In Gjoa Haven, the annual Umiyaqtutt Festival brings together community feasts, cultural performances and an arts program. It takes place from late August to early September. The program also includes artifact presentations and talks about the two shipwrecks, Inuit knowledge and the national historic site. The festival offers a chance to encounter different perspectives on culture and history.

Culture, Memory and Traditions

The Nattilik Heritage Centre features exhibits on the history and culture of the region around Gjoa Haven. In town, a plaque and a cairn commemorate Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. The two sites have different focuses: one centers on exhibits, the other is a monument to an individual.

In Iqaluit, the annual Toonik Tyme Festival celebrates Inuit traditions and the return of spring. The weekly events at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park, also known as Iqaluit Kuunga Territorial Park, offer another way to learn about cultural practices. Visitors can learn throat singing and drum dancing, as well as how to make a kakivak and pitsi.

Qaummaarviit Territorial Park combines historic sites with a promenade and a network of trails. A reconstructed qarmaq gives visitors a sense of life among the Inuit who once lived there. Ukkusiksalik National Park is home to tent rings, food caches and fox traps, as well as Ak&lungiqtautitalik, the “place of the rope game.”

The Soper River also brings together nature, culture and recreation. In 1992, it was added to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System for its rich natural heritage, cultural significance to the Inuit and exceptional recreational opportunities for visitors. Canoeing, kayaking and rafting are possible on the river south of Mount Joy.

Tundra, Glaciers and Wildlife

Vast tundra, rugged black peaks and immense glaciers shape the landscape of Quttinirpaaq National Park. Herds of muskoxen and Peary caribou live there. Qausuittuq National Park offers a different kind of landscape: it is a polar desert. Those interested in Nunavut’s natural environment can explore a variety of landscapes rather than reducing them to a single image.

Trails and Outdoor Experiences

A range of outdoor activities is available in Auyuittuq National Park. A guided summer day trip to Ulu Peak is offered from Pangnirtung. The Akshayuk Pass is a 97-kilometre natural corridor for hiking and skiing; snowshoeing is also possible there. The day trip and the long corridor offer different ways to explore, without one replacing the other.

In Quttinirpaaq National Park, visitors can take day hikes or multi-day treks from Tanquary Fiord. The 120-kilometre Itijjagiaq Trail runs from Frobisher Bay to Kimmirut. It is used by cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, dog sledders and hikers. The Road to Nowhere can be used on foot year-round; in winter, people travel it on skis, and in summer, by car.

In summer, visitors can hike, camp, fish and have campfires in Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. The seasonal nature of these activities differs from the weekly cultural events in the same park: one offering is explicitly tied to summer, while the other follows a weekly schedule.

Seasons and Practical Information

Qaummaarviit Territorial Park can be reached by dog sled or snowmobile in winter and by boat or sea kayak in summer. Access to Sirmilik National Park is more limited by season and mode of transport: from late July to early September, it can only be reached by water. Local boat operators and guides offer boat transportation to the park.

There are no designated itineraries in Sirmilik National Park, but park staff can help with trip planning. When planning your trip, both seasonal access options and the kind of activity you want to do are important considerations.

Discover more destinations: Qikiqtaaluk, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Yukon, British Columbia, Ontario.

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