Ulukhaktok

Most of Victoria Island, separated by the Prince of Wales Strait from Banks Island [1], falls within Nunavut. The exception is the island’s western corner, including Diamond Jenness Peninsula, where the community of Ulukhaktok (population 360) lies. Formerly known as Holman, homes here sit behind a gravel beach at the end of horseshoe-shaped Queens Bay and are surrounded by steep bluffs that rise as high as 200 meters (660 feet).

The village was founded around a Hudson’s Bay Company post in 1939. Inuit that moved to the post were taught printmaking by a missionary, Reverend Henri Tardi, and to this day printmaking is a major source of income for the community.

Ulukhaktok also has a golf course, the northernmost in the world. Playing a round of golf here is really something to tell the folks back at the country club; for the record, the course is at a latitude of 70’44’ North. In mid-July, the course hosts the Billy Joss Open (867/396-3080), attracting entrants from as far away as the United States.