Great Whale River

Great Whale River The Hudson’s Bay Company first established a post at Great Whale River in the middle of the eighteenth century. Initially trade was with the Indians and the name is taken from the Indian Wapamakoostoo, meaning ‘whale river’, after the white whale (beluga) which were common at its mouth. The post proved to be a satisfactory depot for supplies for the Hudson’s Bay Company schooners, and Eskimos as well as Indians came to trade there. In addition to fur, whale oil was of commercial importance and there was at the beginning of the present century a plant for rendering whale oil. The post was abandoned and re-established several times but it has been in continuous operation for the past 100 years.

The Rev. E.J. Peck of the Church Missionary Society worked in the Great Whale River area for many years. It was he who modified the syllabic writing, originally designed for Cree, so that it could be used for the Eskimo language. This syllabic writing is still widely used by Eskimos throughout the Eastern Canadian Arctic.

Since Great Whale River lies just south of the treeline it is one of the few places in the north where Eskimos and Indians live and trade in the same community. The two groups, however, each follow their own modes of life and speak only their own language. Eskimos live along the east coast of Hudson Bay as far as Great Whale River but rarely go further south.

The present permanent settlement includes a National Health and Welfare Nursing Station, the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, Anglican and Roman Catholic Missions, the office of the Northern Affairs Department Area Administrator, with engineering, clerical and projects staff, a Department of Transport station, a seasonal base operated by the province of Quebec for hydrometric work, and a number of small business enterprises.

Educational facilities at Great Whale River include nine classrooms and two 8-pupil hostels, operated by the Northern Affairs Department. There is also one Quebec government teacher in the area. About 250 Indians and 460 Eskimos live in the community with a number of Indians and Eskimos in the vicinity trading into Great Whale River.

Great Whale River was chosen as a section control station on the Mid-Canada line in 1954 and during the construction period up to fifty Eskimos and Indians as well as about 250 imported constructions workers were employed on building the station, which is located about a mile from the present settlement. An airfield with two runways, both of which can accommodate heavy aircraft, has been built. The airport is also used by Austin Airways, flying weekly from Moosonee to Eskimo coastal settlements north of Great Whale River, and by Nordair Ltd., with weekly flights linking Great Whale River with Montreal. During the summer a considerable amount of freight is landed at Great Whale River from ships taking part in the annual Mid-Canada Line re-supply operation.

Within the past few years Great Whale River has become the most important centre on the east coast of Hudson Bay.