Commonly called...B.L.

The “Communities We Serve” series will help acquaint you

The geographical centre of Canada is Baker Lake

with the many communities in the region of KIVALLIQ, the south central part of Nunavut territory. I thought it ftting to start with a focus on the geographical centre of Canada and a hamlet known as Baker Lake (pronounced “Qamani’tuaq” in INUKTITUT). 

While you normally wouldn’t sit down and “google” this village name, there are times, when I’ve had a few minutes, to research these places and hope, in the next few days, to educate with a few facts and interesting features of those communities that we service. I continue to learn about these places. One of the staff related a story, recently, that she was at a conference. The keynote guest speaker, Roberta Bondar (one of Canada’s early astronauts), asked the audience the question, “What is the geographical centre of Canada?” This person was able to answer her question.

We use the short form for many of the communities here and Baker Lake is known around the health centre...simply as B.L. There have been many things that I’ve learned while here in the Arctic at Rankin Inlet. The hamlet of BAKER LAKE sits on its namesake’s lake shore, and has two main stores, a Co-op and a Northern (as well as their respective convenience outlets). Banking is limited, apparently, but most businesses accept charge cards.

1940 Hudson Bay Trading Post currently the Visitior Centre in Baker Lake

The Akumalik Visitors Centre occupies the former HUDSON BAY TRADING POST building which has been kept intact as a replica of a 1940's model complete with fur pelts in the attic and goods to be traded on the shelves. That tradition is consistent with many communities...for almost 350 years.

Inside the trading "Post"

The old Anglican compound is still very evident according to my research. With a town population of some 1800 residents, this location is the only inland settlement in Nunavut Territory (91% of the people are Inuit). Most of the hamlets are coastal and are reached in the summer months by various ships and sealift vessels. Baker Lake is some 320 kilometers west of the Hudson Bay coastline at a point where the Thelon river mouth widens. This is important since supplies are able to come into the river's wide mouth at Chesterfield Inlet and then travel upstream to resupply the hamlet. 

Of course, the RCMP has a detachment there. As well, there is an arena, recreation centre and swimming pool and a health centre. We don't have a swimming pool here inRankin Inlet, it was closed a few years ago...but for the past two summers we do have an artificial turf soccer venue...sure is better than playing on the gravel that it replaced.

Mining and development are active about 70 kilometers north of Baker Lake with a year round 110 km road connecting both the Gold and Uranium mining operations. Over 400 workers are housed and work there, on a rotational basis…flying in and out from the airport strip located there. We are talking big numbers here. Mine estimates show almost 8,500 tonnes of ore processed daily and it's expected to produce 350,000 ounces of gold annually over the 9 year mine life. The Company sees the potential to discover 5,000,000 ounces of gold at Meadowbank and continue the mine life well beyond 2019. They expect to employ 450 people with over 40% coming from the local communities.

Along the shoreline near the town are apparently a series of huts and sheds providing shelter to winter and summer gear for the local population. Three rivers flow into the actual lake, and the lake is then connected to Chesterfield Inlet (shortened by everyone to plain…Chesterfield) on the shores of Hudson Bay. This provides a means of access in the summer months for barges to bring equipment, gasoline and fuel oil for the town folk. Fuel oil, in all these communities, provides the vital link in generating electric power, used extensively for heat and light…and it gets delivered once a year so you had better order the right amount.

The following is taken from the local website and describes the people and area so well…why re-invent the wheel. “In a land which has seen the comings and goings of thousands of seasons, it's in the travels and adventures of the people that the story is told. For the Inuit, history is more a matter of

The Arts and Crafts of the Inuit of Baker Lake

place than it is of time. It is the memory of the changing of the seasons, and nomadic journeys following the migrations of the animals that made life possible for them. The Inuit sense of tradition flows from the memories of the places they've camped for generations: places where the caribou were plentiful and the fishing was good.”

Artwork and handicrafts are two methods of retaining the rich culture and heritage of the Inuit people. Carvings, paintings, and wall hangings are famous from this area. Beaded work takes years to perfect.

Hunting and fishing depicted in artworks

Arctic tourism is a term used extensively now as more people flock to the north and see for themselves what this beautiful, natural setting is all about. They come to canoe and hike, or to hunt and fish, all the time taking in the sights and sounds of this land. Whether by boat or canoe, by quad or snow machine, movement across the land continues. In fact, the term “Nunavut” (of which this territory is named) when translated into English from the native INUKTITUT language really means “OUR LAND”. It will be interesting to see how the past can mesh with the present and still maintain those INUK traditions.

So for those adventurous souls who would like to visit Baker Lake, fly to Winnipeg, take a plane north to Rankin Inlet and 14 hours of hard snowmobiling later you will arrive at the community of Baker Lake...the lakes will be froze and safe until early May, so you still have some time to book! It's -35C today...so dress warm!

Editor's note: Unlike my other postings, I have no images directly from the area so my thanks for the use of these photos from Baker Lake Community Economic Development's website.