Primary Contact Claude Tremblay, manager Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Research Station Centre for Northern Studies (CEN) C.P. 59 Kuujjuarapik, Québec CANADA J0M 1G0 Phone: 819 929-3319 Email:
Secondary Contact Christine Barnard, CEN science coordinator
or
Longitude: 77° 45' W Latitude: 55° 17' N Location: Kuujjuarapik, Nunavik, Quebec Surrounding environment: Lake, Tundra, Wetland, Marine, Sea ice, Coastal, Taiga, Permafrost, Sand dunes, Hudson Bay Low Land, Ponds, Atmosphere
Description of Facility: This site has been a hub for CEN research in the North since 1968 and the present station built in the early 1980s is the main CEN research facility for studies on geosystems and ecosystems in northern Quebec. It is operated throughout the year with a fulltime station manager. The station consists of 7 buildings renovated in 2007, 2009 and 2010 which can accommodate up to 25 people throughout the year. In 2010, a Community Training Centre will be built to serve needs of the circumpolar science community for research planning, coordination and information exchange, the Canadian research community for national research workshops and coordination of field operations, and the local Cree and Inuit communities for information exchange, identification of northern research needs, science training of northerners, exchange of traditional knowledge, the formulation of research goals, and outreach activities (e.g. to Kativik schools). This facility will also include a display area open to schools. Research installations comprise a dry and a wet lab, an experimental greenhouse, a growing tunnel, and a climatological station operated by the CEN SILA Network. Leisure areas include bedrooms, lounge, and a cafeteria. The cafeteria can accommodate up to 40 people. In summertime, a cook prepares meals for lunch and dinner. Cafeteria users prepare their own breakfast with a variety of items available. The station also has a workshop and warehouses.
Laboratory: yes Wet Lab: yes Power: Regular commercial Communications: Internet, phone, satellite phones for field camps. Access: Air and boat (summer only) commercial services. Regular flights available from Radisson (100 km to the south at the end of the James Bay road) and Montreal. CEN can also make arrangements for aircraft rentals. Local Transportation: CEN offers logistical support to researchers working on site and in the area in a radius of about 350 km. Research teams establish temporary camps in the summer and sometimes even in the winter. The provision of supplies to camps is organized from the station. Snowmobiles, ATVs and boats (rowboat and zodiac) are available for rent at the station. 4X4 trucks are available for rent in the community. Helicopter services can be purchased from Nunavik Rotors and Whapchiwem Helicopters. Fuel Availability: Available in the community Other Local Resources: Several services available from the community of Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Special Rules and Regulations: Contact the station manager Nearest Community: Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik (0 km) Nearest Medical Service: Health Centre in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik and Hospital in Chisasibi (185 km) Licences, Permits: The CEN keeps local indigenous leaders apprised of all arrangements with researchers. See contact to make arrangements and for licence/permit advice.
Availability: CEN's research station and services are available year round to researchers from all sectors (university, collegiate, government, private), whether they are working in the immediate region, or in transit to other northern locations. Researchers can use the laboratories, the greenhouse and have storage space. Internet, a fax and a photocopier are also available. It is possible to rent camping equipment, communication equipment (radio and satellite phone), and other field equipment. CEN welcomes students from high school, college, or university levels, conducting northern internships. The station can also accommodate small groups for workshops of a few days whose focus are on research or education. Make prior arrangements. Cost: www.cen.ulaval.ca/english/pdf/fees.pdf Research History: The station has been in operation since 1974.
Natural and human environment: Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik is located at the terrestrial boundary between the taiga and the tundra and at the maritime limit of James Bay and Hudson Bay. The community is built on a sandy headland, at the mouth of the Great Whale River, on the east coast of Hudson Bay.
This bicultural community represents the ancestral limit of the Cree and Inuit territories. It is both the northernmost Cree community and the southernmost Inuit community in Quebec. In the past, the English name Great Whale and the French name Poste-de-la-Baleine have been used to designate this community. The Hudson Bay Company established the first fur trade post here in 1750. In 1940-50, the establishment of a military base and a radar station at this site was the foundation for settlement of the two cultural groups.
Granites covered by a thick layer of sand characterize the soils of the region. South of the Great Whale River is found the taiga zone, while north of the river, the forest tundra zone progressively dominates the landscape.
The Manitounuk Islands, located just a little to the north along the coast, are part of the Hudsonian cuestas found on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. Rocky beaches on the side facing the open sea and vertiginous cliffs on the coastal side characterize these islands.
Current Projects: Biodiversity and dynamics of northern aquatic ecosystems; impacts of melting permafrost in the context of global warming; wetlands paleoecology; restoration of vegetation in degraded sites, research on mercury dynamics (air, precipitation, snow).
