Cambridge Bay

Cambridge Bay sits on the southeast coast of Victoria Island and serves as the administrative center for the Kitikmeot Region at 31 meters (102 feet) above sea level. The settlement spreads along a protected bay with low-rise buildings, gravel roads, and open tundra landscape stretching in all directions.

The Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post in 1921, marking the first permanent European settlement in this traditional Inuit territory. The settlement later grew into a regional center as government services and infrastructure expanded during the second half of the 20th century.

The traditional name Ikaluktutiak means "good fishing place," which visitors can observe at the char fishing spots along the coast. Local residents still harvest Arctic char seasonally, continuing a practice that shaped the community's original purpose and daily rhythm.

The community has two schools, a campus of Nunavut Arctic College, and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station providing educational and research facilities. Visitors should prepare for extreme weather conditions and note that most services are reachable on foot or by vehicle along gravel roads.

The community experiences continuous daylight from May 20 to July 23, while the sun stays below the horizon for weeks during winter. Winter temperatures regularly drop to minus 25 to minus 35 degrees Celsius (minus 13 to minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit), making this one of the coldest inhabited regions in Canada.

Location: Nunavut

Inception: 1921

Elevation above the sea: 31 m

Website: http://cambridgebay.ca

GPS coordinates: 69.11722,-105.05306

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:34