Why did people settle in Iqaluit?
'Iqaluit' means 'place of many fish' in Inuktitut.
The first European to think Iqaluit was important was the British explorer Sir Martin Frobisher in 1576. He sailed into the bay and believed he had found a direct route to China, so he named it 'Frobisher's Straites' after himself. He thought he discovered gold here too, shipping a large amount of it to England where it was recognized as pyrite — fool's gold.By 1870, Frobisher 'Bay' was frequently visited by whaling vessels. Local Inuit were hired as expert whalers. Whaling died out in the early 1900s, but there was a growing fur trade expanded.
The first European to think Iqaluit was important was the British explorer Sir Martin Frobisher in 1576. He sailed into the bay and believed he had found a direct route to China, so he named it 'Frobisher's Straites' after himself. He thought he discovered gold here too, shipping a large amount of it to England where it was recognized as pyrite — fool's gold.By 1870, Frobisher 'Bay' was frequently visited by whaling vessels. Local Inuit were hired as expert whalers. Whaling died out in the early 1900s, but there was a growing fur trade expanded.