Igloolik, Nunavut, is an Inuit hamlet nestled in the Foxe Basin of the Qikiqtaaluk Region in northern Canada. Located on Igloolik Island, it is often mistaken to be on the Melville Peninsula due to its proximity. The name "Igloolik" translates to "there is a house here," a nod to the sod houses that once populated the area. The residents of this hamlet are known as Iglulingmiut, meaning "people of Igloolik."
The history of Igloolik, Nunavut, is etched in the archaeological sites on the island, some dating back more than 4,000 years. The first contact with Europeans occurred in 1822 when the British Royal Navy ships HMS Fury and HMS Hecla, under Captain William Edward Parry, wintered in Igloolik.
The island was visited by American explorer Charles Francis Hall in 1867 and 1868 during his search for survivors of the lost Franklin Expedition. In the early 20th century, the island saw visits from French-Canadian prospector Alfred Tremblay and a member of Knud Rasmussen's Fifth Thule Expedition.
The 1930s marked the establishment of a Roman Catholic Mission, the first permanent presence by southerners in Igloolik. By the end of the decade, the Hudson's Bay Company had also set up a post on the island. The Igloolik Research Centre now stands as a testament to the region's commitment to documenting Inuit traditional knowledge and technology, as well as climatology and seismic data research.
Igloolik, Nunavut, is home to the Iglulingmiut, the Aivilingmiut, and the Tununirmiut, the Inuit from northern Baffin Island, on Southampton Island, and in the Melville Peninsula. The region's rich folklore inspired the award-winning Canadian film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner in 2001.
Igloolik is also the home-base of Artcirq, the only Inuit circus. This collective is active in video-making, music production, and live circus show performances. In 2017, documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig released There Is a House Here, a film about his visits to the community.
According to the 2021 Canadian census, Igloolik, Nunavut, had a population of 2,049 living in 394 of its 468 total private dwellings, marking a 17.5 per cent increase from its 2016 population of 1,744.
Residents of Igloolik, Nunavut, have expressed concerns over plans to ship iron ore from the nearby Steensby Inlet on Baffin Island from the Baffinland Iron Mine. Concerns include interference with traditional hunts for sea mammals and the effect of freighters on the ice used by the walrus.
Igloolik, Nunavut, experiences a polar climate with nine months averaging below 0 °C (32 °F). Winters are long and cold, with October being the snowiest month. Summers range from chilly to sometimes mild, with cold nights.
Since 2005, the community of Igloolik, Nunavut, has been served by the Qiniq network, a fixed wireless service connecting to the outside world via a satellite backbone. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.
The community of Igloolik, Nunavut, is served by the Igloolik Airport, providing essential connectivity to the outside world.
