORMALS"". Environment Canada. http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/climate_info_e.html#wmo. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
[edit] Further reading
- Baker Lake Residents' Association, and Mary McCulloch. Baker Lake, N.W.T., 1870-1970. Baker Lake, N.W.T.: Baker Lake Residents' Association, 1971.
- Kardosh, Judy. Works on Cloth Imagery by Artists of Baker Lake, Nunavut. Vancouver: Marion Scott Gallery, 2002. ISBN 0921634366
- Klassen, R. A. Drift composition and glacial dispersal trains, Baker Lake area, District of Keewatin, northwest territories. Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada, 1995. ISBN 0660160870
- Krebs, Charles J. The Lemming Cycle at Baker Lake, Northwest Territories, During 1959-62. 1964.
- Miller, A. R. Uranium Geology of the Eastern Baker Lake Basin, District of Keewatin, Northwest Territories. [Ottawa]: Energy, Mines, and Resources Canada, 1980. ISBN 0660107074
- Renewable Resources Consulting Services. Study of the Effects of Resource Exploration and Development on Hunting and Trapping on the Traditional Economy of the Inuit in the Baker Lake Area. Edmonton: Renewable Resources Consulting Services, 1977.
[edit] External links
- Baker Lake at the Government of Nunavut
- Baker Lake art at Spirit Wrestler Gallery
- Historical photos of Baker Lake
