Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut
Qikiqtarjuaq is a Broughton Island hamlet just off the east coast of Baffin Island in Davis Strait. The name means “big island,” and the community is widely associated with iceberg views, marine wildlife, Inuit art and northern access to Auyuittuq National Park.
It belongs to Nunavut’s Qikiqtaaluk region on this site. For visitors, Qikiqtarjuaq is a small community with a large coastal setting: island townsite, whaling history, DEW Line settlement history, Inuit art, icebergs, whales, and mountain routes into Auyuittuq National Park.
How Qikiqtarjuaq Started
The Government of Nunavut profile explains that Qikiqtarjuaq was formerly known as Broughton Island. Before the modern hamlet grew, Kivitoo to the north and Padloping Island to the south were important Inuit gathering places. European whalers travelled through Davis Strait in the nineteenth century and traded with Inuit who were in the area during summer.
The permanent settlement began in the Cold War period. In the mid-1950s, a runway was built for a Distant Early Warning Line site on Broughton Island. Inuit families from Padloping Island and Pangnirtung moved to the area for employment connected to the new site.
Kivitoo remained occupied until 1962, when a drowning accident killed several men returning from trading at Broughton Island. The Government of Nunavut records that the Kivitoo population abandoned the camp and relocated to Broughton Island by 1963. Padloping also closed as a settlement between 1964 and 1968, with residents moved to Broughton Island.
The military left the area in 1992, and the community later adopted the current Inuktitut name Qikiqtarjuaq. Travel Nunavut connects the community’s visitor identity to icebergs, wildlife, art and Auyuittuq access, but the origin story is specific: it is a modern hamlet shaped by older Inuit travel places, whaling-era contact and Cold War infrastructure.
What Qikiqtarjuaq Is Like Today
Statistics Canada counted 593 people in Qikiqtarjuaq in 2021. It is a compact island hamlet with airport access, local government, school, health services, community facilities, artists, outfitters and seasonal travel tied to the sea and nearby mountains.
The setting is the first major feature. Travel Nunavut calls Qikiqtarjuaq the iceberg capital of Nunavut, and the community sits where Davis Strait water, Baffin Island mountains and Broughton Island’s low townsite meet. Bowhead whales, narwhal, orca, seals, birds and polar bears appear in official visitor material, though sightings depend on season and conditions.
Art and clothing are also part of the current visitor story. Travel Nunavut points to traditional clothing and local sources for Inuit-made items. For travellers, the best approach is to ask locally what is available and who made it.
Qikiqtarjuaq is also one of the two main Auyuittuq gateway communities, with Pangnirtung serving the southern side. That gives Qikiqtarjuaq a stronger visitor infrastructure role than its population alone would suggest.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Start with the townsite, shoreline and iceberg views. This is a place where walking orientation, local art, harbour activity, weather and views across Broughton Island can be part of the visit before any bigger excursion begins.
Ask about clothing, carving and other locally made work early in the visit. Availability changes, and buying directly or through current community contacts is a better approach than arriving with a fixed shopping list.
Auyuittuq National Park is the major outdoor draw. Parks Canada lists Qikiqtarjuaq as one of the park office communities and identifies guided spring and summer trips departing from both Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung. Backcountry plans require permits, briefings, proper equipment and weather flexibility.
Wildlife viewing is another major reason people travel here. Boat trips, floe-edge conditions, whales, seals, birds and polar-bear safety all require local guidance. Do not assume that wildlife can be approached, predicted or photographed safely without community expertise.
The Kivitoo and Padloping history gives the area a deeper travel context. If a guide discusses former settlement places, listen carefully and treat them as community history, not abandoned curiosities.
For flight planning, Iqaluit is the main territorial hub for many visitors reaching Baffin communities, but Qikiqtarjuaq’s trip logic belongs to the island, Davis Strait and Auyuittuq.
Quick Facts
- Territory: Nunavut
- Region: Qikiqtaaluk
- Municipality type: Hamlet
- 2021 census population: 593
- Official website: https://www.qikiqtarjuaq.ca/
- Former name: Broughton Island
- Main travel areas: Qikiqtarjuaq townsite, Broughton Island shoreline, Davis Strait, iceberg viewing areas, Auyuittuq National Park access, local art and clothing sources
- Key routes: Qikiqtarjuaq Airport, annual sealift, guided boating, snowmobile routes, outfitted park access
Travel Notes
Qikiqtarjuaq is reached by air. Confirm flights, lodging, local contacts, guide availability, park requirements and weather windows before travel.
Auyuittuq trips need proper registration and safety planning. Rivers, sea ice, glaciers, wind, cold water, remoteness and wildlife all affect route decisions.
Give yourself more time than the map suggests. Weather delays are normal in Nunavut, and the best parts of a Qikiqtarjuaq visit often depend on waiting for safe light, water, ice and local schedules.
Park briefings should be arranged before departure.