Nunavut Forts

Canadian Forts

NUNAVUT TERRITORY

Last Update: 20/SEPTEMBER/2025

NOTE: Separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999. The Arctic Islands Territory was transferred from Great Britain to Canada in 1882.
Independent and (most) commercial (non HBC) trading posts established after 1870 are not included here.

Charlton Island Depot
(1680 - 1713, 1803, 1903 - 1935), Charlton Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post in James Bay, also associated with Fort Charles - Fort Rupert (1) in Waskaganish, Québec. A fortified supply warehouse/depot was first built, followed by a proper fort in 1684. It was captured by the French in 1686 - 1693, and again in 1697 - 1713. Capt. Thomas James wintered here in 1631 and built a house, which was presumably located where the depot was later built.

The North West Company also operated here in the summer of 1803 for a short time. A temporary post called Fort St. Andrews was supposedly built.

A modern HBC trade post was re-established by 1903, associated with Fort Rupert (2) in Québec. HBC archival records cover 1903 - 1931.

Charlton Depot was established in 1680 as a supply depot and transport warehouse for the yearly shipments of cargo destined for the James Bay factories. The island, located at the bottom of James Bay, had been the wintering site for the explorer Captain Thomas James who had built a house on the island in 1631. The HBC depot served a vital role in the transport of supplies as Charlton Island proved to be an easier site to deposit cargos for Moose Factory, Albany, and Rupert House. The waters at the James Bay factories were too shallow and rough for safe unloading and loading of ships. At Charlton Depot, cargo was loaded straight onto vessels destined for the factories. Cargo returning to London was then immediately loaded and the ship could depart without delay. Charlton Depot was unmanned; each of the three factories sent someone to supervise the transit of their cargo in the spring and the warehouse and depot remained empty for the remainder of the year.

In 1684 the Governor and Committee instructed Henry Sergeant, governor at Albany, to build a fort on Charlton Island. Two years later the fort was captured by French forces under the leadership of Pierre le Moyne d'Iberville, and Sergeant was brought to the island after he surrendered Albany. After this, the HBC abandoned its activities on Charlton Island, and Moose Factory became the supply depot for James Bay. However, Charlton Island remained in use off and on when ships from London had difficulty entering the mouth of the Moose River.

About 1802 the North West Company acquired the brig Eddystone, and placed it under a Captain Richards, a former Hudson's Bay Company man, and John George McTavish, the younger brother of the Chief of Clan McTavish. In the summer of 1803 it left Montréal for Hudson Bay. At the same time a force under Angus Shaw left the Tadoussac area for James Bay. They met at Charlton Island in HBC territory and claimed the island for the NWCo.. They built Fort St. Andrews there and two forts at the mouths of the Moose River and Eastmain River. The purpose, in part, was to pressure the HBC into granting the NWCo. transit rights through Hudson Bay. What happened after that is not clear.

In 1839 the HBC created a beaver reserve on Charlton Island. Beavers on the reserve were hunted every fourth year. In 1902 the beaver reserve was abandoned. That same year Charlton Depot was re-established. In 1931 the railroad reached Moosonee (near Moose Factory) which heralded in the death of cargo transit via northern water ports in favour of rail transit. As a result the Charlton Depot was closed by 1935. In 1933 the HBC leased Charlton Island from the Government of the North West Territories and re-established its beaver reserve. Controlled trapping on the island began in 1940. In July 1962 the HBC surrendered its lease to the Government of Canada and abandoned its reserve.

Strutton Island Depot
(1909 - 1916), Strutton Island
Révillon Frères operated a supply depot and warehouse here until after the start of World War One.

A central warehouse and wharf was constructed on Strutton Island in James Bay, just east of Charlton Island where the HBC had their depot for many years. Strutton Island remained the distribution point for Révillon Frères until after the start of WWI. Then the S.S. Adventure, their main supply ship, was requisitioned by the British government, lent to Russia and was subsequently sunk by a mine off Archangel. Since the ship was irreplaceable at that time a new supply route became essential. The National Transcontinental Railway from Quebec City (QC) to Winnipeg (MB) had just been completed in 1915 and so it was determined to open new communications using the Pagwachuan River in Ontario from the new railway to James Bay.

Belcher Islands Post
(1928 - 1948), Belcher Islands
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover 1938 - 1940) on the west side of Tukarak Island in southern Hudson Bay. It had originally been located on the southwest side of the Belcher Islands group until it was relocated in 1937. This was a subpost of the Great Whale River House in Poste-de-la-Baleine (Kuujjuarapik), Québec. See also About Sanikiluaq from Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Révillon Frères operated a temporary post here in 1934-35.

Belcher Islands was established sometime before 1933 as an outpost of Great Whale River (Québec). The islands were likely named for Captain James Belcher, an HBC employee in the early eighteenth century. In 1935 Belcher Islands was elevated to the status of full post. In 1948 Belcher Islands post was closed.

In 1963 the HBC re-opend a store on Belcher Islands. In 1978 the name of the store was changed to Sanikiluaq to reflect the name of the community in which it was located. The Northern Store in Sanikiluaq was in operation until 1987, when the HBC sold its Northern Stores to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Smith Island Post
(1926 - 1952), Smith Island, near Akulivik, Québec
A Hudson's Bay Co. post. Originally located on the Québec mainland at Cape Smith on Mosquito Bay in 1922, the post was moved to Smith Island (aka Qikirtajuaq) in 1926. The present community on Cape Smith (QC) was established in 1976. See also About Akulivik from Town of Akulivik (QC)
(See also Cape Smith Post on NORTHERN QUEBEC page 5)

Cape Smith was established in 1922 as a fur trade post. It was located in Northern Quebec at Latitude 60o 50'N Longitude 78o 45' W. In July 1952 Cape Smith was closed.

Mansel Island Post
(1925 ?/1930 - 1949), Mansel Island, near Ivujivik, Québec
A Hudson's Bay Co. post in northern Hudson Bay. Located on the north tip of the island at Swaffield Harbour. Originally an outpost of Cape Wolstenholme Post in Québec.

Mansel Island was established as a fur trade post in the autumn of 1929 on the island of the same name off the northwestern coast of Ungava Peninsula. It was closed in 1940.

Port Burwell Posts
(1916 - 1939), Port Burwell, Killiniq Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located on the western side of Killiniq Island, off the northern tip of Labrador. The HBC relocated most of the native community in 1942 to Southampton Island. In 1978 all the remaining residents were resettled to communities in the Nunavik region of Québec and the townsite was later bulldozed. The Moravian Mission was established here in 1904, closed and sold to the HBC in 1924.

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment was established here from 1920 - 1936.

Traditionally always a part of Labrador, Killiniq Island was partitioned in 1927 during the final boundary settlement between Newfoundland and Québec, with Port Burwell situated on the western side of the island, and thus in the Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), as per a previous 1920 settlement that awarded all islands in the Hudson Bay waters (including Hudson Strait) to the Northwest Territories. (The Ungava District of the Northwest Territories (northern Québec) had been transferred to Québec in 1912.) The eastern side of the island at Cape Chidley is considered to be in the Atlantic Ocean basin, and thus still part of Labrador to this day.

Port Burwell was established in 1916 on Killinek Island at the mouth of Hudson Strait in what is now Nunavut. In 1924 the HBC acquired nearby property belonging to the Moravian mission. In 1939 Port Burwell was closed and, according to District Manager Ralph Parsons, the keys to the buildings were handed over to a local resident who worked as the caretaker.

Cape Dorset Post
(1913 - 1941), Cape Dorset, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post. The community was renamed Kinngait in 2020. See also History of Cape Dorset from Hamlet of Cape Dorset

Cape Dorset was established in 1913 on the north shore of Dorset Island in Hudson Strait in what is now Nunavut. In 1947 the "Nascopie" was wrecked off the coast of Dorset Island near the post. In 1951 a new dwelling house was erected and the old one was converted into a store. From 1959 to 1987 Cape Dorset fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Amadjuak Post
(1921 - 1934), Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the south coast of Baffin Island, east-southeast of Cape Dorset.

Amadjuak was opened in August 1921 to aid in the operations of the Hudson's Bay Reindeer Company. It was located inland on the south coast of Baffin Island between Lake Harbour and Cape Dorset. In 1933 Amadjuak was closed.

Lake Harbour Posts
(1911 - 1959/1966), Kimmirut, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the south coast of Baffin Island. Several of the buildings still stand. The community was renamed in 1996. See also About Kimmirut from Hamlet of Kimmirut

The RCMP established a post here in 1915, and still maintains a presence.

Lake Harbour was established in 1911 at the head of the harbour of the same name on the southern shore of Baffin Island. It was the HBC's first post on Baffin Island and acted as the headquarters of the Hudson Strait District from 1912 to 1919. From 1914 to 1920 Lake Harbour operated an outpost at Frobisher Bay (at Hall Bay). The site had been the headquarters for Scottish whalers in the nineteenth century who also mined mica in the area. In 1914 the Scottish whalers abandoned the mica mines. The HBC picked up the mica mining in new pits northeast of the post. In 1918 the Lake Harbour mica mines were abandoned by the HBC. Lake Harbour was also used as a coal depot to hold coal in reserve for HBC supply ships.

From 1959 to 1987 Lake Harbour fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Hall Bay Post
(1914 - 1920), Hall Bay, Baffin Island
An HBC subpost of Lake Harbour Post, located on the north side of Charles Francis Hall Bay. Relocated to Mingoaktuk Post.

Frobisher Habitation
(Kodlunarn Island National Historic Site)
(1576, 1577, 1578), Kodlunarn Island
Kodlunarn Island was the site of mining expeditions by English explorer Martin Frobisher during the summers of 1576, 1577, and 1578. Like his predecessor John Cabot, Frobisher was searching for a northwest passage when he found what he thought was gold. Five crewman were captured by the Inuit on the first voyage, and never seen again. His vessels returned to the Arctic twice more to remove some 1500 tons of worthless ore from several mines. They remained for a period of four to five weeks each year, exploring the area and making landfalls to extract ore. One of the major sites they visited was Kodlunarn Island, also known as Qallunaat, White Man’s Island, and Countess of Warwick Island, where Frobisher planned to leave a large party to mine during the winter of 1578-79. Although his plan was never realized, he did build a stone house for accommodation. Today the ruins of this house together with various excavations, earthworks and scattered artifacts remain on the island. Archaeological expeditions carried out preliminary surveys of the locations related to Frobisher on this island in the 1970s and 1980s. Located along the north shore of Frobisher Bay near the Blunt Peninsula.
See also Buss Island from HBC Heritage

Mingoaktuk Post
(1920 - 1922), Hamlen Bay, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post in the lower Frobisher Bay, located at a former Inuit camp. Relocated to Frobisher Bay Post (Ward Inlet) in 1922.

Frobisher Bay Post
(1922 - 1949/1972), near Iqaluit, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post originally located at Ward Inlet at the head of Cormack Bay (HBC records cover 1920 - 1939). Closed during 1940 to 1944. Relocated to Apex (Niaqunngut) in 1949, about 5 km southeast of Iqaluit, after the U.S. airbase was re-established after World War II. Some buildings still remain. See also History of Iqaluit from City of Iqaluit

Frobisher Bay was established in 1914 in a pre-fabricated hut moved from Lake Harbour to the shore of Frobisher Bay (at Hall Bay) between Griffin Bay and New Harbour on Baffin Island. Between 1915 and 1920 it acted as a winter outpost for Lake Harbour. In 1920 Frobisher Bay became a full post. At this time, it was moved to near the head of Waddell Bay (at Mingoaktuk). Frobisher Bay post moved once again the following year to Cormack Bay on Ward Inlet. Frobisher Bay was closed in 1940 and re-opened four years later. In the fall of 1949 it moved to Apex Hill near the United States Air Force base and new buildings were erected. In 1958 the HBC opened a commissary at Frobisher Bay, which closed in 1972. That year new food and retail stores were opened in the community.

The stores in Frobisher Bay were in operation until 1987, when the HBC sold its Northern Stores to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company). After 1987 the name of the town of Frobisher Bay was changed to Iqaluit.

Base Crystal Two
(1941 - 1946/1963), Iqaluit, Baffin Island
An American military weather and radio station was established here at Frobisher Bay in October 1941. An airbase and emergency landing field for the North Atlantic Air Ferry Route was constructed in 1942. This became the Frobisher Bay U.S. Air Force Base from 1947 - 1963. It became the center for the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line construction operations in the 1950's, and was an important forward Strategic Air Command base. It is now the civilian Iqaluit Airport. The town, originally named Frobisher Bay until 1987, became the Territorial capital in 1999. (NOTE: the "Crystal One" base was located at Fort Chimo, Québec)

Blacklead Island Post
(Blacklead Island National Historic Site)
(1921/1925 - 1931/1936 ?), Blacklead Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. outpost along the south coast of Cumberland Sound on Baffin Island, near Ptarmigan Fiord. This was a former whaling station, established in the 1890's. Operated intermittently.

Blacklead Island was established in 1924 on the eastern shore of Baffin Island on Cumberland Sound in what is now Nunavut (64 59'N, 66 11' W). The post housed a blubber shed and shipped whale oil. From 1932 to 1936 no returns or expenses for Blacklead Island appear in the HBC records. By around 1936 the post was closed.

Livingston Fiord Post
(1924 - 1925), Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located at the head of Cumberland Sound, probably on the headland across the sound due west of Pangnirtung. Also known as Kangertukjuk Fiord. Exact location unknown.

Sirmilling Bay Post
(1921 ? - 1925 ?), near Issortukdjuak ?, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located at Kingua Fiord, north of Oshualuk Post. Exact location uncertain.

Oshualuk Post
(1923 - 1933), near Pangnirtung, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located just north of Pangnirtung, an outpost of that location. This was originally a post built by the Arctic Gold Exploration Syndicate in 1918 (Ooho-Arlo Station), and sold to the HBC in 1923.

Pangnirtung Posts
(1921 - 1939), Pangnirtung, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post. Also known as Netchelik Post. This post was apparently originally intended to be located on the western side of Cumberland Sound at Nettilling Fiord. In 1925 the HBC acquired a nearby whaling station (these buildings still remain). The HBC also operated an experimental fox farm here in 1930 - 1932. See also About Pangnirtung from Qikiqtani Inuit Association

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police established a post here in 1923.

Pangnirtung was established in 1921 on the northeast shore of Pangnirtung fiord on Baffin Island. This site had been an important whaling site since the nineteenth century and continued as such into the twentieth century. The HBC's primary interest in this area was the trade of white fox furs. Originally known as Netchelik or Netchelick, the post's name changed to Pangnirtung in 1924 under the recommendation of J.O. Craig, who was in charge of the Government Arctic Expedition. By 1925 the HBC had taken over the businesses of two nearby competitors. During the summer of 1928, the HBC established an experimental fox farm at Pangnirtung as part of a wider attempt to create fur farms in the Arctic. (Other HBC fox farms were located at Port Harrison, Stupart's Bay, and Chesterfield Inlet.) In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Kekerten Post
(Kekerten Historic Park)
(1923 - 1925 ?), Kekerten Island (Qikiqtan)
A Hudson's Bay Co. post, originally a whaling trade station established in 1915 (?) by the Robert Kinnes and Company of Scotland (UK), sold to the HBC in 1923. Abandoned around 1925 and relocated to Pangnirtung. A permanent whaling station was first located here in 1857 by American and Scottish whalers.

Base Crystal Three
(1941 - 1944), Padloping Island, near Cape Dyer
An American military weather station was established here in October 1941. Located at the southeastern tip of Baffin Island in Merchants Bay, just above the Arctic Circle. A Canadian weather station was later established in 1950. The island has been uninhabited since 1968.

Clyde River Post
(1923/1930 - 1939), Clyde River, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the central east coast of Baffin Island.

Clyde was established in 1923 on the eastern side of Baffin Island on the shore of Clyde Inlet, about midway between Pangnirtung and Pond's Inlet. Since the early nineteenth century, the site had been a traditional whaling spot for both Inuit and English whalers. The HBC had first attempted to establish a post here in 1921 but adverse ice conditions made it impossible to do so. In 1941 the HBC operated a meteorological station for the Canadian government, which was later taken over by the Department of Transport. Clyde became a Northern Store in 1959. In 1980 the Clyde store and dwelling were moved to the opposite side of Patricia Bay. Clyde continued to operate as a Northern Store until 1987 when the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Igloolik Post
(1938 - 1959), Igloolik
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover only 1940). Closed during 1943 to 1947 due to unfavourable ice conditions. The historic post building (already long abandoned) was burned down by arson in July 2020. See also About Igloolik from Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Igloolik was opened in June 1938 on Igloolik Island, off the northeast tip of Melville Peninsula. Between 1943 and 1948 Igloolik was closed. Beginning in 1959 Igloolik was administered by the newly established Northern Stores Department. It operated as such until 1987, when the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Fort Hope
(1846 - 1847), near Repulse Bay
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located on the North Pole River flowing into Repulse Bay, near a place now called Neakongut, was the winter quarters of Dr. John Rae of the HBC and ten men of the British Navy's Arctic Expedition of 1846-47. A stone house, four houses made of snow blocks, and two observatories comprised the original camp. The snow houses with skin roofs held provisions, fuel, meat, and baggage and were connected by passages under the snow while the observatories, built of snow with a pillar of ice in each, were used to study the aurora borealis and magnetic fields. The walls of the stone house were two feet thick, with three glass windows. Caribou skins stretched over a frame of wood furnished the door, and a roof was fashioned with the oars and masts of Rae's boats, the Magnet and North Pole, and covered with oilcloth and moose hide. The house proved to be cold with daily indoor temperatures of -25 C. Despite the weather, the party celebrated Christmas of 1846 with a dinner of "excellent venison and a plum pudding," brandy punch, and a game of football. On his next stay at Repulse Bay in 1853-54, Rae preferred to live in a snow house less than one kilometre south of Fort Hope. On his fourth and last expedition to the Canadian Arctic in 1853-54, Rae returned to Fort Hope. Ruins of the stone house still stand today. See also Historic Sites of Repulse Bay from Hamlet of Repulse Bay

Repulse Bay Post
(1920 - 1939), near Repulse Bay
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover 1925 - 1939) at Beach Point, south of the present community, operated by George Cleveland.

In 1924 a French fur trading company, Révillon Frères, opened a store here. They were bought out by the HBC in 1936.

Repulse Bay was established in 1919 as an outpost of Chesterfield Inlet. It was located on the north shore of Repulse Bay in present-day Nunavut. In August 1921 it was elevated to post status and two buildings were erected in the following years. From 1959 to 1987 Repulse Bay fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Bury Cove Post
(1919 - 1920), Wager Bay Inlet
A temporary HBC post established by George Cleveland, located at the entrance to Wager Bay at Roes Welcome Sound. Exact location not known. Relocated to Repulse Bay.

Wager Bay (Inlet) Posts
(Ukkusiksalik National Park)
(1919/1925 - 1947), Ford Lake, Wager Bay
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover to 1934). Ruins of several wooden buildings still remain. Located on the northwest shore at the head of the bay at Ford Lake (Tusjujak), above an area of reversing tidal falls. This was the first HBC post run by a native Inuit manager. Guided public access only.

The RCMP established a temporary patrol post in 1910 on the north shore of the inlet near the Savage Islands.

Wager Inlet was established in 1919 as a temporary outpost for Chesterfield Inlet, taking over the trade from Fullerton Post. It was located on the western tip of Wager Inlet in present-day Nunavut. In August 1925 Wager Inlet became a full post and operated as a wintering spot for HBC schooners. During the 1920's it also functioned as a tractor depot for Wager-Cockburn Tractor Transport. In 1933 Wager Inlet was abandoned. It continued to operate unofficially as an outpost for Repulse Bay and Chesterfield Inlet until 1946.

Southampton Island Post
(1924 - 1952), Coral Harbour, Southampton Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post.

Southampton Island was established by the HBC in August 1924 in response to the movement of Inuit from such places as Repulse Bay, Chesterfield Inlet, and Lake Harbour, which had been overhunted. The post was located at Coral Harbour on the island for which the post was named. In 1959 the administration of Southampton Island was transferred to the Northern Stores Department. In 1968 the post was renamed Coral Harbour. It continued to operate as a Northern Store until 1987, when the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Coats Island Post
(1918 - 1924/1928), Coats Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at Cape Pembroke. Relocated to Coral Harbour in 1924, but briefly reopened in 1927-28.

Coats Island was established as a fur trade post in September 1918 on the island of the same name in Hudson Bay. It was supplied from Lake Harbour and Wolstenholme (QC). In 1925 Coats Island was abandoned due to overhunting. The Inuit of the island were moved to Southampton Island.

Fullerton Harbour Posts
(1903 - 1914, 1918 - 1919/1922), Cape Fullerton
A North West Mounted Police post built to establish Canadian sovereignty in Hudson Bay as well as to administer whaling licenses, collect customs, control liquor, and maintain order. Fullerton Harbour was a popular wintering station for American and Scottish whaling ships. Replaced by the Chesterfield Inlet Post in 1914, but re-established in 1918. The wooden NWMP barracks was still being used in 1940-41 as a refuge for Arctic travellers.

From 1913 - 1919 American trader George Cleveland operated a trading post for the F.N. Monjo Company at Fullerton Harbour. In 1919 the Hudson's Bay Company bought out the firm and Cleveland then moved the post to Wager Bay Inlet (Bury Cove), now working for the HBC.

Chesterfield Inlet Posts
(1911/1913 - 1941), Chesterfield Inlet
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on Hudson Bay. Some buildings still remain. See also History of Chesterfield Inlet from Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet

The RCMP established a post here in 1914 - 1963. The Chesterfield Inlet detachment was responsible for summer patrols by boat to Southampton Island, Baker Lake, Marble Island, and Depot Island. Winter patrols by dog sled were made to places such as Churchill, Cape Fullerton, Rankin Inlet, and Baker Lake.

Chesterfield Inlet was established in 1911, although the HBC had proposed establishing a post at the site as early as 1853. The post was built on the south side of the inlet of the same name. For many years, Chesterfield Inlet operated as an administrative office for the Chesterfield Sub-District of the St. Lawrence-Labrador District. It operated outposts at Tavane, Wager Inlet, Baker Lake, and Repulse Bay.

In 1959 Chesterfield Inlet began operating as a Northern Store. It closed in July 1961 since most of the local Inuit population had moved south to Rankin Inlet to work in the Rankin Inlet Mine. In March 1964 Chesterfield Inlet reopened after the mine was closed and the Inuit returned to the area. Chesterfield Inlet continued to operate as a Northern Store until 1987, when the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Tavane Post
(1929 - 1941/1951), Tavane
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records begin in 1932) on Hudson Bay at Mistake Bay, about 31 km south of Whale Cove. A subpost of Chesterfield Inlet until 1935.

Révillon Frères operated a store here from 1928 (?) to 1931 when sold to the HBC.

Tavane was established in 1929 as an outpost of Chesterfield Inlet. It was located on the shores of Hudson Bay south of Chesterfield Inlet in buildings bought by the HBC from Dominion Explorers. In 1935 the HBC moved Tavane post into recently acquired Révillon Frères buildings. Around the same time, Tavane became a full post. By 1940 all the old post buildings had been discarded or demolished except for the Révillon Frères store and Dominion Explorers oil shed. In August 1951 Tavane was closed. Its buildings were leased to the Canadian Nickel Company, and in 1966 sold to Issatch Eskimo Co-operative Ltd..

Eskimo Point Post
(1921/1927 - 1942), Arviat
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on Hudson Bay. The town was renamed in 1989.

Eskimo Point, now the town of Arviat, was established sometime before 1921 as an outpost of Churchill (Manitoba). It was located north of Churchill on Hudson Bay in present-day Nunavut. In 1921 Eskimo Point was made a full post. New buildings were erected at Eskimo Point in 1924. From around 1927 to 1929 it operated an outpost at Nonala (Manitoba). In 1959 Eskimo Point became a Northern Store. It operated as such until 1987, when the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Nueltin House
(1928 - 1939/1941), Nueltin Lake
A Hudson's Bay Co. post near the Manitoba border. Originally located at Windy Lake on the northeast side, it was relocated in 1936 to the mouth of the Red River at the Révillon Frères post (1926) that had just been sold to the HBC.

In 1936 the Hudson's Bay Company took over the former Révillon Frères property at Nueltin House. The post was located inland from Eskimo Point in present-day Nunavut. Nueltin House was closed in 1941.

Padley Post
(1925/1937 - 1940/1960), near Arviat
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located on the north shore of Kinga (Kingarvalik) Lake at the Maguse River. Originally located at the north end of Maguse Lake in 1925, relocated in 1926. Also spelled Padlei.

Padley was established as a fur trade post in 1925. It was located about 112 kilometres above the mouth of the Kazan River on Padley Lake at the headwaters of the Maguse River in present-day Nunavut. In September 1932 new post buildings were erected. Padley was closed in June 1960.

Baker Lake Posts
(1915 - 1918, 1938 - present), Baker Lake
A RCMP subpost of Chesterfield Inlet. Originally located at the east end of the lake, it was later re-established at the present community on the west end of the lake.

The Hudson's Bay Co. originally had a post located on the south-central shore of the lake at the mouth of the Kazan River (on Ookpiktuyuk (aka Willow or Big Hips) Island) in 1916, until relocated to the present town in 1925 (HBC records begin in 1924). Some buildings still remain, one now used as the town's Akumalik Visitor Centre. See also History of Baker Lake from Hamlet of Baker Lake

In 1924 Révillon Frères opened a store here. They were bought out by the HBC in 1936 who subsequently took over the post. It continued operations until 1959 when it became a Northern Store.

Baker Lake was established by the HBC in 1916 in order to combat the anticipated competition from F.N. Monjo. It operated as an outpost for Chesterfield Inlet. The post was built by Herbert H. Hall on Baker Island in Baker Lake, at the mouth of the Kazan River. This site was around 40 kilometres from Hall's intended spot chosen for the post, but ice on the lake forced him to build on the island. In 1918 Baker Lake became a full post. In 1925 the post was moved to the mouth of the Thelon River, about 16 kilometres from the recently established Révillon Frères post. Eleven years later, after the Révillon Frères folded, the HBC took over its buildings. In 1959 Baker Lake became a Northern Store. It operated as such until 1987, when the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Inman River Post
(1926 - 1932), near Cape Young
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at the mouth of the Inman River, near Clifton Point. An outpost of Baillie Island Post, NWT. Temporarily closed in the summer of 1927. Closed in favour of Pearce Point Post, NWT.

Fort Thompson
(1916 - 1932), near Coppermine
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records begin in 1926), also known as Bernard Harbour Post after 1925, located on the northwest side of the harbour.

Bernard Harbour was established in 1916 in present-day Nunavut, on the mainland on Dolphin and Union Strait across from Victoria Island. The post was first known as Fort Bacon, named after then Fur Trade Commissioner N.H. Bacon. In 1920 the post's name was changed to Fort Thomson for the new fur trade commissioner, James Thomson. In 1925 the post became known as Bernard Harbour.

In 1931 an outpost was built at Reid Island to protect Bernard Harbour in order to compete with the Canalaska Trading Company's post at Read Island. The next year, Bernard Harbour was closed and its business transferred to Reid Island.

Cape Krusenstern Posts
(1926 - 1929), near Coppermine
A Hudson's Bay Co. post, also known as Fort Hearne. Closed in favour of Coppermine Post.

The Canalaska Trading Co. also had a post here from 1932 - 1934, an outpost of Read Island.

Coppermine Posts
(1919 - 1930's ?), Coppermine
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police post.

The Hudson's Bay Co. later established a post at the mouth of the Coppermine River (1928 - 1941), continuing the Fort Hearne name.

Fort Hearne was established in 1928 on the west bank near the mouth of the Coppermine River. The post was named for the HBC explorer Samuel Hearne who, in 1771, was the first European to reach the mouth of the Coppermine River and the Arctic coast. Fort Hearne was supplied by the S.S. Baychimo. In 1940 the name of the community and post was changed to Coppermine. In 1941 the Coppermine post ceased to be an active post but its buildings were retained as the district inspector's headquarters. However, the HBC continued to operate a store.

From 1959 to 1987 Coppermine fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Asiak River Post
(1927 - 1930), near Coppermine
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at the mouth of the Asiak River (aka West Kugaryuak River). An outpost of Tree River Post.

Kugaryuak River Post
(1927 - 1940), near Coppermine
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover 1928 - 1938) located on the east bank one-half mile above the mouth of the Kugaryuak River (aka East or Little Kugaryuak River). Initially an outpost of Tree River Post until 1928, then afterwards an outpost of Coppermine Post until 1937.

Kugaryuak was built in the autumn of 1928 after the post at Tree River closed and was moved to this site. Kugaryuak was located close to the river of the same name near Coronation Gulf in the Northwest Territories. It operated as an outpost of Fort Hearne until 1932, at which time Kugaryuak was abandoned. It was re-opened as a full post in 1934 and occupied occasionally. In 1939 Kugaryuak was closed.

Tree River Posts
(1917 - 1929/1937), near Coppermine
Originally a Northern Traders Ltd. post at the mouth of the Tree River, about four miles east of Coppermine. Also known as Fort Epworth. The post was bought out by the Hudson's Bay Co. in 1918 (HBC records cover 1926 - 1928). Closed in 1929 in favour of the Kugaryuak River Post.

The RCMP also had a post here (date ?) prior to 1940.

Tree River was established in September 1920 at the head of Epworth Harbour in western Northwest Territories. In 1922 Post Manager Otto Binder was murdered at the post by a local Inuit. In August 1928 Tree River was abandoned and its business moved to Kugaryuak. Soon after this however, the business at Tree River was continued with much travel between it and Kugaryuak. In 1937 Tree River was closed.

Agiak Post
(1917 - 1918), near Coppermine
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at Gray's Bay. Closed in favour of the Tree River Post.

Detention Harbour Post
(1927 - 1928),
A Canalaska Trading Co. post at the eastern end of Coronation Gulf.

Banks Peninsula Posts
(1927 - 1936), near Bathurst Inlet
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located on the northeast side. Replaced by the Burnside River Post.

A Canalaska Trading Co. post (1926 - 1937) was located nearby.

Burnside River Post
(1936 - 1964), Bathurst Inlet
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at the mouth of the Burnside River. Also known as Bathurst Inlet Post (HBC records cover 1925 - 1940). The HBC store relocated to Baychimo (Umingmaktok) in 1964 (closed 1970). The former HBC post is now the Bathurst Inlet Lodge (since 1969).

Bathurst Inlet was established in August 1925 approximately half a mile north of the Western River on the Banks Peninsula, as an outpost for Kent Peninsula. By 1930 the post at Bathurst Inlet was located at the mouth of the Burnside River. In 1964 the HBC moved the post sixty miles further north near the mouth of Bathurst Inlet. Bathurst Inlet post was closed in 1970.

Western River Post
(1925 - 1927), near Bathurst Inlet
A Hudson's Bay Co. post near the mouth of the Western River. Relocated to the east side of the river, three miles above its mouth, in 1926. Replaced by the Banks Peninsula Post.

Kent Peninsula Post
(1920 - 1927), near Umingmaktok
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the south side of the Kent Peninsula on Melville Sound, east of Parry Bay. Also known as Western Arctic Post (HBC records cover 1926 - 1927). Ordered closed by the Canadian government, it relocated to Cambridge Bay.

Kent Peninsula was established in 1920 on Melville Sound. Trade was first conducted at the site using the schooner "El Sueno" as a store. It served as administrative headquarters of the eastern section of the Western Arctic District and operated Bathurst Inlet as an outpost. Between 1920 and 1923 seven buildings were erected. In August 1927 Kent Peninsula was closed since the HBC decided that it was poorly situated for a depot and administrative headquarters. Its stock and buildings were loaded on the "Baymaud" and moved to Cambridge Bay.

Richardson Island Post
(1933 - 1938), Richardson Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the southwest side of an island off the south shore of Victoria Island in Dease Strait, near Byron Bay. An outpost of Coppermine Post.

Rymer Point Post
(1926 - 1928), near Lady Franklin Point, Victoria Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the north side of the point, on the south shore of Victoria Island in Dolphin and Union Strait. Also known as Fort Harmon.

Read Island Posts
(1931 - 1962), Read Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover 1933 - 1936) on the northeast side of an island off the south shore of Victoria Island in Simpson Bay.

The Canalaska Trading Co. also had a post nearby from 1931 - 1938.

Reid Island was established in 1931 as an outpost of Bernard Harbour. It was located on the island of the same name on the northerly side of Dolphin and Union Strait near the coast of Victoria Island, North West Territories. In 1932 Reid Island became a full post after Bernard Harbour was closed and its business moved to Reid Island. The site of the Reid Island post moved one mile east in 1943 and a new store was built in 1949. In 1954 an outpost was operated briefly at Letty Harbour, NWT. In 1958 Reid Island became known instead as Read Island. In July 1962 Read Island was closed.

Cambridge Bay Posts
(1920/1923 - 1948 ?), Cambridge Bay, Victoria Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on Victoria Island (HBC records cover 1927 - 1935). Originally a small outpost of the Kent Peninsula Post until 1923. Closed from 1925 to 1927. This post became the main depot and administrative headquarters for the eastern section of the HBC's Western Arctic District after 1927. The Baymaud, formerly captained by Roald Amundsen, was bought by the HBC in 1926 and operated as a supply vessel for the western Arctic between 1926 and 1927. It was moored at Cambridge Bay in 1928 and used a warehouse and wireless station until it sank between 1930 and 1932. The wreck is still visible. The town was relocated to its present site across the bay after WWII. See also Welcome to Cambridge Bay from Hamlet of Cambridge Bay

The Canalaska Trading Co. also had a post here from 1927 - 1938.

The RCMP also had a post here (date ?), established in the 1920's.

Cambridge Bay was established as a depot and outpost of Kent Peninsula in 1921. It was originally built on the southeast corner of Victoria Island at Dease Strait, about one kilometre from the mouth of Pelly Creek in what is now Nunavut. In the autumn of 1923, Cambridge Bay became a full post. Two years later it was closed due to the failure of the caribou migration causing low fur returns. Its buildings were moved to the mouth of Pelly Creek and the post reopened in August 1927. In 1934 the post again moved one mile further south. In 1938 the HBC took over the buildings of the Canalaska Company.

From 1959 to 1987 Cambridge Bay fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Ellice River Post
(Queen Maud Bird Sanctuary)
(1926 - 1927),
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located on the east bank of the mouth of the Ellice River in Campbell Bay.

Whitebear Point Post
(Queen Maud Bird Sanctuary)
(1926 - 1927),
A Canalaska Trading Co. post near the mouth of the Ellice River in Campbell Bay.

Perry River Posts
(Queen Maud Bird Sanctuary)
(1926 - 1928, 1937 - 1941, 1957 - 1967), near Perry Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at the mouth of the Perry River (HBC records cover 1926 - 1928). The first post was located on the east bank of the river, about two miles above its mouth. The second post was located on Flagstaff Island. The third post/store was located on Perry Island.

A Canalaska Trading Co. post was also built here in 1926 - 1928, seven miles upriver. The Canadian government ordered both posts closed in 1928 due to overhunting.

Perry River was established in September 1926. It was located on the river of the same name, two miles from Queen Maud Gulf in what is now Nunavut. Perry River operated in competition with the Canalaska Trading Company, and in 1928 both posts were closed by order of the Canadian Government. In 1937 the HBC was granted a trading licence for the area and Perry River was re-opened. In 1941 the post closed once again and trading operations were carried on by private trader Stephen Angulalik.

Perry River was again re-opened in 1957. It was renamed Perry Island in 1961. By 1967 Perry Island closed for good due to declining population in the area.

Terror Bay Post
(1940 - 1944), Terror Bay, King William Island
A small HBC outpost of the Cambridge Bay Post, located on the east side of the inlet, on the western end of King William Island.

Simpson Strait Post
(1923 - 1927), near Gladman Point, King William Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the south shore of King William Island, north of Peabody Point. Replaced by the Gjoa Haven Post. Also known as King William Island Post.

Gjoa Haven Posts
(Northwest Passage Historic Park)
(1927 - 1960's ?), Gjoa Haven, King William Island
A Canalaska Trading Co. post was built first, followed by the Hudson's Bay Co. post in the same year (HBC records cover 1926 - 1935). The Canalaska post was closed during 1932 to 1934, and then closed for good in 1938. Also known as the Peterson Bay Posts. See also Northwest Passage Historic Park info from Amundson InnsNorth Hotel

In 1923 the HBC established a post on King William Island on the northern side of Simpson Strait. In 1927 King William Island post was moved to the townsite of Gjoa Haven. In 1931 and 1936 HBC traders uncovered skeletons and relics from John Franklin's 1847 expedition. In 1967 the post was renamed Gjoa Haven.

From 1959 to 1987 King William Island fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Spence Bay Post
(1949 - unknown), Spence Bay
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the Boothia Peninsula.

Oscar Bay Post
(1928 - 1930), Oscar Bay, Boothia Peninsula
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the west side of Oscar Bay, northwest of Spence Bay.

Pasley Bay Post
(1939 - 1940), Pasley Bay, Boothia Peninsula
A Hudson's Bay Co. outpost of Fort Ross, located on a small island at the entrance to the middle arm.

Fort Ross
(1937 - 1948), Somerset Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post at the southern tip of Somerset Island (HBC records cover 1937 - 1943). Closed during 1943-44. It was eventually closed due to severe ice conditions making access very difficult. The island is currently uninhabited. The manager's house and trade store are still extant, and are equipped and used as a shelter for modern travellers.

Fort Ross was established in September 1937 at the meeting of the ships "Nascopie" and "Aklavik" in their combined transit of the North-West Passage. The post was located on Somerset Island in the Northwest Territories, at the west side of Depot Bay near the eastern entrance of Bellot Strait (72 00'N, 94 05'W). In 1942 ice jams prevented the "Nascopie" from bringing supplies to Fort Ross. The situation got so desperate that, in November 1943, the residents at the post needed to be rescued by airplane by the U.S. Army Air Force. In March 1948 Fort Ross was closed.

Port Leopold Post
(1848, 1926 - 1927, 1937 - 1940), Port Leopold, Somerset Island
In 1848 explorer James Ross wintered here during his search for the missing Franklin Expedition.

A Hudson's Bay Co. post was later established here on the northeast tip of the island in 1926 (Sikinik Post), later re-established in 1937. It was a subpost of Fort Ross.

Arctic Bay Post
(1926 - 1927, 1937 - 1941), Arctic Bay, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post. Also known as Tukik Post. See also About Arctic Bay from Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Arctic Bay, first known as Tukik, was established in September 1926. It was located in Arctic Bay on the north shore of Adam Sound off Admiralty Inlet in what is now Nunavut. Tukik was only in operation for one outfit year before it was closed. By 1931 Tukik was again open. In 1936 the post's name was changed to Arctic Bay. From 1959 to 1987 Arctic Bay fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Pond Inlet Posts
(1921 - 1939), Pond Inlet, Baffin Island
A Hudson's Bay Co. post. Also known as Mittimatalik Post. See also History of Pond Inlet from Hamlet of Pond Inlet

The RCMP established a post here in 1922.

Pond's Inlet was established in 1921 in Eclipse Sound on Baffin Island. The site was purchased from Captain H.T. Munn and was named in honour of Astronomer-General John Ponds. In 1924 an outpost for Pond's Inlet was established at Admiralty Inlet. In the mid-1940's Pond's Inlet began to be referred to as Pond Inlet. From 1959 to 1987 Pond Inlet fell under the control of the Northern Stores Department. In 1987 the stores were sold to the Hudson's Bay Northern Stores (later called North West Company).

Devon Island Post
(1924 - 1933, 1947 - 1951), Dundas Harbour, Devon Island
A RCMP post established on the south coast of Devon Island to monitor foreign whaling activities in the area. Later re-established, but closed due to ice difficulties. A few buildings still survive.

The Hudson's Bay Co. leased the former RCMP station from 1934 - 1936, known as Dundas Harbour Post. It was then relocated to Arctic Bay.

Dundas Harbour was established in 1934 in Lancaster Sound at the south east corner of Devon Island. The HBC moved Inuit from the communities of Cape Dorset, Pangnirtung, and Pond Inlet to the post at Dundas Harbour in an attempt to establish a fox pelt trade. This trade was unsuccessful and Dundas Harbour was closed in 1936.

Northumberland House
(Wreck of the HMS Breadalbane National Historic Site)
(Beechey Island Historic Site)
(1852 - 1853), Beechey Island, near Resolute
Located off the southwest coast of Devon Island. This was originally a supply storehouse constructed from a wrecked whaling ship, established by W.S. Pullen of the H.M.S. North Star. It was also used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by British and Canadian sailors as a winter refuge. Erebus Bay, named after one of John Franklin's ships which had wintered there, contained a cenotaph erected in 1854 by Edward Belcher who had been in the area searching for Franklin's lost party. Meeting with failure, he erected the monument in memory of those whom he correctly assumed had perished on that expedition. In 1906 Capt. Joseph Bernier, of the C.G.S. Arctic, set up his own memorial and his crew added their names to the list of explorers that visited the island. See also Northern Vignettes from Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, N.W.T.

Kellet's Storehouse
(Dealy Island Historic Site)
(1853), Dealy Island
In 1853 the men of a British Navy enterprise under the command of Capt. Henry Kellett, H.M.S. Resolute, and Francis Leopold McClintock, H.M.S. Intrepid, constructed a storehouse on Dealy Island, off the southeast coast of Melville Island in the Western Arctic Archipelago. Kellett and his men were part of the Belcher Expedition of 1852-54. This was the British Admiralty's final search for the Northwest Passage Expedition of 1845, led by John Franklin, which had failed to return to England. Kellett's orders were to deposit provisions at a cache for expeditions in dire circumstances. Built with one hundred tons of local sandstone, the double walls of the storehouse were filled with sod and roofed with canvas and coal bags, supported by posts. The cache or "Sailors Home" was stocked with provisions, ammunition, and fuel sufficient to sustain a party of 66 men on full allowance for 210 days, which consisted of 123 varieties of food including six tons of flour, over two tons each of beef and bacon, over a ton each of sugar, preserved meats, vegetables and potatoes, and 600 pounds of dried apples. Clothing deposited at the storehouse included 66 pea-jackets, 108 sets of woollen underwear, 129 pairs of boots and 143 pairs of mitts. Two Hudson Bay muskets and ammunition, an inflatable "Halkett" boat, medical supplies and instruments, and a Union Jack were also placed in the storehouse. Also remaining from Kellett's expedition are a large cairn on the island's summit, the graves of three men, and two sledges and an abandoned whale boat of the H.M.S Resolute. Kellett left a plan of the stores in the cache. Although the expedition was unsuccessful in locating traces of Franklin's passage, spring sledging parties of 1853 located the H.M.S. Investigator, under the command of Robert McClure, which had been beset in ice at Mercy Bay on northern Banks Island for the summers of 1851-52, and rescued the crew.

Capt. Joseph Bernier of the C.G.S. Arctic visited the storehouse in 1909 while on a voyage to establish Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic Islands. He found that many of the provisions were well-preserved. He repaired the roof of the structure and replaced decaying items. The two useless muskets were substituted with two Ross rifles and 1000 rounds of ammunition; the muskets as well as the two sledges left by Kellett were given to the National Museum of Man. Bernier's men also carved a message on a rock near the storehouse.

Since the turn of the century many expeditions have visited and used the cache. Members of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913-18, led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, stopped there in 1917. They removed the roof which hastened the destruction of the storehouse's contents by exposing them to the elements. A patrol of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1929 used meat from the cache to supplement their rations of dog food. The RCMP schooner, St. Roch, commanded by Staff Sergeant Henry Larsen, anchored there in 1944, and ten years later, the island was visited by two icebreakers, the H.M.C.S. Labrador and the U.S.S. Burton Island. See also The Larsen Expedition from University of Calgary

By the mid-1970's, humans and nature had caused serious deterioration to the building and its contents. A team of archaeologists, conservators and architects decided that the best way to ensure the longevity of this heritage resource was to preserve it in place. Artifacts which had been strewn outside the building were removed and conserved and now rest at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife. Items in the storehouse were left in place and sealed beneath an insulated floor. The building was repaired and stabilized and the walls reconstructed as closely as possible to the original.
(info courtesy of Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, N.W.T.)

Craig Harbour Post
(1922 - 1930's, 1951 - 1956), Craig Harbour, Ellesmere Island
A RCMP post established in the same year as the settlement, to enforce Canadian sovereignty over the Far North. Located 55 km west of Grise Fiord, to which the post and settlement were later relocated. The old Grise Fiord settlement was originally located on the Lindstrom Peninsula, 8 km west of the present new location, in 1953. In 1962 the Inuit followed the RCMP to their new site at Grise Fiord, where the community remains today. Several building structures at the "old camp" still stand. See also History of Grise Fiord from Hamlet of Grise Fiord

Bache Peninsula Post
(1926 - unknown), Ellesmere Island
A RCMP post located on the Bache Peninsula on the central eastern shore of Ellesmere Island.

Eureka Post
(1901 - unknown), Eureka
A North West Mounted Police post, according to the "National Atlas of Canada" (1974).

Fort Conger (Historic Site)
(Quttinirpaaq (Ellesmere Island) National Park)
(1875, 1881, 1889, 1905, 1908, 1915 - 1935, intermittent), near Alert, Ellesmere Island
Located on the north shore of Lady Franklin Bay at Discovery Harbour. Used by various British and American military and civilian exploration and scientific expeditions. Three wooden huts still remain. Guided public access by advance permission only. See also Microbe Research on Historic Wood from University of Minnesota

NOTE: Many of the Hudson's Bay Company post descriptions are courtesy of the HBC Archives.

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