"Iqaluit" Iqaluit by maykal

Iqaluit Travel Guide: 70 reviews and 132 photos

Iqaluit was my first taste of the Arctic. Arriving in thick mist and pouring rain was probably not the best introduction, and when the mis cleared, we were treated to a beautiful view of....erm....a large wasteground. Iqaluit is a strange sort of city...you get the feeling it was never meant to be anything more than a temporary settlement. All the buildings are on stilts, so they can weather the snow better, but this gives the impression that this is one of those construction villages, waiting for the brand new city to be built over the next hill. But there is no city over the hill...this IS Iqaluit...a small town with big city problems.

The buildings in Iqaluit are a strange mix...there are Scandinavian-style wooden houses next door to whopping great structures which wouldn't look out of place on the moon! Then there are the new government buildings, which had to be hurriedly constructed when Iqaluit became the capital of the newly-formed territory of Nunavut. And then there's that pre-fab bright yellow airport building, right in the centre of town! The roads are not sealed...what is the point if they are covered in snow for most of the year?...so in summer they are more like dirt tracks, along which the locals speed in their jeeps, sending up huge clouds of dust.

But Iqaluit is not all doom and gloom. On a sunny day, the oddness of its buildings is actually quite attractive, and there are many nice corners of the town...you have to hunt for them, though. It is more the surrounding landscape which is spectacular...ice floes drifting in and out of Frobisher Bay, the Sylvia Grinnell River trails, the "suburb" of Apex with its old whaling station....

There is more than enough to keep the visitor occupied for a day or two...a couple of interesting museums, the national parks office, the historic Hudson Bay Company whaling station, several shops selling Inuit crafts. You'll end up spending a few days here if you plan on visiting other parts of the island, as Iqaluit has outfitters selling all the equipment and provisions you'll need for an expedition. And as it is officially a city, it has all the amenities of a city, like swimming pools, shops, cinemas, supermarkets...you are likely to return to Iqaluit after an expedition too, when it will seem like an enormous metropolis!

Not the most immediately likeable of places, but Iqaluit grows on you. For pictures and more comments, see my travelogue below....

Last visit to Iqaluit: Aug 1998
Intro Written Sep 1, 2002
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Travelogues (1)

Written Nov 20, 2003

10 photos

Iqaluit

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Comments (7)

Bwana_Brown Jan 21, 2009 at 10:14 AM Report Abuse

A very interesting account of your first experiences in Canada's north! One of these days I hope to make to that far myself!
Aopaq Sep 5, 2007 at 6:58 PM Report Abuse

Excellent page! You would be surprised to see how much Iqaluit has changed since division (creation of Nunavut) in 1999.
tvdm Sep 1, 2006 at 3:30 AM Report Abuse

Mesmerised by the pics of Baffin Island and great details of Iqaluit - must go North again soon!
chodearm Jan 26, 2005 at 8:56 AM Report Abuse

Your pages are awesome. All the places you have been are so off the beaten path. Good way to go!
victorwkf Mar 25, 2004 at 8:03 AM Report Abuse

Now this is REALLY off the beaten path!
nepalgoods Feb 25, 2004 at 2:55 PM Report Abuse

Lovely pics and a great story!
KiNyA Jul 18, 2003 at 8:19 AM Report Abuse

I've never heard of this place before but sounds fantastic!