Tuktoyaktuk is a hamlet located in the Western Arctic in the Northwest Territories in Canada and is the most famous place on the Arctic Ocean. The local nickname is “Tuk”. This community of about 900 people takes its name from the Inuvialuktun word meaning “resembling a caribou” and is the first place in Canada to revert to a traditional Indigenous name (it used to be named Port Brabant).
Inuvialuktun is the language of the Inuvialuit, the Inuit of the Western Canadian Arctic. Inuvialuktun consists of three dialects:
- Uummarmiutun ~ “People of the Evergreen Trees/Willows”
- Sallirmiutun ~ “Coastal People”
- Kangiryuarmiutun ~ “Big Bay People”
The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit who live in the western Canadian Arctic region.
According to local legend, many years ago a herd of caribou waded into the ocean waters here and turned to stone. Reefs resembling the petrified caribou are said to still be visible at low tide from the shore.
Tuktoyaktuk is the only community in Canada on the Arctic Ocean that’s connected to the rest of the country by public road and the furthest north someone can drive in Canada. I arrived in Tuktoyaktuk after driving the ITH from Inuvik ~ the best road trip!
Tuktoyaktuk reminded me of Newfoundland. Most places weren’t open as I visited off season, but it was perfect for me. July and August are the best times to go for warmer weather and amenities.
Hunters B&B
Hunter’s B&B offers luxurious, artist run accommodation in beautiful Tuktoyaktuk. Just steps from the Arctic Ocean, our 2 bedroom suite features art filled walls, wireless internet access and a full size kitchen and living room with satellite TV to make you feel at home.
This place was fantastic! Great spot for a girl’s trip!
The End of The Trans Canada Trail
Inuvialuit Igluryuaq (Traditional Sod Houses)
A traditional Inuvialuit dwelling is built with sawn drift logs covered with sod clumps for insulation.
The Inuvialuit of the Western Canadian Arctic built their traditional winter houses from driftwood and sod. This type of house is called an ig-lur-yu-aq (Inuvialuktun pronunciation) was an amazing form of architecture. An igluryuaq provided a home where people slept, ate, raised their children, played, visited, told stories and carried out many other social activities.
The floors were dug into the ground so that only the top part of the dwelling had to be insulated with sod and snow. The entry into the dwelling was through a tunnel built below the level of the floor. The cold air is denser and heavier than warm air, it gets trapped inside the tunnel, which kept heated air inside. Platforms for sleeping, sitting and working were raised above the floor, so that people sat and slept in the warmest part of the dwelling, and the sloped walls reduced the amount of air inside that had to be heated. Oil burning lamps were all that were needed to keep these houses warm.
Our Lady of Lourdes Ship
A boat that sailed its way into the history of the Canadian Arctic, Our Lady of Lourdes was donated to the Northern missions by Pope Pius XI and she sailed the Beaufort Sea from 1931 to 1957. For more than 20 years, Our Lady of Lourdes, guided by Captain Billy Thrasher, braved pounding storms and shifting ice floes to deliver supplies to far-flung Catholic missions in the Arctic, from Tuktoyaktuk to Cambridge Bay in what is now western Nunavut.
Tuktoyaktuk Cemetery
Fire Department & RCMP
The volunteer Fire Department consists of one Fire Chief and 17 active members and there is a six member RCMP detachment serving the community.
I wandered into the RCMP station to check it out and met Noella who was at the front desk. I picked up a phamphlet on “Safety in Polar Bear Country”. Great info! There were a number of prints, t-shirts, sweatshirts and other trinkets available there. I got Bryan a t-shirt and a sweatshirt and a print of “Brother Bear” for myself.
Upon inquiry, I was excited to learn that the prints and the clothing designs were done by Noella. Noella Cockney is the artist behind Gaannik Design and it was a privilege to meet her. She doesn’t have a website, but if you’re in the area and looking for some fabulous designs, pop into the RCMP station and ask for her!
I have to get “Brother Bear” framed.
Tuktoyaktuk James Gruben Airport & Distant Early Warning Line
The airport is named for James Gruben, a local bush pilot/businessman who was killed on the ice road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk on 13 April 2001. He was the owner of the only 100% Inuvialuit-owned transportation company, E. Gruben’s Transport Ltd., which was passed down to him from his father Eddie Gruben and is still in business to this day.
The airport was originally built to serve the Distant Early Warning Line site adjacent to Tuktoyaktuk. Transport Canada took over management in 1973 from the military and it was used for small aircraft until 2018 when it closed after the ITH opened.
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the north coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland. It was set up to detect incoming bombers of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and provide early warning of any sea-and-land invasion.
Muktuk
Muktuk is a traditional Inuit food made with the skin and blubber of a whale ~ usually a Bowhead, Beluga or Narwha.
Out & About In Tuktoyaktuk
Here is an aerial view I found online and a map:
It seemed everyone is an Oilers fan!
Happy Travels!
Adventures in Canada’s Arctic
Jackie is “Mom” to one amazing son, an IT professional and an obsessed traveller. She spends her time reading, golfing at Ladies League and implementing software projects. Jackie has travelled to 7 continents, 5 oceans and 103 countries and she is always planning the next destination and adventure!