Kimmirut Explained

Official Name:Kimmirut
Native Name:ᑭᒻᒥᕈᑦ
Settlement Type:Hamlet
Pushpin Map:Canada Nunavut#Canada
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Territory
Subdivision Name1:Nunavut
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:Qikiqtaaluk
Subdivision Type3:Electoral district
Subdivision Name3:South Baffin
Government Footnotes:[1] [2]
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Maliktuk Lyta
Leader Title1:MLA
Leader Name1:David Joanasie
Established Title:Anglican mission
Established Date:1909
Area Footnotes: (2021)
Area Total Km2:2.3
Population As Of:2021
Population Total:426
Population Density Km2:185.2
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:−05:00
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:−04:00
Coordinates:62.8467°N -69.8719°W
Elevation Footnotes:[3]
Elevation M:53
Postal Code Type:Canadian Postal code
Postal Code:X0A 0N0
Area Code:867
Website:www.kimmirut.ca

Kimmirut (Syllabics: ᑭᒻᒥᕈᑦ pronounced as /kimːiɢut/; known as Lake Harbour until 1 January 1996) is a community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located on the shore of Hudson Strait on Baffin Island's Meta Incognita Peninsula. Kimmirut means "heel", and refers to a rocky outcrop in the inlet.

It was at one time a Hudson's Bay Company trading post, and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police post. The Canadian explorer J. Dewey Soper used these posts as headquarters during his explorations in the 1920s and 1930s.

The community is served by Kimmirut Airport and by annual supply sealift. A proposal in 2005 for a road to Iqaluit was determined to be impractical owing to roundabout routing over the mountains.

Demographics

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Kimmirut had a population of 426 living in 116 of its 150 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 389. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.[4]

Broadband communications

The community has been served by the Qiniq network since 2005. Qiniq 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 Micro. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.

Climate

Kimmirut has an Arctic climate (Köppen: ET), although it is well outside the Arctic Circle. The city has cold winters and short summers that are too cool to permit the growth of trees. It is north of the tree line, and average monthly temperatures are below freezing for eight months of the year. Kimmirut averages just over of precipitation annually, wetter than many other localities in the Arctic Archipelago, with the summer being the wettest season.

Notable residents

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Municipal Election Results 2019-2020. 31 December 2022. Elections Nunavut.
  2. Web site: 2021 General Election. 31 December 2022. Elections Nunavut.
  3. Elevation at airport.
  4. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nunavut . . 9 February 2022 . 19 February 2022.