Grise Fjord

Grise Fjord

The Grise Fiord is an Inuit hamlet located on the southern tip of Ellesmere Island, in Nunavut, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Canada. This is one of the three inhabited communities on the island, and despite its small population of 144, it is the largest community on Ellesmere Island. The community was established by the Canadian government in 1953, in part to ensure sovereignty in the High Arctic during the Cold War. After being promised a home and game to hunt, eight Inuit families were resettled from the Inukjuak in Quebec, but the resettlers found no buildings and very little-known wildlife. They were promised that they could return home after a year if they wanted to, but this offer was later withdrawn, so the Inuit were forced to stay. They have eventually learned about the migration routes of the local Beluga Whales and have been able to survive in the area, where they hunt over 18 000 km2 per year. The Canadian government held hearings in 1993 to investigate the resettlement program. As a result, the government paid CAD 10 million to the survivors and their families, and formally apologized in 2010. North of the settlement is the Grise Fiord, the actual fjord. In Norwegian it means "pig inlet". The Norwegian Otto Sverdrup gave it this name on an expedition in the 1900s, because he thought that the sounds of the walruses in the area sounded like pigs. Ecotourism is developing in the area as people come to see the northern wildlife of Ellesmere and the neighboring islands.