On board

• Travelers have to arrive in Nunavik by air since there is no highway there. Its inhabitants are distributed in 14 towns with no highway to connect them so people use snowmobile or quad-ski as transport and plane to get from town to town.

• Once you have chosen Nunavik as your destination it is recommendable to get in touch with your specialist travel agent to book as far ahead as you can because places are limited. Also, it you plan on making an expedition to isolated areas, it is wise to hire a guide who knows the area well, as well as informing the national police.

• If you are visiting Canada in the summer, only light clothing is required during the day, such a jersey or sweater and a jacket at night. In winter, don’t foregut to pack heavy clothing, since due to the low temperatures, the region turns white and overcoats, gloves, hats and boots are recommended for walking in the snow.

• It is essential to respect the environment and the way of life of the locals, as well as obeying the hunting and fishing regulations. The Canadian dollar is the official currency and English and French are the official languages, while Inuktitut is also spoken in the Nunavik region, the dialect of the Inuit of the Canadian Eastern Artic.

 

Treasures

• Nunavik is a region of Québec situated to the extreme north of the Canadian province. It covers approximately 507,000 km2 of tundra and forest and has nearly 11,000 inhabitants, of which 90% are Inuits (Eskimos). It is extraordinary paradise that receives visitors with unique natural sites and phenomena such as the Pingualuit Crater or its unforgettable lake for crystal-clear waters.

• The River aux Feuilles runs through Tasiujaq in the interior of Nunavik. It is an extraordinary place renowned for its natural tidal phenomena, which are considered to be among the highest in the world, at times exceeding 16 meters in height, as well as 18 meters in height in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.

• In Quebequois Inuktitut, there are various different meanings of Nunavik; it is considered “the place to live” or even the “the place where we disembark”. According to the Tamusi Qumak's Inuktitut dictionary, the region’s name means “an enormous land occupied by animals". The Nunavik Eskimos and the Nunavimmiut  dominate.

• There are imposing herds of caribou in Nunavik, the reindeer famous Europe and Asia. These animals move around the land depending on the season of the year. On rare occasions, one can appreciate a few dozen specimens a little further south, on the plateaus of  des Grands-Jardins and  Gaspésie National Parks, which they share with deer and moose.           

 

Text: AMURA ± Photo: Patrick Monney.