Cambridge Bay can pride itself with such a setting that you can really say this is a piece of paradise, a paradise full of opportunities for outdoor lovers. There’s everything the ocean, lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, a wonderful combination of all elements of nature.
Located on Victoria Island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Cambridge Bay is easy to get to especially by air as there are scheduled B737 jet service five days a week from Edmonton and Yellowknife.
Even if it is a small town it serves as the Government of Nunavut's administrative centre for the region, as well as the maintenance base for the area DEW Line sites, thus it has plenty of modern facilities making your stay pleasant and comfortable. I’ll list some of them to have an idea just what you can expect to find. There is a full-service Post Office, schools for all levels, a Daycare Center, Elders Center, a Health Center, department stores, banks, a Hamlet Office and for tourists there are 2 hotels and plenty of recreational facilities like Curling rink, Games Hall and a Wellness Center. Connection to the outside world is provided by the Internet access so you won’t feel isolated. If you think you can’t do without your favorite evening show, don’t worry, there are plenty of channels you can catch. Some of the most famous fast food outlets are present in the area so you won’t starve in case you don’t like local food.
All these modern facilities and modern preoccupations beautifully combine with the Inuit tradition which is quite interesting. You will hear the elders speak their native language and Inuit people go continue their hunting tradition on the sea ice.
For more info on what you can do around turn to the Visitor Center.
The best time to visit is of course in summer as winters here are quite harsh with temperatures reaching from minus 35 to minus 50. It is quite hard to imagine people living in such difficult conditions but they are probably used to it and have learned to deal with the situation. You would expect people to move and find other more comfortable place to live, but the locals are fond of the place and as long as they’ll have jobs to provide their existence they stick to the place.
Summer and spring seasons provides plenty of varied activities for the visitors and they can choose from ox viewing, bird watching, hiking, camping, hunting, races, games, square dances, drum dances, berry picking, biking around town, playing hockey, skating, ski-doing, boating arctic char fishing and net fishing. Fishing is very good in the area and there are many cabins off the road built by the locals who want to enjoy the quiet beauty of the Arctic landscape as well as the great fishing. One good place for fishing is by the banks of Freshwater Creek.
Coming to Cambridge Bay to enjoy 24 hour summer daylight, May through July will offer you a great and unforgettable experience. You can also sample the local Inuit culture and take part in music festival and watch some traditional dances.
You can see wildlife just minutes from the city and watching the beautiful animals in their original habitat is pretty exciting. There are swans, caribou, Musk-oxen, Fox, Arctic Hare, Geese and many others. You can see Musk-ox along the Mount Pelly road.
With its beautiful landscape and wonderful wildlife watching opportunities Cambridge Bay is a unique destination that everyone would like to visit at least once in their lifetime.
