Rigolet Explained

Official Name:Rigolet
Native Name:Tikigâksuagusik[1]
Settlement Type:Inuit community
Pushpin Map:Canada Newfoundland and Labrador#Canada
Pushpin Label Position:left
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type3:Region
Established Title:Settled
Established Date:1735
Established Title2:Incorporated
Established Date2:1977
Leader Title:Mayor (AngajukKâk)
Leader Name:Charlotte Wolfrey
Leader Title1:Federal MP
Leader Title2:Provincial MHA
Leader Name2:Lela Evans (PC)[2]
Leader Title3:Nunatsiavut Assembly members
Leader Name3:Melva Williams[3]
Population As Of:2021
Population Total:327
Timezone:AST
Utc Offset:−04:00
Timezone Dst:ADT
Utc Offset Dst:−03:00
Coordinates:54.1797°N -58.4289°W

Rigolet (Inuttitut: Tikigâksuagusik) (population 327) is a remote, coastal Labrador community established in 1735 by French-Canadian trader Louis Fornel. The town is the southernmost officially recognized Inuit community in the world.[4] Located on Hamilton Inlet, which is at the entrance to fresh water Lake Melville; Rigolet is on salt water and is accessible to navigation during the winter. Although there is no road access, the community is accessible by snowmobile trail, the Rigolet Airport, or seasonally via a coastal ferry (MV Kamutik W) from Happy Valley-Goose Bay.[5] [6]

The Hudson's Bay Company established its trading post in Rigolet in 1836. The Hudson's Bay Company remained an active part of the community until 1987 when it was bought by the North West Company and was renamed the "Northern Store".[7]

Rigolet is part of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims area and is overseen by the Nunatsiavut government.[8] Approximately 5% of Rigolet's population is non Inuit.

Although there are still coniferous trees surrounding the village, a few kilometres northeast into Hamilton Inlet, the terrain changes drastically to a sub-arctic tundra. Minke and humpback whales are commonly observed in nearby waters.

In John Wyndham's post-apocalyptic novel The Chrysalids, set at an unspecified future date, Rigolet has become the town of Rigo and the capital of Labrador (which is one of the few habitable areas left in North America).[9]

Rigolet is home to the longest boardwalk in North America. Rigolet's boardwalk stretches over 8 km, from Rigolet to Double Mer Point. The first phase of the boardwalk was completed in 1997 and the last extension of the boardwalk was completed in 2015.[10]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Rigolet had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of .[11] With a land area of 5.27km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[12]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Labrador Inuttitut: Speaking into the future. Nov 13, 2006. Catharyn. Andersen. Alana. Johns. Études/Inuit/Studies. 29. 187–205. 1–2. 10.7202/013939ar. free.
  2. Web site: 2024-07-16 . Labrador MHA Lela Evans leaving the NDP to return to PC caucus . 2024-07-16 . Yahoo News . en-GB.
  3. https://nunatsiavut.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Official-May-3-Election-Results-for-Ordinary-Members.pdf Election results
  4. Web site: rigolet.ca. Welcome to Rigolet. 2019-04-17.
  5. Web site: Indigenous leaders asking that access to Labrador be sealed off. Oct 16, 2020. Angel. Moore. Apr 5, 2020. APTN News .
  6. Web site: Ferry Service. Tourism Nunatsiavut . Nov 4, 2020.
  7. Web site: Hudson's Bay Company Net Loft (Rigolet). Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador. Oct 16, 2020 .
  8. Web site: Labrador Inuit land claim passes last hurdle . CBC News . 17 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070321084602/https://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/06/24/labrador-inuit-050624.html . Mar 21, 2007 . June 24, 2005.
  9. Web site: 9 things you didn't know about Newfoundland and Labrador. Nature Canada. Oct 16, 2020. Mar 26, 2014 .
  10. Web site: Boardwalk in Rigolet complete, may now be North America's longest. CBC News. Oct 16, 2020. Oct 9, 2015 .
  11. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census. 8 February 2017 . Statistics Canada. Oct 16, 2020.
  12. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador . . February 9, 2022 . March 10, 2022.