Cape Dorset

Cape Dorset
ᑭᙵᐃᑦ
Kinngait
Hamlet

Part of the village with characteristic Kinngait hill,
May 1997
Nickname(s): Capital of Inuit Art
Cape Dorset
Coordinates: 64°13′54″N 076°32′25″W / 64.23167°N 76.54028°W / 64.23167; -76.54028Coordinates: 64°13′54″N 076°32′25″W / 64.23167°N 76.54028°W / 64.23167; -76.54028
Country Canada
Territory Nunavut
Region Qikiqtaaluk
Territorial Electoral district South Baffin
Federal Electoral district Nunavut
Hudson's Bay Company 1913
Government[1][2]
 • Type Hamlet
 • Mayor Padlaya Qiatsuk
 • MLA David Joanasie
 • MP Leona Aglukkaq
 • Senator Dennis Patterson
Area[3]
 • Land 9.74 km2 (3.76 sq mi)
Elevation[4] 50 m (160 ft)
Highest elevation 243 m (797 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)[3]
 • Total 1,363
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code X0A 0C0
Area code(s) 867
Website www.capedorset.ca

Cape Dorset (Inuktitut: Kinngait (meaning "high mountain");[5] Syllabics: ᑭᙵᐃᑦ) is an Inuit hamlet located on Dorset Island[6] near Foxe Peninsula at the southern tip of Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada.

History

Cape Dorset is where the remains of the Thule (Tuniit, Dorset Culture) were discovered, that lived between 1000B.C and 1100 A.D. Cape Dorset was named by Captain Luke Fox after Edward Sackville, 4th Earl of Dorset on September 24, 1631. The Inuit originally called the inlet Sikusiilaq before it was named Cape Dorset, after the area of sea ocean nearby that remains ice free all winter. Hudson's Bay Company started their trading post in 1913, where they traded furs and skins for supplies like tobacco, ammunition, flour, gas, tea and sugar. Since the 1950s, Cape Dorset, which calls itself the "Capital of Inuit Art" has been a centre for drawing, printmaking, and carving. Even today, printmaking and carving are the community's main economic activities. Each year, Kinngait Studios issues an annual print collection. Cape Dorset has been hailed as the most artistic community in Canada, with some 22% of the labour force employed in the arts.[7]

In 1957, James Houston, European-Canadian created a graphic arts workshop in Cape Dorset.[8]:49 Houston collected drawings from community artists and encouraged local Inuit stone carvers to apply their skills to stone-block printing. The print program was modeled after Japanese ukiyo-e workshops. Other cooperative print shops were also established in nearby communities, but the Cape Dorset workshop has remained the most successful. They have experimented with etching, engraving, lithography, and silkscreen, and produce annual catalogs advertising the limited edition prints.[8]:49

Between the years of 1959 and 1974, Cape Dorset artists produced more than 48,000 prints. Well-known artists of Cape Dorset include Nuna Parr; Pudlo Pudlat; and Kenojuak Ashevak. Parr's carvings are internationally recognized and his work is exhibited in the National Gallery of Canada. Ashevak's drawings of owls have appeared on Canadian stamps as well as a Canadian quarter. Inuit photographer and author Peter Pitseolak spent several years of his life living in Cape Dorset.

Demographics

As of the 2011 census, the population was 1,363 an increase of 10.3% from the 2006 census.[3]

Transportation

There are a handful of unnamed dirt/gravel roads that do not connect beyond Cape Dorset. Cars and trucks are the main means of transportation and supplemented by snowmobiles during the winter. Boats and ships provided seasonal travel to and from Cape Dorset when the Hudson Strait is ice free.

The area is serviced by the Cape Dorset Airport with connections within Nunavut only. Travel outside of Nunavut can be made via connections through Iqaluit Airport.

Education

The only secondary school in town, Pitseolak School, was destroyed by fire in September 2015.[9] It had an enrollment of 140 students.

Sam Pudlat School is the community's only elementary school with enrollment of 227 students.

Post secondary education is available in a limited number of areas in Cape Dorset at the Community Learning Centre. Nunavut Arctic College based in Iqaluit periodically offers community-based programs in Cape Dorset at the Community Learning Centre.

Community Services

Royal Canadian Mounted Police has a detachment staffed by 4 officers.

The Fire Department is staffed by 25 volunteers and a pumper at a single fire hall.

Medical facilities are basic at the Community Health Centre with four beds. Advanced medical care requires an airlift to the Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit.

Tourism

Spanning both Dorset Island and Mallik Island, Mallikjuaq Territorial Park is notable for its Thule culture, Dorset culture, and Inuit archaeological sites. The park is reachable by foot from Cape Dorset at low tide, or by boat.[10] There is a cairn in memory of the ship, RMS Nascopie, that hit rock and sank in 1947. It was a supply ship to the arctic. Although the cargo was lost, the passengers and crew were saved. There are also outfitters that offer tours like dogsledding, camping and hiking to parks.

Climate

Climate data for Cape Dorset Airport
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex −1.4 0.7 0.7 3.9 10.4 17.3 25.0 21.6 12.7 6.5 3.4 1.6 25.0
Record high °C (°F) −1.4
(29.5)		 2.8
(37)		 1.6
(34.9)		 5.6
(42.1)		 10.9
(51.6)		 17.9
(64.2)		 25.0
(77)		 21.9
(71.4)		 18.1
(64.6)		 7.2
(45)		 3.4
(38.1)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 25.0
(77)
Average high °C (°F) −21.7
(−7.1)		 −22.2
(−8)		 −17.5
(0.5)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −2.5
(27.5)		 5.3
(41.5)		 11.8
(53.2)		 9.1
(48.4)		 4.0
(39.2)		 −1.6
(29.1)		 −8.1
(17.4)		 −16.2
(2.8)		 −5.8
(21.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −25.0
(−13)		 −25.4
(−13.7)		 −21.2
(−6.2)		 −13.6
(7.5)		 −5.3
(22.5)		 2.4
(36.3)		 7.8
(46)		 5.9
(42.6)		 1.8
(35.2)		 −3.6
(25.5)		 −11.0
(12.2)		 −19.5
(−3.1)		 −8.9
(16)
Average low °C (°F) −28.2
(−18.8)		 −28.7
(−19.7)		 −24.8
(−12.6)		 −17.2
(1)		 −8.0
(17.6)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 3.7
(38.7)		 2.7
(36.9)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 −5.6
(21.9)		 −14.0
(6.8)		 −22.8
(−9)		 −12.0
(10.4)
Record low °C (°F) −38.9
(−38)		 −40.6
(−41.1)		 −42.2
(−44)		 −32.8
(−27)		 −19.6
(−3.3)		 −9.3
(15.3)		 −3.4
(25.9)		 −4.6
(23.7)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −23.9
(−11)		 −30.6
(−23.1)		 −42.8
(−45)		 −42.8
(−45)
Record low wind chill −54.5 −58.1 −53.0 −44.6 −29.3 −14.6 −7.0 −8.7 −14.7 −39.7 −39.7 −51.4 −58.1
Average precipitation mm (inches) 21.6
(0.85)		 20.9
(0.823)		 25.4
(1)		 29.4
(1.157)		 31.4
(1.236)		 29.5
(1.161)		 37.7
(1.484)		 53.2
(2.094)		 48.9
(1.925)		 44.9
(1.768)		 44.2
(1.74)		 31.5
(1.24)		 418.5
(16.476)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.3
(0.012)		 4.0
(0.157)		 20.9
(0.823)		 37.8
(1.488)		 52.1
(2.051)		 35.7
(1.406)		 7.2
(0.283)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 158.0
(6.22)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 24.2
(9.53)		 24.2
(9.53)		 28.3
(11.14)		 32.8
(12.91)		 29.7
(11.69)		 8.5
(3.35)		 0.2
(0.08)		 1.2
(0.47)		 13.2
(5.2)		 40.1
(15.79)		 50.6
(19.92)		 37.6
(14.8)		 290.7
(114.45)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 16.0 14.5 15.1 14.6 15.4 10.3 11.4 13.5 15.4 19.0 19.9 19.1 184.1
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 1.9 6.8 11.4 13.3 10.6 3.2 0.1 0.0 47.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 16.0 14.5 15.3 14.4 14.6 4.8 0.1 0.4 6.9 17.8 19.8 19.0 143.6
Average relative humidity (%) 69.3 68.0 69.6 76.9 82.6 77.5 68.8 74.7 81.7 84.1 82.1 75.8 75.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 7.6 72.5 172.6 215.7 157.0 220.1 274.1 187.3 87.4 45.2 17.6 0.0 1,457.2
Percent possible sunshine 4.5 30.3 47.5 47.8 27.5 35.1 44.9 36.8 22.2 14.9 9.0 0.0 26.7
Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nunavummiut vie for council positions in upcoming hamlet elections
  2. ↑ Results for the constituency of South Baffin at Elections Nunavut
  3. 1 2 3 2011 census
  4. ↑ Elevation at airport. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 September 2016 to 0901Z 10 November 2016
  5. ↑ History of Cape Dorset
  6. ↑ Government of Nunavut - Communities
  7. ↑ Cape Dorset named most 'artistic' municipality from the CBC
  8. 1 2 Hessel, Ingo. Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum. Phoenix: Heard Museum, 2006. ISBN 9781553651895.
  9. ↑ http://www.citynews.ca/2015/09/08/rcmp-lay-charges-in-fire-that-destroyed-school-in-nunavut/
  10. ↑ "Features". nunavutparks.com.
  11. ↑ "Cape Dorset A" (CSV (4222 KB)). Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2400635. Retrieved 2013-11-27.

Further reading

  • Dorais, Louis-Jacques. Kinngaqmiut Uqausingit = The Inuit Language in Cape Dorset N.W.T. = Le Parler Inuit De Cape Dorset T.N.O.. Quebec: Association Inuksiutiit katimajiit, Laboratoire d'anthropologie, Université Laval, 1975.
  • Leroux, Odette, Marion E. Jackson, and Minnie Aodla Freeman. Inuit Women Artists Voices from Cape Dorset. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1994. ISBN 0-295-97389-7
  • Norton, Derek, and Nigel Reading. Cape Dorset Sculpture. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2005. ISBN 0-295-98478-3
  • Nunavut Handbook, Iqaluit 2004 ISBN 0-9736754-0-3
  • Pitseolak, Peter, and Dorothy Eber. People from Our Side An Eskimo Life Story in Words and Photographs : an Inuit Record of Seekooseelak, the Land of the People of Cape Dorset, Baffin Island. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975. ISBN 0-253-34334-8
  • Ryan, Leslie Boyd. Cape Dorset Prints, a Retrospective Fifty Years of Printmaking at the Kinngait Studios. San Francisco: Pomegranate, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7649-4191-7
  • SchoolNet Digital Collections (Canada). Cape Dorset Inuit art and Inuit cultural perspectives. Ottawa: Industry Canada, 2000.
  • Walk, Ansgar. Kenojuak - The Life Story of an Inuit Artist. Manotick: Penumbra Press, 1999. ISBN 0-921254-95-4
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