Aklavik Attractions
Aklavik, Inuit for "home of the polar bears", is west of Inuvik. It was founded by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1912 in the middle of the Mackenzie delta, an area prone to flooding.
Aklavik was the main town in the western Arctic until the building of Inuvik. The Anglican episcopal church with its highly original stained-glass is well worth a visit. Scenes from the life of Christ are set in local conditions, so the Holy Family are depicted with a polar bear, the Adoration of the Magi takes place in the snow, and the Virgin and Child are wrapped in furs.
The only road access to Aklavik is during the winter months over an ice road.
Aklavik was the main town in the western Arctic until the building of Inuvik. The Anglican episcopal church with its highly original stained-glass is well worth a visit. Scenes from the life of Christ are set in local conditions, so the Holy Family are depicted with a polar bear, the Adoration of the Magi takes place in the snow, and the Virgin and Child are wrapped in furs.
The only road access to Aklavik is during the winter months over an ice road.
