Tuktoyaktuk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tuktoyaktuk Tuktuyaaqtuuq formerly Port Brabant
Hamlet
North Warning System radar station at Tuktoyaktuk
Seal
Nickname(s):  Tuk
Tuktoyaktuk Location in Northwest Territories Show map of Northwest Territories Tuktoyaktuk Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Country	Canada
Territory	Northwest Territories
Region	Inuvik Region
Electoral district	Nunakput
Census division	Region 1
Settled	1928
Incorporated	1 April 1970
Area
• Land	12.66 km2 (4.89 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (15 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	937
• Density	74.0/km2 (192/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Canadian Postal code	X0E 1C0
Area code(s)	867
Telephone exchange	977
– Living cost (2018)	162.5
– Food price index (2019)	157.8
Website	http://www.tuktoyaktuk.ca
Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Canada Flight Supplement Northwestel Natural Resources Canada 2018 figure based on Edmonton = 100 2019 figure based on Yellowknife = 100

Tuktoyaktuk (pronounced "tuk-tuh-YAK-tuk"), also known as Tuktuyaaqtuuq, is a small community in Canada. Its name in the Inuvialuktun language means "it looks like a caribou." It's often called "Tuk" for short.

This Inuvialuit hamlet is located in the Northwest Territories. It sits near the Mackenzie River delta, which is where the Mackenzie River flows into the Arctic Ocean. Tuktoyaktuk is special because it's the only place on the Arctic Ocean that you can reach by road from the rest of Canada.

Before 1950, it was called Port Brabant. But in 1950, it became the first Indigenous community in Canada to get its traditional name back.

History of Tuktoyaktuk

A sign for the Trans Canada Trail in Tuktoyaktuk

A Pingo near Tuktoyaktuk

The Tuktoyaktuk Community Cooler

An aerial photo of Tuktoyaktuk from 1987

The Arctic Ocean at the end of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway

The name Tuktoyaktuk comes from the Inuvialuit language. It means "resembling a caribou". A local story says that caribou once walked into the water and turned into stone. Today, you can see rock formations that look like these stone caribou along the shore when the tide is low.

For hundreds of years, the native Inuvialuit people used this area. It was a good place to hunt caribou and beluga whales. The natural harbour in Tuktoyaktuk was also important. It helped transport supplies to other Inuvialuit settlements.

Between 1890 and 1910, many families in Tuktoyaktuk were lost. This happened because of flu epidemics brought by American whalers. Later, people from the Dene group and Herschel Island moved here. By 1937, the Hudson's Bay Company had set up a trading post. In 1944, a strong windstorm hit the community. It damaged buildings and boats and caused the loss of 11 lives.

In the 1950s, Radar domes were built in Tuktoyaktuk. These were part of the Distant Early Warning Line. Their job was to watch for airplanes and detect any possible intrusions during the Cold War. Because of its location and harbour, Tuktoyaktuk was key for supplying workers along this defense line. In 1947, Tuktoyaktuk also became home to one of the first government day schools. These schools aimed to make Inuit youth adopt mainstream Canadian culture.

Later, Tuktoyaktuk became a base for finding oil and natural gas in the Beaufort Sea. Large industrial buildings still stand from this busy time. This period brought many new people to the region.

In 2014, work began on a new road. This road, called the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway, connects Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik. It was officially opened in November 2017. This highway provides year-round road access.

Geography and Natural Wonders

Tuktoyaktuk is located on Kugmallit Bay. This bay is close to the Mackenzie River Delta. The community is also right at the Arctic tree line, which is the northernmost point where trees can grow.

Tuktoyaktuk is a great place to start if you want to explore Pingo National Landmark. This area protects eight large, dome-shaped hills called pingos. Pingos are unique hills formed by ice pushing up the ground. This region has about 1,350 pingos in total. The landmark is about 16 square kilometers. It includes Canada's tallest pingo, which is 49 meters high. It's the second-highest pingo in the world!

How People Live and Work

Many people in Tuktoyaktuk still follow traditional ways of life. They hunt, fish, and trap for food. In the autumn, they rely on caribou. In spring and autumn, they hunt ducks and geese. Fishing is done all year round. Other activities include collecting driftwood and picking berries. Some people also work in reindeer herding.

Today, much of the work in Tuktoyaktuk comes from tourism and transportation. Marine Transportation Services (MTS) is a big employer. The oil and gas industry also provides jobs for explorers and other workers.

In 1962, a project called the Tuktoyaktuk Fur Garment Project began. It taught local women how to sew and make items like parkas, mitts, and slippers. These items were sold in a local shop, which closed in the 1980s.

Population and Languages

In the 2021 Census, Tuktoyaktuk had a population of 937 people. Most of the people living here are Indigenous (about 90.8%). The largest group is the Inuit (Inuvialuit), making up 88.0% of the population.

The main languages spoken in Tuktoyaktuk are Inuinnaqtun (which is a dialect of Inuvialuktun) and English. A few people also speak North Slavey and Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib).

Climate and Weather

Tuktoyaktuk has a subarctic climate, which is very cold. It's almost a tundra climate. The average temperature in July is just above 10°C. The Arctic Ocean freezes for most of the year, which makes the winters very cold.

Even though it's cold, Tuktoyaktuk gets less rain and snow than many desert areas. However, because of the cold, it still gets over a meter of snow each year. Sometimes, warm air from the south can reach the region. This can cause surprisingly warm temperatures in the summer. For example, on July 4, 2022, Tuktoyaktuk reached 29.9°C. Its highest temperature ever recorded was 30.4°C on July 2, 1998.

Getting Around Tuktoyaktuk

Satellite image of Liverpool Bay, the Husky Lakes, and the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula

The Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport connects Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik. This flight takes about 30 minutes. In the past, during winter, there was a special ice road called the Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road. It allowed cars to drive to Inuvik.

Now, the new Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway is open. It was completed in November 2017. This highway provides a way to drive to Inuvik all year round. From Inuvik, you can connect to the rest of Canada's road network.

A wide view of Tuktoyaktuk