Ausuittuq, roughly means place that never thaws. It is the most northerly civilian community in Canada. In 1953 and 1955, the Canadian government relocated Inuit families from Inukjuak in northern Quebec and Pond Inlet to Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay. The government wanted to establish a stronger Canadian presence in the High Arctic, particularly during the Cold War, but the relocated families faced extremely harsh conditions, unfamiliar surroundings, and shortages of food.
The community eventually became established, and its Inuit residents developed a strong way of life based on hunting, trapping, fishing, and knowledge of the Arctic environment. In 2010, the Canadian government formally apologized for the hardships and suffering caused by the relocations.
