Pond Inlet, Nunavut

Pond Inlet (Inuktitut: Mittimatalik, in English "the place where Mitima is buried") is a small, predominantly Inuit community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada and is located at the top of Baffin Island. As of the 2006 census the population was 1,315, an increase of 7.8% from the 2001 census [ [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=6204020&Geo2=PR&Code2=62&Data=Count&SearchText=Pond%20Inlet&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=6204020 2006 census] ] making it the largest of the four hamlets above the 72nd parallel. Pond Inlet was named in 1818 by explorer John Ross for John Pond an English astronomer. The mayor is Abraham Kublu. [ [http://www.pondinlet.ca/i18n/english/members.html Hamlet of Pond Inlet] ] The 2008 Rand McNally Road Atlas shows the unofficial name of Mittimatalik.

Its economy is largely service based with government as the largest employer. Small businesses that serve the community, tourism, and art work though are also found.

As a tourist destination, Pond Inlet is considered one of Canada's "jewels of the North". It is one of the most picturesque communities with mountainous ranges viewable from all directions. Icebergs are most often accessible from the community within walking distance or a short snowmobile ride in winter. Pond Inlet boasts a nearby floe edge, several dozen glaciers, explorable ice caves, and many grand and picturesque inlets. Barren-ground Caribou, Ringed Seal, Narwhals and Polar Bears are just some of the wildlife that can be encountered while traveling out on the land. Nunavut also boasts one of Canada's newest national parks named after a majestic glacier that can be viewed north of the community on Bylot Island; Sirmilik National Park.

Pond Inlet is most readily accessible by airplane through a connection in Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital to Pond Inlet Airport. The ocean is ice free for as long as three and a half months when tourist cruise ships visit and goods can be transported to the community by sealift cargo carrying ships. Fresh food such as fruits, vegetables and milk is flown from Montreal to Pond Inlet several times a week, a distance of about 2500 km. Because of such great distances the cost of food and other materials such as construction supplies can be much higher than that of southern Canada. Milk is approximately $3.75/L, and soda can be as much as $4.50/can and 1.8 L of Ocean Spray juice was as high as $41.99 in Sept. 2004.

Although the community is not more than 2.5 km long, snowmobiles and ATV four wheelers are the main modes of transportation. With the decentralization of the Nunavut government and increased economic opportunities in the community, the number of vehicles has been increasing tenfold.

Pond Inlet has two schools: Ulaajuk (elementary school) and Nasivvik (junior and high school). There are two major stores: the local Northern (North West Company Inc.), and the Toonoonik-Sahoonik Cooperative Limited. The latter, most often referred to simply as the Co-op, also operates a local hotel and other endeavours.

See also

* Sheila Burnford, a Scots-Canadian author who wrote "One Woman's Arctic" (1973) about her two summers at Pond Inlet.
* Katharine Scherman, an author who visited nearby Bylot Island in 1954.

References

Further reading

* Bradstreet, Michael S. W. "Studies Near the Pond Inlet Ice Edge Occurrence, Habitat Use, and Behavior of Seabirds, Marine Mammals, and Arctic Cod". Calgary: Petro-Canada, 1980.
* Finley, K. J., and Elizabeth J. Gibb. "Summer Diet of the Narwhal (Monodon Monoceros) in Pond Inlet, Northern Baffin Island". Toronto: LGL Limited for Petro-Canada Exploration Inc., Calgary, 1982.
* Gourdeau, Eric. "Notes on the Social Impact of Panarctic's Employment Policy in Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet". [Montreal] : Arctic Institute of North America, 1973.
* Grant, Shelagh D. "Arctic Justice On Trial for Murder, Pond Inlet, 1923". McGill-Queen's native and northern series, 33. Montréal, QC: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002. ISBN 0773523375
* Grigsby, Michael. "Eskimos of Pond Inlet". [Great Britain] : Granada TV, 1975.
* Jackson, G. D., A. Davidson, and W. C. Morgan. "Geology of the Pond Inlet Map-Area, Baffin Island, District of Franklin". Paper (Geological Survey of Canada), 74-25. Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada, Dept. of Energy, Mines and Resources, 1975.
* MacFarlane, I. C. "The Effects of Deformation on the Structure of Sea Ice, Pond Inlet, N.W.T. A Contract Report". St. John's, Nfld: Centre for Cold Ocean Resources Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1983.
* Nashook, Elijah. "Pond Inlet Airstrip Extension Correspondence between Elijah Nashook, Mayor of the Hamlet of Pond Inlet and the Government of the Northwest Territories". Yellowknife?, N.W.T.: Government of the Northwest Territories?, 1987.
* Northwest Territories. "Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik)". Northwest Territories data sheets. 1986.
* Pond Inlet Education Council, and Baffin Divisional Board of Education. "Nanuit Miksaanut". [Iqaluit, N.W.T.] : Pond Inlet Education Council, 1980. ISBN 0920245668
* Remote Community Demonstration Program (Canada), and Peter J. Poole. "A Study to Determine Off-Oil Options for Pond Inlet, N.W.T., with Special Emphasis on the Prospects for Developing Coal Reserves". Ottawa: The Program, 1983.
* Romer, Mark. "Pond Inlet Gardens A Report on the Design and Operation of a Solar Greenhouse on North Baffin Island, NWT, with Particular Reference to Economic Viability of Vegetable Production for Arctic Regions". Outremont, Qué: Romer, 1987.
* Soberman, D. A. "Report to the Canadian Human Rights Commission on the Complaints of the Inuit People Relocated from Inukjuak and Pond Inlet, to Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay in 1953 and 1955". S.l: s.n.] , 1991.

External links

* [http://www.pondinlet.ca/ Official site]
* [http://collections.ic.gc.ca/arctic/inuit/pond.htm Pond Inlet at the Canadian Arctic Collections]
* [http://www.nasivvik.org Nasivvik High School Website - Pond Inlet]
* [http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nu/sirmilik/index_e.asp Sirmilik National Park]
* [http://www.qia.ca/i18n/english/communities/pond.shtm Pond Inlet at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association]