Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
Encyclopedia
Gjoa Haven is a hamlet
in Nunavut
, above the Arctic Circle
, located in the Kitikmeot Region
, 1056 km (656.2 mi) northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
. It is the only settlement on King William Island
. The name Gjoa Haven is from the Norwegian
"Gjøahavn" or "Gjøa's Harbour", and was named by polar explorer Roald Amundsen
after his ship Gjøa
.
In 1903, Amundsen was attempting the first traverse of the Northwest Passage
; by October the straits through which he was travelling began to ice up, and Amundsen put Gjøa into a natural harbour on the southeast coast of King William Island. He was to stay there, in what Amundsen called "the finest little harbor in the world", for nearly two years. He spent that time with the local Netsilik Inuit
, learning to live off the land and travel efficiently. This knowledge proved to be vital for his later successful exploration to the South Pole
. He explored the Boothia Peninsula
, searching for the exact location of the North Magnetic Pole
. Some of the present Inuit people claim to be descendants of Amundsen (or his companions).
The growth of a permanent settlement at Gjoa Haven mirrors the movement of the traditionally nomad
ic Inuit
people toward a more settled lifestyle. In 1961, the town's population was 110; population was 960 according to the 2001 Census
, having grown due to people moving from the traditional camps to be close to the healthcare and educational facilities available at Gjoa Haven. As of the 2006 census
, the population was 1,064, an increase of 10.8% from the 2001 census
. Gjoa Haven has expanded to such an extent that a newer subdivision
has been set up near the airport at 68°37′56"N 095°52′04"W.
The community is served by the Gjoa Haven Airport
and by annual supply sealift
. The area is home to CAM-B, a North Warning System
site.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, above the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, located in the Kitikmeot Region
Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut
Kitikmeot Region is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the southern and eastern parts of Victoria Island with the adjacent part of the mainland as far as the Boothia Peninsula, together with King William Island and the southern portion of Prince of Wales Island...
, 1056 km (656.2 mi) northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. It is the only settlement on King William Island
King William Island
King William Island is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and forms part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between and making it the 61st largest island in the world and Canada's 15th largest island...
. The name Gjoa Haven is from the Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
"Gjøahavn" or "Gjøa's Harbour", and was named by polar explorer Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
after his ship Gjøa
Gjøa
Gjøa was the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage. With a crew of six, Roald Amundsen traversed the passage in a three year journey, finishing in 1906.- History :- Construction :...
.
In 1903, Amundsen was attempting the first traverse of the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
; by October the straits through which he was travelling began to ice up, and Amundsen put Gjøa into a natural harbour on the southeast coast of King William Island. He was to stay there, in what Amundsen called "the finest little harbor in the world", for nearly two years. He spent that time with the local Netsilik Inuit
Netsilik Inuit
The Netsilik Inuit live predominantly in the communities of Kugaaruk and Gjoa Haven of the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut and to a smaller extent in Taloyoak and the north Qikiqtaaluk Region...
, learning to live off the land and travel efficiently. This knowledge proved to be vital for his later successful exploration to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
. He explored the Boothia Peninsula
Boothia Peninsula
Boothia Peninsula is a large peninsula in Nunavut's northern Canadian Arctic, south of Somerset Island. The northern part, Murchison Promontory, is the northernmost point of mainland Canada, and thus North America....
, searching for the exact location of the North Magnetic Pole
North Magnetic Pole
The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the point on the surface of the Northern Hemisphere at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards . Though geographically in the north, it is, by the direction of the magnetic field lines, physically the south pole of the Earth's magnetic field...
. Some of the present Inuit people claim to be descendants of Amundsen (or his companions).
The growth of a permanent settlement at Gjoa Haven mirrors the movement of the traditionally nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
people toward a more settled lifestyle. In 1961, the town's population was 110; population was 960 according to the 2001 Census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, having grown due to people moving from the traditional camps to be close to the healthcare and educational facilities available at Gjoa Haven. As of the 2006 census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, the population was 1,064, an increase of 10.8% from the 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
. Gjoa Haven has expanded to such an extent that a newer subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
has been set up near the airport at 68°37′56"N 095°52′04"W.
The community is served by the Gjoa Haven Airport
Gjoa Haven Airport
Gjoa Haven Airport is located southwest of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Canada, and is operated by the government of Nunavut.The airport is a single storey building and located next to several trailers. The runway and taxiways are gravel or dirt. The runway is not marked and other than a NDB lacks...
and by annual supply sealift
Sealift
Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies...
. The area is home to CAM-B, a North Warning System
North Warning System
The North Warning System is a joint United States and Canadian radar system for the atmospheric air defense of North America. It provides surveillance of airspace from potential incursions or attacks from across North America's polar region...
site.
See also
- North West Passage Territorial ParkNorth West Passage Territorial ParkThe Northwest Passage Territorial Park is located at Gjoa Haven, on King William Island, Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada. The park consists of six areas that show in part the history of the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the first successful passage by Roald Amundsen in the Gjøa.The...
- Uriash PuqiqnakUriash PuqiqnakUriash Puqiqnak, CM is an experienced soapstone carver and former territorial and municipal level politician in Canada. He served as Mayor of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut and was a member of the Nunavut Legislature from 1999 until 2004.-Carving:...
- Simon TookoomeSimon TookoomeSimon Tookoome was an Utkusiksalingmiut Inuk artist. In his youth, Tookoome and other Utkusiksalingmiut lived along the Back River and in Gjoa Haven on King William Island...
- Leona AglukkaqLeona AglukkaqLeona Aglukkaq, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative in the 2008 Canadian federal election for the riding of Nunavut....