Grise Fiord (Aujuittuq)

A Hamlet Of About 130 People At 76 Degrees North, Founded In 1953 When The Government Relocated Inuit Families From Northern Quebec In The High Arctic Relocation, A Painful History The Community Still Carries. Surrounded By Glaciers And Fjords, With Muskoxen And Polar Bears And A Gateway To Quttinirpaaq National Park. Visits Are Costly And Need Planning With Local Outfitters · Grise Fiord, Nunavut

Grise Fiord, Aujuittuq in Inuktitut, meaning a place that never thaws, is the northernmost civilian community in Canada, on the south coast of Ellesmere Island at about 76 degrees north. About 130 people live here, surrounded by glaciers, fjords and mountains across Jones Sound. The hamlet was founded in 1953, when the government relocated Inuit families from northern Quebec in the High Arctic relocation, a painful history that the community still carries and that visitors should meet with respect. Muskoxen, walrus, narwhal and polar bears live nearby, and the hamlet is a gateway toward Quttinirpaaq National Park. It is not a sightseeing town: a walk takes you around it in half an hour, and the real experiences are with local outfitters. It suits expedition travellers, researchers and people already in the north. Reach it by charter flight from Resolute, commonly CAD 1,500-3,500 return, so confirm everything first.

Grise Fiord, the northernmost civilian community in Canada, on the south coast of Ellesmere Island, reached by scheduled charter flight from Resolute; coordinates approximate, Grise Fiord, Nunavut, Canada

Grise Fiord has no visitor hours. The co-op store, hamlet office and any guest accommodation keep local hours that you should confirm, with limited service on Sundays and holidays. Flights from Resolute are charters or limited scheduled flights that depend on weather, so days can slip. Guided trips run mainly from about March to May on the sea ice and from about July to August on open water, with the polar night from roughly late October to mid February limiting travel. Walking the streets and shore is free at any hour but is dangerous in storms. From mid April to late August the sun stays up around the clock.

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