Kimmirut | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Kimmirut

Kimmirut, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1982, population 455 (2011c), 411 (2006c). The Hamlet of Kimmirut is located on the south coast of Baffin Island, approximately 120 km southwest of Iqaluit.

Kimmirut, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1982, population 455 (2011c), 411 (2006c). The Hamlet of Kimmirut is located on the south coast of Baffin Island, approximately 120 km southwest of Iqaluit. Formerly known as Lake Harbour, the community changed its name to Kimmirut in 1996. The name Kimmirut is descriptive and means "looks like a heel" in Inuktitut, referring to a local rock outcrop.

This area of Baffin Island is rich in marine mammals. The Inuit harvested these mammals for centuries before European whalers arrived in the mid-19th century. An Anglican mission was established in 1900, and the Hudson's Bay Company operated a post there after 1911. In the 1960s the community grew as people moved in from camps to the settlement for schooling and medical services.

Many Kimmirut residents continue to support themselves, in whole or in part, through traditional activities like hunting, fishing and carving using local soapstone and ivory. Kimmirut is also the headquarters for Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve.