Banks Island

Last updated

Banks Island
Canada2.A2002165.1940.250m.jpg
These moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer images from June 14 and 16, 2002, show Banks Island (upper left) and Victoria Island (to the southeast)
Banks Island, Canada.svg
NWT All Region Locator.svg
Red pog.svg
Banks Island
Canada relief map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Banks Island
Geography
Location Beaufort Sea
Coordinates 72°45′02″N121°30′10″W / 72.75056°N 121.50278°W / 72.75056; -121.50278 (Banks Island)
Archipelago Arctic Archipelago
Area70,028 km2 (27,038 sq mi)
Area rank 24th
Length380 km (236 mi)
Width290 km (180 mi)
Highest elevation730 m (2400 ft)
Highest pointDurham Heights
Administration
Canada
TerritoryNorthwest Territories
Largest settlement Sachs Harbour (pop. 103)
Demographics
Population103 (2016 [1] )
Pop. density0.0016/km2 (0.0041/sq mi)

Banks Island is one of the larger members of the Arctic Archipelago. Situated in the Inuvik Region, and part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, of the Northwest Territories, it is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of Wales Strait and from the mainland by Amundsen Gulf to its south. The Beaufort Sea lies to its west, and to its northeast M'Clure Strait separates the island from Prince Patrick Island and Melville Island.

Contents

It is home to at least fourteen mammal species including the Peary caribou, barren-ground caribou, and polar bears. At one time over 68,000 muskoxen lived on the island, the majority of the world's population. However, the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae has led to a sharp decline in their numbers. The island is the summer home to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds who nest at Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary No. 1 and Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary No. 2. [2] [3]

As of the 2016 census it had a human population of 103, all in Sachs Harbour. [1]

Human settlements and discoveries

Closer look at Banks Island BanksIslandCloseup.png
Closer look at Banks Island
Topography of Banks Island Banks topo.png
Topography of Banks Island

Pre-Dorset cultural sites have been found that date from approximately 1500 BCE but European contact came much later. In 1820 it was seen from Melville Island by Sir William Edward Parry and named "Banks Land" in honour of Sir Joseph Banks. However, during the later exploration of the area by the McClure Arctic Expedition the island was marked on their maps as "Baring Island". [4] McClure's ship, HMS Investigator, was frozen in Prince of Wales Strait. That spring he sent out sledging parties and determined that Banks Island was an island. In the following year he almost circumnavigated the island but was again frozen in at Mercy Bay where he and his crew spent the next three months before making their escape across the ice. [5]

The only permanent settlement on the island is the Inuvialuit hamlet of Sachs Harbour (Ikahuak), on the southwest coast.

Description

Banks Island covers an area 70,028 km2 (27,038 sq mi) and it is the world's 24th largest island and Canada's fifth largest island. It is about 380 km (240 mi) long, and at its widest point at the northern end, 290 km (180 mi) across. The highest point of the island is in the south, Durham Heights and rises to about 730 m (2,400 ft). [6]

Ecology

The island is treeless, with the tallest plant, the Arctic willow, growing occasionally to about the height of a person's knee but usually standing no taller than 10 cm (3.9 in).

Banks Island is home to a large colony of lesser snow geese, which make their way across the Amundsen Gulf from the mainland. There is an annual goose hunt in the spring out of Sachs Harbour. The island is part of the tundra world biome, which has extremely cold winters. The island is home to barren-ground caribou, polar bears, muskoxen, and birds, including year round residents the common raven and ptarmigan.

Two federal migratory bird sanctuaries were founded on the island in 1961.

Aulavik National Park of Canada, a fly-in park, protects about 12,274 km2 (4,739 sq mi) of Arctic lowlands at the northern end of the island. [7] The park has the highest concentration of muskoxen on earth, and is home to the endangered Peary caribou. [7] The Thomsen River runs through the park, and is the northernmost navigable river (by canoe) in North America. Ptarmigan and ravens are considered the only year-round birds in the park, although 43 species make seasonal use of the area. In Inuvialuktun, Aulavik means "place where people travel" and the "wildlife and land have supported aboriginal peoples for more than 3,400 years, from Pre-Dorset cultures to contemporary Inuvialuit." [7]

The first confirmed grizzly–polar bear hybrid found in the wild was shot on Banks Island in April 2006, near Sachs Harbour.

Climate

Banks Island has a tundra climate (Köppen ET) typical of the Canadian Arctic with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Since the activities of many residents of the community revolve around fishing, hunting, and travel, many residents have considerable knowledge of weather conditions, permafrost, and even erosion patterns.

Climate data for Sachs Harbour (Sachs Harbour (David Nasogaluak Jr. Saaryuaq) Airport}
Climate ID: 2503650; coordinates 72°00′N125°16′W / 72.000°N 125.267°W / 72.000; -125.267 (Sachs Harbour (David Nasogaluak Jr. Saaryuaq) Airport) ; elevation: 86.3 m (283 ft); 1991–2020 normals [a]
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high humidex 15.0−6.1−3.22.69.422.131.926.015.93.91.1−4.031.9
Record high °C (°F)−4.4
(24.1)		−4.5
(23.9)		−3.2
(26.2)		5.4
(41.7)		10.0
(50.0)		20.5
(68.9)		24.2
(75.6)		23.2
(73.8)		15.6
(60.1)		4.4
(39.9)		1.7
(35.1)		−4.0
(24.8)		24.2
(75.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−23.8
(−10.8)		−24.4
(−11.9)		−22.8
(−9.0)		−13.6
(7.5)		−3.6
(25.5)		6.3
(43.3)		9.8
(49.6)		7.2
(45.0)		1.5
(34.7)		−6.5
(20.3)		−15.3
(4.5)		−21.7
(−7.1)		−8.9
(16.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)−27.4
(−17.3)		−27.8
(−18.0)		−26.4
(−15.5)		−17.2
(1.0)		−6.6
(20.1)		3.4
(38.1)		6.5
(43.7)		4.4
(39.9)		−0.6
(30.9)		−9.3
(15.3)		−18.6
(−1.5)		−25.1
(−13.2)		−12.1
(10.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−31.0
(−23.8)		−31.2
(−24.2)		−29.9
(−21.8)		−20.8
(−5.4)		−9.4
(15.1)		0.4
(32.7)		3.3
(37.9)		1.5
(34.7)		−2.8
(27.0)		−12.2
(10.0)		−22.1
(−7.8)		−28.5
(−19.3)		−15.2
(4.6)
Record low °C (°F)−52.2
(−62.0)		−50.2
(−58.4)		−48.4
(−55.1)		−43.0
(−45.4)		−26.7
(−16.1)		−16.5
(2.3)		−5.0
(23.0)		−11.0
(12.2)		−22.8
(−9.0)		−35.5
(−31.9)		−42.8
(−45.0)		−45.0
(−49.0)		−52.2
(−62.0)
Record low wind chill −71.6−68.1−66.1−58.4−40.3−22.1−10.3−16.0−31.2−44.9−55.5−64.1−71.6
Average precipitation mm (inches)5.8
(0.23)		5.3
(0.21)		8.5
(0.33)		9.4
(0.37)		6.7
(0.26)		9.4
(0.37)		14.2
(0.56)		25.5
(1.00)		21.2
(0.83)		17.7
(0.70)		9.5
(0.37)		6.6
(0.26)		139.7
(5.50)
Average rainfall mm (inches)0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.2
(0.01)		4.5
(0.18)		13.6
(0.54)		—9.1
(0.36)		—0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		—
Average snowfall cm (inches)6.0
(2.4)		6.5
(2.6)		—7.7
(3.0)		—2.2
(0.9)		0.3
(0.1)		3.1
(1.2)		10.6
(4.2)		————
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)8.96.28.77.57.95.77.713.813.714.311.27.8113.2
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)0.00.00.00.00.43.16.8—5.6—0.00.0—
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)8.26.2—6.2—1.40.43.07.4————
Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST)78.477.379.182.283.480.678.284.387.289.585.480.782.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 0.142.6165.8264.8284.6330.6335.7189.879.738.74.30.01,736.7
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020 [8] (sunshine) [9]

HMS Investigator

HMS Investigator, Baring Island, August 1851 Nlc hms investigator.jpg
HMS Investigator, Baring Island, August 1851

In July 2010, Parks Canada archaeologists looking for HMS Investigator found it 15 minutes after they started a sonar scan of Banks Island's Mercy Bay. The archaeology crew had no plans to raise the ship. They planned to conduct a thorough sonar scan of the area, then send a remotely operated vehicle. [10]

Notes

  1. ↑ Composite data from Sachs Harbour A; Climate ID: 2503649; coordinates 72°59′37″N125°14′29″W / 72.99361°N 125.24139°W ; elevation: 86.3 m (283 ft) and Sachs Harbour Climate; Climate ID: 2503648; coordinates 72°59′33″N125°15′15″W / 72.99250°N 125.25417°W ; elevation: 87.5 m (287 ft). Sunshine from 1951–1980

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baffin Island</span> Largest Arctic island in Nunavut, Canada

Baffin Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada, the second-largest island in the Americas, and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is 507,451 km2 (195,928 sq mi) with a population density of 0.03/km2; the population was 13,039 according to the 2021 Canadian census; and it is located at 68°N70°W. It also contains the city of Iqaluit, which is the capital of Nunavut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Island</span> Island in Arctic Canada

Victoria Island is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago that straddles the boundary between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the eighth-largest island in the world, and at 217,291 km2 (83,897 sq mi)1 in area, it is Canada's second-largest island. It is nearly double the size of Newfoundland (111,390 km2 [43,010 sq mi]), and is slightly larger than the island of Great Britain (209,331 km2 [80,823 sq mi]) but smaller than Honshu (225,800 km2 [87,200 sq mi]). The western third of the island lies in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories; the remainder is part of Nunavut's Kitikmeot Region. The population of 2,168 is divided between two settlements, the larger of which is Cambridge Bay (Nunavut) and the other Ulukhaktok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivalliq Region</span> Region in Nunavut, Canada

The Kivalliq Region is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the portion of the mainland to the west of Hudson Bay together with Southampton Island and Coats Island. The regional centre is Rankin Inlet. The population was 11,045 in the 2021 Canadian census, an increase of 6.1% from the 2016 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southampton Island</span> Island in north Hudson Bay in Nunavut, Canada

Southampton Island is a large island at the entrance to Hudson Bay at Foxe Basin. One of the larger members of the Arctic Archipelago, Southampton Island is part of the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut, Canada. The area of the island is stated as 41,214 km2 (15,913 sq mi) by Statistics Canada. It is the 34th largest island in the world and Canada's ninth largest island. The only settlement on Southampton Island is Coral Harbour, called Salliq in Inuktitut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuvialuit</span> Inuit subgroup

The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska. Their homeland – the Inuvialuit Settlement Region – covers the Arctic Ocean coastline area from the Alaskan border, east through the Beaufort Sea and beyond the Amundsen Gulf which includes some of the western Canadian Arctic Islands, as well as the inland community of Aklavik and part of Yukon. The land was demarked in 1984 by the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

The Anderson River is in the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. It originates in lakes northwest of Great Bear Lake; its headwaters are possibly on the north side of Colville Lake in the vicinity of the hamlet of Colville Lake. It flows north and west in the area between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers. Its mouth is on the Beaufort Sea on the Arctic Ocean near the eastern end of Liverpool Bay at about 70 degrees north latitude. Its main tributary is the Carnwath River. Originally known as the Beghula River it was renamed to the Anderson River in 1857 by Roderick MacFarlane after James Anderson, both of the Hudson's Bay Company. Anderson was the Chief Factor in the Mackenzie District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aulavik National Park</span> National park in Northwest Territories, Canada

Aulavik National Park ; from the Inuvialuktun for "place where people travel") is a national park located on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is known for its access to the Thomsen River, one of the most northerly navigable rivers in North America. The park is a fly-in park, and protects approximately 12,274 square kilometres (4,739 sq mi) of Arctic Lowlands at the northern end of the island. The most practical way to visit the park is to charter a plane, and currently the park has four landing sites. Aulavik is considered a polar desert and often experiences high winds. Precipitation for the park is approximately 300 mm (12 in) per year. In the southern regions of the park a sparsely vegetated upland plateau reaches a height of 450 m (1,480 ft) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuktut Nogait National Park</span> National park in Northwest Territories, Canada

Tuktut Nogait National Park is a national park located in the Northwest Territories of Canada that was established in 1998. Meaning "young caribou" in Inuvialuktun, the park is home to the calving grounds of the Bluenose-West caribou herd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sachs Harbour</span> Hamlet in Northwest Territories, Canada

Sachs Harbour is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Situated on the southwestern coast of Banks Island in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, the population according to the 2021 census count was 104 people. Sachs Harbour is the only permanent settlement on Banks Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peary caribou</span> Subspecies of deer

The Peary caribou is a subspecies of caribou found in the High Arctic islands of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in Canada. They are the smallest of the North American caribou, with the females weighing an average of 60 kg (130 lb) and the males 110 kg (240 lb). In length the females average 1.4 m and the males 1.7 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuvik Region</span> Administrative region in the Northwest Territories, Canada

The Inuvik Region or Beaufort Delta Region is one of five administrative regions in the Northwest Territories of Canada. According to Municipal and Community Affairs the region consists of eight communities with the regional office situated in Inuvik. Most of the communities are in the Beaufort Sea area and are a mixture of Inuit and First Nations.

The Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary is Canada's largest federally owned protected area, encompassing some 61,765 km2 (23,848 sq mi) of the Arctic Circle coastline. 6,710 km2 (2,590 sq mi) are marine, and 55,055 km2 (21,257 sq mi) are terrestrial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorset Island</span> Island in the Arctic Archipelago

Dorset Island, or Cape Dorset Island, is one of the Canadian Arctic islands located in Hudson Strait, Nunavut, Canada. It lies off the Foxe Peninsula area of southwestern Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region. It is serviced by an airport and a harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuvialuit Settlement Region</span> Region in Canada

The Inuvialuit Settlement Region, abbreviated as ISR, located in Canada's western Arctic, was designated in 1984 in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement by the Government of Canada for the Inuvialuit people. It spans 90,650 km2 (35,000 sq mi) of land, mostly above the tree line, and includes several subregions: the Beaufort Sea, the Mackenzie River delta, the northern portion of Yukon, and the northwest portion of the Northwest Territories. The ISR includes both Crown Lands and Inuvialuit Private Lands. Most of the ISR is represented by Nunakput, the territorial electoral district, meaning "our land" in Inuvialuktun.

Native Bay is a waterway in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Hudson Bay off western Southampton Island. The Bell Peninsula lies to the southeast. Native Point is located at the bay's southern tip. East Bay is 20 km (12 mi) to the east and Coral Harbour is 36 km (22 mi) to the north northwest.

The East Bay (Qaqsauqtuuq) Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Qaqsauqtuuq Migratory Bird Sanctuary, or Refuge d'oiseaux de la baie Est is a migratory bird sanctuary in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in East Bay, an arm of Hudson Bay, in southeast Southampton Island. The nearest community is Coral Harbour, 35 km (22 mi) to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary</span>

The Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary (KIBS) is a migratory bird sanctuary in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on Kendall Island and its surrounding area in Mackenzie Bay at the northern tip of the Mackenzie River Delta. A seasonal sanctuary for more than 60,000 shorebirds, it is one of five bird sanctuaries within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. The area that is now known as the KIBS is a traditional Inuvialuit whaling site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Parry</span> Headland in Canadas Northwest Territories

Cape Parry is a headland in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located at the northern tip of the Parry Peninsula, it projects into Amundsen Gulf. The nearest settlement is Paulatuk, 100 km (62 mi) to the south, and Fiji Island is located 9 km (5.6 mi) to the west. Cape Parry was formerly accessible through Cape Parry Airport that was located at the Distant Early Warning Line. The airport was listed as abandoned after the closure of the DEW line site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low Arctic tundra</span> Tundra ecoregion of Canada

The Canadian Low Arctic Tundra ecoregion covers a rolling landscape of shrubby tundra vegetation along the northern edge of the mainland Canada along the border of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and a small portion in Quebec on the northeast coast of Hudson Bay. The region is important for large herds of caribou and other large mammals, and for large nesting colonies of birds such as snow geese. The region is mostly intact, with 95% remaining intact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area</span> Marine protected area in Canada

The Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area (MPA) is located in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The MPA was established in October 2016 to support habitat for important marine species, and to help protect the marine environment adjacent to the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The area is culturally important to the Inuvialuit for subsistence hunting and fishing activities. The MPA was named in honour of Nelson Green, an Inuvialuit elder from Paulatuk.

References

  1. 1 2 "Census Profile, 2016 Census Sachs Harbour, Hamlet [Census subdivision], Northwest Territories and Northwest Territories [Territory]". 2016 Census . Statistics Canada.
  2. ↑ "Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary No. 1". Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2022-06-03.
  3. ↑ "Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary No. 2". Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2019-11-14.
  4. ↑ "Frozen Ocean Search for the North-West Passage". Ve.tpl.toronto.on.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  5. ↑ Armstrong, Alexander (1857). A Personal Narrative of the Discovery of the Northwest Passage. London: Hurst and Blackett. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  6. ↑ James Harley Marsh (March 4, 2015). "Banks Island". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 "Aulavik National Park of Canada", Parks Canada, 16 January 2014, retrieved 1 November 2014
  8. ↑ "Sachs Harbour A". Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1982. Climate ID: 2503650. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  9. ↑ "Volume 7: Bright Sunshine, 1951-1980" (PDF). Canadian Climate Normals. 1982. p. 2. ISBN   0-660-51899-6 . Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  10. ↑ "Abandoned 1854 ship found in Arctic". CBC News. July 29, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2012.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.