Tuktoyaktuk

Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktuyaaqtuuq, lit. "it looks like a caribou"), commonly known simply as Tuk, is an Inuvialuit village of 900 people (2016) on the Arctic Ocean in the extreme north of Canada's Northwest Territories. It is the only community in Canada on the Arctic Ocean that is connected to the rest of Canada by road.

Understand
It used to be known as Port Brabant. It was renamed in 1950 and was the first place in Canada to revert to the traditional Indigenous name.

History
Tuktoyaktuk is the anglicized form of the native Inuvialuit place-name, meaning "resembling a caribou". According to legend, a woman looked on as some caribou, common at the site, waded into the water and turned into stone, or became petrified. Today, reefs resembling these petrified caribou are said to be visible at low tide along the shore of the town.

The settlement has been used by the native Inuvialuit for centuries as a place to harvest caribou and beluga whales. In addition, Tuktoyaktuk's natural harbour was used as a means to transport supplies to other Inuvialuit settlements.

Between 1890 and 1910, a sizeable number of Tuktoyaktuk's native families were wiped out in flu epidemics brought in by American whalers. In subsequent years, the Dene people, as well as residents of Herschel Island, settled here. By 1937, the Hudson's Bay Company had established a trading post.

Radar domes were installed beginning in the 1950s as part of the Distant Early Warning Line, to monitor air traffic and detect possible Soviet intrusions during the Cold War. The settlement's location (and harbour) made Tuk important in resupplying the civilian contractors and Air Force personnel along the DEW Line.

The community of Tuktoyaktuk eventually became a base for the oil and natural gas exploration of the Beaufort Sea. Large industrial buildings remain from the busy period following the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries 1973 oil embargo and 1979 summertime fuel shortage. This brought many more outsiders into the region.

The all-weather road between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk was opened in November 2017.

Climate
Tuktoyaktuk displays a subarctic climate, just short of a polar (tundra) climate, as the July mean temperature is barely above 10 °C (50 °F). Since the Arctic Ocean freezes over for much of the year, the maritime influence is minimized, resulting in really cold winters and a strong seasonal lag in spring. This results in April being much colder than October and May much colder than September. March is also colder than December, and is the only month yet to record a temperature above freezing at any point. Due to the dominance of cold air, Tuktoyaktuk has less precipitation than many desert climates. In spite of this, the cold temperatures render it receiving more than an annual metre of snow on average. Thanks to its landmass link many thousands of kilometres to the south, temperatures way above average can occur in summer in spite of the cold surrounding waters. As of 2018, this is still yet to result in any high above 29.4 °C (84.9 °F).

By road
The Highway 10 (Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway), a 138-km gravel road, connects Tuktoyaktuk from Inuvik. This is the only ground route in or out of town. From Dawson City in the Yukon, travellers can take Yukon Highway 5 and Northwest Territories Highway 8, known together as the Dempster Highway to Inuvik.

Get around
While it is easy to get around on foot in the town, taking a snowmobile to the store or out on the land is very common. The weather is very hard on vehicles so if you decide to drive be prepared to let your vehicle warm up for a long time in the winter months. Sometimes there is a taxi service available. For trips out on the land or to the airport via the ice road, there are people who will drive you out, such as the charter van for Ookpik Tours.

See




Do

 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.
 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.
 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.
 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.
 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.
 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.
 * Kayaking. Bring your own or rent kayaks or canoes from a local outfitter for a closer view of the pingos or the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The boardwalk (accessible by kayak/canoe) offers a great view of the pingos from an elevated vantage point.

Drink
Alcohol is restricted within 25 km of the hamlet. There is a limit on the amount of alcohol you can transport or possess in the community.

Go next
Drive out or fly to Inuvik. This is the closest place to go for restaurants, hotels, etc. Under 3 hours to drive.