Clyde River Proposed Territorial Park

Nunavut Parks & Special Places – Editorial Series January, 2008 CLYDE RIVer PropoSED TerritoriaL ParK Along the east coast of Baffin Island, lofty Narwhals pursue small fish, and immense mountains line narrow fiords penetrating deep bowhead whales dive deep into the depths and into spectacular ranges with shining ice caps surface, mouths agape, scooping up krill and and cliffs that drop some 1500 metres into the other marine invertebrates. Occasionally, orcas sea. Here immense glaciers cover the peaks and range the fiords, seeking smaller whales and seals descend amongst rocky pinnacles and spires, as their prey. calving icebergs into the ocean. A look at a map Inuit and their ancestors have traveled these reveals that these fiords and long lakes were narrow fiords and sheer-walled islands for over once filled with glaciers creeping down from a thousand years, and the people of Clyde River the heights, glaciers that have in the past two still travel into the fiords by boat, snowmobile, centuries retreated, exposing more and more of and occasionally, dogteam. Revoir Pass and the underlying land. Caribou Pass at the end of Eglinton Fiord are key Caribou roam the valleys, and raptors and routes to prime fishing and hunting areas. The seabirds nest on the sheer cliffs, while ringed seals rolling hills of the Barnes Plateau, at the inner bob in the icy waters, and packs of harp seals hunt end of the fiords, are important caribou hunting the arctic cod. grounds today, just as they were for families living in the fiords many years ago. Beyond the plateau, the Barnes Icecap casts a silver mantle over the horizon. Aussi disponible en français xgw8Ns7uJ5 wk5tg5 Pilaaktut Inuinaqtut ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q listen to the land aliannaktuk en osmose avec la terre small and traditional Inuit community on The long days of the arctic spring bring seals the eastern side of Baffin Island. Access to out on the ice to bear their young in aigluit the area is by aircraft and possibly cruise beneath the snow, and later to bask in the ship, and to the fiords, by boat, snowmobile sun and moult their last year’s coats. At or dogsled. this time of year, travel by snowmobile or ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q dogteam is easy, and the people travel into listen to the land ONE OF A KIND WONDERS the fiords to hunt caribou and seals. aliannaktuk Everywhere, the scenery is world-class, with en osmose avec la eachterre fiord having its own unique character, In summer, wildflowers carpet the ground, and offering different experiences. Eglinton and lichens create a tapestry on the rocks. Fiord is a short, winding fiord leading to Polar bears roam the green valleys and can wonderful hiking in the U-shaped glacial be seen along the steep shorelines of the ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q listen to the landvalley of Revoir Pass. Massive rock walls fiords or swimming across the narrow inlets. tower over your boat at the junction of Sam Autumn follows quickly on the heels of Studies carried out during thealiannaktuk past en osmose avec laFord terre Fiord and Walker Arm, and jumbled summer, bringing crisp days, night skies 10 years in the area around Clyde River have walls of ice descend steep slopes to the filled with the aurora, migrating geese, and identified a large area of the fiords of the sea. The vertical cliffs of the China Wall brilliant colours on the tundra. central part of the east coast of Baffin Island would dwarf the Great Wall of China for as having great potential for a territorial With the coming of winter, ice covers all which it is named. Sail Peak soars above park. The area is under consideration for the sea, and jumbles up where the tides lift the glacial-sculpted Stewart Valley, and the nomination by UNESCO as part of a World and drop the platform of ice. Snow blankets huge vertical cliffs in Scott Inlet offer some Biosphere Reserve, and research continues the land, and all is quiet under the writhing of the best mountain climbing in the world. into the feasibility of establishing a Nunavut aurora and the winter moon. Hunters travel Clouds of guillemots and glaucous gulls Territorial Park in the area. inland by snowmobile, and polar bears swirl in an aerial ballet around nesting cliffs patrol the dark fiords. This area includes a significant amount of on the sheer cliffs along Scott Inlet and on coastal marine habitat. It is quite different Scott Island. The valleys leading down to the At any time of year, this is a special, mystical from Auyuittuq National Park, located fiords offer good hiking, and opportunities world, as the long avenues of stone are alive between Cumberland Sound and the east to see wildlife – perhaps a caribou, arctic fox, with legends from the past. The traveler on coast of Baffin Island at Qikiqtarjuaq, and soaring gyrfalcon, or peregrine defending its the land may see ancient tent rings or come offers a variety of land-based activities. A rocky eyrie. Hikers are seldom far from the upon the remains of an old winter house park near Clyde River would focus on the sound of glacial meltwater rushing down (qammat), with whale rib antlers scattered deep fiords with glaciers flowing down to the slopes to collect in valley lakes and then all about, or stone storage caches where salt water and on land-based opportunities flowing through jumbled rockfalls to the people have in the past stored dried meat in the valleys of the fiords, on boating and sea. At Avituyuq, a huge rock shaped like a against hard times. Elders tell the stories of camping opportunities in the summer and bowhead whale rises from the waters, and the past, serving as a connection between a on sea ice-based experiences during the time distinctive peaks at Walker Arm resemble time when people lived entirely off the land the ice is reliable for travel. an old man, old woman, and a dogsled and a time when they have learned to use the (qamutik). The place seems at times infused technology of today to help them live and Coupled with Niginganiq, the proposed with mystery, especially places near the end travel on the land. bowhead whale sanctuary southeast of Clyde of Gibbs Fiord where stones are moved by River, this park will offer premier attractions spirits from the past. to the Clyde River area. Clyde River is a A PARK IN THE WORKS further studies, resource inventories, and NUNAVUT PARKS The process of creating a new territorial park consultations in support of the idea of the & SpECIAL PLACES Y • is undertaken in keeping with the Umbrella creation of a territorial park to the north of 867.975.7700 867.975.7747 Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) Clyde River. [email protected] negotiated for Territorial Parks and the www.nunavutparks.com Further information on plans for a Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. The park in this part of Nunavut is available NUNAVUT ToURISM process also requires the eventual transfer Y • on the Nunavut Parks website at 866.NUN.AVUT 867.979.1261 of lands from Indian and Northern Affairs www.nunavutparks.com. Call Nunavut (1.866.686.2888) Canada (INAC) for the purposes of a Tourism at 1-866-NUNAVUT to [email protected] territorial park, and the development of a request the Nunavut Travel Planner, www.nunavuttourism.com Park Master Plan and management plans. which lists all licensed tourism operators Nunavut Parks is continuing to work with and accommodations and services in residents of Clyde River in developing Clyde River. Canada USA 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 polar bear 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. ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ NUNAVUT PARKS NUNAVUMMI PARCS ET ENDROITS ᐊᕕᑦᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒥᕐᖑᐃᓯᕐᕕᖏᑦ & SpECIAL PLACES UnnAGIURHIQVIIT SPÉCIAUX NUNAVUT ᐊᓯᖏᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᔪᑦ Department of Environment & InnIITURLIIT Ministère de l’Environnement ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ Government of Nunavut Havakviat Avatiligiyikkut Gouvernement du Nunavut Y 867.975.7700 ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖓᑦ P.O. Box 1000, Station 1340 Nunavut Kavamatkut Case Postale 1000, Succursale 1340 • 867.975.7747 ᑎᑎᖅᑲᖃᐅᑖ 1000 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 Qiuqutaa 1000, Nayugaa 1340 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 [email protected] ᑎᑎᖅᑲᖃᕕᖓ 1340 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 nunavutparks.com ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ X0A 0H0.

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