Hopedale, Newfoundland and Labrador
| Hopedale Agvituk |
|
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
 |
|
| Nickname(s): Place of the Whales | |
| Coordinates: 55°29′2.54″N 60°12′11.48″W / 55.4840389°N 60.2031889°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Region | Nunatsiavut |
| Settled | 1782 |
| Incorporated | May 12, 1969 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Inuit Community Government |
| • Mayor (AngajukKâk) | Wayne Piercy |
| • Deputy Mayor | Beverly Hunter |
| • Federal MP | Peter Penashue (C) |
| • Provincial MHA | Randy Edmunds (Liberal) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 3.35 km2 (1.29 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 530 |
| • Density | 157.9/km2 (409/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Atlantic Time (UTC-4) |
| • Summer (DST) | Atlantic Daylight (UTC-3) |
| Area code(s) | 709 |
Hopedale (Inuit: Agvituk)[1] is a town located in the North of Labrador, the mainland portion of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Hopedale is the legislative capital of the Inuit Land Claims Area Nunatsiavut, and where the Nunatsiavut Assembly meets. As of 2006 it has a population of 530.
History
Hopedale was founded as an Inuit settlement named Agvituk, Inuktitut for "place of the whales". In 1782, Moravian missionaries from Germany arrived in the area to convert the population. They renamed the settlement Hopedale (Hoffental in German) shortly afterward. The Hopedale Mission is still standing and is thought to be the oldest wooden-frame building in Canada standing east of Quebec. As such, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada.[2] It is currently run by the Agvituk Historical Society as a part of a museum on the history of missionaries in the area.
Demographics
The majority of people in Hopedale (79%) speak English as a first language, but a significant minority (21%) speak Inuktitut.
About 93% of the population identify themselves as Inuit, 5% are mainly of European stock, and 2% are of Punjabi origin. Many of the Inuit in the town are actually mixed Inuit and White.
About 86% of the population belongs to a Protestant denomination, about 2% are Roman Catholic, and another 2% are Sikh. About 10% are not affiliated with any religion.
References
- ^ Issenman, Betty. Sinews of Survival: The living legacy of Inuit clothing. UBC Press, 1997. pp252-254
- ^ Hopedale Mission. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
Coordinates: 55°28′2.54″N 60°12′11.48″W / 55.4673722°N 60.2031889°W
