Rankin Inlet

History

Archaeological sites established the area was inhabited around 1200 A.D. by Thule people, bowhead whale hunters. By the late 18th century, they were succeeded by Caribou Inuit who hunted the inland barren-ground caribou, and fished for Arctic char along the coast, as well as the Diane River and Meliadine River. The Hudson's Bay Company established itself throughout the bay in the 17th century, and after 1717, sloops from Churchill, Manitoba traded north to Rankin Inlet and beyond. There was an unfortunate expedition shipwrecked on Marble Island, 32 km east of Rankin Inlet: James Knight's expedition died in the island around 1722. It was surveyed by William Moor in 1747. HBC contact was followed in the mid-19th century by American and European whalers, who were followed by fur traders trapping white fox skins in the early 20th century, followed by missionaries who brought a written language system.

The town itself was founded by the owners of the Rankin Inlet Mine, just north of Johnston Cove. Starting in 1957, the mine produced nickel and copper ores from an underground operation. The mine was the first case of Inuit miners in Canada. When the mine closed in 1962, Rankin Inlet had a population of approximately 500 Inuit, and 70-80% had been mine workers. Several unsuccessful attempts followed to develop alternate sources of income for the town. These included a pig ranch in 1969 and a chicken-raising venture in the 1970s. Both animal groups were fed a diet of local fish, which gave the meat an unpleasant flavour. It was also common for the animals to freeze to death or be eaten by polar bears.

Demographics

In the 2016 Census, Statistics Canada reported that Rankin Inlet had a population of 2,842 living in 795 of its 975 total dwellings, a 10.3% increase from its 2011 Census of 2,577. With a land area of 20.24 km² (7.81 sq mi), it had a population density of 140.4/km² (363.7/sq mi) in 2016.

Arts and culture

Rankin Inlet is not only notable for its artists and artisans, it is recognized as housing the only Inuit fine-arts ceramics production facility in the world. Community artists work in a variety of media including ceramics, prints, bronze castings, carvings, watercolour and drawing. The Matchbox Gallery, founded in 1987, showcases art work and provides educational resources.

Services

The community is served by the Rankin Inlet Airport, and by annual supply sealift. Groceries and household goods can be purchased at The North West Company's Northern Store or at the Kissarvik Cooperative.

There are two convenience stores, one being The Red Top Variety Shop, formally the Innukshuk Shop, and the other being Kativik True Value Hardware. Both are locally owned and operated.

There are several places to dine out which include The Wildwolf Cafe, The Captain's Galley, (which is in the Siniktarvik Hotel) Turrarvik Inns North (Kissarvik Cooperative) and two Tim Hortons (Northern Store and Area 6 convenience store) outlets.

Geography

Rankin Inlet is notable for the chilling wind, severe winter storms, and water resources. The Diana River empties from the north into the hamlet's namesake inlet. The small Kivalliq Region has several lakes, the largest being Nipissa Lake, and is flanked by two bays, Melvin Bay on the west and Prairie Bay on the east. Paniqtoq Peninsula, on the inlet's far western shore, provides a barrier shelter for the smaller Kivaliq Region. Dozens of islands dot the inlet, including Thomson Island, the largest, and the Barrier Islands, the longest chain. These natural resources attract tourists who hunt, fish, and canoe. The Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park, 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Rankin Inlet, is notable for hiking, fishing, bird watching and Thule archaeological sites.

Climate

Rankin Inlet has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc), just short of a tundra climate. It is above the tree line. Temperatures stay below freezing from late September to early June. Although the climate is subarctic, temperatures rise and fall too rapidly and do not stay above 10 °C (50.0 °F) for long enough (30 days) for trees to grow. Under the alternate formula for determining the boundary between arctic and subarctic climates posited by Otto Nordenskiöld, however, Rankin Inlet, along with Arviat and Baker Lake, qualify as arctic based on the relationship between the temperatures of the coldest and warmest months; in the case of Rankin Inlet, with a coldest-month (January) mean of -30.8 °C, said boundary for the warmest month would be 12.1 °C, and Rankin Inlet's warmest month (July) averages only 10.5 °C.

Beginning on January 16, 2008, Rankin Inlet endured the longest recorded blizzard in Canada. Wind speed was 74 km/h (46 mph) or above, with gusts to 90 km/h (56 mph), and wind chill values were as low as -58. The blizzard lasted 7 days 5 hours.

Notable people