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
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]
 • Total 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 (2016)[3]
 • Total 1,441
 • Density 150/km2 (380/sq mi)
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; Alashua Aningmiuq 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 2016 census, the population was 1,411 an increase of 5.7% 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 and ATVs (all terrain vehicles) during the winter. Boats and ships provide seasonal travel to and from Cape Dorset when the Hudson Strait is ice free. There is an on again off again taxi service. If the guy is in town, the taxi runs. If not in town, then no taxi and no coverage while he's gone.

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, PETER Pitseolak School (PPS), was destroyed by fire by youths in September 2015.[9]

Sam Pudlat School is the community's only elementary school with enrollment of 227 students. There have been 11 arson attempts including attempts by youths on the portables used at the elementary and high schools. Attendance is good at the elementary school but quite poor at the high school.

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 and sometimes number as many as 6 officers with one Corporal.

The Fire Department is staffed by 25 volunteers and a pumper at a single fire hall. There is a lack of fire hydrants in the town, so each run has to be filled up at the water station.

Medical facilities are crude and basic at the Community Health Centre with four beds. Advanced medical care requires an airlift to the Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit. There is no ambulance in the town. Qualified doctors visit only occasionally. There is a taxi service but it's not very reliable or dependable.

Housing

No new family dwellings have been built in more than 10 years, so houses are overcrowded with as many as 17 people living in small quarters. TB or tuberculosis is active in the town. This is made more acutely dangerous as the overcrowding continues.

Food Insecurity

The cost of basic food staples like milk, cheese, flour, butter is 65-75% higher than in Ottawa or Montreal.

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 "Census Profile, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  4. ↑ Elevation at airport. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 27 April 2017 to 0901Z 22 June 2017
  5. ↑ History of Cape Dorset Archived 2007-06-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  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. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14.
  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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