Arctic Bay, Nunavut, is a captivating Inuit hamlet nestled in the northern part of the Borden Peninsula on Baffin Island. This community, located in the Eastern Time Zone, is the northernmost public community in Canada not formed from forced relocation. The predominant languages spoken here are Inuktitut and English. Arctic Bay is also the birthplace of the former Premier of Nunavut and, as of 2021, the Commissioner of Nunavut, Eva Aariak.
The Arctic Bay area has been home to Inuit communities for nearly 5000 years. The area got its English name in 1872 when a European whaling ship, the Arctic, captained by Willie Adams, passed through. The Inuktitut name for Arctic Bay is Ikpiarjuk, which translates to "the pocket" in English, a name inspired by the high hills that surround the almost landlocked bay.
The hamlet is served by the annual supply sealift and the Arctic Bay Airport. There is also a road connecting it to Nanisivik, a former mining community that was officially closed in 2006. Despite the closure, Nanisivik made headlines in 2007 when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the creation of the Nanisivik Naval Facility to reinforce Canadian presence in the Arctic.
According to the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Arctic Bay had a population of 994 living in 218 of its 239 total private dwellings. This was a 14.5% increase from its 2016 population of 868. With a land area of 245.16 km2 (94.66 sq mi), it had a population density of 4.1/km2 (10.5/sq mi) in 2021.
Arctic Bay is a hub of recreational events and institutions. The Royal Canadian Army Cadets meet three times a week, offering a variety of activities for youth aged 12 and up. Adults can participate in several sports teams and activities that meet regularly at the gym attached to the school. The local Community Hall, also known as the Sea Hall, hosts a variety of recreational activities.
Outdoor activities remain quite common, with residents maintaining traditional skills of their ancestors. Hunting, ice fishing, seal and narwhal hunting are common activities. The area is also popular for sport hunters coming to hunt polar bears.
Arctic Bay was home to the Midnight Sun Marathon, one of the northernmost contests held in the world.
Arctic Bay Airport, certified in 2011, offers scheduled flights to and from Arctic Bay. Regular flights to the Arctic Bay are available through Canadian North from Iqaluit and Resolute.
Since 2005, the community has been served by the Qiniq network, a fixed wireless service to homes and businesses. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.
Arctic Bay experiences a tundra climate with long, very cold winters and short, cool to cold summers. July is the only month with an average low temperature above freezing. The amount of precipitation is of a desert climate, below 250 mm (9.8 in), and the days of snow is comparable to a coastal city of a lake or sea in the middle latitudes.
