Inuvik
68°21'N, 133°43'W
Population: approximately 3500
Average Temperature: January -27.6 July: 14.2
Average Precipitation: January: Snowfall 17.4 cm July: Rainfall 32.9 mm
Land of the midnight sun
Land of the Midnight Sun and Gateway to the Beaufort-Delta. On behalf of Town Council and the residents of Inuvik, we are pleased that you have made Inuvik a part of your Arctic adventure. Located 2 degrees above the Arctic Circle on the scenic Mackenzie River and Delta, Inuvik offers you a wide range of services and experiences to make your visit enjoyable and memorable. Inuvik (place of people) is the homeland of the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in and a wide variety of other aboriginal and non-aboriginal people and cultures.
Inuvik is a place of rich diversity, located on the Mackenzie Delta - Canada's largest fresh water delta, close to the Arctic Ocean, with a spectacular view of the Richardson Mountains. Inuvik is nested between the treeless tundra and the northern boreal forest, and overlooks the incredible maze of lakes and streams of the Delta. Whether you are looking for northern arts and culture, remote rivers and wilderness, a chance to see arctic wildlife, or just a place to relax and enjoy the midnight sun - Inuvik is your destination. Inuvik has a lot to offer and is also the gateway to other northern communities and adventures.
With the 25th anniversary celebration of the Dempster Highway we hope that you have had the opportunity to drive the Dempster and see the magnificent scenery that it offers.
We hope to see you soon and enjoy your stay. Let us know if you need our assistance, we want to make your visit and Arctic adventure the best it can be and we look forward to seeing you again.
Inuvik, the largest Canadian community north of the Arctic Circle and the regional government center for the Mackenzie Delta area, was planned by the federal government. The site was selected to replace Aklavik, and a hospital, school and airport were built over a period of six years, from 1955 to 1961. Both Gwich'in and Inuvialuit families moved to the new community, located on a navigable channel of the Mackenzie Delta.
Oil and natural gas were discovered nearby in the early 1970s, and following extensive exploration, world class discoveries were identified. The Aboriginal Pipeline Group, which includes the Gwich'in, is a partner in a proposal to build the first pipeline along the Mackenzie Valley to deliver gas from the Arctic to southern Canada and the US.
As the center for resource exploration and government, Inuvik expands with development of Canada's Arctic oil and gas reserves. The town has a population of close to 4000, with about 15 per cent claiming Gwich'in ancestry. The Gwich'in of Inuvik call themselves the Nihtat Gwich'in ("mixed people") because the community is made up of a mixture of different Gwich'in peoples.
For information, contact:
Town of Inuvik,
Box 1160,
#2 Firth Street,
Inuvik, NT,
X0E 0T0,
Ph: 867-777-8600
