'Rankin Inlet' (
Inuktitut: ''Kangiqiniq'';
Inuktitut syllabics: ᑲᖏᕿᓂᖅ or ''Kangirliniq'' ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ, meaning ''deep bay/inlet'') is an
Inuit hamlet in
Nunavut,
Canada. The 2008 Rand McNally Road Atlas shows a new name of Kangiqsliniq, but its status as official is not known. It is on the western
Hudson Bay and is the regional centre for the
Kivalliq Region.
The town was founded by the owners of the
Rankin Inlet Mine, which produced
nickel and
copper ores there between 1957 and 1962 from an underground operation. The
mine was the first case of Inuit miners in Canada. Since the mine closed several attempts to develop an alternate source of income for the town were unsuccessful. These included a pig ranch in 1969 and a chicken raising venture in the 1970s. Both animals were fed a diet of local fish which unfortunately gave the meat an unpleasant flavour. It was also common for the animals to freeze to death or be eaten by
polar bears.
[2]
As of the
2006 census the population was 2,358 an increase of 8.3% from the
2001 census.
[3] The hamlet has a land area of 20.24 km² (7.8 sq mi).
The community is served by the
Rankin Inlet Airport, and by annual supply
sealift.
In the
1995 Nunavut Capital Plebiscite,
Iqaluit defeated Rankin Inlet to become territorial capital of Nunavut.
Current
National Hockey League player
Jordin Tootoo is perhaps the most well-known person to come from Rankin Inlet.
Grocery Stores
Groceries and household goods can be purchased at
The North West Company Northern store or at the Kissarvik
Cooperative.
Art Gallery
Matchbox Gallery
Restaurants
There is a
KFC Express and
Pizza Hut Express within the Northern which is the only place to buy fast food in Rankin Inlet.
Some of the hotels, including the Siniktarvik and the Inns North, have restaurants for the public.
There are also two cafés in Rankin: the Wild Wolf and the Sugar Rush.
Banks
The
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and the
Royal Bank of Canada are the two banks that service the community. Previously there was a
Bank of Montreal but it has since closed.
Notable people
★
Jordin Tootoo
★
Tagak Curley
★
Levinia Brown
★
Jack Anawak
★
Manitok Thompson
★
Jose Kusugak
External links
★
Rankin Inlet at the Territorial Government of Nunavut (PDF file)
References
1. Government of Nunavut news release
2. History of the Development of Agriculture in the N.W.T.
3. 2006 census