Rigolet

Not to be confused with Rigolets.

Rigolet
Tikigâksuagusik[1]
Inuit community
Rigolet is located in Newfoundland and Labrador
Rigolet
Rigolet
Location of Rigolet in Labrador
Rigolet is located in Canada
Rigolet
Rigolet
Rigolet (Canada)
Coordinates: 54°10′47″N 58°25′44″W / 54.17972°N 58.42889°W / 54.17972; -58.42889
CountryCanada
ProvinceNewfoundland and Labrador
RegionNunatsiavut
Settled1735
Incorporated1977
Government
 • Mayor (AngajukKâk)Charlotte Wolfrey
 • Federal MPYvonne Jones (L)
 • Provincial MHALela Evans (PC)[2]
 • Nunatsiavut Assembly membersMelva Williams[3]
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
327
Time zoneUTC−04:00 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−03:00 (ADT)
Area code709

Rigolet (Inuttitut: Tikigâksuagusik) (population 327) is a remote, coastal Labrador community established in 1735 by French-Canadian trader Louis Fornel. The town is the southernmost officially recognized Inuit community in the world.[4] Located on Hamilton Inlet, which is at the entrance to fresh water Lake Melville; Rigolet is on salt water and is accessible to navigation during the winter. Although there is no road access, the community is accessible by snowmobile trail, the Rigolet Airport, or seasonally via a coastal ferry (MV Kamutik W) from Happy Valley-Goose Bay.[5][6]

Fur trader in Rigolet, 1911

The Hudson's Bay Company established its trading post in Rigolet in 1836. The Hudson's Bay Company remained an active part of the community until 1987 when it was bought by the North West Company and was renamed the "Northern Store".[7]

Rigolet is part of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims area and is overseen by the Nunatsiavut government.[8] Approximately 5% of Rigolet's population is non Inuit.

Although there are still coniferous trees surrounding the village, a few kilometres northeast into Hamilton Inlet, the terrain changes drastically to a sub-arctic tundra. Minke and humpback whales are commonly observed in nearby waters.

In John Wyndham's post-apocalyptic novel The Chrysalids, set at an unspecified future date, Rigolet has become the town of Rigo and the capital of Labrador (which is one of the few habitable areas left in North America).[9]

Rigolet is home to the longest boardwalk in North America. Rigolet's boardwalk stretches over 8 km, from Rigolet to Double Mer Point. The first phase of the boardwalk was completed in 1997 and the last extension of the boardwalk was completed in 2015.[10]

  1. ^ Andersen, Catharyn; Johns, Alana (Nov 13, 2006). "Labrador Inuttitut: Speaking into the future". Études/Inuit/Studies. 29 (1–2): 187–205. doi:10.7202/013939ar.
  2. ^ "Labrador MHA Lela Evans leaving the NDP to return to PC caucus". Yahoo News. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  3. ^ Election results nunatsiavut.com
  4. ^ "Welcome to Rigolet". rigolet.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  5. ^ Moore, Angel (Apr 5, 2020). "Indigenous leaders asking that access to Labrador be sealed off". APTN News. Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ferry Service". Tourism Nunatsiavut. Retrieved Nov 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Hudson's Bay Company Net Loft (Rigolet)". Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.
  8. ^ "Labrador Inuit land claim passes last hurdle". CBC News. June 24, 2005. Archived from the original on Mar 21, 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  9. ^ "9 things you didn't know about Newfoundland and Labrador". Nature Canada. Mar 26, 2014. Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Boardwalk in Rigolet complete, may now be North America's longest". CBC News. Oct 9, 2015. Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.