Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park

In 1861, American explorer Charles Francis Hall became the first non-indigenous person to journey to the area, when he reached the place with Inuit help. He became the first non-indigenous person to realise that Frobisher Bay was a bay and not a North-West passage route to China as was believed. He went on to name many places in the area after his financial backers. The Sylvia Grinnell river was named after the daughter of his friend and benefactor Henry Grinnell. The river lends its name to the park. Iqaluit in Inuktitut means 'place of many fish' a reference to the Arctic char which thrives in the river. The Inuktitut for the park is Iqaluit Kuunga which means Iqaluit river. The park's landscape was formed by ice age glaciation 7100 years ago.[1]

The caribou is the most important animal seen in the park. Arctic fox, Arctic hare and Polar bear are also seen in the park. The park is also home to around 40 avian species in the summer and spring seasons. They include Gyrfalcon, Common ringed plover, American golden plover, Horned lark, Rock ptarmigan, Snow bunting, Semipalmated sandpiper, Red-throated loon, Lapland longspur, Northern wheatear and Peregrine falcon. Commercial fishery for Arctic Char in the river was banned in 1965. Presently, a permit is required to fish in the river for non-Inuit people.[1][3][4]