Welcome to the gateway to the Beaufort Delta. This is a place where you can find thriving northern arts and culture, remote rivers and wilderness, incredible Arctic wildlife and where you can bask in the relaxing rays of the midnight sun. Welcome to Inuvik.
Located on Canada’s largest fresh-water delta, Inuvik is a place of rich diversity. The largest NWT town north of the Arctic Circle, this community of 3,400 packs its seasons with colourful festivals and outdoor adventures. Visitors in early January can experience the return of daylight at the lively Sunrise Festival. Or journey to Inuvik in spring to watch the reindeer make their way to the herd’s calving grounds near Tuktoyaktuk. In the summer, the renowned Great Northern Arts Festival brings in artists and crafters from across the circumpolar world.
In Inuvik, you can check out a spectacular view of the Richardson Mountains, visit the iconic Igloo Church, and get your “I crossed the Arctic Circle” certificate at the Western Arctic Regional Visitor Center. The town itself is surrounded by a bounty of campsites and hiking trails, and within day-trip distance of vibrant communities like Tuktoyaktuk and Tsiigehtchic. It’s also the perfect springboard for daring wilderness experiences further out at Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut Nogait National Parks. The possibilities for adventure are endless!
Inuvik was the Northwest Territories’ first planned community. The town, whose name translates to “Place of Man,” came together in 1955 as a new administrative centre for the Western Arctic. Over the decades Inuvik has continued to grow, bolstered by its location to the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line and oil and gas interest in the Beaufort Sea.
Today, it remains the centre of government operations and healthcare in the Western Arctic. The population in Inuvik is a mix of Inuvialuit, Gwich’in and non-Indigenous settlers, along with a sizeable Filipino and Muslim community (and Canada’s northernmost mosque).
Inuvik is easily accessible by both air and road. There are several weekly flights from Yellowknife, and the community is also a must-stop destination on the iconic Dempster Highway.
