Kitikmeot Region

Cambridge Bay in May

Access to the territorial capital of Iqaluit is difficult and expensive as the only direct flight is from Cambridge Bay, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. For example, Iqaluit is approximately 1,069 km (664 mi) from Kugaaruk, the closest Kitikmeot community. A one-way flight to the capital costs between $2,691 and $2,911 (as of November 2016)[3][4] and involves flying to, along with an overnight stay in, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, approximately 1,310 km (810 mi) southwest of Kugaaruk—in total, a trip of about 3,627 km (2,254 mi). As is the case for the rest of Nunavut, there is no road access to the region and all places are fly-in. All five hamlets have certified airports: Cambridge Bay Airport, Gjoa Haven Airport, Kugaaruk Airport, Kugluktuk Airport and Taloyoak Airport, with scheduled flights by Canadian North and First Air.[5]

Street in Gjoa Haven

There are also four registered aerodromes in the region. Cambridge Bay Water Aerodrome is a floatplane base open in the summer only. George Lake Aerodrome, an ice runway is only open from January to April, and serves the Back River Gold Project. Goose Lake Aerodrome also serves the Back River Gold Project and has both ice and gravel runways. Hope Bay Aerodrome serves the Hope Bay mine site and is a gravel runway. The former Doris Lake Aerodrome, was a 7,894 ft (2,406 m) ice runway, and was the longest in the region, it served the Doris Lake mine.[5]

Hamlet of Kugaaruk

Umingmaktok

Bathurst Inlet

Cambridge Bay

Gjoa Haven

Kugaaruk

Kugluktuk

Taloyoak

Communities in the Kitikmeot Region (Nunavut)

The region is home to the only two communities in Nunavut that voted "no" in the 1982 division plebiscite: Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk.[6]

Taloyoak

The region has four electoral districts;

• Cambridge Bay, which covers Bathurst Inlet, Cambridge Bay and Umingmaktok. The seat is held by Jeannie Ehaloak.
• Gjoa Haven, which covers the community of Gjoa Haven and is held by Tony Akoak.
• Kugluktuk, which covers Kugluktuk. The seat is currently vacant.
• Netsilik , which covers Taloyoak and Kugaaruk. The seat is held by Emilino Qirngnuq.

Former districts include Akulliq, which covered Kugaaruk and Naujaat in the Kivalliq Region. It was the ony electoral district in Nunavut to cross two regions. Nattilik, which covered Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak. The previous incumbent was the former federal Minister of Health, Leona Aglukkaq.

In 2007 at their AGM, Bob Lyall, a board member of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, suggested the formation of a political party called the Bloc Kitikmeot to run in the next general election and to advocate for a separate Kitikmeot Territory. Bobby Lyall, along with his brother Kitikmeot Corporation president, Charlie Lyall and delegates Martina and Connie Kapolak, argued that the Government of Nunavut had spent most of the infrastructure money available from the federal government in the Baffin Region (Qikiqtaaluk Region).[7] However, the party was not formed and consequently no members ran for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut which continues to run as a consensus government.

The Kitikmeot Region also doubles as one of three census divisions in Nunavut, the others being the Kivalliq[15] (also known as the Keewatin) and the Qikiqtaaluk[16] (also known as the Baffin) regions. Of the three the Kitikmeot is the smallest in size being 1,343.8 km² (518.8 sq mi) smaller than the Kivalliq.[15][17] It has the smallest population and is the least densely populated of the three. The population is predominantly Inuit (90.0%) with 0.7% other aboriginal peoples, 0.3% North American Indian and 0.4% Métis, and 9.3% non-Aboriginals.[18]

2016 Canadian Census[17]

• Population: 6,543
• Population change (2011–2016): +8.8%
• Private dwellings: 1,870
• Area (land): 443,277.47 km² (171,150.39 sq mi)
• Density: 0.02/km² (0.04/sq mi)
• National rank in terms of population (2011): 286th out of 293
• Territorial rank in terms of population: 3rd out of 3

• Kitikmeot Region information at Explore Nunavut

• Kitikmeot Heritage Society
• Kitikmeot Inuit Association
  • Kitikmeot Corporation, economic development
• Kitikmeot School Operations