Rankin Inlet
Marble Island
By Tania Moffat
Nunavut Rankin Inlet
Marble Island Hudson Bay
Inuit culture, strikingly beautiful lands and abundant wild- life. Te sea offers the hamlet great fishing, and boating excursions offering views of the surrounding islands. Lured by the myth and history surrounding Marble Is-
T
land, visitors to Rankin Inlet are able to take boat tours in the summer months. Te four uninhabited islands that form Marble Island were once valued as a harbour for whalers overwintering in the Arctic Ocean. It is the massive veins of quartzite running through wacke,
a type of sedimentary rock, that give the islands their strik- ing marble-like appearance. Marble Island is mostly bare rock. Located above the tree line, only a sparse amount of plant life, primarily lichens and mosses, are found there. Be- cause of the barren landscape few animals inhabit the island year-round; however, it is a popular stop- over for polar bears and arctic foxes. Te island is rich in bird and oceanic life, making it a bountiful hunting area for the Inuit. As part of the Kivalliq District of the
he Kivalliq Region of Nunavut is found on the west coast of Hudson Bay with Rankin Inlet as the hub of transportation, healthcare and busi- ness. Visitors can expect to be greeted by a rich
The smooth white marble covers approximately 70 per cent of the island. The large pieces of marble are stood up by forces of nature and not placed there by man.
How to get there
recently established Canadian Territory of Nunavut, Marble Island was the only "Spe- cial Inuit Possession," due to its cultural significance to the Inuit, designated in the Nunavut Land Claim that formed the Territo- ry. As such, anyone may visit but non-Inuit must be accompanied by a registered tour guide. Being a traditional hunting ground, it became a trading
62 • Spring 2015
Flight duration 2 hr 30 min
First Air and Calm Air offer 12 flights per week
centre where Europeans exchanged weapons and tools with the Inuit thus changing their way of life and hunting. First discovered by explorers, such as the ill-fated Knight Expedition, in search of the Northwest Passage, Marble Island began attracting whal- ers in the 1760s due to its sheltered harbour. A century later the island was co-habited by whalers and Inuit families. Tragedy and myth surround the island, which is home to the graves of many whalers shipwrecked or un-
prepared for the harsh winter climate. Te is- land was abandoned due to the declining whale population and increasingly treacherous winter ice
conditions. Shipwrecks, death and mystery surround the island's haunting past.
The Hub
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