Sachs Harbour

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Sachs Harbour
Ikahuak
Hamlet
Sachs Harbour
Coordinates: 71°59′08″N 125°14′53″W / 71.98556°N 125.24806°W / 71.98556; -125.24806Coordinates: 71°59′08″N 125°14′53″W / 71.98556°N 125.24806°W / 71.98556; -125.24806
Country Canada
Territory Northwest Territories
Region Inuvik Region
Constituency Nunakput
Census division Region 1
First permanent settlement 1929
Incorporated (hamlet) 1 April 1986
Government
 • Mayor Betty Haogak
 • Senior Administrative Officer Steve Wylie
 • MLA Jackie Jacobson
Area[1]
 • Land 290.94 km2 (112.33 sq mi)
Elevation 86 m (282 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 112
 • Density 0.4/km2 (1/sq mi)
Time zone Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
Canadian Postal code X0E 0Z0
Area code(s) 867
Telephone exchange 690
- Living cost 177.5A
- Food price index 177.5B
Sources:
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[2]
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[3]
Canada Flight Supplement[4]
^A 2009 figure based on Edmonton = 100[5]
^B 2010 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[5]

Sachs Harbour is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Situated on the southwestern coast of Banks Island in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, the population according to the 2011 census count was 112 people.[1] The two principal languages in the town are Inuvialuktun and English. The traditional name for the area is "Ikahuak", meaning "where you go across to". Bulk supplies of food and other items are brought by barge in the summer months and flights from Inuvik, some 325 mi (523 km) to the southwest, operate all year, via the Sachs Harbour Airport. Sachs Harbour is the only permanent settlement on Banks Island.

The town was named after the ship Mary Sachs, which was part of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913.

Community life

Plaque

The community's economy is based largely on hunting and trapping, but tourism also plays a small role. Most of the town lies within 250 yd (230 m) of the shoreline. Residents also engage in ice fishing, harvesting fish from the Amundsen Gulf and the Beaufort Sea. There is a goose hunt every spring - Banks Island being the home to the largest goose colony in North America. The community is also home to the largest commercial muskox harvests in Canada. Three quarters of the world's population of muskoxen roam the island. Barren-ground Caribou and polar bear are also seen on the island. On April 26, 2006 the world's first documented wild-born grizzly–polar bear hybrid was shot near the town.

Aulavik National Park

Sachs Harbour is the headquarters of Aulavik National Park. The Aulavik National Park Visitor Reception Centre is situated in Sachs Harbour. Aulavik National Park is located on the north end of Banks Island, and is co-operatively managed by Parks Canada with the residents of Sachs Harbour and the broader Inuvialuit community. The Visitor Reception Centre presents the Park and Inuvialuit culture to visitors to Banks Island, as well as serves as a centre for community activities.

Exploration

Oil and gas exploration has provided jobs over the years for some Sachs Harbour residents—estimates of commercially recoverable oil in the Beaufort Sea range from four to 12 billion barrels (1.9×109 m3), and there is believed to be between 13 and 63 trillion cubic feet (1,800 km3) of natural gas.

Services

Services include a two member Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment and a health centre with one nurse.[6] Phone services are provided by Northwestel with Internet access. The local hunters and trappers association provides outfitting for big-game hunts like musk-ox and polar bears.

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop.  ±%  
1996 140—    
1997 150+7.1%
1998 149−0.7%
1999 138−7.4%
2000 127−8.0%
2001 125−1.6%
2002 118−5.6%
2003 113−4.2%
Year Pop.  ±%  
2004 121+7.1%
2005 122+0.8%
2006 127+4.1%
2007 126−0.8%
2008 131+4.0%
2009 136+3.8%
2010 136+0.0%
2011 135−0.7%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics[5]

  • Located on the southern shores of Banks Island

  • This site was closed and abandoned years ago

  • Sachs Harbour's population has been declining and now have approximately 90 residents

Climate

Sachs Harbour is in the Arctic tundra climatic zone, characterized by long, extremely cold winters. Since the activities of many residents of the community revolve around fishing, hunting, and travel, many residents have considerable knowledge of weather conditions, permafrost, and even erosion patterns. Because of climate changes in recent years, local residents fear their knowledge of weather patterns may not be of much use, as the weather has become harder to predict. Since the climate has been changing, sea ice has been breaking up earlier than normal, taking seals farther south in the summer. Seals are one of the main sources of food for the town. Salmon appeared for the first time in nearby waters between 1999 and 2001. New species of birds are migrating to the island, including robins and Barn Swallows, and more flies and mosquitos have been appearing.[7][8][9]

Climate data for Sachs Harbour (David Nasogaluak Jr. Saaryuaq) Airport
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high Humidex −4.4 −6.1 −5.6 3.0 9.4 23.5 26.0 23.7 16.3 3.9 1.1 −4.3 26.0
Record high °C (°F) −4.4
(24.1)		 −4.5
(23.9)		 −4.0
(24.8)		 2.2
(36)		 10.0
(50)		 20.5
(68.9)		 24.2
(75.6)		 21.5
(70.7)		 15.6
(60.1)		 4.4
(39.9)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −4.0
(24.8)		 24.2
(75.6)
Average high °C (°F) −24.4
(−11.9)		 −24.5
(−12.1)		 −23.1
(−9.6)		 −14.6
(5.7)		 −4.6
(23.7)		 6.1
(43)		 10.0
(50)		 6.5
(43.7)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −7.7
(18.1)		 −17.1
(1.2)		 −21.5
(−6.7)		 −9.5
(14.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −28.0
(−18.4)		 −28.3
(−18.9)		 −26.7
(−16.1)		 −18.3
(−0.9)		 −7.6
(18.3)		 3.1
(37.6)		 6.6
(43.9)		 3.7
(38.7)		 −1.2
(29.8)		 −10.7
(12.7)		 −20.5
(−4.9)		 −25.1
(−13.2)		 −12.8
(9)
Average low °C (°F) −31.7
(−25.1)		 −32.1
(−25.8)		 −30.3
(−22.5)		 −22.0
(−7.6)		 −10.5
(13.1)		 0.1
(32.2)		 3.1
(37.6)		 0.9
(33.6)		 −3.4
(25.9)		 −13.7
(7.3)		 −23.9
(−11)		 −28.5
(−19.3)		 −16.0
(3.2)
Record low °C (°F) −52.2
(−62)		 −50.2
(−58.4)		 −48.4
(−55.1)		 −43.0
(−45.4)		 −26.7
(−16.1)		 −16.5
(2.3)		 −5.0
(23)		 −11.0
(12.2)		 −22.8
(−9)		 −35.5
(−31.9)		 −42.8
(−45)		 −45.0
(−49)		 −52.2
(−62)
Wind chill −71.6 −68.1 −64.8 −58.4 −40.3 −21.1 −10.3 −20.4 −31.2 −44.9 −56.4 −64.1 −71.6
Precipitation mm (inches) 4.9
(0.193)		 6.6
(0.26)		 7.1
(0.28)		 12.1
(0.476)		 9.1
(0.358)		 7.5
(0.295)		 17.6
(0.693)		 28.9
(1.138)		 22.0
(0.866)		 20.0
(0.787)		 9.0
(0.354)		 7.0
(0.276)		 151.5
(5.965)
Rainfall mm (inches) 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.1
(0.004)		 5.1
(0.201)		 16.7
(0.657)		 24.7
(0.972)		 11.2
(0.441)		 0.5
(0.02)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 58.3
(2.295)
Snowfall cm (inches) 5.2
(2.05)		 7.0
(2.76)		 7.7
(3.03)		 12.4
(4.88)		 9.3
(3.66)		 2.4
(0.94)		 0.9
(0.35)		 4.1
(1.61)		 10.9
(4.29)		 20.2
(7.95)		 9.4
(3.7)		 8.3
(3.27)		 97.7
(38.46)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 6.5 6.3 6.7 5.6 7.4 4.7 8.1 14.5 12.0 13.7 8.2 6.2 99.9
Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 2.9 7.8 11.7 5.4 0.6 0.0 0.0 28.7
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 6.6 6.4 6.7 5.6 7.3 1.8 0.6 3.4 7.4 13.3 8.3 6.3 73.5
% humidity — 81.6 76.9 81.7 88.9 86.7 87.8 93.9 91.9 88.2 86.0 86.3 86.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours — 27.5 168.6 276.0 252.0 397.3 254.2 152.8 76.9 36.6 — — 1,641.9
Percent possible sunshine — 15.6 47.1 54.9 34.9 55.2 34.2 25.0 18.8 13.7 — — 33.3
Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sachs Harbour, HAM Northwest Territories (Census subdivision)
  2. ↑ "NWT Communities - Sachs Harbour". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  3. ↑ Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre - official names
  4. ↑ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 12 December 2013 to 0901Z 6 February 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sachs Harbour - Statistical Profile at the GNWT
  6. ↑ Infrastructure
  7. ↑ First Records of Sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) and Pink Salmon (O. gorbuscha) from Banks Island and Other Records of Pacific Salmon in Northwest Territories, Canada
  8. ↑ Observed Climate Change Impacts in Sachs Harbour, Canada
  9. ↑ Climate change impacts on Canadian Western Arctic: the Inuvialuit of Sachs Harbour
  10. ↑ "Sachs Harbour A" (CSV (3069 KB)). Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2503650. Retrieved 2014-01-09. 

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