Kugaaruk, Nunavut, also known as "little stream" in English, is a charming hamlet located on the shore of Pelly Bay, just off the Gulf of Boothia, Simpson Peninsula, Kitikmeot, in Canada's Nunavut territory. Formerly known as Pelly Bay until 3 December 1999, Kugaaruk is accessible by air via the Kugaaruk Airport, by annual supply sealift, and by sea ice.
The first contact between Europeans and the local Inuit in Kugaaruk occurred in 1829. During colonization, Kugaaruk was named Pelly Bay after the bay on which it sits. Pelly Bay is named after Sir John Pelly, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, the company operating the British North American territory of Rupert's Land in which it was located when it was so named. In 1854, Scottish explorer John Rae interviewed Inuit at Pelly Bay, documenting some details of a camp of the lost expedition of John Franklin that they had discovered.
In 1935, Father Pierre Henry established a Roman Catholic mission at Pelly Bay. The mission changed status to being a permanent mission in 1937, with the arrival of Father Franz van de Velde. A stone church was built in 1941. In 1955, the Pelly Bay DEW Line Station was built near the hamlet, making the traditional campsite of nomadic Inuit into a permanent settlement. In 1968, the local airport was built, and the Canadian government imported prefab housing to build out the town site. In 1972 the hamlet was incorporated as "Pelly Bay". In 1999 the hamlet's official name was changed to Kugaaruk.
The historical inhabitants of Kugaaruk were Arviligjuarmiut. Kugaaruk is a traditional Central Inuit community. Until 1968, the people followed a nomadic lifestyle. The population is approximately 97% Inuit and most people self-identify as Netsilik. The residents blend a land-based lifestyle with modern technology and interests. Most families supplement their diet with ringed seal, caribou, and Arctic char. Other wildlife includes narwhal, beluga, bowhead whale, polar bears, wolverine and peregrine falcons.
Despite the isolation of the community, the traditional language, Inuktitut, is declining. Most people 30 and over speak Inuktitut as their first language, but the language is not being passed on to their children. In most households, a mixture of English and Inuktitut is spoken. Children understand their parents and grandparents, but respond to them in English. One goal of the Nunavut educational system is to encourage and spread the use of Inuktitut.
There are a few Inuit artists in Kugaaruk, including the world-renowned Emily Illuitok, (1943-2012), who worked mostly in walrus ivory and bone; and Nick Sikkuark, whose works are mainly in whale bone, caribou antler, and walrus ivory, and are characterized by "droll, macabre wit". Most women sew traditional parkas, amautiit (baby carrying parkas), and kamik (seal or caribou skin boots).
Kugaardjuq School in Kugaaruk includes kindergarten to grade 12. It is very modern and includes a large south-facing library, computer lab, gymnasium and science lab. Currently, there are two language specialists who teach Natsilingmiutut, while the rest of the staff are southern teachers. In 2010 many of the Nunavut Teacher Education Program (NTEP) graduates, who are locals, were to become teachers in levels from kindergarten to grade 7.
The community of Kugaaruk has been served by the Qiniq network since 2005. This is a fixed wireless service to homes and businesses, connecting to the outside world via a satellite backbone. The Qiniq network is designed and operated by SSi Canada. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.
Kugaaruk is the location of the lowest wind chill ever recorded in Canada, of −79. On 16 February 2018, the Human Weather Observation System (HWOS), a type of semi-automated weather observing system, reported an unreviewed new minimum temperature for the month of February at −51.9 °C (−61.4 °F) at 06:00 MST. It beat the previous record of −51.5 °C (−60.7 °F) that was set 28 January 1989. Kugaaruk has a tundra climate (ET) with short but cool summers and long cold winters.
Kugaaruk's economy and services include the Koomiut Co-op, a member of the Arctic Co-operatives Limited and the only retail shop and home to the post office. The Koomiut Coffee Shop and the Inukshuk Inns North, operated by the Koomiut Co-op and named after the English translation of inuksuk, are also part of the local economy. The hamlet also has a Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment.
