Please note that several NWT communities are still under evacuation alerts or orders due to the wildfire situation: see more information about the affected communities.
Ulukhaktok
Formerly known as Holman, this Inuvialuit community of about 500 wraps around the head of an Arctic inlet on the west coast of Victoria Island, the ninth-largest island on Earth.
Its name translates to “where there is ulu material,” referring to the copper used to make the semi-circular Inuit knife called an ulu. The large bluff overlooking Ulukhaktok was the source of these materials.
Although people travelled here to harvest slate and copper, this wasn’t a permanent settlement until the opening of a Hudson’s Bay Company store and Roman Catholic mission in the 1930s. Since then Ulukhaktok has become famous for two things: the world's northernmost golf course and exquisite Inuit prints.
The world-renowned Ulukhaktok Arts Centre, originally known as the Holman Eskimo Co-operative, was formed in 1961 to sell Inuit artwork. Don't leave this community without picking up a print, a pair of sealskin mittens or other traditional Inuit crafts like a tea cosy or doll.
Summertime visitors should be sure to take in the Billy Joss Open, a three-day, 24-hour tournament under the Midnight Sun that’s attracted hockey players, football stars, celebrities and pro golfers from across the globe.
