Nunavut Parks & Special Places – Editorial Series January, 2008

Coppermine Heritage River (nominated)

In the western part of , there’s a river the earth’s climate, the followed the that runs from the “land of little sticks” where along the coast, and lived in large stunted spruce trees cling to life through rolling villages, constructing large tent rings, autumn hills, rocky outcrops and escarpments, houses, and inuksuit. As the climate cooled in the north to the . This is the mighty mid-1800s, they abandoned their whale hunting Coppermine, long a travel corridor for the traditions, and began hunting smaller marine indigenous peoples of the North. It runs through mammals, and travelled inland to follow the lands rich in wildlife, where and caribou migrating caribou, and became, in what is now graze on the sparse vegetation of the uplands, and Western Nunavut, the Copper . where and grizzlies patrol the river banks, Today, ancient campsites are common along the ever alert for a stranded fish or drowned caribou. river, since it has been a travel route for many For thousands of years, the has groups of indigenous people. On hikes along the provided easy travel and rich hunting grounds for river, paddlers find many stone tent rings, storage indigenous people. The Pre-Dorset (also called caches, fox traps, kayak racks, taluit (hunting the Small Tool Tradition) people hunting “hides”), as well as game drive systems of small along its banks used tiny tools chipped out of flint inuksuit arranged to frighten the caribou into an or chert, small side blades, minute arrowheads, area where they could be killed with the bow and and miniature scrapers. During a warm period in arrow and with spears.

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through hills thinly covered with stunted great deal of whitewater, and at one point spruce and dwarf birch. Downstream, the you are faced with at least five kilometres of hills are covered with tundra, while the relentless whitewater. boreal forest is limited to the lush river Just before Escape Rapids, the wild river valley, and still farther downstream, the river ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q opens into a calm and wide channel before flows through arctic tundra with wetlands listen to the land turning sharply to the left and crashing at places along the river. aliannaktuk between canyon walls. A long, thin waterfall en osmose avec la terre

Because there has been so little change since then, today’s river

ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a qpaddlers experience the land much as Hearne, Franklin, and listen to the land the Inuit and did almost two centuries ago. The Coppermine also figured aliannaktuk prominently en osmose avec la terre in the exploration history of the arctic. In 1771, and his party of The landscape changes drastically as paddlers drops 80 to 100 metres into the gorge near traveled the last 60 kilometres travel through several sets of rapids along the entrance, and sheer cliffs rise straight of the river in search of its rich copper the river. Intense whitewater swirls around up from the river, marked by patches of deposits, and likely became the first Rocky Defile, a memorial at the top a grim wildflowers tenaciously clinging to cracks outsiders to see this river. Their journey to reminder of the dangers inherent in river in the rocks. the Coppermine, and the massacre they travel. Beyond the rapids, boreal forest gives witnessed at what is now Bloody Falls (and Below Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial way to scrubby dwarf spruce as paddlers Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial Park), is Park, the river flows through the cross- enter the arctic landscape at Kendall well documented. In 1820, the first Franklin bedded sediments of an earlier delta until Creek. Red sandstone cliffs form a canyon, expedition descended the Coppermine and it passes the rocky outcropping just south providing an excellent location for hiking or mapped the arctic coast from the mouth of of the community of , and past sport fishing. Paddlers pass the flat-topped the river east to Point Turnagain. In 1825, sandy beaches into the Coronation Gulf. September and Coppermine Mountains, John Richardson’s crew, part of the second which dominate the landscape for miles. Wildlife viewing along the Coppermine is Franklin expedition, mapped the coast from Spectacular views are possible in all usually excellent. Caribou are frequently the Mackenzie delta to the Coppermine and directions over the seemingly endless rolling seen, sometimes crossing the river in long ascended the river to travel overland to their tundra plateaus. The red sandstone cliffs lines. Sightings of are not unusual, wintering site on . change to white sandstone and rolling white as the river brings a tongue of boreal forest Diverse Landscape marine sediments closer to the coast. and this large member of the deer family all the way to the arctic coast. Red and arctic Because there has been so little change since In the distance, the red cliffs of Sandstone foxes, tundra wolves and den in then, today’s river paddlers experience the Rapids are in view, but to reach them you the river banks or in eskers or sandy hills, land much as Hearne, Franklin, and the must negotiate Muskox Rapids, a series and hunt along the floodplain of the river. Inuit and Dene did almost two centuries of large standing waves. From Sandstone Tundra swans, white-fronted, and ago. A paddling trip flows through gorgeous Rapids, you emerge from the sandstone cliff geese nest in the wetlands, and raptors such wilderness, and crosses the on banks into smaller sets of rapids and islands, as peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, rough- its way to the . On the upper paddling through them en route to Escape legged hawks, golden and bald eagles nest reaches of the Coppermine, many small Rapids. For over 40 kilometres, there is a rivers and streams flow into the main river on ledges on the cliffs above the river. The fishing is excellent, for lake trout, arctic the river’s important place in history. River Nunavut Tourism at 1-866-NUNAVUT grayling, and, in the lower reaches of the trips usually start with chartered floatplane to request the Nunavut Travel Planner, river, for . out of Yellowknife, , which lists all licensed tourism operators, and there are several good starting points accommodations and services. Heritage designation for river trips of different lengths (from one Due to its historical and cultural to three weeks). The length of your trip will Nunavut Parks & Special Places importance, its value to wildlife, and its determine how much flat water, smooth Y 867.975.7700 • 867.975.7747 incredible recreational experiences, the steady flows, and challenging whitewater [email protected] Coppermine River has been nominated as you will experience. It is, however, an arctic www.nunavutparks.com a Canadian Heritage River. Nunavut Parks river, and needs to be taken seriously due to and Kugluktummiut are developing a river the remoteness of most of its length. Kugluktuk Heritage management plan, a requirement of the and Visitors’ Centre CHRS program, and are working towards A number of commercial operators Y 867.982.3570 • 867.982.3573 full Canadian Heritage River designation, offer canoe, raft, and kayak trips on the expected in 2008. Coppermine River. It is a convenient river Arctic Coast Visitors’ Centre to paddle due to the fact that it ends in Y 867.983.2224 The Coppermine River is without a doubt Kugluktuk, where boats and paddlers can be [email protected] one of the premiere arctic rivers for the flown out on commercial flights rather than Nunavut Tourism advanced novice paddler, or for those requiring chartered aircraft for pickups. For Y 866.NUN.AVUT • 867.979.1261 adventure seekers who want a guided river more information, check the Nunavut Parks (1.866.686.2888) trip with good scenery, wildlife, signs of website at www.nunavutparks.com, or call past cultures, and want to learn more about [email protected] www.nunavuttourism.com

Spectacular views are possible in all directions over the seemingly Canadian Heritage Rivers Y 819.994.2913 endless rolling tundra plateaus. The red sandstone cliffs change www.chrs.ca to white sandstone and rolling white marine sediments closer to the coast. Canada

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Safe and Sustainable Travel in Nunavut Nunavut’s Territorial Parks offer some of the most breathtaking scenery and magnificent wildlife imaginable, but there are risks when traveling in a remote area. You must be self-reliant and responsible for your own safety. The extreme environment can change quickly, challenge your survival skills and face you with an emergency. Also remember, when you travel in Nunavut you are in country. Polar bears are strong, fast and agile on ice, land, and in water. For more information on Safe and Sustainable Travel and Polar Bear Safety in Nunavut please visit our website at www.nunavutparks.com.

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