Inuvik on the Mackenzie delta, Northwest Territories (NWT) of Canada

Inuvik is located on subsea permafrost, on the East Channel of the Mackenzie Delta, approximately 100 km from the Arctic Ocean and 200 km north of the Arctic Circle.

The Igloo church and the Inukshuk, ex-libris of Inuvik

INUVIK (pop. 3500) is the largest community in Canada north of the Arctic circle.

Coordinates 68°21′N, 133°43′ W

Inuvik is nested between the treeless tundra and the northern boreal forest, and overlooks the incredible maze of lakes and streams of the Delta.

Due to its northern location, Inuvik experiences an average of 56 days of continuous sunlight every summer and 30 days of polar night every winter.

Mckenzie Road is the main central street, where commerce and services are settled. The Eskimo Inn and The Mad Trapper restaurant are local favorites.

Lined with northern souvenir and gift shops, retails stores, businesses, as well as a variety of coffee shops, pubs, and restaurants.

A good collection of magazines to look through, summer or winter

The post office:

The residential area:

Colourful and joyfully styled housing contrasts with the surrounding tundra or with snow in winter:

The Alexander Mackenzie school:

The "Northern Images" store:

a native craft shop

Inuvik's Community Greenhouse, another landmark:

The most northern greenhouse in North America, and the only one of its kind in the world (converted from an old arena)!

The famous Igloo Church:

Inuvik's Our Lady Of Victory Church, often called Igloo Church, is a well-known landmark in the region. It is the most-photographed building in town.

The new Hospital:

A new hospital opened in early 2003, providing service to an area extending from Sachs Harbour on Banks Island, to Ulukhaktok on Victoria Island.

The Midnight Sun Complex :

A modern multi-use facility that offers recreational activities, like the Family Center:

The Mackenzie delta

The East Channel of the Mackenzie River flows to the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean. In the winter, the Mackenzie turns into an ice road which allows for road travel to Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk.


The Mackenzie spreads into a vast delta, Canada’s largest fresh water delta, close to the Arctic Ocean, in which the Peel River joins, splitting into thousands of channels before finally flowing to the Beaufort Sea.

The Dempster Highway

Inuvik is the end of Dempster Highway which connects connects the Yukon region to Northwest Territories on the Mackenzie River delta.

During the winter months, the highway extends another 194 km to Tuktoyaktuk and Aklakvik on the northern coast of Canada, using frozen portions of the Mackenzie River delta as an ice road .

The Dempster Highway at the Arctic Circle crossing.

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see also: Tuktoyaktuk