ACTIVITIES

Situated beside the ocean and bordering the breathtaking Katannilik Territorial Park, Kimmirut offers a wide range of both indoor and outdoor activities to suit all tastes.

The local Hunters and Trappers Association can organize spring trips to the floe edge to view spectacular scenery and wildlife, and caribou and polar bear hunts can also be arranged (bear hunts from January to the end of May and caribou in September). There are archaeological sites in the area that are not as yet set up for tourism.

Visits to the area’s historic buildings will keep you warm during the colder days, as will leisurely strolls through the Katannilik Park Visitors’ Centre and the Soper House Gallery, located next door to each other. Arrangements can also be made to view some traditional indoor activities, such as stencil-making, sewing, bannock-making and indoor games. Both the visitors’ centre and Soper House Gallery are open year round.

In warmer weather, visitors may be more apt to spend time hiking to historic sites and Reversing Falls where many local people set up summer camp, fishing and rock-hounding in the areas surrounding the hamlet and taking advantage of trips on the water to watch for icebergs and sea mammals.

Nearby Katannilik Park and the Soper River (part of the Canadian Heritage River System) are huge draws for eco-tourists, kayakers, canoeists and rafters alike. The brilliant colours of the Arctic flora will dazzle budding botanists in June and July when the purple saxifrage and mountain avens are in full splendor and August and September is prime berry-picking season, with crowberries, Arctic blueberries and low bush cranberries in abundance.