Kuujjuaq
Kuujjuaq
ᑰᑦᔪᐊᖅ | |
|---|---|
819 | |
| Website | www |
Kuujjuaq (
Names
Kuujjuaq was founded as Fort Good Hope in 1830 but in 1831 changed its name to Fort Chimo,[6] an anglicization of an Inuit language word saimuuq, meaning "Let's shake hands" and also likely to avoid confusion with Fort Good Hope operated by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in the Northwest Territories. As this was a common greeting locals used with the HBC fur traders, they adopted it as the name of their trading post. A fictional account of this naming is given in the 1857 novel Ungava by R. M. Ballantyne, where it is taken from a girl character's beloved dog.[7] On 5 February 1980, the name was changed to Kuujjuaq,[6] the Inuit name for the Koksoak River.
It has also been known informally as Koksoak and Washgagen.[6]
History
The first Europeans to have contact with local Inuit were missionaries from the Moravian Church. On August 25, 1811, after a perilous trip along the coasts of Labrador and Ungava Bay, Benjamin Gottlieb Kohlmeister and George Kmoch arrived at an Inuit camp on the east shore of the Koksoak.[8] Their aim was to scout the area for future missions and, if possible, to convert the "Esquimaux" to Christianity. According to their journal, they found the Inuit of the Koksoak River very interested in having a Moravian mission in the area, but after reaching a little farther than "Pilgerruh" ("Pilgrim's Rest") on "Unity's Bay" they turned back for home.[9]
Attracted by the missionaries' praise of the location,
The fort did not reopen until 1866, when it was thought necessary to curtail the trade going to the Moravians in the area and the steamboat Labrador made resupplying the distant outpost easier.[6] At that time, Inuit, Innu (Montagnais), and Naskapi came to trade at the post. By the 1950s, Fort Chimo included two dormitories, two warehouses, oil and salt sheds, and carpentry, cooperage, and machinist workshops.[6] A sloop, a steamer, and outposts at the mouths of the Whale and George Rivers helped carry out the salmon catch each August, which was salted on site for use, sale, and export. The fort was usually supplied by the steamer Eric, while a smaller refrigerated steamer picked up the salmon haul.[6]
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Amid the
With more Inuit settling in the area during this time to assist the base, a Catholic mission was established in 1948 and was followed by an infirmary, a school, and a weather station.[citation needed] The HBC outpost at Fort Chimo was closed for months of repairs in 1957 after a major fire, and the post was moved closer to the airfield in 1960.[6] The remaining families who had still lived around the old site finally joined the larger community, establishing present-day Kuujjuaq (although it did not receive that name until 1980). The HBC store was sold to Hudson's Bay Northern Stores in 1987.[6]
Since 1996, police services in the
Geography
Kuujjuaq lies 48 km (30 mi) upstream from Ungava Bay. Life in this community involves a close relationship with the river. Its tides regularly change the local landscape, while their rhythm strongly influences the traditional summer activities.
Although the
Climate
Kuujjuaq has a cold subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc),[11] not far above the polar climate, but avoids that classification due to the temperate summers with daily mean temperatures of above 10 °C (50 °F).[12] Winters are cold but by no means extreme for its latitude by Eastern Canadian standards.
The cause of the extreme swings is the effect of the Hudson Bay to its west freezing in November. This eliminates maritime moderation from westerlies that are prevalent in moderating summer temperatures. With Hudson Bay effectively becoming a landmass during the winter, Kuujjuaq ends up being subject to severely cold winds. With the Labrador Current to its south-east also being cold, winter moderation from the east is also eliminated. Although less snowfall is received compared to the more coastal Nain further south, the influence of the current contributes to a sizeable snow tally for a climate that cold. In June, Hudson Bay thaws, resulting in mild maritime air from the cold water moderating westerlies. In spite of this, Kuujjuaq being situated with a direct landmass link to its south for thousands of kilometres can contribute to warm southerlies reaching the settlement, bringing temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F). Unlike Inukjuak directly on the Hudson Bay shore, Kuujjuaq thus has a greater continental warmth impact on its summers, and consequently lies below the tree line.
During fall, Kuujjuaq's
Kuujjuaq has been affected by
| Climate data for Kuujjuaq (Kuujjuaq Airport) WMO ID: 71906; coordinates 58°06′N 68°25′W / 58.100°N 68.417°W; elevation: 39.9 m (131 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1947–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 5.0 | 6.3 | 11.7 | 14.4 | 27.5 | 38.9 | 37.9 | 33.2 | 32.2 | 19.6 | 10.3 | 5.8 | 38.9 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
7.8 (46.0) |
12.1 (53.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
31.1 (88.0) |
33.1 (91.6) |
34.3 (93.7) |
30.7 (87.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
20.0 (68.0) |
10.2 (50.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
34.3 (93.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −18.9 (−2.0) |
−18.1 (−0.6) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
16.8 (62.2) |
10.6 (51.1) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −23.3 (−9.9) |
−23.1 (−9.6) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
1.2 (34.2) |
7.8 (46.0) |
12.5 (54.5) |
11.8 (53.2) |
6.7 (44.1) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−16.2 (2.8) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −27.7 (−17.9) |
−28.0 (−18.4) |
−22.5 (−8.5) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
2.4 (36.3) |
6.9 (44.4) |
6.6 (43.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−10.5 (13.1) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −49.8 (−57.6) |
−43.9 (−47.0) |
−43.9 (−47.0) |
−34.1 (−29.4) |
−24.7 (−12.5) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−20.0 (−4.0) |
−31.1 (−24.0) |
−43.9 (−47.0) |
−49.8 (−57.6) |
| Record low wind chill | −60.4 | −58.0 | −55.3 | −45.6 | −30.6 | −13.2 | −5.7 | −6.5 | −11.9 | −32.9 | −42.8 | −56.3 | −60.4 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 30.7 (1.21) |
29.3 (1.15) |
31.6 (1.24) |
27.4 (1.08) |
31.5 (1.24) |
51.1 (2.01) |
75.2 (2.96) |
75.9 (2.99) |
87.8 (3.46) |
57.0 (2.24) |
43.8 (1.72) |
36.9 (1.45) |
578.2 (22.76) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.03 (0.00) |
0.77 (0.03) |
0.36 (0.01) |
2.9 (0.11) |
14.5 (0.57) |
42.8 (1.69) |
59.6 (2.35) |
71.4 (2.81) |
69.4 (2.73) |
29.0 (1.14) |
4.0 (0.16) |
0.73 (0.03) |
295.5 (11.63) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 32.6 (12.8) |
29.3 (11.5) |
32.3 (12.7) |
24.8 (9.8) |
14.5 (5.7) |
6.5 (2.6) |
0.08 (0.03) |
0.03 (0.01) |
4.3 (1.7) |
26.1 (10.3) |
45.0 (17.7) |
36.2 (14.3) |
251.7 (99.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 15.7 | 12.9 | 14.8 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 13.3 | 15.6 | 18.3 | 19.9 | 18.3 | 17.6 | 15.5 | 186.1 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.08 | 0.38 | 0.58 | 2.1 | 6.4 | 12.5 | 14.7 | 18.0 | 17.7 | 8.9 | 2.0 | 0.57 | 83.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 15.5 | 12.9 | 14.9 | 10.8 | 8.1 | 3.5 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 2.4 | 13.2 | 17.1 | 15.7 | 114.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%)
|
64.3 | 61.7 | 62.7 | 66.7 | 64.6 | 59.3 | 58.5 | 63.3 | 67.4 | 73.9 | 77.4 | 71.9 | 66.0 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | −24.9 (−12.8) |
−23.6 (−10.5) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
2.7 (36.9) |
7.1 (44.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−20.1 (−4.2) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 55.5 | 88.7 | 144.4 | 182.7 | 149.5 | 184.5 | 204.7 | 172.3 | 89.1 | 55.4 | 39.9 | 48.7 | 1,415.4 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 24.7 | 33.8 | 39.5 | 42.4 | 28.9 | 34.0 | 37.8 | 36.2 | 23.1 | 17.3 | 16.7 | 23.9 | 29.9 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[17] (rain/rain days, snow/snow days, humidex, wind chill 1981–2010) Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[18][19] (dew point at 1300 LST 1951–1980) Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980[20] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kuujjuaq had a population of 2,668 living in 973 of its 1,253 total private dwellings, a change of -3.1% from its 2016 population of 2,754. With a land area of 289.97 km2 (111.96 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.2/km2 (23.8/sq mi) in 2021.[21]
Transportation
With ocean access and two runways at the
Education
Kativik School Board (Kativik Ilisarniliriniq) operates two schools in the village. Pitakallak School serves students from kindergarten to grade 3, while Jaanimmarik School[23] serves students from grade 4 to secondary 5. The village boasts a number of hotels, restaurants, stores, arts and crafts shops and a bank. In 1988, 75% of the town's 1,100 residents were native speakers of Inuktitut, 15% native francophones, and 10% native anglophones.[24]
Notable people
- John McLean, HBC trader, explorer, and author
- Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Canadian Inuit activist
- Charlie Watt, Canadian senator and founding president of the Makivik Corporation
- Johnny Ned Adams, former mayor and businessman
- Mary Simon, 30th Governor General of Canada, First Canadian Circumpolar Ambassador, Canadian former diplomat, lead negotiator for the creation of the Arctic Council, and current fellow with the Arctic Institute of North America.
See also
References
- ^ "Kuujjuaqa". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ a b c "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 99095". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
- ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 92769". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
- ^ a b "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Kuujjuaq, Village nordique (VN) [Census subdivision], Quebec". February 9, 2022.
- ^ Taamusi Qumaq (1992). "ᑰᑦᔪᐊᖅ". Avataq. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Arch. Man.
- ^ Ballantyne (1857).
- ^ Kohlmeister & al. (1814), s.v. "August 25th".
- ^ Kohlmeister & al. (1814), s.v. "August 30th".
- ^ Bryce (1900), p. 376.
- ^ "Kuujjuaq, Québec Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ "Kuujjuaq Québec Canada Temperature Averages". Weatherbase. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ "Decembre 2010 à Kuujjuaq" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ "Mars 2018 à Kuujjuaq" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ "Juin 2012 à Kuujjuaq" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "Août 2014 à Kuujjuaq" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ "Kuujjuaq (Composite Station Threads)". Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020 Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ "Kuujjuaq Airport". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "July 2023". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate ID: 7113535. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 8: Atmospheric, Pressure, Temperature and Humidity" (PDF). Environment Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ "Mighty Ships: Avataq". Mighty Ships. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
- ^ "Jaanimmarik School". Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ISBN 9780773581623.
Sources
- "Hudson's Bay Company: Fort Chimo", Official site, Winnipeg: Archives of Manitoba.
- Ballantyne, Robert Michael (1857), Ungava: A Tale of Esquimaux-Land, London: T. Nelson & Sons.
- Bryce, George (1900), The Remarkable History of the Hudson's Bay Company, Including That of the French Traders of North-Western Canada and of the North-West, XY, and Astor Fur Companies, Toronto: William Briggs.
- Kohlmeister, Benjamin Gottlieb; et al. (1814), Journal of a Voyage from Okkak, on the Coast of Labrador, to Ungava Bay, Westward of Cape Chudleigh, Undertaken to Explore the Coast and Visit the Esquimaux in That Unknown Region, London: Brethren's Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel among the Heathen.
Further reading
- Bissonnette, Alain, and Serge Bouchard. The Kuujjuaq Population's Point of View on the Social and Economic Repercussions of the Caniapiscau Cut-Off on Their Hunting and Fishing Activities. [S.l.]: Société d'énergie de la baie James, Engineering and Environment Dept., Caniapiscau-Koksoak Joint Study Group, 1984.
- Canada. Kuujjuaq. Ottawa: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Atmospheric Environment Service, 1985. ISBN 0-660-52596-8
- Canada. Fort Chimo Airport. Hourly data summaries, no. 62. Toronto, Ont: Climatology Division, Meteorological Branch, Dept. of Transport, 1968.
- Chabot, Marcelle. Socio-economic status and food security of low-income households in Kuujjuaq research report. Kuujjuac, Quebec: Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services?], 2004.
- Cooper, Willie. Souvenirs d'un Kuujjuamiut = Memories of a Kuujjuamiut. Publication of the Documentation Centre on Inuit History, 1. Inukjuak, Nunavik: Avataq Cultural Institute, 1988.
- Mesher, Dorothy, and Ray H. Woollam. Kuujjuaq Memories and Musings. Duncan, B.C.: Unica Pub. Co, 1995. ISBN 0-920649-06-8
- Poirier, Glenn Gerard. Structure and Metamorphism of the Eastern Boundary of the Labrador Trough Near Kuujjuaq, Quebec, and Its Tectonic Implications. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1990. ISBN 0-315-52237-2
- Boutin, Gilles. Les aurores boréales Québec-Nunavik. Quebec 2010. ISBN 978-2-89634-053-8
External links
- Jaanimmarik School Archived May 3, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
- Kativik Regional Government
- Nunavik Tourism Association
- Time-lapse video of Kuujjuaq
- Transportation plan by Quebec provincial government, including a study of the town's road link.
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