Population: 935
Tuktoyaktuk is located on the Arctic Ocean at the end of the Tuktoyaktuk Highway, 87-miles from Inuvik in Northwest Territories Canada.
Visitor Information: Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, phone 867-977-2286; www.tuktoyaktuk.ca. Visitor Information Centre is located at the entrance to the community; open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in season.
Tuktoyaktuk has limited visitor services, some amenities are seasonal. Lodging at Hunter’s B&B (867-977-2558), Smitty’s (867-678- 0836), Tuktu B&B (867-977-2880), and End of the Road Inn (867-977-2044). There is a grocery store and convenience store, 2 gas stations, and a Canada Post. Food at End of the Road Restaurant and at Grandma’s Kitchen by Front Beach, open daily, noon to midnight. There are 4 churches.
Tuktoyaktuk, which means “resembling a caribou,” has a largely Inuvialuit population. Languages spoken here include Inuvialuktun and English. The community was founded in 1928, when the Hudson Bay Company created a post here and its first name was Port Brabant. For those interested in Inuvialuit history and culture, this is a cultural hub. It is also a Northwest Territories prime seaport, and one of the few places in Canada you can drive to and take a dip in the Arctic Ocean, if you are so inclined.
The sun does not set here from May 19 to July 24, and does not rise from November 28 to January 13.
Special events include the Beluga Jamboree in April and the Pingo Music Festival in August.
There are 2 areas for overnight RV parking in Tuktoyaktuk: Tuk Souvenir Store and Campground (867-620-2153), on Beaufort Dr., and Tuktoyaktuk Arctic Ocean Campground, open June to Sept. (dates may vary) with 26 sites, electricity, garbage disposal, dump station, washrooms, picnic tables, water; $60/night. Reservations: 867-977- 2286 Ext.1000; [email protected].
