History

While the story of the contribution of French-speaking people to the history of Nunavut remains largely untold, it is clear that many of them have played an important role in the region’s development. The historical presence of Francophones in the Arctic began in the early 17th century. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Francophones were among the whalers and fur traders. Their presence increased in the early 20th century. They are best remembered for Captain Joseph Elzéar-Bernier, a seasoned ship’s captain, explorer and leader of the first federal patrols in Eastern Arctic waters. From 1904 onwards, Bernier and his crew “put Canada on the map” and forged strong links with the Inuit of what is now Nunavut. We should also mention the importance of certain missionaries, such as Father Guy Marie de Rousselière, Ataata Marie, an archaeologist with a passion for Inuit culture, or Father André Steinmann, who, with the help of representatives of the Quebec government and the Desjardins banks in Lévis, founded the first northern cooperative that put an end to the Hudson’s Bay Company monopoly in the North.

A little later, several intellectuals and academics also left their mark on the region. Louis Edmond Hamelin, founder of Université Laval’s Centre d’études nordiques, was appointed to the North West Territories Council and was a great thinker on the subject of nordic issues. The work of Louis-Jacques Dorais of Université Laval, director of the Revue d’études inuit and a specialist in the Inuit language, is also noteworthy. And let’s not forget Bernard Saladin d’Englure, an internationally renowned anthropologist.

Many French speakers remain unknown. Coming largely from Quebec, they played an active role in the development of the Arctic. Many of them contributed to the construction of major projects such as military bases during the Second World War and, later, the DEW line in the 50s, as well as the town of Frobisher Bay, now Nunavut’s capital, Iqaluit.

Even today, a significant number of Francophones work in the Agnico Eagle and Mary River mines. And that’s not counting the many francophones who work in the public service, or those who have established, mainly in Iqaluit, prosperous businesses that contribute to the economic development of the city and region, not to mention the many teachers and educators who continue to be passionately committed to the education of Franco-Nunavois and their integration into the French-speaking social life of Nunavut.