Chesterfield Inlet is located on a small bay on the south shore of Chesterfield Inlet on the west shore of Hudson Bay. Our town is located within Nunavut (previously the Northwest Territories) in Canada's far North; approximately 101 km NE of Rankin Inlet and 1,147 air km's E of Yellowknife. View a map here.
Topography and Climate Sand to gravel landscape with low granite outcrops and inland lakes. We are located on a low and narrow coastal strip. Our average annual precipitation consists of 14.6 cm of rainfall and 112 cm of snowfall. Our mean high in July is 13.1 degrees with a mean low of 4.6 degrees. In January, our mean high is -27.8 degrees and a mean low of -35.2 degrees.
The People Of Chesterfield Inlet
Chesterfield Inlet is a closely knit Inuit settlement of approximately 400 people. Our community has a strong community spirit blended with both modern and traditional lifestyles. You'll find modern structures in Chesterfield: houses, a health centre, a modern school, a Co-op and Northern store, hockey arena, church, a modern local government office building and a new R.C.M.P. detachment building. Take an interactive tour of Chesterfield Inlet on the town's web site.
The local residents consist of people of Inuit background and residents from across Canada filling specialized job vacancies on a short or long term basis. The people of Chesterfield Inlet are friendly to outsiders and live in an environment where crime is very low.
We are the largest employers of our local residents and many others are employed at the two retail stores and at the Municipal Government office. Also, many of the residents fish and hunt for additional food and to make winter clothing. Commercial fishing season starts approximately in the 3rd week of June (depending upon sea-ice conditions) to the end of September. There are motor vehicles in town, but many travel around town using all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles during fall/winter/spring season.
Out and About Chesterfield Inlet
OOPS! You forgot to upload swfobject.js ! You must upload this file for your gallery to work.
A Brief History Of Chesterfield Inlet
Named about 1749, after Philip Dormer (Stanhope), 4th Earl of CHESTERFIELD (1694-1773) who was the Secretary of State from 1746-48. According to the NWT Language Bureau, the traditional Inuktituk name for this Chesterfield Inlet is Igluligaarjuk, which means 'place with few houses.'
From the mid 1800's to the beginning of this century, whalers visited the area regularly and often overwintered here. They counted on local Inuit to hunt for them and to man their whale boats. At Chesterfield Inlet, Inuit often gathered to seek employment or to trade goods. Until the 1950's the community was a major centre North of Churchill, MB. It was the Hudson's Bay Company's main supply centre for other posts in the area. It was also the site of the largest RCMP barracks and the largest Roman Catholic mission in the eastern arctic, as well as medical and education centre. For more history on Chesterfield Inlet, please visit the Chesterfield Inlet web site.
