Baker Lake, Nunavut
Baker Lake
ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ Qamani’tuaq Template:Location map polarx | |
|---|---|
 Baker Lake, 1995 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Territory |  Nunavut |
| Region | Kivalliq Region |
| Electoral district | Baker Lake |
| Government | |
| • Type | Hamlet Council |
| • Mayor | David Aksawnee |
| • MLAs | Moses Aupaluktuq |
| Area | |
| • Total | 182.22 km2 (70.36 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Population (2006)[3] | |
| • Total | 1,728 |
| • Density | 9.5/km2 (25/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Canadian Postal code | |
| Area code | 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. There is also potential for a uranium mine, called the Kiggavik Project, which is being proposed by AREVA Resources Canada.[8] The mayor of Baker Lake is David Aksawnee.
Transportation
The settlement is served by Baker Lake Airport, linking it to the nearby coastal town of Rankin Inlet. Calm Air, Kivalliq 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.
Sports
The Baker Lake Blizzards are considered the town's hockey favourites.[who?] Many teens play hockey, volleyball and badminton in competitive tournaments with other Arctic towns.[citation needed]
Economy & services
Baker Lake has a woman's shelter, health centre, dental clinic, a dental therapist works in the school, counselling centre, elder's centre/hospice, swimming pool and a youth centre. Many of the town's residents work in the nearby mines. [citation needed]
Baker Lake has food mail which is subsidized groceries (as long as it is nutritious and meets Canada's food guide)up to 80% of the freight and it is flown up from Winnipeg. More and more people are using this to avoid higher costs of food at the local Northern and Coop stores.
Baker Lake has cellular telephone service. There are very few towns in the Kivalliq Region with cell phone service--Arviat, Rankin and Baker Lake.
The community has an FM radio station--local radio bingo is very popular on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7-9 p.m. with jackpots as high as $3, 000, local internet service called qiniq.com, cable TV, a health centre, social services, mental health services, community library and three hotels.[citation needed]
There are two schools in Baker Lake: a high school and an elementary school. There are no vocational schools in the town.
There are three churches in the community, Anglican, Catholic and Glad Tidings.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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
Inuit art
Baker Lake is known for its Inuit art, such as wallhangings, basalt stone sculptures and stonecut prints. The community has been home to internationally exhibited artists such as Jessie Oonark, Simon Tookoome, Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq, Toona Iquliq, Barnabus Arnasungaaq, Marion Tuu'luq, Matthew Agigaaq, David Ikutaq and Luke Anguhadluq.[citation needed]
The Jessie Ooonark Arts and Crafts Centre, which opened in 1992, is a work area for the communities artists. It provides space for carving, print making, sewing and jewellery making. It is also home to Jessie Oonark Crafts Ltd. a subsidiary of the Nunavut Development Corporation, a Government of Nunavut crown corporation.[9][10]
Climate
| Climate data for Baker Lake Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Source 1: Environment Canada[11] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Environment Canada[12] | |||||||||||||
See also
- David Simailak
- Baker Lake Water Aerodrome
- Inuujarvik Territorial Park
- Glenn McLean
- William Noah
- Cosmos 954
References
- ^ Hamlets elect new councils
- ^ Election Results - 2008 General Election
- ^ a b Baker Lake Community Profile
- ^ Elevation at airport. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
- ^ a b c <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> "Sandy Lunan, Hudson's Bay Co. Factor, baking his own bread, Baker Lake, Northwest Territories, 1946". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ Governors
- ^ Baker Lake history
- ^ http://www.arevaresources.ca/exploration/kiggavik_scissons/
- ^ Jessie Oonark Crafts Ltd.
- ^ Nunavut Development Corporation
- ^ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000. Retrieved 09 December 2009.
- ^ "WMO Standards for "CLIMATE NORMALS"". Environment Canada. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
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.