Tuktoyaktuk has a freshly expanded tourism guide that helps visitors explore the Inuvialuit hamlet’s deep-rooted cultural sites and seasonal celebrations. The update from Spectacular NWT adds detailed descriptions of must-see stops like the Our Lady of Lourdes schooner, reconstructed sod houses, the Pingo Canadian Landmark, and the northernmost point of the Trans Canada Trail.
The Spectacular NWT guide now walks travellers through the story of the Our Lady of Lourdes, a wooden schooner donated in the 1930s that delivered supplies to Catholic missions along the Beaufort Sea until 1957 and has sat on display in town since 1982. It also points to traditional Inuvialuit sod houses, or igluryuaq, rebuilt near the shoreline to show how families once lived in cross-shaped driftwood and sod dwellings with a central room and three sleeping alcoves.
Nature lovers can learn about the Pingo Canadian Landmark, home to the world’s highest concentration of ice-covered hills. The area holds about 1,350 pingos, including Ibyuk, Canada’s tallest at roughly 15 storeys. A monument near the water marks the northern end of the Trans Canada Trail, linking Tuktoyaktuk to the national pathway network.
The guide also spells out when to catch the community’s biggest gatherings. The Beluga Jamboree, a 50-plus-year tradition every late April, celebrates the return of beluga whales and spring with snowmobile races, harpoon throwing, drum dancing, igloo building, and square dancing. In late August or early September, the Land of the Midnight Sun Music Festival rounds out the summer with live music under nearly endless daylight.
Visitors can reach Tuktoyaktuk any time of year on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, the 138-kilometre gravel road that opened in November 2017 and made this the only driveable community on Canada’s Arctic Ocean coast. The expanded guide arrives as work continues on the $21-million Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture, a heritage facility expected to open in 2027 and further share Inuvialuit traditions with residents and guests alike.
