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Nain Nunainguk
Inuit community
Nain as viewed from Mt. Sophie, September 2011.
NainLocation of Nain in the province
Coordinates: 56°32′11″N 61°43′08″W / 56.53639°N 61.71889°W / 56.53639; -61.71889
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
Region	Nunatsiavut
Settled	1771
Government
• Type	Inuit Community Government
• Mayor (AngajukKâk)	Joe Dicker
• Federal MP	Yvonne Jones (L)
• Provincial MHA	Lela Evans (PC)
• Nunatsiavut Assembly members	Anthony Andersen Roxanne Barbour
Area
• Total	94.58 km (36.52 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Population
• Total	1,204
• Density	11.9/km (31/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-04:00 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-03:00 (ADT)
Postal code span	A0P
Area code	709

Nain (Inuit language: Nunainguk) is the northernmost permanent settlement in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, within the Nunatsiavut region, located about 370 km (230 mi) by air from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The town was established as a Moravian mission in 1771 by Jens Haven and other missionaries. As of 2021, the population is 1,204 mostly Inuit and mixed Inuit-European. Nain is the administrative capital of the autonomous region of Nunatsiavut.

Nain is inaccessible by road and may be reached only by air or sea.

History

Nain was first established in 1771 by Moravian missionaries. It is among the oldest permanent Inuit settlements in Canada, most communities in Nunavut and Nunavik were settled in the 1950s or later. It is also the oldest continuously-inhabited community in Labrador after North West River. Nain has also been called "Nonynuke", "Nuninock" and "Nunaingoakh". The missionaries also established posts in Hopedale and areas in the north such as Hebron and Okak. The first Inuk to be baptized in Nain was a man named Kingminguse who took the name "Petrus" after conversion and then returned to southern Labrador where he used the name "Petrus Kingminguse" and died in 1800. Many Inuit in the south traveled to the Moravian posts in the north to be baptized and then returned to the south. The Moravians established posts only in northern areas since the Colony of Newfoundland hoped to colonize southern Labrador. In 1773, it was claimed that over 250 Inuit lived in Nain. In 1893, Nain's residents adopted patrilineal surnames at the request of Newfoundland courts. Many people took names of the missionaries (such as "Kohlmeister" and Townley") while others chose traditional names such as "Agnatok", "Kalleo", "Karpik", "Merkuratsuk", "Pamak" and "Saksagiak" or other European names such as "Abel" and "Obed". During the 19th-century, many people from southern parts of Labrador (mostly of mixed European and Inuit descent) and also from England and Newfoundland settled on islands near Nain and introduced names to the area such as "Ford", "Lyall", "Flowers", "Dicker" and "Webb". Most of these island settlements were resettled in the 1950s and 1960s and their inhabitants mostly settled in Nain. 6 Innu (Naskapi) families were recorded in Nain in 1945.

In 1959, residents of Hebron and Nutak resettled to Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The relocation had a huge impact on residents of Hebron and Nutak since the land in Nain (and other communities) was very different (resulting in difficulties when hunting) and many families were divided. Poverty and alcoholism has affected many of the families that originated in Hebron and Nutak. The provincial government apologized for the relocations in 2005. Many Inuit from Hebron were relocated to Nain by the provincial government after the Moravian mission at Hebron was closed under government pressure in 1959.

In 2016, the Google Street View imaging service uploaded images of various roads in Nain. Nain is one of the few communities in Labrador with images on the service.

Nunatsiavut

On December 1, 2005, Nain became the administrative capital of the autonomous region of Nunatsiavut which is the name chosen by the Labrador Inuit when the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act was successfully ratified by the Canadian Government and the Inuit of Labrador. Hopedale, further south, is the legislative capital. The land claim cedes limited self-rule for the Nunatsiavut government in Northern Labrador and North-Eastern Quebec, granting title and aboriginal rights. The land that comprises the Nunatsiavut government is called the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area, or LISA, which amount to approximately 72,500 km (28,000 sq mi). The Inuit of Labrador do not own this land per se, but they do have special rights related to traditional land use as aboriginals. That said, the Labrador Inuit will own 15,000 km (5,800 sq mi) within the Settlement Area, officially designated as Labrador Inuit Lands. The Agreement also provides for the establishment of the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve, consisting of about 9,600 square kilometres (3,700 sq mi) of land within LISA.

Geography

Nain is located on the north side of Unity Bay, a small inlet. The bay is open to the Atlantic Ocean but Nain's harbour is protected by numerous islands, the largest of which is Paul's Island. From Nain to the open Labrador Sea is approximately 50 km (31 mi) east through Strathcona Run.

Climate

Although located at the same latitude as Ketchikan on North America's west coast, or Moscow and southern Scandinavia in Europe, the influence of the Labrador Current gives Nain a marginal subarctic climate (Dfc) that is very close to a polar climate (ET), which creates the southernmost tree line in the northern hemisphere on the adjacent coast. The southernmost tundra is actually still in a zone of discontinuous permafrost rather than the much more typical continuous zone. The almost constant presence of the Icelandic Low means that precipitation, both as rain and snow, is exceptionally heavy for so consistently cold a climate in a low-lying area, with 421.0 cm (165.7 in) of snow the average annual amount. The actual depth of snow on the ground averages 72 cm (28 in) at the end of March. Occasionally, very warm weather occurs in summer when winds blow offshore.

Local government

The town is governed by a seven-member council composed of a mayor (or Angajukĸâk), deputy mayor (Deputy Angajukĸâk), and five councilors.

The Town Council formally changed its name from "Nain Town Council" to "Nain Inuit Community Government" in October 2006. The Nain Inuit Community Government meets once per month.

Educational facilities

Nain has one kindergarten to level III school, Jens Haven Memorial, which is split between two buildings. One building contains primary grades (kindergarten to grade 3), the other houses elementary and secondary grades (grade 4 to Level III).

There is also an adult basic education (ABE) program offered in town, delivered by Academy Canada. Academy Canada delivers this program in Nain and throughout Labrador in communities including Happy Valley - Goose Bay, Hopedale, Labrador City, Natuashish and Sheshatshiu.

Industry

Fishing is the main industry in Nain. Traditional hunting and trapping activities continue through the winter months after the fishing season has ended.

The Voisey's Bay nickel mine is located about 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Nain.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nain had a revised population of 1,204 living in 350 of its 380 total private dwellings, a change of 7% from its 2016 population of 1,125. With a land area of 93.5 km (36.1 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.1/km (23.5/sq mi) in 2021.

Ethnicity

Language (2016 census)

• English: 810
• Inuktitut: 295

Media

Nain has two radio services available.

CKOK-FM is a low-power (LP) re-broadcaster of CKHV broadcasting at 99.9 FM. Owned by the Okalakatiget Society, the station broadcasts a community radio format for the region's First Nations and Inuit communities.

As of the end of 2014, the station now streams online. It broadcasts live during local programming only.

There is also a local re-broadcaster of Happy Valley-Goose Bay's CBC Radio One feed, CBNZ. It operates on 740 AM.

Transport

Flights to Nain are at Nain Airport, and are available from Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Air Borealis (part of PAL Airlines).

Between mid-June and mid-November (pending ice conditions), the ferry MV Kamutik W, operated by the Newfoundland and Labrador Government, provides weekly service from Goose Bay along the Atlantic Coast, with stops in Rigolet, Makkovik, Postville, Hopedale and Natuashish. Nain is the northernmost stop on the route; the ferry stays docked at Nain for about three hours before beginning its southbound route.

See also

• List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
• List of historic places in Labrador
• Nain Airport
• Nunatsiavut
• Voisey's Bay Mine

References

1. "Inuktut Lexicon Atlas". inuktutlexicon.gcrc.carleton.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
2. "Nain". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
3. "Labrador MHA Lela Evans leaving the NDP to return to PC caucus". Yahoo News. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
4. Election results nunatsiavut.com
5. ^ "Nain, Town [Census subdivision], Newfoundland and Labrador and Division No. 11, Census division [Census division], Newfoundland and Labrador". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
6. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-07-13). "Population and dwelling count amendments, 2021 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
7. Moore, Angel (Apr 5, 2020). "Indigenous leaders asking that access to Labrador be sealed off". APTN News. Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.
8. Churchill Duke, Laura (20 Sep 2019). "Hopedale woman circulating petition calling for the province to subsidize flights to northern Labrador". Saltwire. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
9. "Torngat MHA Calls for New Road to Open Path to North Coast of Labrador". VOCM News. Sep 23, 2020. Retrieved Nov 5, 2020.
10. ^ "Toponymic and Cartographic Research Conducted for the Labrador Métis Nation" (PDF). mun.ca. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-04. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
11. Rollman, Hans (18 June 2011). "'For them, it's all about the name'". The Telegram. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
12. "1945 Census - NAIN (Indian) - LABRADOR DISTRICT".
13. "Inuit mark 50th anniversary of Labrador resettlement". CBC News. August 12, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
14. "Memorial to Former Residents of Hebron Unveiled" (Press release). Executive Council, Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, Tourism, Culture and Recreation. August 10, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
15. "Relocated Labrador Inuit to get apology monument". CBC News. July 24, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
16. "Google Street View maps more of Canada's north". 9 May 2016.
17. Minogue, Sara (June 4, 2004). "Inuit, Métis at odds over Labrador land claim deal". Nunatsiaqonline.ca. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016.
18. "Labrador's Inuit cheer land agreement". CBC News. January 23, 2005. Archived from the original on January 20, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
19. ^ "Nunatsiavut Government". nunatsiavut.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-28. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
20. ^ "Land Claim". nunatsiavut.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
21. "Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve". Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
22. "The Atlas of Canada - Permafrost". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
23. "Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on 2024-04-12. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
24. "Daily Data Report for October 2023". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on 2024-07-08. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
25. "Official Voting Results Raw Data (poll by poll results in Nain)". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
26. "Official Voting Results by polling station (poll by poll results in Nain)". Elections Newfoundland & Labrador. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
27. "Ministerial Government - Nunatsiavut Government". Retrieved 21 December 2023.
28. "Province Transfers Crown Land to Inuit Community Governments". Retrieved 21 December 2023.
29. "Academy Canada in Nain Finishing up for Summer Break | OKâlaKatiget Society". 10 June 2021.
30. Barker, Jacob (Sep 11, 2019). "Exploratory fishing vessel hopes to breathe new life into Nunatsiavut fisheries". CBC News. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
31. "Voisey's Bay Mine Expansion". vale.com. 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
32. "Voisey's Bay underground development hits 10% completion". CBC News. Aug 28, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
33. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
34. "Heavy fog expected to hang around Nain for days, as flights remain grounded | CBC News".
35. "Fog wreaking havoc in Nain for 7 days straight, frustrating travellers | CBC News".
36. "Navigating the North Coast | CBC News".
37. ^ "Goose Bay - Rigolet - Cartwright - Black Tickle - Ports North To Nain". Provincial Ferry Services. Archived from the original on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2009-08-30.

External links

• Inuit community governments in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Populated coastal places in Canada
• History of the Labrador Province of the Moravian Church
• Populated places in Labrador
• Hudson's Bay Company trading posts
• Road-inaccessible communities of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Fishing communities in Canada