Nunavut Research Articles

A MIXED METHOD TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE STUDY OF COASTAL FACTOR CORRELATION TO DECLINING SEA ICE IN RESOLUTE BAY, NUNAVUT

Canadian Arctic environments suffer severe consequences from global climate change. As sea surface and air temperatures rise, sea ice extent and thickness continue to decline, resulting in longer ice-free seasons. Due to the remote nature of Canadian Arctic communities, there are limited quantitative data available for calibration of predictions. However, local Inuit hunters, trappers, and elders hold a plethora of knowledge on the sea ice and coastal environment within their communities. This study seeks to answer the question, can coastal factors be correlated to declining sea ice through scientific and traditional knowledge methods. The present study examined (1) historical trends in, (2) lived experience and traditional knowledge of, and (3) correlation between, sea ice and the coastal environment in Resolute Bay, Nunavut Canada.

Physical properties and crystal structure of near end-member oxy-dravite from the Beluga occurrence, Nunavut territory, Canada

AbstractOxy-dravite, ideally Na(Al2Mg)(Al5Mg)(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(O), was found in a composition near its ideal end-member at the Beluga occurrence, Nunavut territory, Canada. It occurs in retrograde albite–muscovite–corundum–calcite domains in a calc-silicate rock. This uncommon oxy-dravite occurs as dark brown, equant to short-prismatic, idiomorphic crystals with vitreous lustre and up to ca. 4 × 3 cm in size. The oxy-dravite is optically uniaxial (–), with ω = 1.6453(5) and ɛ = 1.6074(18); its calculated density is 3.069 g.cm–3 with a compatibility index of 0.016. The Beluga oxy-dravite has trigonal symmetry, space group R3m with a = 15.9121(2) Å, c = 7.1788(10) Å, V = 1574.12(5) Å3 and Z = 3. The crystal structure was refined to R1 = 1.45 using 1613 unique reflections. The empirical crystal-chemical formula is X(Na0.88Ca0.08□0.03K0.01)Y(Al1.49Mg1.31Fe0.15Ti0.04Zn0.01)Z(Al5.42Mg0.58)T(Si5.84Al0.16O18)B(BO3)3V(OH2.95O0.05)W(O0.84OH0.01F0.15).Oxy-dravite in nature commonly occurs in a solid solution with foitite, schorl and oxy-schorl. At the Beluga occurrence, its minor contents of Al, vacancy [□], and Ca are most likely compensated by (□Al)(NaR2+)–1 and (CaMg)(NaAl)–1 exchanges of the oxy-magnesio-foitite and magnesio-lucchesiite components. The Beluga occurrence of oxy-dravite is characterised by an Mg-rich environment related to a metamorphic overprint of the original sedimentary sequence. This sequence of marine dolomitic argillaceous marl was influenced by (B,Cl)-rich fluids, probably proximally-derived from mineral breakdown reactions in the calc-silicate during the retrograde stage of metamorphism. The locality is a rare example of a tourmaline + corundum assemblage.

Rocks, lichens, and woody litter influenced the soil invertebrate density in upland tundra heath.

Soil invertebrates are an integral part of Arctic ecosystems through their roles in the breakdown of litter, soil formation, and nutrient cycling. However, studies examining soil invertebrates in the Arctic are limited and our understanding of the abiotic and biotic drivers of these invertebrate communities remains understudied. We examined differences in soil invertebrate taxa (mites, collembolans, enchytraeids) among several undisturbed upland tundra heath sites in Nunavut Canada and identified the drivers (vegetation and substrate cover, soil nutrients and pH) of the soil invertebrate community across these sites. Soil invertebrate densities were similar to that of other Arctic studies. While invertebrate communities were relatively consistent between our sites, cover of rocks, woody litter, and the lichen Alectoria nigricans had significant, positive influences on the density of all invertebrates studied. Mites and collembolans were more closely associated with cover of lichens, whereas enchytraeids were more closely associated with woody litter and rocks. Our results suggest that anthropogenic (e.g., resource exploration and extraction) and/or natural (e.g., climate change) disturbances that result in changes to the vegetation community and woody litter inputs will likely impact soil invertebrates and the ecosystem services they provide.

Next-generation sequencing approach to investigate genome variability of Parapoxvirus in Canadian muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus).

In 2016, the first orf virus, a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus of the genus parapoxvirus, from a muskox was isolated on Victoria Island, Nunavut (NU), Canada. We used deep sequencing on DNA extracted from orf virus-positive tissues from wild muskoxen from locations on Victoria Island and the adjacent mainland. Orf virus sequence reads derived from four samples were nearly identical. The consensus sequences generated from pooled reads of MxOV comprises of a large contiguous sequence (contig) of 131,759bp and a smaller right terminal contig of 3552bp, containing all coding sequences identified as Parapoxvirus. Individual gene comparisons reveal that MxOV shares genetic characteristics with reference strains from both sheep and goat origin. Recombination analysis using Bootscan, MAXCHI, GENECONV, CHIMAERA, SISCAN, and RDP algorithms within the RDP4 software predicted recombination events in two virulence factors, and a large 3000bp segment of the MxOV genome. Partial B2L nucleotide sequences from strains around the world and other North American isolates were compared to MxOV using MUSCLE alignments and RAxML phylogenetic trees. MxOV was identical to our previously characterized isolate, and shared similarity with orf virus isolated from sheep and goats. The phylogenetic grouping of partial B2L nucleotide sequences did not follow the sample geographic distribution. More full genomes of orf virus, or at least full B2L gene squences, in wildlife are needed especially in North America to better understand the epidemiology of the disease in muskoxen.

How have organizations attempted to help the Inuit sustain their post-colonization economy, and have they been effective?

European colonization of the Inuit in Arctic Canada has left a long-lasting legacy in the economies of present-day Canadian first nation communities. The long-term sustainability of the Inuit economy is becoming an ever-present issue. This research explores the ways in which multiple organizations have helped the Inuit sustain their post-colonization economy and their effectiveness in doing so. It focuses on the case of the territory of Nunavut, which has been subject to various policies and efforts to ensure the sustainability of the economy in the long term.. Policy analysis was utilized to draw conclusions from Nunavut and Canadian government policy reports as well as reports that grassroots Inuit organizations have produced. The evidence in this research suggests that governments have been partially successful in creating a sustainable economy through providing employment opportunities and spearheading mining development for the Inuit, but that their policies often encroach upon Inuit traditional values and belief systems amidst their attempted efforts to mitigate those harms. Grassroots organizations, on the other hand, have created a positive and connected environment within the Inuit community by upholding Inuit traditional values, which has been effective in sustaining the Inuit post-colonization economy. Further research and action are necessary to glean further empirical data to measure the precise negative or positive impacts of the policies and initiatives that both the government and grassroots organizations have directed for the Inuit.

Assessing the size at maturity, spawning, and condition of the truncate soft-shell clam (Mya truncata) of southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada.

The truncate soft-shell clam Mya truncata is an important source of country food for Inuit communities across the territory of Nunavut, Canada. M. truncata also plays an important role in marine ecosystems, yet there is little understanding of their life history and condition in Canadian Arctic waters. To provide a foundation on which aspects of the life history and condition of M. truncata of Baffin Island can be monitored in the future with a changing climate and fishery development, this study estimated size at maturity and provides insights into the spawning cycle and weight-length condition indices of clams from inner Frobisher Bay and the north shore of the Hudson Strait. Male and female M. truncata exhibited similar lengths at 50% attainment of sexual maturity, 31 mm and 32 mm shell length (SL), respectively. Most (77%) of the sexually mature M. truncata collected from inner Frobisher Bay in late August and 35% of clams collected from the Hudson Strait in early September were in the ripe stage of gonadal development. These results lead us to suggest a spring spawning season and that M. truncata invest in gonadal development for the next year’s spawning during the late summer-early autumn ice-free season while phytoplankton concentrations are high. Dry bodyweight-SL relationships were used to show that M. truncata condition can differ significantly over small and large spatial scales based on plotted 95% confidence intervals.

Trends in Inuit health services utilisation in Manitoba: findings from the Qanuinngitsiarutiksait study

ABSTRACT There is a notable lack of research related to trends in Inuit accessing health services throughout the land known as Canada. Given Nunavut’s reliance on specialised services provided in the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, this gap is particularly problematic, making it more difficult for Nunangat to proactively plan new programs for emerging needs, and for provinces to respond to those needs. The Qanuinngitsiarutiksait study aimed to address this gap by developing detailed profiles of Inuit accessing health services in Manitoba. We used administrative data routinely collected by Manitoba agencies, to support the development of Inuit-centric services. It was conducted in partnership with the Manitoba Inuit Association, and Inuit Elders from Nunavut Canada and Manitoba. We focused on two interrelated cohorts: Kivallirmiut (Inuit from the Kivalliq region of Nunavut) who come to Winnipeg to access specialised services; and Manitobamiut (Inuit already living in Manitoba). Findings show that health services are primarily accessed in Winnipeg. Half of health services accessed by Kivallirmiut are for in-patient care at facilities with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The other half are for advanced out-patient care including specialist consults. For Kivallirmiut, hospitalisation for pregnancy and birth are the most prevalent reasons for hospitalisation, followed by diseases of the respiratory system. Noteworthy, rates of hospitalisation for conditions treatable in primary healthcare for Kivallirmiut are considerably lower than those for Manitobans living in the northern part of the province (where comparable constraints exist). For Inuit adults, rates of hospitalisation for these conditions are comparable to those of Manitobans living in small communities. Inuit living in Manitoba are most often hospitalised for mental health reasons, although other reasons are nearly as prevalent. Our results support the need for more Inuit-centric health programming in Winnipeg.

Histologic and Genotypic Characterization of Lung Cancer in the Inuit Population of the Eastern Canadian Arctic.

Inuit are the Indigenous Arctic peoples and residents of the Canadian territory of Nunavut who have the highest global rate of lung cancer. Given lung cancer’s mortality, histological and genomic characterization was undertaken to better understand the disease biology. We retrospectively studied all Inuit cases from Nunavut’s Qikiqtani (Baffin) region, referred to the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center between 2001 and 2011. Demographics were compiled from medical records and tumor samples underwent pathologic/histologic confirmation. Tumors were analyzed by next generation sequencing (NGS) with a cancer hotspot mutation panel. Of 98 patients, the median age was 66 years and 61% were male. Tobacco use was reported in 87%, and 69% had a history of lung disease (tuberculosis or other). Histological types were: non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), 81%; small cell lung carcinoma, 16%. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represented 65% of NSCLC. NGS on 55 samples demonstrated mutation rates similar to public lung cancer datasets. In SCC, the STK11 F354L mutation was observed at higher frequency than previously reported. This is the first study to characterize the histologic/genomic profiles of lung cancer in this population. A high incidence of SCC, and an elevated rate of STK11 mutations distinguishes this group from the North American population.

Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar mapping of the active layer of permafrost across a snow fence in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Territory, Canada: correlation interpretation using vegetation and meteorological data

Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar mapping of the active layer of permafrost across a snow fence in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Territory, Canada: correlation interpretation using vegetation and meteorological data

Development of an HTR-Type nuclear and bifacial PV solar based integrated system to meet the needs of energy, food and fuel for sustainable indigenous cities

In this study, a unique integrated system is developed to produce multiple useful outputs, including energy, fuel, and food, for indigenous communities to achieve sustainable development and address some of the sustainability goals developed by the United Nations in this regard. The Nunavut Territory is identified with the highest food and energy insecurity across Canada for the present study. A pilot project is, in this regard, developed under a case study and thermodynamically analyzed for Iqaluit, Nunavut as an Indigenous City. The high-temperature reactor (HTR)-type pebble bed nuclear reactors are considered to be used with the copper chlorine Cu-Cl hydrogen production cycle, bifacial photovoltaic (PV) plant, gas and steam turbines, greenhouse, fish farm and residential heating systems, and multi-effect water desalination in the integrated multigenerational system. The proposed system primarily produces electricity, district heating, fresh water, domestic hot water, and hydrogen fuel. The simulations are carried out on the PVsyst and Aspen Plus. The renewable and nuclear energy systems, as well as other subsystems, are assessed via the engineering equation solver (EES) software package. The proposed integrated system has achieved a 62.64% overall energy efficiency and a 68.91% overall exergy efficiency at the average ambient conditions. Moreover, the present system is designed in different capacities for eleven indigenous communities in Nunavut Territory by considering the energy resources and local demand.

Association of the CPT1A p.P479L Metabolic Gene Variant With Childhood Respiratory and Other Infectious Illness in Nunavut.

Objective: Infectious illness, including lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and infant mortality in Inuit children in Nunavut Canada. The carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) p.P479L variant is common in arctic Indigenous populations of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. CPT1A is a fatty acid oxidation enzyme expressed in the liver, immunocytes and other tissues, and is needed to use fats for energy during fasting. Previous association of the variant with early childhood infectious illness and infant death has been challenged because of sample size and limited adjustment for confounders. We evaluated whether the p.P479L variant is associated with infectious illness in Inuit children of Nunavut, Canada.Methods: We conducted a retrospective clinical chart review of 2,225 Inuit children (0–5 years) for infectious illness (including otitis media, gastroenteritis, and hospital admission for LRTI), prenatal, perinatal, and socioeconomic indicators, subsequently linking to CPT1A genotype. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for birth characteristics, breastfeeding, maternal smoking, food insecurity, and socioeconomic indicators.Results: Overall, 27% of children were hospitalized for LRTI, 86% had otitis media and 50% had gastroenteritis. The p.P479L allele frequency was 0.82. In multivariable analysis, p.P479L homozygosity was associated with LRTI admission (aOR:2.88 95%CI:1.46–5.64), otitis media (aOR:1.83, 95%CI:1.05–3.21), and gastroenteritis (aOR:1.74, 95%CI:1.09–2.77), compared to non-carriers.Conclusion: Children homozygous for the p.P479L variant were more likely to experience infectious illness than non-carriers, including hospitalization for respiratory tract infections. Given the role of CPT1A in immunocytes, our findings indicate that more study is needed to determine if there is a role of the variant in immune response. Continued Inuit involvement is essential when considering next steps.

Earthquakes in the Eastern Canadian Arctic: Past Occurrences, Present Hazard, and Future Risk

AbstractThe Canadian Arctic encompasses several active seismic areas where a small number of significant earthquakes have been recorded since the early twentieth century. Our study area is defined as the eastern Canadian Arctic, an immense territory that covers 30% of the Canadian land mass. It includes the territory of Nunavut and the region of Nunavik in northern Quebec. Ten earthquakes had a moment magnitude (M) between 5.5 and 7.4, but only five can be considered significant because of their impact. Most were felt in communities at distances of a few hundreds of kilometers, but none exceeded modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) V. This article contains descriptions of the impact of these five earthquakes and of smaller ones that were felt in nearby communities. These macroseismic effects suggest stronger attenuation of MMIs than what is generally assumed for eastern North America. According to the current seismic zoning, very few communities face a significant earthquake hazard. Seismic risk has to consider that most high Arctic buildings are built on piles sitting on permafrost. It is believed that the newer engineered constructions would resist fairly well to seismic shaking, as opposed to buildings with older at grade foundations with little lateral resistance. The fast warming of the Arctic may lead to some thickening of the active layer of the permafrost, which may increase the potential for slope instabilities during earthquake shaking. The change would not be significant enough to alter the potential for local ground-motion amplification.

Forensic psychiatry in the arctic – a comparative study of patient characteristics, health care system and legislation in greenland and nunavut

IntroductionGreenland and the Canadian territory of Nunavut appear to have a different prevalence of forensic psychiatric patients, despite their comparable population and landmass sizes. Both are mainly inhabited by Inuit with a similar cultural and social background. Both have a universal health care system. They differ, however, concerning the supply of mental health services and legislation concerning forensic psychiatric patients.ObjectivesTo compare the prevalence and clinical characteristics of forensic psychiatric patients in Greenland and Nunavut.MethodsData is obtained from health records, forensic psychiatric evaluations and court acts from all forensic psychiatric patients 18 years or older living in Greenland or admitted to the University Hospital Aarhus (N≈100). Data extracted from Nunavut Review Board hospital reports will be used to describe the patient population from Nunavut (N≈15). Patient characteristics include gender, age, marital status, education, diagnosis of mental illness, medical treatment, family history of mental illness and serious adverse childhood experiences. Public documents concerning health systems and legislation will be identified through literature search.ResultsPatient characteristics from the two patient populations, as well as visualizations of the differences and similarities between the respective health care and legislative systems will be presented at the conference.ConclusionsThis study provides a comprehensive clinical, socio-demographic and forensic comparison of the forensic psychiatric populations in Greenland and Nunavut, Canada. To our knowledge, it will be the first to describe and compare forensic psychiatric populations in the Arctic.

Hydrological Analysis of Municipal Source Water Availability in the Canadian Arctic Territory of Nunavut

In the Canadian Arctic, the availability of sustainable drinking water supplies is threatened by pressures such as increasing populations, climate change, and the remote geographic nature of the communities. The objective of this study was to conduct a screening level vulnerability assessment of municipal drinking water supplies in the Canadian territory of Nunavut with consideration for climate change, population growth, and infrastructure changes. A hydrological analysis of primary drinking water supply watersheds was performed to evaluate the relative vulnerability level in 24 Nunavut communities. We used a water balance model to predict annual water yield from each watershed using historical and projected future climate data. Approximately 25% of the study communities were projected to experience high vulnerability to water shortages by 2070, defined as using greater than 40% of available water from their source watershed on an annual basis. A medium level of vulnerability (using 20% – 40% of annual available water) was determined for 8% of the study communities and a moderate level for 12% (using 10% – 20% of annual available water). A low vulnerability level to 2070 (using less than 10% of annual available water) was determined for 55% of the communities. The vulnerability level was primarily influenced by source watershed size. The results of this study could be used as a component of a proactive strategy to help address water security issues in Nunavut.

Climate Change Totems and Discursive Hegemony Over the Arctic

The Arctic and its animals figure prominently as icons of climate change in Western imaginaries. Persuasive storytelling centred on compelling animal icons, like the polar bear, is a powerful strategy to frame environmental challenges, mobilizing collective global efforts to resist environmental degradation and species endangerment. The power of the polar bear in Western climate imagery is in part derived from the perceived “environmental sacredness” of the animal that has gained a totem-like status. In dominant “global” discourses, this connotation often works to the detriment of Indigenous peoples, for whom animals signify complex socio-ecological relations and cultural histories. This Perspective article offers a reflexive analysis on the symbolic power of the polar bear totem and the discursive exclusion of Indigenous peoples, informed by attendance during 2015–2017 at annual global climate change negotiations and research during 2016–2018 in Canada’s Nunavut Territory. The polar bear’s totem-like status in Western imaginaries exposes three discursive tensions that infuse climate change perception, activism, representation and Indigenous citizenship. The first tension concerns the global climate crisis, and its perceived threat to ecologically significant or sacred species, contrasted with locally lived realities. The second tension concerns a perceived sacred Arctic that is global, pristine, fragile and “contemplated,” but simultaneously local, hazardous, sustaining and lived. The third tension concerns Indigenization, distorted under a global climate gaze that reimagines the role of Indigenous peoples. Current discursive hegemony over the Arctic serves to place Indigenous peoples in stasis and restricts the space for Arctic Indigenous engagement and voice.

Country food consumption in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Foodbook study 2014-2015.

This article presents a descriptive summary of the consumption of various country food (i.e. locally harvested plant and animal foods) products by residents of Yukon (YT), Northwest Territories (NT) and Nunavut (NU). Data were collected as part of the Foodbook study in 2014-2015. The Foodbook study was conducted by telephone over a one-year period. Respondents were asked about consumption of a wide range of food products over the previous seven days. Residents of the territories were also asked about consumption of regionally-specific country food. Data were weighted to develop territorial estimates of consumption. Data on age, gender, location, income and education were also collected. The national response rate for the Foodbook survey was 19.9%. In total, 1,235 residents of the territories participated in the study (YT, n=402; NT, n=458; NU, n=375). Consumption of any country food during the previous seven days was reported by 77.5%, 60.7%, and 66.4% of participants in NU, NT and YT, respectively. Responses to country food questions asked alongside the main Foodbook questionnaire provide insight on country food consumption in YT, NT and NU.

Birds of Nunavut

Birds of Nunavut

Akimiski Island, Nunavut, Canada: The Use of Cree Oral History and Sea-Level Retrodiction to Resolve Aboriginal Title

On 1 April 1999, Akimiski Island of the western James Bay region of northern Ontario, Canada, was included in the newly formed territory of Nunavut, Canada—an Inuit-dominated territory—even though the Inuit had never asserted Aboriginal title to the island. By contrast, the Omushkegowuk Cree of the western James Bay region have asserted Aboriginal title to Akimiski Island. The Government of Canada by their action (or inaction) has reversed the onus of responsibility for proof of Aboriginal title from the Inuit to the Cree. In other words, the Government of Canada did not follow their own guidelines and the common-law test for proof of Aboriginal title. In this paper, we documented and employed Cree oral history as well as a sea-level retrodiction (based on state-of-the-art numerical modeling of past sea-level changes in James Bay), which incorporated a modified ICE-6G ice history and a 3-D model of Earth structure, to establish that criterion 2 of the test for Aboriginal title has now been fully met. In other words, Cree traditional use and occupancy of Akimiski Island was considered sufficiently factual at the time of assertion of sovereignty by European nations. As all the criteria of the common-law test for proof of Aboriginal title in Canada, with respect to Akimiski Island, have now been addressed, the Cree have sufficient basis to initiate the process of a formal land claim.

Linking Peregrine Falcons' (Falco peregrinus) Wintering Areas in Peru with Their North American Natal and Breeding Grounds

Identifying migratory raptors' wintering areas and migration routes is an essential part of predicting their responses to habitat and climate change throughout their annual cycles, and therefore important for their conservation. Among the world's most widespread migratory species, the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) has been the subject of intensive study on its breeding grounds and at some migratory stopover sites, but the links between its breeding, stopover, and wintering areas remain poorly known. In particular, few empirical data are available on migratory F. p. tundrius and F. p. anatum (hereafter, Nearctic peregrines) wintering in South America during the austral spring and summer. Here, we present evidence connecting Nearctic peregrines wintering in Peru with their natal and breeding territories in North America using mark-recapture data collected between 1963 and 2019. We documented eight encounters of banded wintering Nearctic peregrines, whose natal origins or breeding regions included the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon Territory in Canada, and Alaska, Minnesota, and Nebraska in the USA. Our findings indicate that both tundrius and anatum peregrines winter in Peru and originate from a widespread geographic breeding range, corroborating other research suggesting that Nearctic peregrine migration is highly dispersive. Peregrines exhibit sex-related differential migration patterns in which males tend to migrate farther than females, and our data from the capture of 208 Nearctic peregrines suggest that the majority of wintering birds in Peru are males (n =150; 72%). We also report new records of Nearctic peregrine arrivals in Peru that represent advances of approximately 2–3 wk compared to the earliest previously published reports. The variability of peregrines' migratory movements may be related to the behavioral plasticity that facilitated their successful recovery following their catastrophic declines in much of North America. As peregrines remain vulnerable to human impacts including habitat and climate change, continuing to fill gaps in our knowledge of Nearctic peregrines' migratory connectivity will enable continuing conservation measures for these spectacular birds.

THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE SETTLEMENT SYSTEM IN ELLESMERE ISLAND (NUNAVUT TERRITORY, CANADA

Within the framework of a project aimed at structuring the settlement system in Ellesmere Island (the territory of Nunavut, Canada), we explored the microclimate, topography, geological structure, fauna, available research background and existing infrastructure of the locality. Based on our findings, we have developed natural recreation, environmental, eco-cultural, and tourist recreation frameworks to specify planning characteristics and identified the main planning constraints that determine the geometry of the settlement pattern. An optimal settlement model has been developed for the central-eastern part of Ellesmere Island with the Dobbin-Scorbey Bay conurbation elaborated in detail. A functional zoning concept is suggested for the main conurbation of Ellesmere Island; an individual domed residential cell has been designed. Thus, by simulating an environment designed for comfortable living in extreme cold climate conditions, a design proposal has been developed that would ensure effective settlement patterns in northern areas and solve the problem of uneven population density in Canada and the Arctic as a whole.