It's a Whale of a Place

Just over 70 kilometers South-South-West of Rankin Inlet is the fourth in our 'Communities We Serve' series, and today we highlight, Whale Cove. In Inuktitut, the hamlet is known as Tikiraqjuaq, meaning "long point" and is another example of our communities based upon the history of whaling along the Hudson Bay coast where Beluga's and other species gather and migrate during the year.

The Beluga's Form a Major Focus of the Town Crest

The Whale Cove area was explored by Captain Thomas Button in 1613, and later by Captain Luke Foxe in 1631, in a search for the Northwest Passage. In the early 1700s, the Hudson’s Bay traders visited this area on a more or less regular basis to trade with the Inuit.

Inuit in the Whale Cove area traded whale oil, baleen, furs, leather and walrus tusks with the Hudson's Bay Company since the mid-18th century when the HBC had established their trading post at Churchill, Manitoba.

Whale Cove is still a very traditional community and locals hunt and fish to supplement their diets. Traditional 'country' foods here include caribou, fish, seal and beluga whale. In the 1950s and 1960s Inuit were relocated in a series of moves from one hamlet to another, some of them arriving in Whale Cove, a hamlet created by the federal government for these 3 main Inuit groups.

Their hunting experience was based almost entirely on "inland caribou herds that had thinned by the 1950s and left many families hungry. Coastal dwelling Inuit from Rankin Inlet and Arviat were relocated to Whale Cove from nearby coastal communities in order to aid the inlanders in adapting to a marine subsistence economy.” The starvation was real...the response from the federal government is viewed as mixed, at best.

The Whale Tail Monument from 1967

Today Whale Cove has a modern school, health centre, RCMP detachment, municipal office, community hall, cooperative store, and a local radio station. There is a hotel (Issatik) and restaurant that serves traditional and 'country' foods. Like, many of the smaller communities, 92% are Inuit while the overall population of Nunavut is approximately 84% Inuit. Whale Cove consists of a young population with 67% of residents are under the age of 25. Whale Cove has approximately 427 residents.

All buildings in Whale Cove receive water and sewage service by truck. Daily, trucks will visit homes, businesses, and public buildings and deliver water and pump out sewage waste. Water comes from a local lake, and is mildly treated before being delivered. Sewage removed from tanks, usually located under homes or buildings, is deposited in a lagoon located a kilometre from town. Garbage is also picked up regularly from all community establishments. Water and Sewage services are heavily subsidized as the costs can be difficult to manage.

Each fall beluga whales congregate in near the shores of Whale Cove. In 1967, the Whale's Tail Monument, a project honouring Canada's centennial, was built on a hill overlooking the settlement. The huge Whale’s Tail is made of rock and concrete and has become the symbol of Whale Cove.

Many of the inhabitants hunt these whales every fall and use their by-products for their oil and food. Many travel by boat the 100 kms to Rankin Inlet in the summer months. Being a coastal hamlet, Whale Cove is on the polar bear migration route. The local terrain is arctic tundra, this consists mostly of rocks, mosses and lichens.

The Sun Setting on Hudson Bay - thank you to Billy Adjuk, Eugene Kabluitok and Andrew Noble

Beside hunting and fishing, Arctic tourism is growing. Like most of the hamlets, and the Arctic in general, beautiful scenery surrounds Whale Cove. Enjoy a walk on the beach, or take a day trip and enjoy a picnic on the plush mossy tundra or at a nearby lake. Watch the Northern Lights dancing across the night sky. As always, keep your eyes and ears open for wildlife – Siksiks, Arctic hares, fox, caribou, wolf and polar bears are commonly spotted within and near the community.

The Tundra in Summer - thank you Billy Adjuk

Also, Whale Cove is noted for its fine carvings, and more recently, the skill of its seamstresses, who can still produce traditional Inuit clothing of hide and fur. Apparently, these arts and crafts are sold at the co-op store, but on a walk around town visitors might encounter a carver at work beside his house.

Just a word of caution, if you choose to visit, the Whale Cove airport (YXN) is located 8 kilometres from town. Much easier to have someone meet you, rather than attempting the hike.

Editor's note: For this series I have to rely on various websites to give you a history and feeling of what life is like in the various hamlets in KIVALLIQ region. I can only use that information along with the conversations carried out to verify. Like anything on the 'net' there is information available....it's accuracy, however may be suspect. Photos are from various websites.