Parc des Pingualuit - Nunavik...

S t a t u s R e p o r t

P a r c d e s P i n g u a l u i t

Société de la fauneet des parcs du Québec

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements I

I am grateful to everyone who contributed to this report in any way. I would

especially like to thank the following people:

Parc des Pingualuit Working Group

Vicky Gordon

Willie Adams

Michael Barrett

Michel Damphousse

Charlie Ulaku

Community of Kangiqsujuaq

Ulaayu Pilurtuut Arngak

Charlie Arngak

Betsy Etidloe

Papikatuk Sakiagak

Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec

Marthe Laflamme

Serge Alain

Jean Boisclair

Stéphane Cossette

Jean Gagnon

Gilles Harvey

André Lafrenière

Louis Lefebvre

André Rancourt

Jacques Talbot

Denis Vandal

Raymonde Pomerleau

Project Coordinator, Parc des Pingualuit

Table of contents

Table of contents III

List of maps, tables, and figures V

List of maps V

List of tables V

List of figures VI

Introduction VII

Regional Context 1

Northern Québec 1Demography 1Territorial access and transportation 5Local administration 6Economic activity 8Tourism development 9

Northern Village of Kangiqsujuaq 10Population and services 10Economic activity 10Access 10Land regime 15

Study Area 17

Climatic conditions 17Temperature 18Frost–free season 18Precipitation 18Day length 33Ice formation and break-up on lakes and rivers 33

Biophysical resources 33Relief and slopes 33Geology 34Origin of the crater 41Geomorphology 42The Pleistocence 42The Holocene 51Deposits 59Hydrography 63Vegetation 68Fauna 75Special features 89

IV Parc des Pingualuit

Archaeological and historical resources 89Archaeology 89History 93

Land regime and use 94

Conclusion 103

Appendix 1 Flora 105

Vascular plants 107

Non-Vascular Plants 109Lichens 109Bryophytes 111

Appendix 2 Newly identified regional flora and rare vascular plants 113

Appendix 3 Birds of Parc des Pingualuit area 117

Appendix 4 Mammals of Parc des Pingualuit area 121

Literature cited 125

Endnotes 131

List of maps, tables, and figures

List of maps, tables, and figures V

List of maps

Map 1: Location map: Kangiqsujuaq 11

Map 2: Ungava Plateau natural region (B-39) 17

Map 3: Changes in the limits of the study area 19

Map 4: Relief map 33

Map 5: Geology 37

Map 6: Geomorphology 47

Map 7: Surface deposits 59

Map 8: Drainage pattern 63

Map 9: Areas of floral significance 75

Map 10: Archaeologically and historically significant sites 87

Map 11: Land regime 93

Map 12: Land use 97

List of tables

Table 1: Population of Nunavik communities 5

Table 2: Impact craters in Québec 39

Table 3: Geological time scale and main geological events

in the region of the Nouveau-Québec Crater 41

Table 4: Surface area of large lakes – Parc des Pingualuit 61

Table 5: Characteristics of the Nouveau-Québec Crater

and Pingualuk Lake 66

Table 6: Predominant vegetation by environmental conditions 68

Table 7: Site of rare plant species inventoried in summer 1998 72

VI Parc des Pingualuit

List of figures

Figure 1: Nunavik 3

Figure 2: Mean annual temperature 21

Figure 3: Length of frost-free season 21

Figure 4: Total mean annual precipitation 23

Figure 5: Annual snow fraction 23

Figure 6: Wind rose 27

Figure 7: Mean annual hourly wind speed 29

Figure 8: Maximum mean hourly wind speed 29

Figure 9: Glacial phases in northern Nunavik 45

Figure 10: Areas flooded by postglacial seas and proglacial lakes 51

Figure 11: Deglaciation of the Nouveau-Québec Crater 55

Figure 12: Movement patterns in the calving ground

of the Rivière aux Feuilles caribou herd 81

Figure 13: Annual distribution of the Rivière aux Feuilles

and George River caribou herds 83

Introduction

Introduction VII

At the northern tip of Québec, on the highest part of the Ungava Peninsula, lies a

fascinating lake created by a meteorite’s collision with Earth. Almost perfectly

circular with virtually the clearest water in the world, the lake sits in a bed of

crystalline shield rocks. The impact that created the Nouveau-Québec Crater,

called Pingualuit by the Inuit, occurred over a million years ago. Little by little, its

walls, floor and flooded depression reveal the secrets of the crater’s origin. No

wonder its relatively recent “discovery” has raised so much interest within the

scientific community!

Like a gemstone, the Nouveau-Québec Crater is set in a rocky plateau sculpted by

countless elongated lakes with jagged shorelines. Save for this meteorite impact

structure, the relief is subdued and the vegetation so sparse that it is unfairly

qualified as inexistent. Wind and cold reign over this rocky universe, which comes

to life during a very short summer characterized by near-endless daylight.

This report presents the current state of knowledge of the area set aside for the

establishment of Parc des Pingualuit, the new provincial park dedicated to

preserving the exceptional character of the Nouveau-Québec Crater as well as a

representative portion of the vast Ungava Plateau.

In addition to describing the biophysical environment and the history of the study

area, this report discusses the regional context underlying the development of the

park. The Status Report is a companion document to the Provisional Master Plan,

which further discusses the dominant features of the study area and proposes

limits, a zoning plan and a development scenario for the future park.

Regional Context

Regional Context 1

Northern Québec

Northern Québec is divided into two distinct regions

separated by the 55th parallel: James Bay to the

south and Nunavik, formerly known as Kativik, to the

north. The vast territory of Nunavik is 500,164 km2 in

area and distinguished by its pristine wilderness,

countless lakes and large rivers, and the world’s

largest caribou herd. The region is bounded, from

west to east, by Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait and

Ungava Bay, totalling 2,500 km of coastline carved

out by fjords, dotted with islands and marked by deep

estuaries with a high tidal range. At its easternmost

point, Nunavik borders Labrador (Figure 1).

Demography

In 1996, the population of Nunavik stood at 8,715,

representing a density of less than .02 inhabitants

per square kilometre. Predominantly Inuit (89%), the

population is spread over 14 villages established

near the coast. The communities of Kuujjuaq

(pop. 1,726), Inukjuaq (pop. 1,184), Puvirnituq

(pop. 1,169) and Salluit (pop. 929) account for nearly

60% of the region’s inhabitants (Table 1). Kuujjuaq,

the largest service centre in Northern Québec,

houses the corporate seat of the Kativik Regional

Government (KRG).

The population is young, with almost 60% of inhabit-

ants under 25 years of age and 40%, under the age

of 15. It is also growing rapidly, at a rate of

approximately 2.7% per year (Makivik Corporation

2000). The KRG’s 1996 master development plan

predicted that the population would continue to grow

for another ten years, stressing the impact on public

infrastructures and services, especially housing,

which is already limited. The attendant need for

employment opportunities is another factor that is

frequently cited.

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Regional Context 5

Table 1Population of Nunavik communities

JUNE1986 (1)

JUNE1991 (1)

JUNE1996 (2)

CHANGE

SINCE 1991 (%)Akulivik 337 375 411 9.6

Aupaluk 110 131 159 21.4

Inukjuak 778 1,044 1,184 13.4

Ivujivik 208 263 274 4.2

Kangiqsualujjuaq 383 529 648 22.5

Kangiqsujuaq 337 404 479 18.6

Kangirsuk 308 351 394 12.3

Kuujjuaq 1,066 1,405 1,726 22.8

Kuujjuarapik (3) 616 605 579 -4.3

Puvirnituq 868 1,091 1,169 7.1

Quaqtaq 185 236 257 8.9

Salluit 663 823 929 12.9

Tasiujaq 135 152 191 25.7

Umiujaq 59 284 315 10.9

Total for Nunavik 6,053 7,693 8,715 13.3

Source: 1: Census of Population (Cat. no. 93-304), Statistics Canada

2: Census of Population (Cat. no. 93-357), Statistics Canada

3: Displacement of population due to the creation of Umiujaq

The average number of persons per household is 4.3,

with 40% of Nunavik families comprising 5 or more

persons. The language most often spoken in the

home is Inuktitut, although many Inuit can also speak

either English or French, especially young people,

who are given the choice of French or English as the

language of instruction beginning in Grade 4.

However, Inuit language continues to be taught

throughout primary and secondary school. School

enrolment in the regular sector currently stands at

over 3,000 students, or nearly 35% of the total

population.

Territorial access and transportation

Whether for leisure or business purposes, Northern

Québec is only accessible by plane. Every village has

its own airport, and daily flights between Montréal and

Kuujjuaq (1,500 km) take around 2 hours. From Kuu-

jjuaq, weekday flights carry passengers to the differ-

ent villages dotting the coasts of Ungava Bay and

Hudson Strait as far as Salluit. The villages along

Hudson Bay are served by flights leaving Montréal

Monday through Friday. Both the Ungava and Hudson

Bay lines offer connecting flights to Salluit.

The regional airports in Kuujjuaq and Kuujjuarapik

have flight systems station (FSS); the others are

equipped for instrument landing. With no 24-hour

weather stations, access to the villages is limited

during bad weather.

In addition to these regular flights, small planes and

helicopters can be chartered from private companies

6 Parc des Pingualuit

established in Kuujjuaq. Cargo airplanes carry

supplies to the villages once a week.

Marine transport is used primarily to supply the

villages with durable goods and fuel. The coastal

villages are serviced in late summer, when there is no

longer any ice in the bays. Only a few villages

currently have a deep-sea terminal, which requires

that supplies be unloaded onto barges. However, a

new multi-year program is designed to fill this need.

The Raglan mine has its own air service for

transporting workers and food supplies: a landing strip

and control tower are located in Donaldson. The

company also charters ships to transport ore

concentrates, which are loaded at Déception Bay and

carried outside the region for refining.

The highway system is limited to a few kilometres of

road per village, including service roads leading to the

airport, drinking water intakes and other municipal

services. However, this does not mean that the

communities are isolated and confined to a limited

area; on the contrary, the Inuit regularly travel long

distances to pursue their traditional activities. Snow-

mobiles, all-terrain vehicles and motorboats not only

ensure communication and trade between

neighbouring villages, but, above all, allow access to

inland and coastal wildlife resources. Traditional food

sources account for a significant portion of the Inuit’s

diet, with terrestrial, aquatic and marine resources

being harvested on a seasonal basis.

Local administration

Administration of this vast territory reflects the realities

of Nunavik and its inhabitants. These special

characteristics, highlighted below, will affect how the

park is managed.

Land regime1

As established by the 1975 James Bay and Northern

Québec Agreement (JBNQA), the land regime

applicable to Nunavik defines three categories of

land, which dictate their respective use and

administration.

Category I lands are those that have been allocated

to the Native peoples for their exclusive use. They are

the lands in and around the communities where Inuit

people normally reside and are owned by the Inuit

community corporations.

Category II lands are part of the public domain, but

the Native peoples have exclusive hunting, fishing

and trapping rights. Each community comprises

Category II lands, the location of which is determined

by the presence of resources harvested by the Inuit to

ensure continued subsistence opportunities.

Category III lands are lands in the public domain

where exclusive rights or privileges are not granted to

the Native peoples, although the latter may pursue

their traditional activities on these lands year-round.

Thus, regardless of the category of land, the JBNQA

grants beneficiaries the right to hunt, fish and trap

year-round anywhere in the territory. They do not

require a license and may harvest as many

individuals of any species as they wish, using any

equipment except that which is considered a risk to

public safety. The hunting, fishing and trapping

regime is subject to the principle of wildlife

conservation and aims to protect threatened wildlife

species and ensure the continuance of traditional

Native pursuits. The JBNQA provides for numerous

bodies and regulatory mechanisms in this respect,

including the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping

Coordinating Committee (HFTCC).

Administrative structures

There are three levels of administration in Nunavik:

Makivik Corporation, the Kativik Regional

Government and the northern municipalities.

The respective responsibilities of these bodies range

from general to specific. For example, Makivik

Corporation manages, for Nunavik as a whole, the

compensation paid to the Inuit under the JBNQA and

Regional Context 7

the revenues therefrom. The Kativik Regional

Government, in addition to playing much the same

role as a regional county municipality in all of the

territory of Nunavik, manages the territory not erected

for the purpose of municipal administration. The

northern municipalities govern local matters.

Makivik Corporation

Makivik Corporation is a non-profit association without

share capital and without pecuniary gain for its

members. It was established by the Act respecting the

Makivik Corporation and is governed, subject to the

provisions of that Act, by Part III of the Companies

Act.

The purpose of the Corporation is to:

• receive, administer, use and invest the part,

intended for the Inuit, of the compensation

provided for in the JBNQA and the revenues

therefrom, as well as all its other funds;

• relieve poverty and promote the welfare and the

advancement of education of the Inuit;

• develop and improve the Inuit communities and

improve their means of action;

• exercise the functions vested in it by other acts or

the JBNQA;

• foster, promote, protect and assist in preserving

the Inuit way of life, values and traditions.

Kativik Regional Government

The inhabitants of the territory and the municipalities

having jurisdiction therein, whether erected under the

Act respecting Northern villages and the Kativik

Regional Government or any general law or special

act, form a public corporation under the name of

Kativik Regional Government (KRG).

The KRG is a corporation within the meaning of the

Civil Code and has the general powers of such a

corporation and such special powers as are assigned

by the Act respecting Northern villages and the Kativik

Regional Government. It has jurisdiction over all or

part of any territory not erected for municipal admin-

istration. All by-laws passed by the KRG must be

approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs before

coming into force.

In general, the KRG has, in the territory of Nunavik

(including the Naskapi village of Kawawachikamach),

competence in the following matters:

• local administration;

• transport and communications;

• police; and

• manpower training and utilization.

The Kativik Regional Government plays a dominating

role in land use planning and management within the

territory, for which purpose it prepares a master

development plan.

Northern municipalities

Northern municipalities are erected on Category I

lands and formed by the inhabitants, Inuit or

otherwise, in their respective territory.

Every municipality is empowered to:

• acquire all movable and immovable property

required for municipal purposes and alienate such

property, where required;

• purchase land for the use of the municipality;

• enter into contracts, bind and oblige itself, and

bind and oblige others to itself, and transact within

the limits of its powers;

• sue and be sued in any cause, before any court;

• assist in the undertaking and furtherance of works

of charity, education, scientific, artistic or literary

culture, youth training, and generally of any social

welfare enterprise of the population;


• assist in the organization of recreational guidance

centres and public places for sports and

recreation;

• found and maintain bodies for industrial,

commercial or tourism promotion;

• grant subsidies within its jurisdiction;

• entrust to non-profit institutions, societies or

corporations, the organization and management,

for the account of the municipality, of certain

activities and, for such purpose, make contracts

with them;

• exercise all the powers in general vested in it, or

which are necessary for the accomplishment of

the duties imposed upon it.

Economic activity

According to a KRG study, Nunavik mirrors the other

frontier regions of Québec in that its development is

slow and its economic performance, poor.

The service industry accounts for 70% of all economic

activity in the region. The majority of jobs are in the

public and parapublic (health care and education)

sectors or related to trade in goods and services,

wildlife harvesting and construction. The labour

market is characterized by a high rate of casual and

part-time jobs, most of which are in the villages. The

jobless rate is 13.7% for Nunavik as a whole and 17%

for the Inuit population; unemployment is particularly

high among the 15-24 age group, at 24% (Makivik

Corporation 2000).

Outside the villages, economic activity is centred on

wildlife harvesting for subsistence and tourism

purposes. In fact, subsistence harvesting has the

same importance in Northern Québec as agriculture

does in southern Québec, representing 75% of the

Inuit’s dietary protein intake. It is therefore crucial to

the local economy.

Mining-related activities also take place in the back

country. Exploration is currently being carried out at

some ten sites, mostly in the Labrador Trough south

of Kuujjuaq, while one of the world’s largest nickel

deposits is being mined in the northern part of the

territory, in the Cape Smith Belt. The deposit, known

as the Raglan mine, lies between Salluit and

Kangiqsujuaq, around 50 km north of the Nouveau-

Québec Crater. The mining complex, which officially

opened in summer 1998, has an estimated economic

life of 20 years.

The KRG study concluded that the lion’s share of

revenues from resource extraction (mining, military

and energy-related projects) benefit the rest of the

province, in addition to the fact that certain projects

adversely affect the environment and wildlife, which

are crucial to the Inuit’s subsistence economy.

To counter the negative impacts of development, the

KRG defined certain principles that must be respected

in carrying out development projects in the North.

Accordingly, all decisions must be grounded on:

• a deep respect for the environment, manifested

through sound resource management;

• the need to preserve the Inuit traditional way of

life;

• the need to reap the benefits arising from

development projects.

Regional development issues thus concern the desire

to ensure the sustainability of the Inuit’s subsistence

economy, protect the environment and wildlife, enable

resource use while preserving the ecological and

social integrity of the region, and acknowledge the

need to protect its historical, archaeological, cultural,

spiritual, visual and other resources. Understanding

the interrelationship of these elements in the North

and the fact that they form a cultural whole is critical.

A zoning plan has therefore been prepared to ensure

the development objectives identified by the

population are achieved.

Regional Context 9

In terms of protected spaces, there are as yet no

parks in Nunavik, although the master development

plan for the region identifies several sites that should

be protected for their outstanding scenic value. The

proposed Parc des Pingualuit, provided for in

Complementary Agreement No. 6 of the JBNQA, is

one of those sites. Furthermore, the zoning plan

specifies that traditional activities may be pursued on

lands used for park purposes and that tourism

activities may not adversely affect their ecological

integrity. The plan also promotes the development of

scientific, cultural and educational activities in parks.

Tourism development

Tourism is a mainstay of the regional economy

(KRG 1998). Currently, it relies solely on the region’s

numerous outfitting operations, whose star product is

caribou hunting, along with Artic char and Atlantic

salmon fishing. According to the Société de la faune

et des parcs du Québec registers, there are 67

outfitting operations in Nunavik, concentrated

between the 55th parallel and Ungava Bay. These

operations bring between 2,500 and 3,000 visitors to

the region each year, 80% of whom are Americans.

Stays are based on one-week packages, including air

transportation, accommodation in permanent or

seasonal camps, guide services, etc. This type of “Far

North experience” costs between $3,500 and $5,000

(Gestion conseil J.P. Corbeil inc. 1998), attracts a

mainly male clientele, and is offered mostly in the fall.

Since 1977, the industry has been supported by the

Nunavik Tourism Association (NTA), whose

accreditation testifies to the will to establish a

development strategy for improving the economic

performance of regional tourism businesses. The

report prepared by Gestion conseil J.-P. Corbeil inc.

identifies the main orientations tourist activities should

take and the current trends marking the tourism

market, i.e.:

• sharp increase in global tourism;

• changing travel habits: increase in people seeking

a learning experience, inter-cultural exchanges

and adventure tourism;

• 15-20% annual growth in ecotourism and ethno-tourism;

• decrease in market for hunting-related travel due

to urbanization and social changes. The report

pointed out that although Nunavik has not yet

been affected by this short-term trend, it should

diversify its tourism product in the medium and

long terms.

A study of tourism opportunities in the northern

villages showed the emergence of several ecotourism

and adventure tourism products, including

dogsledding, kayak/snowmobile/boat trips, hiking,

canoeing, cultural tours and wildlife observation. The

report indicated the advantages for Nunavik of

developing park proposals, stressing that parks are

currently among the most popular tourist attractions in

Alaska, the Northwest Territories and now Nunavut. It

is hoped that, over the medium and long terms, parks

will become the centrepiece of broader tourism

packages that respond to the market for outdoor and

adventure travel. The lack of parks is considered a

drawback for tourism and a need that must be filled:

“there is a serious need in the region for

the establishment of natural parks for

protection, quality and image”

The proposed Parc des Pingualuit meets this

expectation. Moreover, the report targets the

Kangiqsujuaq sector for the development of

ecotourism activities based on the immediate area’s

historical, cultural and natural resources. These

activities could be incorporated into park planning so

as to diversify the tourism experience.

It is crucial, however, that tourism development take

the distinctive features at the local level into account,

i.e. harsh climate, remoteness, high transportation

costs, and inadequate accommodation and restaurant

facilities. Activities must be structured so as to ensure

the market meets visitor expectations.


Northern Village of Kangiqsujuaq

Kangiqsujuaq lies approximately 1,800 km northeast

of Montréal and 430 km northwest of Kuujjuaq.

Nestled on the shores of Wakeham Bay, which opens

onto Hudson Strait, the village, being the closest

locality, will serve as the entrance to the park. Prior to

adopting a sedentary lifestyle in the early 1960s, the

original ancestral families were scattered over the

coast and offshore islands, mainly southeast of the

current village (Map 1).

Population and services

Kangiqsujuaq has a current population of

approximately 515 people, 93% of whom are Inuit.

Like Nunavik as a whole, the population is also very

young, with over 60% of inhabitants under 25 years of

age. The average annual salary is just over $18,000,

compared with the regional average of nearly

$21,000. According to Makivik Corporation (2000),

70% of working-age community members do not have

a high-school diploma.

The village, which forms a half-circle, is sheltered by

Wakeham Bay and dominated by a suite of rocky hills

that mark the sharp separation between the Ungava

Plateau and Hudson Strait. Airport facilities sit atop

one of these hills and are linked to the village by a

2.3-km road (Entraco 1986). Regular public services

for the northern villages as a whole are all situated in

Kangiqsujuaq: municipal offices and garage, police

station, health clinic, primary and secondary school,

residential school, day-care centre, sports arena,

commercial buildings (grocery and hardware stores),

telecommunications bureau, post office, 14-room

hotel and three churches representing as many

denominations. There are currently no restaurants in

the village.

Economic activity

The majority of employment is in the service industry.

Twenty-five residents of Kangiqsujuaq work at the

Raglan mine, whose hiring plan expressly provides for

the participation of Inuit people.

The nascent tourism industry has only just begun to

tap into the region’s enormous potential as a travel

destination. Marine mammals and polar bears in close

proximity to the village, magnificent coastlines marked

by archipelagos, capes and spectacular fjords, and

the presence of one of the most important

archaeological sites in the Arctic make for a diversity

of attractions that add to the outstanding geological

feature of the Nouveau-Québec Crater. Nunanturlik

Corporation, an outfitting operation managed by the

Kangiqsujuaq Landholding Corporation, is currently

examining local tourism development opportunities.

Access

The rugged terrain on the outskirts of the village limits

inland travel in summer. There are no real roads, only

an old trail that used to link the asbestos mine to

Wakeham Bay and Donaldson. This trail is still used

by all-terrain vehicles. The byroad linking Donaldson

to Douglas Harbour is in better condition, but is

subject to the regular formation of taluses near the

river mouth.

The stretch of road running between Donaldson and

Katinniq was upgraded with the opening of the Raglan

mine, and a new section was subsequently built

between Katinniq and Déception Bay, where ore

concentrate is loaded and carried outside the region

for refining.

Travel by land is easier in winter, when the rivers and

lakes are frozen. As soon as there is sufficient snow

cover, the snowmobiles come out, enabling people to

travel longer distances. Depending on the weather,

engine power and driver skills, it takes between 4 and

6 hours to get to the crater. The return trip can be

made by way of Hudson Strait—when it is frozen, of

course—offering spectacular scenery. However, the

going can be rough in January and February due to

the harsh climatic conditions.

Kangiqsujuaq residents travel from the village to the

coast and surrounding bays to hunt birds and marine

mammals, fish for Arctic char, and harvest blue

Regional Context 11

mussels under the ice pack, all according to season.

They travel inland to hunt caribou, go ice fishing, and

trap fur-bearing animals. The intensity of land use

decreases as you move farther from the village.

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Regional Context 15

Land regime

Like all other northern villages, Kangiqsujuaq is

subject to the land regime established by the JBNQA.

Category I lands are lands in and around the village

that are heavily used for traditional pursuits, including

Wakeham Bay and Akulivik Point.

Four tracts of Category II lands located around the

village abut the coast. A single tract extends inland as

far south as Nantais and Nallusarquituq lakes, the

latter of which is adjacent to the proposed park.

Study Area

Study Area 17

The Nouveau-Québec Crater, located in the area

destined to become Parc des Pingualuit, is one of

Québec's exceptional landscape features. However,

no study of this sector would be complete if it focused

solely on this feature and failed to take all of the other

elements of the area into account. Therefore, this

chapter not only describes the distinctive

characteristics of the crater itself, but also strives to

characterize the study area as a whole in relation to

the natural region in which it is located, namely, the

Ungava Plateau (B-39), shown on Map 2.

The study area is situated in the northern part of the

plateau, at the northern tip of Québec. It stretches

between latitudes 61°06’ and 61°28’ N and between

longitudes 73°13’ and 74°18’ W. Covering roughly

1,100 km2, this area is larger than that originally

provided for in the James Bay and Northern Quebec

Agreement (JBNQA): the decision to extend the limits

of the park was aimed at including more regional

points of interest.

The process that led to the selection of the study area

is somewhat unusual and warrants some explanation.

Unlike most park proposals, the Parc des Pingualuit

project included pre-established boundaries, which

had been laid down in the JBNQA. These boundaries

set the area of the park at 741.6 km2 and aimed to

preserve the Nouveau-Québec Crater as well as a

large buffer zone surrounding it. However, it later

became apparent that the prescribed limits would

generate park management problems, as they

crossed large bodies of water in many places. It was

therefore suggested that assessment of project-

related opportunities be based on the protection of

entire drainage sub-basins, an ecological criterion

often applied in land use planning. The reflection

process initiated in this regard led to an agreement

with the Ministère des Ressources naturelles (order-

in-council #91-192), signed in 1991, prohibiting mining

exploration and mining activities in a 1,109-km2 area

to be studied for the purpose of establishing the limits

of the proposed park.

When the project reached the field-check stage, it

was discovered that the Puvirnituq River Canyon

contained a number of uncommon resources and

attractions, which had thus far been underestimated

both in terms of their conservation as well as the

recreational and tourism opportunities they afforded.

After learning of this situation, the community of

Kangiqsujuaq requested that the Puvirnituq River

Corridor be covered by subsequent assessments to

ensure that it receive adequate protection. In the

wake of this request, the most interesting section of

the Puvirnituq River Valley was included in the study

area, up to Lamarche Lake, where the valley widens

and the relief becomes more subdued. The

community of Kangiqsujuaq also requested that

consideration be given to protecting a new

archaeological site discovered in summer 1998 south

of Vergons Lake. Map 3 shows the changes in the

limits of the study area over the past few years.

Climatic conditions

According to Köppen's climate classification system,

the Nouveau-Québec Crater region has a polar tundra

climate (Hufty 1976, in Daigneault 1997)

characterized by short summers and long, very cold

winters. In fact, the winters are among the harshest in

Québec.

It is impossible, however, to provide a detailed

description of the region's climate owing to the lack of

a weather station in the area of the crater itself. The

Déception Bay station, located less than 100 km from

the study area, operated only from 1963 to 1973, and

the data it gathered for certain parts of the year are

incomplete and thus of limited use for reliable

statistical analyses. In this study, therefore, we have

used the data provided by this station as trend

indicators, bearing in mind that conditions on the

coast may be different from those in the part of the

plateau affected by the park.


The question of insufficient data also arose when

Roche (1992) conducted an impact study of the

Raglan mine project, situated some 30 km north of

the future park. The report of this study presents a

local climatic profile established on the basis of com-

parative analysis of information from several weather

stations in Nunavik and Nunavut, including the

Kuujjuaq and Iqualuit stations, which have been in

operation for several years. The significant results of

this analysis were combined with those of regional

studies prepared by the Office de planification et de

développement du Québec (OPDQ) (1983) in order to

obtain an approximate picture of the situation.

In general, people who are familiar with this part of

Ungava agree that the crater area has a harsher

climate than the neighbouring villages of

Kangiqsujuaq and Salluit.

Temperature

According to the regional profile for Northern Québec

produced by the OPDQ (1983), mean annual

temperatures in the crater region range between

-7.5°C and -10°C (Figure 2). Roche (1992)

established that a correction factor of -3.3°C should

be applied to temperatures recorded at the Déception

Bay weather station to take into account the

continentality and altitude of the plateau on which the

Raglan mining complex is located. Accordingly, the

mean annual temperature in the area of the mine has

been established at -10.3°C, which should apply to

the park as well.

According to the weather stations consulted, the

lowest mean monthly temperatures are recorded in

January or February. However, since these tempera-

tures vary by only fractions of degrees, the thermal

behaviour of both months can be considered to be

very similar. The mean monthly temperature at that

time of year is around -25°C in Déception Bay and

-23°C in Quaqtaq. If the correction factor is applied, it

can be estimated that in January and February the

mean monthly temperature in the vicinity of the crater

is roughly -28°C.

In Déception Bay, as elsewhere in Québec, July is the

hottest month of the year, with a mean temperature of

8.9°C; August is the second hottest month, with a

mean temperature of 7.3°C. If these data are applied

to the crater area, it can be assumed that the monthly

means for these months are around 5.6°C and 4.0°C

respectively.

In Déception Bay, the mean monthly temperature

does not rise above 0°C until June and falls below

freezing in October. Logically, it can be assumed that

the period when temperatures are above the freezing

point is somewhat shorter near the crater, resulting in

a very short summer. On the whole, the region is

subject to "wintry" conditions beginning in early fall

and continuing through the spring. These conditions

may even be qualified as very harsh during the three

winter months, i.e. January, February and March,

when the mean monthly temperature is never higher

than -20°C.

Frost–free season

According to the OPDQ report, the frost-free season

in the crater area lasts 20 days (Figure 3). However,

as mentioned by Roche (1992), such general data

should be used with caution, since the isoline was

drawn up using data from a limited number of weather

stations and does not take local microclimates or the

influence of the ocean into account.

Precipitation

In general, there is minimal precipitation in the

Nouveau–Québec Crater region owing to the low

moisture content of cold air. Total precipitation at the

tip of the Ungava Peninsula averages between 300

and 400 mm, making it the region with the least

precipitation in Québec (OPDQ 1983). The snow

fraction accounts for approximately 50% of the annual

precipitation budget (Figures 4 and 5).

Study Area 27

Since the data gathered at Déception Bay are

incomplete, it is difficult to obtain an accurate picture

of the situation. The problem is compounded by the

fact that there should be a difference between the

type and amount of precipitation observed along the

coast and that recorded on the plateau. This

difference stems from the drop in temperature

associated with the rise in terrain, which not only

causes rain to turn into snow, but also increases

humidity, which in turn promotes precipitation. For

technical reasons, Roche (1992) used the Iqualuit

weather station as a precipitation trends indicator,

even though it is located a considerable distance from

the study area. Annual precipitation at this station

reaches 430 mm.

Verifications using data from the Quaqtaq station in

Nunavik revealed the same precipitation regime

trends as those established using the Iqualuit data,

except that the amount of precipitation is lower.

Monthly rainfall is negligible from November to

April—less than 1 mm—while snowfall is spread over

much of the year, with July and August being the only

months with hardly any snow. July and August also

have the most rainfall, while October and November

have the most snow.

Snow cover

In the tundra, snow usually falls as blowing snow and

forms compact snow dunes or drifts, which, in the

absence of trees, are shifted by wind. Snow is more

likely to accumulate in sheltered spots than in

exposed areas where it is blown around

(Roche 1992). Generally, however, only a limited

amount of snow actually accumulates on the ground.

According to the residents of Kangiqsujuaq, they

sometimes have to wait until January for there to be

sufficient snow cover to reach the crater easily by

snowmobile. Data from the Quaqtaq weather station

show the depth of snow cover to be 25 cm in

November, 36 cm in December and 46 cm in January.

Based on maximum readings of 72.9 cm in April, it

never exceeds 1 m.

On the plateau, snowmelt begins in mid-June and

continues until August. Patches of snow persist in

summer, in spots sheltered by small topographic

obstacles, and their distribution varies from one year

to the next (Lauriol, in Roche 1992). Accumulations of

perennial snow can also be observed.

Wind

The Ungava Plateau is considered to be a windy

region. Roche (1992) used Kuujjuaq as a reference

station for the climatic factor of wind. On an annual

basis, prevailing winds are from the west (18.9%) and

southwest (18.2%). From June to September, they

are from the west and north, while from October to

May, they are from the southwest and west (Figure 6).

The average annual wind speed in the study area is

20 km/hour (Figure 7), while the average maxima

recorded range from 88 to 96 km/hour (Figure 8)

(OPDQ 1983).

In winter, storm winds can cause blizzards that last for

several days, reducing visibility and limiting

communication with other regions, be it by telephone

or various means of transport. Depending on the

month, drifting snow may be recorded for an average

of 5 to 10 days.

Strong winds can also occur in summer, especially

near and inside the crater wall, one of the few

topographic features in the park. During a scientific

expedition in summer 1988, the wind was so fierce

that it destroyed one of the researchers' temporary

camps (Bouchard 1989).

Study Area 33

Day length

Wide variations in day length are another distinctive

feature of the North. During the winter solstice, day

length is 5 h 16 min at Déception Bay, increasing to

20 h 00 min during the summer solstice. In other

words, days are roughly four times longer in summer

than in winter. In fact, in June one has the impression

that it is always daytime, since it is light almost

24 hours a day even though the sun sets (Roche

1992). Thus, there is considerably more solar energy

in summer than in winter; however, insolation is

reduced by cloud cover and fog. In fact, the coast of

Hudson Strait is considered to have the least

sunshine in all of Québec. According to Roche (1992),

cloudy conditions are observed over 60% of the time

from May to November.

Cloud cover and visibility are not very well

documented in the crater area. However, based on

observations made near the mining complex, monthly

fog frequency ranges from 10 to 12 days in summer.

Fog often lifts during the middle of the day due to

solar and wind action.

Ice formation and break-up

on lakes and rivers

According to the OPDQ report, lakes in the crater

region freeze over around the first of November; rivers

do not become ice-covered until the end of the month.

Rivers start to thaw after June 20 and lakes, after July

1. Bouchard (1989) reported that the lake inside the

crater remained frozen until August 5 in 1988 and still

had several patches of ice on August 8. However,

when we visited the study area on August 3, 1998, all

lakes were ice-free.

Owing to the long periods of low temperatures and

relatively thin snow cover, the cold penetrates to a

considerable depth, affecting both water and soil.

According to members of the community of

Kangiqsujuaq, the ice cover on lakes is very thick in

mid-winter, often exceeding 1 m. As the winter pro-

gresses, it becomes increasing difficult to bore holes

in the ice in order to fish.

In short, despite the lack of precise data for the study

area—a situation attributable to the absence of

weather stations in this region—it can readily be

noted that the climate is very harsh. Low

temperatures, strong winds and thin, not very

protective snow cover have a definite impact on the

development of living organisms, as well as on human

occupation in the region. Serious consideration must

be given to these factors in developing the future

park, since they will affect user access, comfort and

safety.

Biophysical resources

Relief and slopes

The natural region of the Ungava Plateau (B-39) is

expansive. With a surface area of roughly

240,000 km2, it covers over half of Nunavik and is the

second largest natural region in Québec

(MLCP 1986). It has a general altitude of 300 m,

spread over a gradient ranging from 0 m on the coast

of Hudson Bay to 661 m to the northeast, in the

Povungnituk Hills (Baron-Lafrenière 1988). The

Ungava Plateau has very little relief; at the very most,

it is characterized by an undulating surface that pri-

marily reflects the contours of the underlying bedrock.

Slopes in the region descend gradually toward

Hudson and Ungava bays. They become steeper,

however, to the north, in the zone of contact with the

marine environment, where fjords cut deeply into the

coast of Hudson Strait. Owing to the distinctive char-

acter of the landscape along this coast, the MLCP

decided to designate it as a separate natural region

for the purposes of planning its parks system. Called

the Hudson Strait Fjord Coast (B-41), the region is

shown on Map 2.


Another natural region has been created in the

Povungnituk Hills, which, because of their east-west

orientation, divide the Ungava Plateau into two

separate physiographic units, commonly called the

Larch Plateau and the Salluit Plateau (Daigneault

1997). The folded relief associated with the

Povungnituk Hills is clearly visible to the west—so

much so that a separate natural region (B-40,

Povungnituk Mountains) has been delimited in this

area. To the east, however, the folding is more

subdued and virtually merges into the general

topography of the Larch Plateau. This natural region

is also shown on Map 2.

The proposed park is situated in the highest part of

the Ungava Plateau, for the most part in the Larch

Plateau sub-section. The influence of the Povungnituk

Hills is felt on the northern margin of this region

through the presence and orientation of a series of

rocky ridges, which are very different from the low,

rounded hills typical of the Larch Plateau. Altitudes in

the study area range from 450 to 550 m, except in the

crater, whose rim rises to a maximum of 657 m, and

in an area to the northeast occupied by small hills, the

highest of which reaches 580 m (Map 4).

Located in the heart of the study area, the crater is

the only topographic feature that really stands out, the

region otherwise appearing flat from the air. Almost

perfectly circular (degree of roundness: 0.88), it has a

rocky rim, the top of which is situated at an altitude of

between 550 m (west) and 657 m (east), or roughly

100 m above the surrounding landscape. The rim has

the same width throughout (500 m), except in its

western part, where it becomes thinner (200 m). It is

incised in 10 spots by narrow notches, the deepest of

which measures 70 m (Bouchard 1989).

The Puvirnituq River, located in the northern part of

the study area, has carved out a canyon over a dis-

tance of 45 km. The difference in elevation between

the top of the canyon and the river is roughly 100 m,

and the altitude of the terrain at the canyon's edge is

less than 450 m. In the narrowest section of this fea-

ture, where the river forms a double 90-degree elbow,

the walls are almost vertical. The fluvial erosion pro-

cesses involved in the creation of the canyon have

also caused the river to form numerous secondary

branches, the largest of which acts as an outlet for

Lamarche Lake. Beyond this branch, the valley wid-

dens and the relief gradually becomes smoother.

In general, slopes in the study area are very gentle,

except in the Puvirnituq River Canyon, the Lamarche

River Canyon and inside the crater. The inclination of

the latter's inner wall ranges from 25° to 36°, for an

average of 30.5°, or 68%. The presence of such steep

inner slopes, which are often strewn with unstable

boulders, makes Pingualuk Lake, which occupies the

interior of the crater, practically inaccessible. Only one

passageway to the east, which measures 500 m wide

and has a more gentle gradient of about 25° (56%),

can provide safe, although difficult, access to the lake.

The outer slopes of the crater are intermediate, with

average values of 10o (22%) (Bouchard 1989).

The sides of the Puvirnituq River Canyon have a

maximum slope of 83%, but more often range

between 25 and 45%. Owing to the presence of small

watercourses, it is possible to reach the bottom of the

valley in certain spots.

Geology2

The natural region of the Ungava Plateau is located

on the Canadian Shield, which occupies over half of

Canada's land area. The ancient bedrock that forms

the shield is composed of a group of microcontinents

that coalesced between 1.8 and 2.1 billion years ago

(Ga BP). In this vast geological complex, the Ungava

Plateau natural region is associated with the Minto

block of the tectonic Superior Province and is

characterized mainly by the presence of plutonic

rocks, granodiorite and granite. These rocks were

formed by slow crystallization of acid magma well

below the ground surface. Rich in silica, this magma

also produced quartz, a kind of light-coloured rock

that generally trends northwest in the study area.

Study Area 37

One of the distinctive features of the northern part of

the natural province is the Ungava Orogen, a sector

marked by a large zone of folding and overlapping,

which geologists call the Cape Smith Belt. The rugged

relief in this area is the product of collisions that oc-

curred during the welding of the tectonic provinces of

Superior and Ray (part of the ancient Churchill

Province). Recent studies suggest that the Ungava

Orogen may extend as far as Baffin Island.

The Cape Smith Belt o ccupie s a 50 -km-wide ban d

running east-west north of Nunavik. It corresponds

more or less to the p hysiog raphic unit of the Povun gnituk

Hills, mentioned earlier, and is composed of alkaline

metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks.

Most of the study area is part of the tectonic Superior

Province. Light-coloured, pink or grey granodiorites

are the dominant type of rocks in this sector. A large

mass of granite-gneiss outcrops on the eastern edge

of the region, not far from Cournoyer Lake. It consists

of alternating light and dark-coloured beds, which are

the product of metamorphism, but have retained

much the same composition as the granodiorites from

which they were derived (Map 5).

The study area also contains a band of amphibolite

several kilometres long, trending north-south between

Rouxel and Vergons lakes. Amphibolites, which result

from metamorphism of volcanic ash, contain thin

laminations and can be distinguished by their dark

green colour. Small outcrops of tonalites and veins of

diabase have also been observed in various parts of

the region.

The lithological studies conducted in the vicinity of the

crater are more detailed than those done elsewhere in

the study area. Granodiorites continue to be well

represented in the crater sector, but are intersected

by granite-gneiss, agmatite and granite. Southwest of

this structure, a mafic dyke runs along a major fault

that crosses the heart of the study area from north to

south between Laflamme and Vergons lakes, forming

an extension of the band of amphibolite. However, the

dominant fracture system noted by Currie (1966)

trends northeast. The entire fracture network was

apparently produced by tectonic constraints

generated during the formation of the Cape Smith

Belt. It must be noted, however, that the force of the

meteorite's impact modified the orientation of the

fractures, which were deflected towards the centre of

the crater, in the same direction as the gneissic

structures. As for the fracture planes, they are vertical

in the crater, but sub-horizontal in the region as a

whole.

South of the Puvirnituq River, the zone of contact

between the Lake Superior and Cape Smith Belt

formations is marked by an overlap fault. Like the

crater, this geological unit has undergone more

detailed study than other features in the region

affected by the proposed park.

The northern part of the study area is characterized

by Povungnituk Group rocks. Metasedimentary rocks,

consisting mainly of sandstone, phyllite and aleurite,

predominate in this sector. South of the Puvirnituq

River, these rocks occur only in a thin band that

widens slightly east of Saint-Germain Lake.

Ferruginous sediments, containing magnetite, are

also found in this area, concentrated in a zone

between two overlap faults.

Intrusions of gabbro and peridotite are located here

and there in the mass of metasedimentary rocks and

in large quantities on the north shore of the Puvirnituq

River. These intrusions form bedded veins, which

have been interpreted as belonging to the magma

system that gave rise to the lava which produced the

basalts found outside the study area. The rocks that

contain these intrusions slope northward, and

differential erosion has exposed their veins of gabbro.

Being more resistant than the surrounding rock, these

veins form an alignment of parallel hills with very

steep southern slopes. Excellent examples of such

hills occur on the north shore of the Puvirnituq River,

not far from the outlet of Lamarche Lake.

Study Area 41

Since the Cape Smith Belt is the area of greatest

economic interest in the Ungava Plateau natural

region, it has been the object of in-depth geological

studies, being characterized by an abundance of

mineral indicators, such as nickel, copper, zinc and

many other metals. However, the most significant

sites are located outside the study area. One such

site, which belongs to Falconbridge, was brought into

operation recently. Only two lenticular beds of nickel

and copper are situated south of the Puvirnituq River,

on a hill composed of peridotite near the canyon.

Lastly, it should be noted that sites rich in asbestos

fibre and soapstone have also been discovered in

the Cape Smith Belt. Outcrops of soapstone are

sought by Inuit sculptors, who use this soft material

to make a unique art form that is internationally

renowned.

Origin of the crater

The crater was formed by the impact of a meteorite.

This event, which occurred nearly 1.4 million years

ago (Ma BP), is fairly recent on the geological time

scale. The presence of the crater only became

known to the general public in the mid-1940s

following reconnaissance work and the publication of

reports by the United States and Canadian air forces.

Various hypotheses circulated about the origin of this

structure. Speculation ceased, however, when Currie

discovered the first sample of impactite (minerals

melted or transformed by an impact shock) in 1962,

confirming that the crater had been formed by an

astronomical phenomenon and not by volcanic

activity.

Table 2

Impact craters in Québec

(Classified by decreasing order of size)

NAME Lat. North Long. West Diameter (km) Age (Ma)

Manicouagan 51° 23’ 68° 42’ 100 210 ± 4

Charlevoix 47° 32’ 70° 18’ 46 360 ±25

Lac à l’Eau Claire Ouest 56° 13’ 74° 30’ 32 290 ±20

Lac à l’Eau Claire Est 56° 05’ 74° 07’ 22 290 ±20

Lac Couture 60° 08’ 75° 20’ 8 425 ±25

Lac de la Moinerie 57° 26’ 66° 36’ 8 400 ±50

Île Rouleau (Lac Mistassini) 50° 42’ 73° 53’ 4 <300

Nouveau-Québec 61° 17’ 73° 40’ 3.4 1.3+

From Bouchard, 1989.


As more and more impactite samples became

available over the years, it was established that the

projectile was a chondrite, probably from the asteroid

belt between Jupiter and Mars. Michel Bouchard, a

geologist at the Université de Montréal, recently took

an interest in the crater and has helped to further our

understanding of the impact structure. Based on

research conducted by his team of scientists, it is

estimated that the energy released when the

meteorite collided with Earth was 8,500 greater than

that produced by the atomic bomb dropped on

Hiroshima. It is therefore easy to understand why no

traces of the meteorite itself have been found. It is

estimated that the velocity of this projectile was about

25 km per second, that it must have had a diameter of

110 to 130 m and that it may have had a density of up

to roughly 3 grams per cubic centimetre.

The Nouveau-Québec Crater is qualified as a simple

crater. Craters of this type are distinguished from

complex ones by their smaller size (less than 5 km in

diameter), lack of a central peak and greater depth-to-

diameter ratio. The Nouveau-Québec Crater has a

diameter of 3.4 km and is occupied by a lake, which is

circular like the crater and measures 2.8 km in

diameter. The maximum depth recorded at the bottom

of the lake is 267 m, making for a distance of 430 m

between the top of the crater rim and the lake floor.

Bouchard has compared this structure with craters in

other countries. In comparison with the 122 impact

structures identified to date, the Nouveau-Québec

Crater is small. Nevertheless, it is the 15th largest

simple crater and the 7th youngest crater in the world.

Moreover, it is the only crater in Canada whose rim

has largely escaped erosion. Eight meteorite impact

structures, both simple and complex, have been

identified in Québec. The Nouveau-Québec Crater is

the smallest and the youngest. These rankings could

change, however, as new impact structures are

discovered.

Geomorphology3

Geomorphology is the study of the landforms that

shape the landscape. It explains their origin and

evolution.

Very few studies have been conducted on the period

prior to the major glaciations. Scientists believe that

the bedrock which forms the Superior Province is an

ancient erosion surface on which very high mountains

once stood (Kenoran Orogeny, 2.48 Ga). These

mountains were eroded to their root and certain pro-

ducts of this erosion formed the metasedimentary

rocks of the Cape Smith Belt (Ungava Orogen,

2.04-1.83 Ga). These rocks were folded and pushed

when the continent came into contact with a group of

volcanic islands, a process that entailed the

disappearance of a large ocean (Table 3).

A new mantle of rock was deposited during the

Palaeozoic (500 to 250 Ma), but very few traces of

this mantle can be found today. In the region of

Ungava, the only remnants are located at the bottom

of Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay. In

any event, there seems to have been little change in

the surface of the Precambrian basement after the

elimination of the Palaeozoic rock cover, since

subsequent glaciations changed its appearance only

superficially.

The Pleistocence

The period from 1.65 Ma to 10,000 BP was

characterized by numerous climatic oscillations that

led to the formation of glaciers south of mid-latitudes.

Given that each new glaciation erased most of the

evidence of the previous one, it is mainly traces of the

most recent glaciation, namely, the Wisconsin

glaciation, that may be observed in Canada as a

whole.

Table 3 corrige.qxd 9/10/01 7:33 AM Page 1

Study Area 45

During the Wisconsin glaciation, the natural region of

the Ungava Plateau was under the influence of a

glacier complex known as the Laurentide Ice Sheet,

which covered northern North America. This ice sheet

was made up of three units of outward-flowing ice,

moving in different directions. In the section of the

Québec–Labrador Peninsula targeted by this study,

the orientation of glacial erosional landforms and the

dispersion patterns of certain distinctive rocks indicate

that the ice advanced from the centre of the Ungava

Peninsula towards its periphery. At the peak of the

Wisconsin glaciation, the peninsula was covered by a

sheet of ice 3,000 to 3,600 m thick.

In northern Nunavik, the centre of ice dispersion and

the ice flow itself are named after Payne. However,

there are indications that an ice dome (Ungava

Dome) developed before the arrival of the Payne Ice

Flow and that the latter coalesced with the dome. It is

estimated that when the last glaciers crossed the

region, they removed a layer of rock 1.5 to 3 m thick.

The crater was formed prior to the appearance of the

main continental glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere.

It is known that erosion has lowered its rim by 41 to

63 m over the years, or 40 mm per millennium. In

addition, it is believed that all of the material thrown

out of the crater when the meteorite exploded was

subsequently carried away by moving ice. However,

Bouchard (1989) believes that the bottom of the crater

was not affected by glacial erosion. He suggests that,

on the contrary, the continental ice sheets protected

this structure. Since the sediment trapped beneath

the ice settled on the bottom of the lake, researchers

believe that the thick layer (93 m) of soil that covers

the crater floor might contain a relatively undisturbed

sedimentary sequence. This sequence would

represent the continental stratigraphy for much of the

Pleistocene and include deposits left by the

successive glaciations, deposits which elsewhere

have been redistributed and reworked. The sediments

at the bottom of the crater are thus of undeniable

scientific interest and might be used to calibrate

samples from other sources. Analyses were

undertaken with a view to reconstructing

palaeoclimatic conditions using samples from the

crater floor, but data interpretation was hampered by

technical problems. Since the drilling needed to

pursue the analyses risked contaminating the lake’s

exceptionally pure water, the research was

abandoned.

All evidence indicates that, in the study area, the ice

flowed east-southeast from the Ungava Dome during

the glacial phase, but in a northeasterly direction

during the subsequent Payne Ice Flow phase

(Figure 9). The latter phase lasted for a very long time

and is responsible for most of the glacial erosional

and depositional landforms that may be observed

today.

The glacial erosional landforms found in the study

area consist of striations, grooves, shaped rocks,

roches moutonnées and U-shaped valleys (Map 6).

Striations and grooves are more or less deep marks

left on rocks, and their orientation indicates the

direction of ice flow; such marks are generally

parallel. Grooves are much larger than striations and

can measure up to a few metres wide and several

metres long. The grooves and striations in the study

area trend southwest-northeast and are thus

associated with the last glacial phase. However, older

grooves, formed by the Ungava Ice Flow, can be

observed on the crater rim. One boulder has both a

groove dating from the latter ice flow and striations

dating from the Payne Ice Flow. This phenomenon is

unique to northern Nunavik and may be explained by

the fact that the boulder was deposited by a glacier

pre-dating the Ungava Dome. Buried under a sheet of

till, it probably remained in place as the Ungava Ice

Flow and then the Payne Ice Flow passed over it,

leaving the marks of their passage.

Study Area 51

Roches moutonnées and shaped rocks also occur in

the study area. The former are humps of rock that

measure a few metres high, are not very elongated

and whose up-ice side has been smoothly rounded by

glacial action. Some nice, albeit small, examples of

roches moutonnées are located on the south side of

Vergons and Saint-Germain lakes and on the south

face of the crater rim. Shaped rocks have also been

smoothly rounded by ice. They are distinguished from

roches moutonnées by their larger size (up to several

hundred metres long) and by the fact that their

smooth side faces down ice. They are particularly well

represented in the eastern part of the crater rim.

U-shaped valleys are produced by overdeepening

and have a characteristic U-shaped profile. The

Puvirnituq River Valley is a good example. The

northeast face of the outer rim of the crater also has

this type of profile. It is believed that the formation of a

U-shaped valley on that side of the crater was made

possible by the orientation of the fractures, which are

parallel to the direction of glacial flow. The best

example of this type of valley on the crater rim

measures 800 m long by 200 m wide and 40 m deep.

Glacial depositional landforms consist mainly of till,

moraines and perched boulders. Till is not a landform

strictly speaking, but a sheet of material left behind by

a glacier. It is composed of a mixture of rock debris of

varying size, ranging from very small particles to

boulders measuring a few metres in diameter. It may

consist of local rocks mixed with stones and waste

transported from other regions, sometimes over long

distances, and then abandoned as the ice retreated.

The till in the study area also contains a large quantity

of pollen grains, which indicate that this region was

formerly occupied by vegetation similar to that

currently found in the southern part of the Ungava

Peninsula (shrub and herbaceous tundra). The

presence of these grains demonstrates that the

climate was once warmer than it is today, probably

during the Sangamonian Interglacial Stage.

When till is thick enough, it can be moulded into

characteristic glacial landforms. When it takes the

shape of elongated hills oriented in the direction of

glacial flow, it is said to form drumlins. In some cases,

the latter have a core of rock at their base followed by

a train of moraine that accumulated during the

passage of a glacier. An excellent example of a

drumlin field as well as several moraine trains behind

boulders may be observed to the south of Saint-

Germain Lake. Drumlin fields, with less densely

concentrated features, are also found along the

stretch of the Vachon River located south of Saint-

Germain Lake and to the west of Vergons and

Nallusarquituq lakes.

Till sheets can also have a hummocky appearance

due to the presence of gently rounded, low mounds.

This type of terrain results from the stagnation and

melting of a mass of ice. Two sectors in the vicinity of

Laflamme and Saint-Germain lakes have hummocky

moraines. Near Laflamme Lake, the mounds measure

from 4 to 6 m high and have an average diameter of

200 m. However, these features are not very visible at

ground level.

Lastly, enormous rocks resting on smaller ones—a

phenomenon called perched boulders—are found in

various parts of the study area. There is a very nice

example of this type of boulder on top of the crater.

The Holocene

The Holocene covers the last 10,000 years of the

Earth's history. Its first phase, which was marked by

deglaciation, lasted from 10 to 7 ka. Subsequently

and up to the present day, landforms evolved under

the influence of periglacial processes.

Deglaciation of the Ungava Peninsula began along

Hudson Strait between Déception Bay and Cap de

Nouvelle-France. Since the continent had subsided

beneath the weight of the ice, ocean waters were able

to penetrate low coastal regions after the glaciers

retreated. Near Kangiqsujuaq, they seem to have

penetrated to an altitude of 150 m. However, this

flooding did not extend as far as the study area.


In northern Nunavik, the receding glacier margin

prevented meltwater from draining towards Hudson

Bay, thereby creating large proglacial lakes,

especially in the area of the Puvirnituq River. These

bodies of water, which existed between 8 and 7 ka,

were ephemeral lakes whose level dropped as outlets

at lower altitudes were freed of ice. As a result, a

large expanse of fresh, free-flowing water formed at

the margin of the ice sheet, gradually covering the

study area as the glacier retreated southwest. It is

estimated that roughly 80% of the region was flooded

by this palaeolake at one time or another during the

deglaciation; only the highest parts of the plateau,

including the crater, were not affected (Figure 10).

The former presence of this body of water is revealed

by the mainly sandy, littoral sediments it has left

behind. Sections of ancient beaches clinging to

hillsides in the northeastern part of the study area

between the Puvirnituq River and Cournoyer Lake

indicate the maximum elevation reached by the

palaeolake, i.e. 540 m. It attained this level during the

initial phase of its existence, when its waters emptied

into the Laflau River. Beaches near Saint-Germain

Lake are associated with a later period, when the lake

reached an altitude of 520 m. The palaeolake was

most extensive and clearly defined when it attained

488 m. By that time, its shape had changed and it

drained towards the southeast. A fairly extensive

beach complex associated with this phase extends

south of Rouxel Lake and west of Vergons Lake.

Study Area 55

The level of Pingualuk Lake also changed when the

ice sheet melted. As demonstrated by old strandlines

on the inner wall of the crater, a proglacial lake

developed inside this structure at the beginning of the

deglaciation period. It reached an altitude of 600 m

and flowed out of the crater through two notches in

the northern part of the rim (Figure 11). When the ice

retreated and uncovered additional notches at lower

elevations, the level of the lake fell to 574 m. It is

probably then that a meltwater torrent carried

impactites out of the crater in the direction of

Laflamme Lake. The bed of this ancient watercourse

is still very visible. It is believed that when the lake

reached an altitude of 550 m, fish migrated from the

palaeolake to the crater and colonized the body of

water inside this structure. Today, the water level in

the crater is 494 m and the lake no longer has an

outlet. It probably drains through the fault plane

extending to Laflamme Lake through or under the

permafrost, and its fish populations are now confined.

The deposits and erosional landforms produced by

deglaciation in the study area are of fluvioglacial or

glaciolacustrine origin, depending on the environment

where they were formed. The typical fluvioglacial

landforms found in this region are eskers, kames and

glaciolacustrine channels. During the deglaciation,

meltwater streams flowed through subglacial tunnels.

In sectors where their velocity made sedimentation

possible, long ridges of sand and gravel were formed

parallel to the direction of water flow. These ridges

are called eskers. The largest esker segments in the

study area are located northwest of Rouxel Lake,

where they trend southwest-northeast over a distance

of 8 km aligned like train cars. The largest segment

measures 2 km long by 200 m wide and 10 m high. It

should be noted that the top of these features is flat

and eroded and that the till sheet between them has

often been eroded by meltwater streams that no

longer exist. The channels through which the streams

flowed correspond to sections of subglacial tunnels

where water flow was too rapid to allow sedimentation

of the materials transported. A very nice example of a

meltwater channel is located between esker

segments that follow more or less the same alignment

over several kilometres between Vergons and

Nallusarqituq lakes. Many channels once occupied by

meltwater streams are also found in the eastern part

of the crater.

Kames consist of accumulations of sand and gravel

that have filled ice crevasses or cracks. Around a

dozen of these features, which look like mounds, are

clustered at the northern end of Vergons Lake.

The glaciolacustrine landforms in the study area

consist of beaches, raised beaches and deltas

clinging to rocky slopes. Made of sand and gravel,

these relatively small landforms indicate the different

altitudes once reached by the palaeolake. Some

interesting examples of littoral features may be

observed to the west of Vergons Lake and throughout

the Saint-Germain Lake area. In addition, a large

delta is found south of Laflamme Lake in the area of

the impactite channel. Several other, much smaller

glaciolacustrine landforms are concentrated on either

side of the Vachon River between Quangattajjuuq and

Nallusarqituq lakes.

Since the end of the glacial period, the Ungava

Plateau has evolved mainly under the influence of a

periglacial erosion system, where frost action plays

a major role. The mechanisms associated with such

action are related to the fact that the volume of water

increases when it changes into ice, that

concentrations of ice form within rocks following

capillary migration of water (ice segregation) and that

ice shrinks in response to the cold. These properties

cause rock to fracture through congelifraction—a

process that produces boulder fields—and lead to the

formation of ice lenses, ice cracks, ostioles in till and

polygons in sandy sediments. Although such features

are widespread in the study area, they are too small

to be mapped.

Study Area 59

Cold conditions are also responsible for the formation

of permafrost, which is a major feature of the natural

region. The study area is located in the continuous

permafrost zone, and in Purtuniq, which is not far

from the site of the proposed park, the permafrost

layer measures up to about 500 m thick. The upper

surface of these frozen deposits, called the active

layer, sometimes melts during the summer. In the

study area, this layer attains a thickness of 3 m in rock

and 1.5 m in till. Since it is subject to mass movement

under the influence of gravity (gelifluction), it causes

slopes covered with thick till to develop a scalloped

appearance. In the study area, the landforms

produced by this process are small and scattered

about the territory, often in association with steep

slopes covered with thick till. The active layer is a

zone marked by major disturbances, linked to the

frequency of freeze-thaw cycles. Generally speaking,

the presence of permafrost on till poses engineering

problems due to its limited bearing capacity.

Northern landscapes have also evolved under the

influence of fluvial and wind processes. Fluvial pro-

cesses lead to the formation of terraces in loose

sediments and of alluvial deposits in watercourses.

Wind processes affect northern environments

considerably because vegetation is sparse and

sediments are not firmly attached to the underlying

land surface. Sediments are thus easily carried by

wind, causing them to accumulate in spots or to

abrade exposed features through corrasion.

Deposits4444

Till is widespread in the study area. Roughly 50% of

the region is covered by thin till less than 1 m thick

lying directly on bedrock. These deposits follow the

contours of the bedrock, which outcrops in places.

Such outcrops are practically non-existent in the

northern and western parts of the proposed park, but

occur to the east of Rouxel Lake and become more

frequent in the vicinity of the crater. A fairly

concentrated cluster of outcrops occupies the

northeast quadrant of the crater and consists of

polished Archaean rocks that form a gradually

descending series of long steps. The entire eastern

side of Saint-Germain Lake is studded with rock

outcrops, whose age varies according to their position

in relation to the geological contact zone (Map 7).

Another 45% of the study area is covered with a thick

layer of till measuring over 1 m deep. These thick

deposits are constantly found in association with thin

till on bedrock, and together they forming interlocking

deposits that occur throughout the territory. It should

be noted, however, that a large zone extending north

from Rouxel Lake to the Puvirnituq River is covered

with a continuous layer of thick till. This layer con-

tinues eastward to the shores of Laflamme Lake, but

does not extend much beyond Perron Lake to the

west. Since this area does not contain any visible

landforms other than the largest esker of the

proposed park, it is called a till plain. Fairly extensive

patches of thick till also occur around all the other

large lakes in the study area. Regardless of their

thickness, till deposits in the park consist of a large

proportion of stones and boulders and make it

somewhat difficult to circulate in this sector, even on

foot. Given the extent of these deposits, they will

inevitably have repercussions on the park's

development.

Finer deposits of sand and gravel cover only a very

small part of the study area. They constitute the raw

materials of the smallest landforms, such as eskers,

deltas and beaches, described above. Such deposits

are scattered throughout the region.

Recent deposits are of an organic, colluvial or alluvial

nature. Organic deposits are prevalent, but very

fragmentary. They are associated with the many small

lakes and slow-moving watercourses found in various

parts of the study area. Organic sediments consist of

mosses and grasses that have accumulated in poorly

drained zones; such deposits measure less than

0.5 m thick.

Study Area 63

Essentially, the only alluvial deposits in the study area

are the deltaic sand that has accumulated in the

stretch of the Puvirnituq River east of the canyon,

where water flow is calmer in places. Colluvial de-

posits in this region are composed of taluses and

solifluction lobes that have developed in zones of

thick till. Regardless of their form, such deposits do

not occupy large areas. Nevertheless, as indicated

further on in this chapter, solifluction lobes scattered

about on steeper slopes in the study area have

created conditions conducive to the development of a

particular type of vegetation.

Hydrography5555

In the vast natural region of the Ungava Plateau,

water drainage trends toward Hudson Bay, Ungava

Bay or Hudson Strait. The study area is located on

the drainage divide between the first two drainage

basins in the region. Its northern section is part of the

Puvirnituq drainage basin, which covers 28,490 km2

and is the largest drainage basin in the Hudson Bay

area. The Puvirnituq River flows westward for 257 km,

following the northern margin of the study area for

nearly 50 km. Saint-Germain, De l’Ours blanc, Perron,

Lamarche, Forcier and Carré lakes, as well as many

other, much smaller lakes, empty into this river(Map 8).

However, most of the proposed park is located in the

Ungava Bay drainage basin. Seven sub-basins of the

Arnaud River are found in the study area. All of the

major lakes, except Saint-Germain Lake, are drained

in a southeasterly direction by the Vachon River,

which is a tributary of the Arnaud. The lakes in the

southwest part of the study area, all of which are

small, are drained by a watercourse that flows toward

Nantais Lake. It should be noted that the crater itself

forms a sub-basin with no visible outlet. It empties

beneath or within the permafrost in the direction of

Laflamme Lake along the major fault plane locatedwest of the crater.

In the northern part of the study area, which is

associated with the Cape Smith Belt, the drainagen e t w o r k is lattice-shaped. The rivers follow

depressions and flow parallel to rocky ridges,

branching off through fractures leading to lower

altitudes. The few lakes found in this region aresmaller than those situated on Archaean bedrock.

The drainage network on Archaean bedrock, contrary

to that mentioned above, has no specific pattern, but

follows the direction of fractures and folds that do not

exhibit any real organization. The rivers and lakes in

this sector are not very deep (less than 10 m),

although they are sometimes extensive. Five very

large lakes, with very jagged shorelines, occupy

valley bottoms (Table 4). Strings of smaller lakes

empty into them in many spots and are intersected by

boggy areas, reflecting poor local drainage conditions.

Rouxel Lake, which covers 29 km2, is the largest lake

in the proposed park. Its shoreline measures a total of

84.5 km, and a maximum length of 20 km has beencalculated along its northwest-southeast axis.

Table 4Surface area of large lakes

Parc des Pingualuit (1 km2 or more)

NAME SURFACE AREA(km2)

Rouxel 29.1

Vergons 20.8

Saint-Germain 20.5

Nallusarqituq 18.2

Laflamme 16.9

Lamarche 10.2

du Cratère 6.7

de l’Ours blanc 2.2

Study Area 67

Almost all of the large lakes in the study area contain

small rocky islands, while several bodies of water,

such as Qangattajjuuq and Nallusarqituq lakes, are

merely wider stretches of the Vachon River, whose

limits are not clearly defined. As well, due to the near-

flat relief, rivers overflow when water levels rise,

leading to the formation of a multitude of intermittent

streams that wind around rocky obstacles. Unable to

penetrate the permafrost, they tend to spreadhorizontally without ever becoming very deep.

The thermal behaviour of lakes in polar

environments is classified as cold monomictic, which

means that their water is thoroughly mixed during the

short summer season when the lakes are ice-free.

This is one of the distinctive features of lakes in polar

regions or at high altitudes. Pingualuk Lake exhibits

this type of behaviour. Although it is very deep, its

water is completely mixed by wind action. Its surface

temperature is cold throughout the year, never

exceeding 4oC, i.e. the temperature at which water

reaches its maximum density. As a result, the water ismixed and oxygenated to a considerable depth.

Apart from its thermal regime, Pingualuk Lake's

physical and chemical characteristics are very

different from those of the other lakes in the region.

This perfectly circular lake has a circumference of

9.5 km, a diameter of 2.7 km and a volume of

0.88 km3, and covers 6.7 km2. With an average depth

of 145 m and a maximum recorded depth of 267 m, it

is also very deep. The surface of the lake is located at

an altitude of 494 m, or 163 m below the highest point

on the rocky ridge that rises above it.

The water in certain isolated parts of the North is

generally clear and of good quality, and that found in

the crater is exceptional in this regard. Since the lake

is fed only by atmospheric precipitation, its incoming

water is virtually free of suspended organic and

inorganic matter. It is thus very crystalline and has a

low mineral content, properties that make it extremely

clear. It has been calculated that 12% of surface light

intensity persists at a depth of 33 m, and it is believed

that 1% penetrates to a depth of 87 m. Such values

make it one of the clearest lakes in the world and

certainly the clearest in Québec.

The water of Pingualuk Lake is also very pure. Its

mineral content is roughly 50 times lower than the

average observed in lakes worldwide and 10 times

lower than that recorded in lakes in Northern Québec.

In fact, its chemical composition is very similar to that

of rainwater. These unusual properties stem from the

fact that the lake is fed only by precipitation, that the

minerals derived from the underlying bedrock are not

very soluble and that there is no significant input of

organic matter due to the low vegetation cover in the

drainage basin and the low density of living organisms

in the lake. It takes an estimated 330 years for the

water in the lake to renew itself, which is why the lake

is extremely vulnerable to all forms of pollution. The

limnological properties of Pingualuk Lake are thus

one of the outstanding features of the study area.

The Kangiqsujuaq residents interviewed for this study

appeared to be very proud of the crater, readily

discussing the special properties of its water

(clearness, taste) and ice.


Vegetation

The study area is located approximately 350 km north

of the treeline, in the continuous permafrost zone,

dominated by tundra. The area belongs to the Arctic

bioclimatic zone and ecoregion 1 CR of the Mid Arctic

subzone (Gilbert et al 1981). Due to the harsh

climate, vegetation is characterized by low-growing

plants, predominantly lichens, herbs and bryophytes.

A survey was conducted in August 1998 to describe

the local vegetation and identify vascular and non-

vascular flora that had not yet been thoroughly

studied. This section presents the main findings, while

a full report can be found in Gauthier and Dignard

(2000).

Table 5Characteristics of the Nouveau-Québec Crater and Pingualuk Lake

Approximate age 1.3+ Ma

Maximum diameter 3.5 km

Minimum diameter 3.3 km

Average diameter 3.4 km

Maximum depth (top of rim to bottom of lake) 430 m

Inner slopes 25°-36°

Average inner slope 30°

Average outer slope 10°

Maximum altitude (top of rim) 657 m

Minimum altitude (top of rim) 550 m

Altitude of lake surface 494 m

Maximum depth of lake 267 m

Height of rim above lake surface (shoreline) 56 m-136 m

Average height of inner wall 116 m

Rim thickness 200 m-500 m

Lake diameter 2.7 km

Surface area of lake 6.68 km2

Lake circumference 9.5 km

Lake volume 0.88 km3

Average depth of lake 145 m

Water renewal time 330 years

Conductivity of water 4.6 µs/cm

Transparency 33 m

pH 5.9

Total solids 2.07 mg/l

Source : Bouchard, 1989.

Study Area 69

Contrary to appearances, virtually the entire study

area, apart from water bodies, is blanketed with

vegetation. While this vegetation chiefly consists of a

thin mat of lichen that often merges into the rock so

as to go unnoticed, its composition, as in all other

northern regions of the world, varies with the type of

rock and deposits as well as with moisture conditions

and site exposure. Significant differences in the

composition of several plant communities were

observed between the Archaean and Proterozoic

sectors.

Principal plant communities

Vegetation in the study area consists of three distinct

physiognomic structures: lichen communities,

herbaceous vegetation communities and moss

communities. Upland lichen communities are

predominant and cover large surface areas, while

herbaceous and moss communities occupy and occur

together in the same wetland habitats. This habitat

sharing, which essentially involves the same species

with varying predominance, is often impeded by the

fact that herbaceous vegetation and moss

communities establish themselves in complex mosaic

patterns. Table 6 presents the predominant vegeta-

tion by environmental conditions.

There is no true shrubland in the proposed park, since

there is minimal shrub cover. The only exception was

observed on a hillside on an outcrop of Proterozoic

rock, where shrub cover was an exceptional 30% and

lichen cover, 55%. The shrubs were Cassiope

tetragona and Dryas integrifolia, an association

exclusive to the ultrabasic rock of the Cape Smith

Belt. Herbaceous plants and crustaceous lichens

were abundant.

No trees, not even stunted, were observed. There

was almost no aquatic vegetation along lakes and

rivers, except algae, which were not included in the

survey.

Lichen communities

On the whole, the terrestrial vegetation of the study

area is dominated by lichens. Lichen colonies cover

all rocky surfaces and almost all types of dry deposits,

whether sand or gravel. Even small pebbles are

covered in lichens. Lichen communities fall into two

categories, based on whether they are composed of

epilithic6 or terrestrial7 lichens.

• Epilithic lichen assemblages

Epilithic lichen assemblages occupy rock outcrops,

accumulations of gelifract and moraine boulder fields.

They consist almost exclusively of crustaceous8 and

foliose9 lichens, with crustose species being

predominant and belonging for the most part to the

genera Rhizocarpon, Lecanora and Lecidea. One of

the most frequent species is Rhizocarpon

geographicum , a greenish-yellow lichen found

throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere.

Foliose lichens, which also lie close and are tightly

fixed to the rock, occupy a significantly smaller area

than crustose species. Some 20 species were

observed, the most frequent being Brodoa oroarctica,

Arctoparmelia centrifuga, Melanelia hepatizon and

Allantoparmelia alpicola. Seven species belonging to

the genus Umbilicaria were also reported.

Bryophytes occasionally occur with lichens, but

always with minimal cover. The most frequent species

observed was Andreaea rupestris var. papillosa, a

blackish moss growing in small colonies.

Epilithic lichen assemblages are widespread in the

study area. They play a major role in till deposits with

an abundance of boulder fields, on the taluses

marking the inside of the crater rim and on Archaean

or Proterozoic rock outcrops. Where other landforms

are concerned, the expression of epilithic lichen

assemblages is directly dependent on the space

occupied by exposed boulders.


• Terrestrial lichen assemblages

Certain lichen assemblages are qualified as terrestrial

because they largely consist of taxa that grow on the

ground. The term refers to species that establish

themselves on fine sediment or organic matter,

bryophytes or even on other lichens. Unlike epilithic

lichen assemblages, terrestrial lichen assemblages

consist mostly of fruticulescent1 0 taxa. Many

fruticulescent

lichens are browsed by caribou. The five most

frequent lichen species observed were Cladina mitis,

Flavocetraria nivalis, Alectoria ochroleuca,

Bryocaulon divergens and Sphaerophorus globosus.

The number and percent cover of vascular plants and

bryophytes in these assemblages were low.

Table 6Predominant vegetation by environmental conditions Parc des Pingualuit

Environment Lichen communities Mosscommunities

Herbaceousvegetation

communities

Epilithic Terrestrial

Plateau around the crater

Till ! ! !

Rock outcrops

Archaean rock !

Proterozoic rock

Ferruginous metasedimentary !

Peridotite !

Glaciolacustrine deltas !

Eskers ! !

Drumlins ! !

Taluses !

Gelifluction zones !

Coastal deposits

Old deposits ! !

Recent deposits !

Wetlands and aquatic environments

Peatlands ! !

Lakes and streams !

Puvirnituq River Canyon

Escarpments ! !

Taluses ! !

Terraces ! !

Study Area 71

While Cladina rangiferina has a smaller distribution

than the above species, it can be relatively abundant

on till and dominates vegetation cover on recent

coastal deposits. In the most exposed habitats, i.e.

eskers, glaciolacustrine deltas and drumlins, Bryoria

ni t idula plays a major role in and sometimes

dominates the lichen cover. In fact, this species is

virtually confined to these habitats.

Terrestrial lichen assemblages include a layer of

diffuse herbaceous plants often representing no more

than 5% of the cover and never exceeding 15%. The

most frequent and most abundant species is usually

Hierochloe alpina. This species occurs with ground

lichens particularly in crevices of Archaean rock and

in depressions with small accumulations of sand or

gravel. Luzula confusa is often found with Hierochloe

alpina, while Silene acaulis and Carex bigelowii are

also occasionally present.

The majority of terrestrial lichen assemblages also

include a few shrubs, although their cover is generally

smaller than that of herbaceous plants. Sa l i x

herbacea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea and C a s s i o p e

tetragona were observed in over half of the sampling

areas.

The principal bryophytes present in terrestrial lichen

assemblages are Racomitrium lanuginosum,

Chandonanthus setiformis, Dicranum elongatum and

Polytrichum piliferum.

Terrestrial lichen assemblages generally occur on

well-drained deposits, such as the thin till on bedrock

found around the crater, fields of hummocky moraine,

glaciolacustrine deltas, eskers, drumlins and old

raised beaches. These deposits consist of filtering

material and are characterized by a low water table.

The dry surface favours the establishment of lichens

over other plant groups. Lichens also benefit from the

elevated position of these sites, whose exposure to

the elements impedes the growth of other types of

plant.

Herbaceous vegetation communities

Herbaceous vegetation communities grow solely on

sites with a high water table. Grass-like plants, or

graminoids11, flourish under these conditions, forming

dense communities reaching 50-80% cover. They

share this habitat with bryophytes, which also prefer a

moist environment and can cover a considerable

surface area.

By comparison, the area is virtually devoid of shrubs.

Salix arctica, which was observed in a few sampling

areas, is the only species able to grow in wetland

habitats. A few rare species of lichen will establish

themselves in the presence of bryophyte mounds, as

the elevated position prevents them from becoming

submerged when the water table rises.

The spatial organization of herbaceous vegetation

communities is thus virtually limited to a bryophyte

mat overtopped by a layer of herbaceous plants

largely belonging to two families, Graminae and

Cyperaceae. The latter is represented mainly by the

genus Carex.

The most frequent herbaceous vegetation commu-

nities in the study area are dominated by Carex

membranacea, which forms sedge meadows of

varying density. Carex membranacea rarely occurs

alone and is often found together with C a r e x

ra r i f l o ra— the second largest component of

herbaceous vegetation communities—Dupontia

fisheri, Arctagrostis latifolia and Carex bigelowii,

which locally can represent substantial cover. The

main species present in moss heaths belong to the

family Amblystegiaceae, although sphagnums are

also present. Mosses and sphagnums in these

communities often form mounds of varying size.


These herbaceous-moss communities occupy

depressions where groundwater stands at the

surface. They colonize waterlogged peat sediments to

create peat bogs, which invade flat areas around

lakes and pools and alongside slow-flowing streams.

A large number of peat bogs also develop on low-

grade lands due to the presence of continuous

permafrost just below the soil surface, which inhibits

vertical drainage and thereby results in surface runoff.

A multitude of gullies, particularly visible from the air,

run parallel through the entire length of the bogs.

Another type of herbaceous vegetation community,

also created by high water tables, colonizes ostiole

fields. Its structure differs considerably from that of the

communities found in peat bogs owing to the structure

of ostioles: a flat centre surrounded by ridges with

water-filled depressions in between. The herbaceous

layer, dominated by Carex bigelowii and C a r e x

membranacea, boasts a much greater floristic

diversity than the herbaceous vegetation communities

occurring in peat bogs. Again, graminoids account for

the largest cover, although Joncacae is found along

with Cyperaceae and Graminae. Several non-grass

species a lso occur , inc luding several

Caryophyllaceae. These ostiole fields, along with

taluses, are the richest herbaceous plant habitat in

the entire Archaean sector. While they do not cover a

large surface area, shrubs (willows only) are also

present.

The most striking difference, however, between the

herbaceous vegetation communities in ostiole fields

and those occurring in peat bogs is in the muscinal

layer. First, it is much smaller. Second, there is a

marked decline in Amblystegiaceae, which are

confined to water-filled depressions and displaced by

Racomitrium lanuginosum, which cover almost the

entire surface of the drier ridges surrounding the flat

centre of the ostioles. Several ground lichens

establish themselves in these herbaceous

communities, although they are very dispersed.

Ostiole fields can occur over vast surfaces of deep till

broken up by boulder fields or peat bogs.

A third type of herbaceous vegetation community

grows on mineral soil alongside streams or in small

depressions. As in the other communities, graminoids

are the most frequent. The most common Gramineae

are Pleuropogon sabinei and Arctagrostis latifolia,

which are found in abundance. As for Cyperaceae,

several Eriophorum species abound, along with

Carex. Mosses are often the same as those occurring

in peat bogs.

Moss communities

The wettest moss communities occur in peat bogs.

Their structure and floristic composition resemble

those of the herbaceous vegetation communities that

grow in the same habitat, as described above. In fact,

what distinguishes them from herbaceous commu-

nities is the smaller herbaceous cover, which is

perhaps not the best distinction. The main distinctions

are a very thin layer of organic matter on the soil

surface and a thick mat of liverwort colonies in the

muscinal layer. These moss communities colonize the

depressions occurring between the old raised

beaches, which today cling to the sides of cliffs.

The new raised beaches harbour totally different

moss communities from those described above owing

to the lower water table. Polytrichaceae are prevalent,

in association with Pohlia nutans and Racomitrium

lanuginosum. Numerous ground lichens are found

together with bryophytes, the most abundant being

Cladina mitis, Cladina rangiferina, Flavocetraria

nivalis and Flavocetraria cucullata. The inner rim of

the crater harbours a dry moss community, which has

an exceptionally high percentage of Racomitrium

lanuginosum , covering over half the soil surface.

Unlike the other moss communities, this one occupies

a sharp gravel slope. It includes numerous ground

lichens, dominated by Cladina rangifer ina.

Herbaceous plants are mainly represented by

Hierochloe alpina, which prefers dry land. Other

dense communities of R a comitrium lanuginosum

were observed on the horizontal pavements of

Archaean rock outcrops.

Study Area 73

The moss communities occurring in gelifluction zones

resemble those found in the old raised beaches in

that flat ground is covered with liverworts and

bryophyte mounds. Bryophytes consist primarily of

Racomitrium lanuginosum, Dicranum species and a

few other mosses.

Flora

Few studies have been conducted on the flora of the

study area. The first samples were brought back

during a 1951 scientific expedition led by the National

Geographic Society and Royal Ontario Museum. The

same year, Jacques Rousseau of the Montréal

Botanical Garden spent a few hours in the study area.

Pierre H. Richard, in a report of his visit to the area in

1988, set the number of vascular plant taxa in the

crater area at 39 (in Bouchard 1989).

With a view to the establishment of Parc des

Pingualuit, Gauthier and Dignard (2000) conducted a

survey for the Société de la faune et des parcs du

Québec that extended beyond the crater. Although

the survey did not cover the entire study area, which

would have been impossible due to its vast expanse,

the sampling sites were selected so as to reflect as

many environmental conditions as possible. The

survey focused on vascular plants, mosses and

lichens.

Vascular plants

The work of Gauthier and Dignard (2000) brought the

number of vascular plant taxa identified in the study

area to 122 (Appendix 1). While the composition of

vascular flora differs significantly between Archaean

and Proterozoic formations, the physiognomy and

structure of vegetation is similar. The Archaean

basement, which covers approximately 85% of the

study area, supports 54 taxa, which led the authors to

qualify the region’s vascular flora as among the

poorest in Ungava. The poor floral representation at

this latitude is attributable to the acidic rock and harsh

climate.

In addition to the 54 taxa of vascular plants found on

the Archaean plateau, another 68 taxa, including

several calcicoles, are confined to Proterozoic

formations. The significance of this number becomes

apparent when you consider that Proterozoic

formations cover just over 10% of the study area. The

Puvirnituq River area is thus favourable to the growth

of a small but valuable flora compared with the rest of

the park. Added to this species richness is the

presence of several rare taxa, mainly associated with

the rock faces bordering the Puvirnituq River,

including Leucanthemum integrifolium, an arctic daisy

that has not been observed anywhere else in the

Québec-Labrador Region, Braya glabella subsp.

glabella, Deschampsia brevifolia and F e s t u c a

hyperborea. All four species are on the list of plants

likely to be designated threatened or vulnerable in

Québec (Table 7) (Labrecque and Lavoie, in prep.).

It is important to point out that the study area boasts a

truly arctic flora which differs significantly from that

found in the coastal and southern regions of the

Ungava Peninsula, with a very small percentage of

boreal taxa and fewer taxa overall. Apart from their

bioclimatic affinity, the majority of taxa are

circumpolar (71.3%); North American taxa, including

those whose range extends to Europe or Asia,

represent only 9%. Of note is the fact that all of the

vascular flora present in the study area is indigenous,

reflecting minimum human perturbations. This is

common in arctic regions, except for around villages,

but unique within the current parks system and

therefore a valuable asset.

Dignard and Gauthier (2000) identified 15 new

vascular plant species in the vicinity of the crater on

the Archaean plateau. The 68 species collected along

the Puvirnituq River include 15 new species in relation

to the Dion et al (1999) study of flora associated with

Proterozoic rock in the Cape Smith Belt, but outside

the proposed park. As a result of the survey, 28

vascular plants are now considered rare within the

study area (Appendix 2).


Lichens

The lichen flora associated with the proposed park is

considered relatively rich and most likely

representative of the inland portion of the Ungava

Peninsula where the park is situated. To date, a total

of 109 lichen taxa have been identified in the study

area, representing 42 genera: there are 15 taxa of

Cladonia alone. Given this, it is somewhat surprising

to note that only three lichens are common in the

area, namely Alectoria ochroleuca, Cladina mitis and

Flavocetraria nivalis.

Like vascular flora, the lichen flora is truly arctic,

although two-thirds of arctic species also occur on the

alpine peaks of more southern regions. Of the species

reported, three had never before been observed in

Québec-Labrador: Collema ceraniscum, Gyalecta

foveolaris and Pilophorus robustus (Table 7).

Table 7Site of rare plant species observed in summer 1998

GeologyGroup/Species

Archaean ProterozoicSite

Vascular plants

Braya glabella ssp. glabella 1 station Puvirnituq River Canyon, north side

Deschampsia brevifolia 1 station Elbow of the Puvirnituq River, east side of the canyon

Festuca hyperborea 1 station Elbow of the Puvirnituq River, east side of the canyon

Leucanthemumintegrifolium*

2 stations Puvirnituq River Canyon, one station on the north sideand one on the south side

Mosses

Andreaea alpestris 1 station Puvirnituq River Canyon, north side

Andreaea blytti 1 station North shore of Vergons Lake, western section

Oligotrichum hercynicum 1 station Nouveau-Québec Crater, northeast of Pingualuk Lake

Polytrichum swartzii 4 stations 1 station Southeast tip of Saint-Germain Lake,east of Saint-Germain Lake, north of Laflamme Lake,north of Rouxel Lake, west-southwest of Vergons Lake

Psilopilum cavifolium 2 stations 3 stations East of Pingualuk Lake, east of Saint-Germain Lake,north of Pingualuk Lake, elbow of the Puvirnituq River,east slope of the canyon, south side of the canyon

Sphagnum arcticum* 1 station Southeast end of Saint-Germain Lake

Sphagnum orientale* 3 stations Southeast end of Saint-Germain Lake, north ofLaflamme Lake, north of Rouxel Lake

Lichens

Collema ceraniscum* 1 station Approximately 3.5 km east of Saint-Germain Lake

Gyalecta foveolaris* 1 station Approximately 3.5 km east of Saint-Germain Lake

Pilophorus robustus* 1 station Approximately 1 km north of Laflamme Lake

*First time observed in Québec–Labrador

Study Area 75

Bryophytes

Currently, there are 68 known bryophyte taxa in the

study area. This list is liable to grow, however, since

the identification of plants in this group had not yet

been completed when this report was being prepared.

So far, 13 liverworts, 14 sphagnums and 41 mosses

have been identified. This bryological fauna includes

fewer arctic-alpine plants than the groups previously

discussed; in fact, several of the species observed

have a wide geographical spread, occurring in all

regions of Québec. Nevertheless, it should be pointed

out that 12 of the species reported had never before

been documented in northern Ungava and that the

Puvirnituq River Canyon holds special interest due to

its unique bryological diversity.

In general, the liverworts Ptilidium ciliare and

Chandonanthus seti formis are widespread.

Spaghnums, on the other hand, are sparse, although

the study area does harbour the only four sphagnums

confined to the arctic regions of North America,

namely, Sphagnum aongs t roemi i, Sphagnum

arcticum, Sphagnum lenense a n d Sphagnum

orientale. Eight species reported are rare, two of

which, Sphagnum arcticum and Sphagnum orientale

(Table 7), were identified for the first time in Québec-

Labrador.

Among the mosses identified, only Racomitrium

lanuginosum is common in the area. Several others

were deemed frequent: Aulacomnium turgidum, Cal-

liergon stramineum, Sarmenthypnum sarmentosum,

Conostomum tetragonum, Polytrichastrum alpinum

var. alpinum, Polytrichum piliferum and Polytrichum

strictum. Five taxa that are rare to Québec-Labrador

were also observed: Andreaea alpestris, Polytrichum

swartzii and Psilopilum cavifolium, arctic mosses with

a circumpolar distribution, and Andreaea blyttii and

Oligotrichum hercynicum, arctic-alpine mosses with

the same range. The moss Oligotrichum hercynicum

is so rare that the sample collected by Gauthier and

Dignard was only the second in Québec-Labrador and

the first in Nunavik. It was taken from the eastern part

of the crater rim, on the northwest side of the highest

peak, at an altitude of around 620 m.

To conclude, it can be said that the area destined to

become the Parc des Pingualuit boasts a special

vegetation dominated by lichens. Despite the latitude,

the area boasts a rich floristic diversity, for the most

part with an arctic-alpine affinity, especially among

vascular plants and lichens. The Puvirnituq River area

contributes significantly to this diversity owing to the

nature of its geological foundations. Consequently, it

is of considerable value in terms of park flora, and can

even be considered an outstanding site due to the

extreme rarity of some of these plants. Although the

survey only skimmed the surface, the findings have

already led botanists to attribute a high floral rating to

the entire Puvirnituq River Corridor, particularly the

taluses at the base of the canyon. As for the plateau,

its floral significance is unquestionably related to the

solifluction lobes, which cover a small area (Map 9).

Finally, the survey conducted with a view to the

establishment of this park will have enabled six new

species to be added to the list of flora of the Québec-

Labrador Region.

Fauna

Few wildlife studies have been conducted for the

study area, primarily because of its remoteness and

the fact that very little sport hunting and fishing take

place there. Apart from the 1988 study of the

Pingualuk Lake fish population, the only source of

information was regional studies, which were used to

infer and compare data for the proposed park. Inuit

traditional knowledge was instrumental in this regard.

The information on wildlife species harvested by the

Inuit of Kangiqsujuaq was taken from the socio-

economic impact study prepared by Makivik

Corporation (2000) and from village elders

interviewed by an Inuit liaison officer (Betsy Etidloe,

personal communication).

.

Study Area 79

It goes without saying that the park’s creation will

increase the number of observers who can help fill the

knowledge gaps. The regular passing of park

wardens, guides and visitors will be used to collect

information and increase our knowledge of

vertebrates as well as confirm the presence of

species currently presumed to frequent the proposed

park.

The environment

The tundra is a circumpolar terrestrial biome that is

virtually exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere due to

the scarce land mass above lat. 45° S. Characterized

by an inhospitable climate, a growing period of less

than three months and perennially frozen ground, the

tundra occurs beyond the treeline (Dajoz 1971),

primarily on lands north of the Old World polar circle,

although it descends below lat. 60° N in Alaska and

Labrador (Ramade 1987). In Québec, the arctic

tundra is considered to extend to lat. 58° N.

Discontinuous fragments have even been reported as

far down as lat. 54° N, the southernmost point of

observation in this hemisphere (Ordre des ingénieurs

forestiers du Québec 1996).

Due to the young ecosystems and extreme climatic

conditions existing in the tundra, very few living

organisms have succeeded in adapting.

Consequently, tundra ecosystems are considered

simple, characterized by a short food chain. This is

believed to cause the marked fluctuations in certain

animal populations, since a change in a single

element in the food chain can upset the next level

(Odum 1971). The simple ecosystems coupled with

the low growth rate, which prevents rapid recovery of

organisms, have earned the tundra a reputation as an

unstable environment that is highly vulnerable to

environmental stresses. However, Dunbar (1973)

emphasizes that the vulnerability of northern

terrestrial ecosystems is partially offset by their

expanse, which, given the tundra’s unique ecological

dynamics, ensures their long-term preservation. He

adds, however, that this does not apply to lakes,

which are one of the most fragile elements of arctic

environments.

In Québec, 45 species of mammal and 93 species of

bird are associated with the tundra (MEF 1996), most

of which are not resident. The vast majority of birds,

for example, stop over only to breed, and obtain a

larger portion of their food from shorelines, the ocean

and lakes and rivers than from the tundra itself.

The tundra is virtually devoid of reptiles and amphib-

ians: only the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) has been

reported beyond the treeline, on both sides of Ungava

Bay, level with Kuujjuaq (Bider and Matte 1994).

Insects, on the other hand, infest the region,

especially Diptera, the most notorious of which are

mosquitoes.

The northern part of the tundra, where the park would

be sited, is not as rich in fauna as the area just

described.

Fish

Arctic char is without question the most widespread

fish species in Northern Québec, having a

circumpolar range. Some populations are

anadromous, spending part of their life cycle in the

sea and then ascending freshwater streams to spawn

in September and October. Other populations spend

their entire lives in freshwater lakes (Scott and

Crossman 1974).

The Arctic char populations found in the proposed

park belong to the second group. Being situated at

the head of drainage basins, the area is too far from

the sea for anadromous populations to reach; the

latter are known for travelling barely more than 75 km

and being unable to jump over barriers. Moreover,

Roche (1992) confirmed the presence of Arctic char

populations that are confined to the head of the

Puvirnituq River. The fish generally lays its eggs at a

depth of 1 to 4.5 m in the gravel or rocky bottoms of

lakes or in pools of stagnant water in rivers. It spawns

during the day, at a temperature of 4oC. The buried


eggs develop with the onset of winter. All of these

conditions are characteristic of the study area.

Study Area 81

While its growth rate varies from one population to the

next, the Arctic char is generally known for its slow

development. Females reproduce every two or three

years.

The maximum age of the 50 or so individuals

harvested in the 1988 studies of Pingualuk Lake

Arctic char was 27-30 years. Furthermore, this

population appeared to spawn earlier than other

populations, as both male and female specimens had

reached sexual maturity by early August. The small

size of the sample, however, prevents us from

drawing any definitive conclusions with regard to the

population’s reproduction rate. Finally, the analysis of

stomach contents showed that the population’s main

source of food was cannibalism, with insects rounding

out the fish’s diet (Bouchard 1989).

Among the array of fish species regularly occurring

with Arctic char in the North, such as lake whitefish,

brook trout, round whitefish and lake trout, only the

lake trout ranges as far north as the study area (Scott

and Crossman 1974). Unlike its habits in the south, in

the North the lake trout frequents shallow bodies of

water, which offer the cold-water conditions it prefers.

Roche (1992) reported lake trout at the head of the

Puvirnituq River. In this area of Québec, the spawning

period is in September and is apparently triggered by

a combination of temperature and light factors. The

fish lays its eggs on rocky or stony bottoms and has a

highly varied diet.

Arctic char and lake trout are the chief species caught

during water quality monitoring of the Puvirnituq River

and Laflamme Lake by the Raglan mine (Blandine

Arsenault, personal communication 2000).

Establishment of the park would open up the territory

even more to tourists and Inuit alike, necessitating a

monitoring program for lakes where fishing is allowed

so as to prevent overfishing. The resulting data would

also provide greater knowledge of the park’s

ichthyological resources.

Birds

According to the Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du

Québec (Gauthier and Aubry 1995), some 50 bird

species nest on the Ungava Peninsula above the

treeline. Representatives of the orders Anseriformes

(geese and ducks) and Charadriiformes (shoreline

and seabirds) clearly top the list. The studies

conducted by Roche (1992) indicate that the northern

part of the peninsula is frequented by roughly 40

species of nesting and migratory birds. Since the

study area is located inland and there are obviously

no marine or coastal habitats, there is less habitat

diversity, such that the diversity of bird fauna is

estimated at some 25 species (Appendix 3).

Passeriformes dominate this hypothetical list, which

will be supported by on-the-ground observations

within the next few years.

The common redpoll, Lapland longspur and snow

bunting are typical nesting birds of the North whose

occurrence is closely associated with the tundra.

These birds build their nests on the ground, using

rocks or clumps of grass for cover. Another such

species is the rock ptarmigan, which is known for

nesting on steep slopes in the tundra, dotted with rock

outcrops. The males use knolls for strutting during

courtship (Gauthier and Aubry 1995). The snowy owl,

the official bird of Québec, also frequents the tundra,

perching on tall posts that provide it with a clear view

of the surroundings. Snow buntings and snowy owls

were also reported in the area of Katinniq, which is

near the park and has a similar environment to that of

the study area (Roche 1992).


The northern pintail, which prefers open frontier

areas, nests in low, dense vegetation in wetland

areas along streams. The Canada goose also tends

to nest near water: the interior race nests in the north

and inland regions of Québec. The tundra of the

Ungava Peninsula is reputed for harbouring the

highest density of brants in Québec during breeding

(Gauthier and Aubry 1995). Small groups of brants

were frequently observed during ground surveys in

summer 1998, particularly in the northern part of the

study area near the Puvirnituq River and around

Saint-Germain Lake. A few snow geese were sighted

at the same time in the same area. Although most of

the population is thought to nest farther north and to

frequent the Ungava tundra only during migration, a

few breeding pairs were observed at Cap de

Nouvelle-France (Makivik Corporation 2000).

The cliffs in the Puvirnituq River Canyon area provide

excellent nesting habitat for Falconiformes and the

common raven. The rough-legged hawk, gyrfalcon

and peregrine falcon frequently inhabit the same

sites, although they rely on different resources

(Gauthier and Aubry 1995). The rough-legged hawk,

the most common bird of prey found in the arctic

tundra, feeds mainly on small mammals, while the

gyrfalcon’s diet consists primarily of small birds. As for

the peregrine falcon, it has a varied diet, consisting of

birds and small mammals. The tundrius variety of

peregrine falcon resides beyond the treeline and is on

Canada’s vulnerable species list (Beaulieu 1992).

Falconiformes use their nesting sites faithfully for

several years, making these habitats of special

interest. The raven, along with the snowy owl and

ptarmigan, is one of the rare permanent residents of

Ungava. In fact, Roche (1992) considered it to be

common in Katinniq, which is located near the park.

Oddly, we heard a loon inside the crater during our

1998 study. The sound seemed to be amplified by the

crater walls; it carried a long way and we could not

see the bird so as to identify the species.

According to our interviews with elders, the bird fauna

of Kangiqsujuaq resembles that found by Roche

(1992) in the Déception Bay area (Appendix 3). The

common raven was observed during each of our trips

to Kangiqsujuaq, both in winter and summer, between

1997 and 2000, as was a rough-legged hawk in fall

1997. The latter appeared to be using a hydro pole as

a lookout and seemed undisturbed by our presence,

letting us observe it at leisure.

Birds show numerous tundra adaptations. For

example, some species have feathered legs, while

others have the ability to adapt their colouring to the

different environments they inhabit. Due to the short

nesting season, migrating birds begin building their

nests upon arrival. Certain species hide their nests

under rocks or in clumps of grass to protect them from

wind and predators, whereas others like to build their

nests where they will get the most sun.

Mammals

The distribution maps produced by Banfield (1977)

and Peterson (1966) show that the northern part of

the Ungava Peninsula harbours no more than a

dozen species of terrestrial mammals. Eight species

of marine mammals occur along the coasts.

Obviously, only terrestrial mammals occur in the study

area (Appendix 4). Historical data taken from Harper

(1961) plus our own observations from summer 1998

confirm the presence of five of these species: the river

otter, the Ungava lemming, the Arctic fox, wolf and

caribou. Roche (1992) reported the presence of two

other species, the Arctic hare and the red fox, in the

border region, and these species undoubtedly

frequent the study area as well.

The Arctic hare, Ungava lemming and Arctic fox are

typically northern species whose occurrence is closely

associated with the tundra. Their populations

experience regular cycles of abundance followed by a

decline. This is especially true of lemmings. The other

species found in the North have wide ranges, but

show sufficient geographical differences to be

recognized as varieties. Northern varieties are often

Study Area 83

lighter in colour to provide better camouflage, and

bigger in size with smaller extremities to increase

resistance to the cold.

Most mammals are furtive, making their movements

and ranges difficult to track other than through

targeted studies. We were nevertheless able to

identify Arctic fox dens in the area southwest of

Vergons Lake. They were built in gravel deposits of

former beaches that are now raised, and showed a

wide and intricate network of entrance holes. We

were even able to corroborate the literature’s

reporting of improved plant growth through nitrogen

intake from feces (Banfield 1977). Arctic fox are

known to use the same dens for several years.

Makivik Corporation’s study (2000) of Inuit land use

and ecological knowledge highlights the fact that the

proposed park is in the middle of a large denning

area, which extends from near Katinniq and Purtuniq

to well below the park area, encompassing Nantais

and Klotz lakes.

Caribou

Caribou, the wildlife emblem of Northern Québec,

were observed on numerous occasions in summer

1998, in all sectors of the study area. Most reports

were of lone males or small groups of females and

calves. An overflight of the area showed a multitude

of trails created by the animal’s movements, giving

the impression of more intensive use than had been

observed on the ground. This impression was

confirmed by marked browsing.

According to a Kangiqsujuaq resident, it is

increasingly common to see caribou in the crater

area, even in winter (Robert Fréchette, personal

communication). This sustained presence of caribou

in the vicinity of the proposed park is apparently fairly

recent. Roche (1992) reported regular observations in

this area since 1991; prior to that, observations were

considered occasional. This appears to be consistent

with the data on movements of the Rivière aux

Feuilles caribou herd, as reported in studies

conducted by the Ministère de l’Environnement et de

la Faune (MEF) since 1975, the year a new calving

ground was identified in the area.

In fact, this calving ground has gradually moved

northward to where it seems to have remained since

1993 (Figure 12). Today, it covers a large inland area

on the northern tip of the Ungava Peninsula, bounded

by the villages of Kangiqsujuaq, Salluit, Akulivik and

Puvirnituq and encompassing the entire study area.

Given that the calving location is the most stable

element of the caribou’s habitat, its presence in the

proposed park represents a major point of interest,

although it could certainly change over the years. It is

interesting to note that the Rivière aux Feuilles herd

currently calves near an area of the plateau occupied

by caribou during the historical period (around 1880);

according to accounts, this area was between

Déception and Wakeham bays.

The females lead the herd to the calving location in

late April, where the animals remain until early July

(Couturier and Doucet 1996). They then move to their

summer range, which is more dispersed, especially to

the south, but also to the north. Beginning in

September, the caribou form aggregations and the

majority move to their winter range, south of Ungava

Bay; a certain number, however, overwinter north of

the calving ground (Roche 1992). October is the

rutting period, when the caribou migrate south from

the northernmost tip of Ungava to the limits of the

boreal forest. From October to April, the Rivière aux

Feuilles caribou herd, which had an estimated

population of 260,000 in 1991, joins the George River

herd, which numbered 800,000 individuals during the

most recent surveys (MEF 1998). Figure 13 shows

the respective ranges of these two famous herds of

Northern Québec.

Study Area 89

During migration, caribou feed primarily on ground

lichens, although their diet can vary with the habitat

and season. While very little research has been

conducted into the diet of Northern Québec caribou

herds, comparative studies have shown that the

availability and quality of food is better in the calving

locations of the Rivière aux Feuilles herd than in

those of the George River herd (Crête et al 1990).

The increase in population of the George River herd

has slowed down—thought to be due to

overharvesting of food resources in the summer

range—whereas the Rivière aux Feuilles herd

appears to be growing.

Special features

Before ending this section on fauna, we feel a

cautionary note is necessary with regard to three

species that are present in the study area but are less

likely to be observed:

• The polar bear is essentially present on ice floes

and off the coast. In the region concerned, it is

known to have its cubs on Wales Island and Cap

de Nouvelle-France, located between Douglas

Harbour and Salluit. The polar bear can travel up

to 100 km inland, and while a bear may

occasionally pass through the study area, it is

unusual. The Kangiqsujuaq residents who were

interviewed gave no indication that the presence

of polar bears would create public safety problems

in the park. Nonetheless, visitors will be informed

on how to avoid encounters with bears.

• The chances of coming across a wolverine are

minimal, since this animal has been designated an

endangered species in all of Eastern Canada. In

Québec, it is considered extinct in the southern

portion of its range and to occur only in the

territory north of 49°, and even then only ten or so

sitings have been reported since 1992 (Beaulieu

1992). Roche (1992) discussed the killing of

wolverines by the Inuit, but did not say where the

animals were taken or in what year. The elders

questioned on the matter were unable to

corroborate this information, saying that they were

not familiar with the species (Betsy Etidloe,

personal communication, 2000). The park staff will

nevertheless be informed of the situation and

encouraged to report all wolverine sightings and

captures in the region.

• The muskox was successfully introduced between

1973 and 1983 with 54 individuals from Ellesmere

Island. Today, the Nunavik population of muskox

stands at just over 1,000 animals. It ranges in

Ungava, although the exact location of herds is

not known. Like the polar bear and wolverine, the

chances of coming across muskox are minimal:

only a handful has been sighted in the vicinity of

Kangiqsujuaq in recent years (Betsy Etidloe,

personal communication, 2000).

Archaeological and historical

resources

The region’s archaeological and historical features

are associated more with the coast and village than

with the interior, where the proposed park is to be

established. However, since visitors to the park will

also be in contact with the area’s cultural aspects,

which are grounded on archaeological and historical

values, we feel it is essential to discuss the resources

proper to the park in a broader context in order to fully

grasp their significance.

Archaeology

Northern Québec has become the object of archaeo-

logical research only quite recently. Such work has

focused mainly on coastal regions where, historically,

the majority of human activities were carried out

(Vézinet 1980). Over the past few decades, no less

than 200 sites have been found between Qaqtaq and

Salluit (Labrèche 1994). The presence of artifacts in

the Kangiqsujuaq region was first reported by Bernard

Saladin d’Anglure of Université Laval in the early

1960s. Subsequent surveys confirmed the consider-

able archaeological potential of the coastal area


southeast of Kangiqsujuaq, starting at Ukilivik Point.

Systematic research initiated by the Avatak Cultural

Institute in 1996 led to the discovery of 13 archaeo-

logical sites associated with the period when human

populations first began to occupy Northern Québec

(4,000-2,500 BP). In general, these sites are located

at an altitude of 25 m above sea level. Some are

associated with the Palaeo-Eskimo tradition, charac-

terized by very simple dwellings and technology, while

others are said to be Dorset (3,000-1,000 BP). Sled

runners and snow knives made from caribou tines

appeared during this initial occupation period.

The most remarkable aspect of this research involves

the study of some 170 petroglyphs (rock carvings),

which researchers and the community want to ensure

are protected and included on UNESCO's list of World

Heritage Sites on account of their unique character.

Masks carved on the wall of a soapstone quarry have

been identified as front views of faces with human

features; however, the age and significance of these

carvings have not yet been fully established

(Arsenault et al 1998).

Between 1985 and 1989, archaeological research

was conducted in the inland region affected by the

park project, particularly in the vicinity of the

Nouveau-Québec Crater, called Pingualuit by the

Inuit, and in the area around Nallusarqituq Lake

(Labrèche 1994). In his research report, Labrèche

pointed out the contrast between the human

occupation of coastal and maritime regions, which

was very intensive, and that of zones further inland

not far from Pingualuit, where hunters and families

stopped only for short periods on their way to the best

caribou hunting grounds. All inland sites are

associated with a single occupation and contain only

a limited number of remains. In addition, they have

very few artifacts.

Labrèche noted that all areas used as campsites were

well drained, quite flat and had an abundant supply of

stones, gravel or peat, materials that were useful for

erecting the various structures needed on such sites.

Like the areas selected for present-day camps, they

were located near lakes, rivers and sources of drink-

ing water. Old inland camps, unlike those situated on

the coast, contain few or no bone fragments, which

can be used to date their period of occupation. Only

recent sites contain caribou and seal bones, which

demonstrate that food reserves were brought from the

coast during hunting expeditions. A number of sites

probably dating from the historical period have been

identified in the study area and are shown on Map 10.

They often contain circles of stones that indicate the

location of tents. Additional stones inside these tent

rings bear witness to the presence of hearths. When

such features are buried deep in the lichen layer, they

indicate that a site is fairly old. Two very interesting

examples of historical period sites can be observed

not far from the crater and to the east of the hill of

ferruginous material situated a few kilometres from

Saint-Germain Lake. According to a survey conducted

by Makivik Corporation (2000), inuksuit (groups of

inuksuk) can still be found to the southeast of this

lake. These piles of stones may have been used for

killing caribou during hunting expeditions or have

served as markers.

It should be mentioned that we identified a new site in

summer 1998, while flying over the area south of

Vergons Lake. It consists of a large, upright rock with

a pile of dried bush (Cassiope tetragona) at its base;

placed in the shelter of the rock, the bush was to be

used as fuel. This huge rock, which measures about

12 ft. tall and is located in a boulder field, probably

served as both an inuksuk and a stopover point. We

are unable to affirm, however, whether it is of ar-

chaeological or historical interest. The elders of the

village of Kangiqsujuaq who were asked about this

site were not familiar with it. It should be noted, how-

ever, that it is not very accessible. Despite the ques-

tions surrounding the significance of this site, the local

authorities required that it be included within the limits

of the park to ensure its protection.

Study Area 93

History

Vézinet (1980) advanced that the Inuit, which she

calls Nunamiut, may have been able to survive solely

on inland resources, limiting their movements to cen-

tral Ungava. Based on her ethnological research,

which combined narrative accounts with studies, she

believes that in the late 19th century Inuit groups

adopted a nomadic way of life, surviving mainly on

caribou and rounding out their diet with lake fish and

bird fauna. No marine resources were harvested.

While the technologies specific to coastal Inuit

(Sinamiut) were maintained, adaptations in housing,

clothing, lighting, etc. were required. Vézinet’s study

shows that Nantais and Klotz lakes, which lie south of

the proposed park, were recognized hunting grounds.

In fact, there is every reason to believe that Payne

Lake provided enough resources to sustain a group

for an entire year. The same study reports the pres-

ence of summer and winter camps in the vicinity of

Pingualuit, and a summer camp and caribou corridor

in the area of Nallusarqituq Lake. These reports may

be consistent with some of the surveys conducted by

Labrèche.

The Nunamiut apparently ended their nomadic

lifestyle in the early 1920s, which concurs with the

natural decline in caribou populations. According to

oral tradition, several Inuit died from starvation.

Today, the Inuit are sedentary. The first structure to

be built in Kangiqsujuaq was an ice observation and

weather station, erected in 1884 (Makivik Corporation

2000). After that, the first trading post was built in

1910 and operated only in the summer. It was owned

by the famous French company Révillon frères, then

one of the world’s leading furriers. The Paris-based

company owned a number of trading posts in

Québec: in addition to Northern Québec, it had

businesses on the north shore of the St. Lawrence

River (Beetz and Beetz 1977).

A second trading post, this one permanent, was built

by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1914. In summer

1927, an exploration team set up camp in Wakeham

Bay. Sent by the Canadian Navy, its mission was to

describe the local ice and climatic conditions with a

view to developing a safe navigable waterway in

Hudson Strait. Over the course of several months,

regular aerial surveys were conducted using two

Fokker aircraft (McLean 1928). Old photographs on

public display in Kangiqsujuaq bear witness to this era

and illustrate the former way of life. In fact, it would

seem that the technology of the day is still part of the

Inuit traditional lifeway: kayaks, umiaqs, dogsleds,

handmade clothing.

The Révillon frères trading post closed in 1936. The

same year, the first Catholic mission was established

in Kangiqsujuaq, and today it is the oldest building in

the village. An Anglican church was later built and,

more recently, a Pentecostal church.

The village as we know it today came into being in the

early 1960s. The Québec government housing

program and construction of a school and nursing

station prompted the Inuit to settle in Wakeham Bay,

although several people kept seasonal camps,

primarily along the coast around the village, for the

purposes of wildlife harvesting. A few families also

own camps in the interior, which they use during

winter when it is possible to travel by snowmobile.

With many families owning motorboats, coastal

camps can be reached by either land or sea and,

consequently, can be used year-round.

The village of Kangiqsujuaq used to be called

Wakeham Bay and then, more recently, around 1960,

Maricourt, although this name failed to win the

community’s favour. The Inuit name Kangiqsujuaq

refers to the large bay where the village is

established. It was officially adopted in 1980. The

name Maricourt was in honour of Paul Lemoyne de

Maricourt, who accompanied his brother, Pierre

Lemoyne d’Iberville, on an army expedition to Hudson

Bay in 1686 (Commission de toponymie 1987). The

village was named Wakeham Bay in 1897 by the

explorer and geologist A.P. Low in honour of Captain

William Wakeham, commander of a government


expedition aboard the Diana (Makivik Corporation

2000).

No permanent structures were erected in the park

area during the historical period. However, no less

than 13 expeditions were made to the region between

1950 and 1988 to explore the Nouveau-Québec

Crater (Bouchard 1989). Discovered in 1943 during a

United States Air Force reconnaissance flight, the

crater was designated on maps for the first time in

1945 and was first photographed a year later, in 1946.

The same year, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot is

reported to have landed on Pingualuk Lake.

The crater quickly attracted the attention of the

scientific community and raised economic interest.

While some attributed its shape to a meteorite impact,

others believed it was the type of volcanic chimney

often associated with economic deposits. Frederick

Chubb was one of the first prospectors to show an

interest in the crater. He participated in the first

expedition, which took place in 1950 and was the

subject of an article by the National Geographic

Society. In fact, for a number of years, the crater was

actually known as the Chubb Crater. It was officially

named “Cratère du Nouveau-Québec” in 1954.

The crater’s discovery was followed by a series of

geological surveys and, in 1951, the first vegetation

studies, by Martin and Rousseau. The various

expeditions affiliated with the Royal Ontario Museum,

the Geological Survey of Canada and the Dominion

Observatory of Canada up until the mid-1960s bear

eloquent witness to the site’s scientific interest and

importance. The Université de Montréal began

heading survey work in the early 1980s, conducting

five expeditions between 1983 and 1988.

The discovery of impactite fragments in the 1960s put

an end to the speculation regarding the crater’s

origins by confirming that it had been created by a

meteorite impact. Researchers later realized that this

valuable evidence that had eluded them for so long

had been blown a considerable distance away from

the crater, in the direction of Laflamme Lake. One of

the old drainage canals for the crater is even called

“impactite channel.” The most recent scientific

research conducted at the crater aimed to describe its

many other features, especially from a limnological

perspective. Michel Bouchard, a geologist at the

Université de Montréal, has done a great deal in

recent years to popularize and demonstrate the

scientific significance of the Nouveau-Québec Crater.

The area north of the Puvirnituq River has also been

the object of numerous geological studies in the past

50 years due to the mining opportunities afforded by

the Cape Smith Belt. Currently, the Asbestos Hill

open-pit asbestos mine (1972-1983) and the Raglan

nickel mine are at the operating stage (Daigneault

1997). As a result of these projects, permanent

mining infrastructures have been built in Katinniq,

Purtuniq and Donaldson. Unlike the rest of the

territory, this area has a veritable road network.

The diversity of place names in the region reflects the

local history, with French, English and Inuit names

following with each new lake and landform, both along

the coast and inland. Most sites within the study area

have either a French or Inuit name. In 1998, the

Commission de toponymie du Québec officially

adopted the Inuit name Pingualuit to designate the

park and Pingualuk to designate the lake formed

inside the crater. The term Pingualuit refers to the

site’s high elevation and means “eruption spot”

(Labrèche, in Bouchard 1989).

Land regime and use

The entire study area consists of public lands under

the general administration of the Ministère des

Ressources naturelles du Québec. In accordance with

the land regime established by the James Bay and

Northern Québec Agreement (JBNQA), the area is

subdivided into Category II and III lands. Moreover,

Schedule 6 of JBNQA Complementary Agreement

No. 6 defines the preliminary limits of the park.

Study Area 95

Map 11 shows the preliminary park boundaries as

established in Schedule 6, as well as the

geographical distribution of land categories therein.

Note that the majority of the park area consists of

Category III lands. However, the east side of the park

abuts a tract of Category II lands belonging to the

community of Kangiqsujuaq, that is, from Vachon

River to south of Vergons Lake. This is the farthest

tract of Category II lands from the village. In fact, it

extends even farther south to encompass the eastern

part of Nantais Lake and most of the headwaters of

Vachon River and its tributaries. As previously

mentioned, Inuit people have the exclusive right to

hunt, fish and trap on Category II lands and the right

to pursue the same activities on Category III lands,

without this right being exclusive.

Traditional land use

The current patterns of Inuit land use are detailed in

the report of the study conducted by Makivik

Corporation (2000), which was predicated on a 1997

study by the Kativik Regional Government.

These studies show that the proposed park area is

essentially used by residents of Kangiqsujuaq,

although members of other communities may also

use it on occasion. The Makivik study further shows

that the majority of the community’s subsistence

activities occur outside the park area. Goose and

duck hunting, and the gathering of down and bird

eggs are carried out along the coast and up to 50 km

inland, while hunting of marine mammals is obviously

confined to the coastal region, including bays, fjords

and islands between Radisson Point and Bégon

Point. Moreover, the number of fish and beluga

caches show that land use is considerably more

intensive in this area. Even caribou hunting takes

place along the coast between Cap de Nouvelle-

France and Bégon Point, and up to 40 km inland.

Since caribou migrate through the park area in spring

and fall, it is possible that some might be hunted.

However, this is not a major hunting ground, as is the

northern tip of the peninsula.

Arctic char and lake trout are fished throughout the

study area, making this the largest subsistence activ-

ity. Fishing is done in a large, roughly circular area

measuring over 100 km in diameter and encompass-

ing Nantais and Klotz lakes. Fishing is especially

good in Laflamme and Vergons lakes (Charlie

Arngak, personal communication).

In terms of terrestrial mammals, a fox trapline runs

along the Puvirnituq River.

Residents of Kangiqsujuaq use the study area pri-

marily in winter, when they can access it across the

frozen lakes. Only one of the people interviewed said

he used an all-terrain vehicle to get to his camp, but

that it took a long time (Papikatuk Sakiagak, personal

communication). In summer, access to the park area

is impeded by the long distances, rough terrain and

numerous boulder fields and rivers. However, since

the coast provides the community with all of the

resources it needs, there is less need to make the

effort to get to the plateau.

During the aerial survey, two canvas camps were

spotted within the park boundaries, one west of Saint-

Germain Lake and the other, at the outlet of Vergons

Lake. Both appeared to have been in use for several

years, and this was confirmed by the owners. Two

other camps exist very near the proposed park, but

outside the limits: one of them is just east of

Nallusarqituq Lake, on Vachon River, while the other

is north of the Puvirnituq River, near Vaillant Lake.

Finally, despite being named “Camp Nunaturlik”, this

site on the banks of Lamarche Lake showed no signs

of camping during the overflight.

The Inuit told us about three other sites that are used

for camping during trips to the park area. Two of them

are connected to the Saint-Germain and Vergons lake

camps mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The

other is located south of Laflamme Lake. Camps and

camping sites are always established near drinking

water sources.

Study Area 99

Snowmobile/ATV trails and boat routes provide

Kangiqsujuaq residents with access to traditional

fishing and hunting grounds. Only snowmobile trails

were observed within the study area, and they were

unmarked. However, the more well-travelled section

linking the village to Itiviluarjuk Lake is equipped with

reflective markers, making travel easier and safer.

In light of this information, the final report of the socio-

economic impact study conducted by Makivik

Corporation (2000) concludes that land use in the

park area is of medium and low (section west of

Rouxel Lake) intensity. We got the same impression

from interviews with local representatives during park

planning. However, our exchanges with community

representatives also indicate that the crater is of

considerable importance to the community, even if

very few young people have ever been there. The

elders seemed particularly attached to the crater,

stressing its scenic quality and the Inuit’s historical

ties to this unique site. Map 12 illustrates all data

related to Inuit land use.

Mining development

Mining-related activities represent the second largest

land use. Mineral exploration is limited to the northern

margin of the study area. A fraction of the territories

covered by exploration permits 0001399 and 0001098

abut the north bank of the Puvirnituq River; lands on

the south bank of the river have not been staked.

Moreover, a significant area in the heart of the

proposed park has been withdrawn from staking, map

designation and mining since 1991 under order-in-

council #91-192.

Conclusion

Conclusion 103

The current state of knowledge shows beyond a

shadow of a doubt that the Nouveau-Québec Crater

is a unique site in Québec owing to its exceptional

landscape features. It also confirms the foresight of

the Inuit people, who negotiated provision for the

park in the James Bay and Northern Québec

Agreement back in 1975 and then were determined

to see it established. Furthermore, the current state

of knowledge shows that the proposed park

comprises major features that ensure adequate

representation of the Ungava Plateau natural region.

The Status Report rounds out the information

contained in the Provisional Master Plan, which

describes the main opportunities afforded by the

study area and proposes limits, a zoning plan and a

development scenario for the future Parc des

Pingualuit. It also proposes management orientations

to assist the Société de la faune et des parcs du

Québec in the protection and development of the

park, the first to be established in Northern Québec.

A p p e n d i x

Flora 105

Flora

Flora

Flora 107

NOTE : Taxa marked with an asterisk are considered calcicoles.

Source: Gauthier and Dignard (2000)

Vascular plants

Equisetaceae

Equisetum arvense

Lycopodiaceae

Huperzia appalachiana

Dryopteridaceae

Cystopteris fragilis

Dryopteris fragrans

*Woodsia glabella

Poaceae

Agrostis mertensii ssp. borealis

Alopecurus borealis

Arctagrostis latifolia ssp. latifolia

Calamagrostis canadensis ssp. canadensis

Calamagrostis lapponica

Calamagrostis stricta ssp. stricta var. borealis

Deschampsia brevifolia

Deschampsia caespitosa

Dupontia fisheri

Festuca brachyphylla

Festuca hyperborea

Hierochloe alpina ssp. alpina

Hierochloe pauciflora

Pleuropogon sabinei

Poa alpina L.

Poa arctica

ssp. arctica

ssp. caespitans

Poa glauca

Trisetum spicatum

Cyperaceae

Carex atrofusca

Carex bigelowii

Carex capillaris ssp. capillaris

*Carex glacialis

Carex lachenalii

Carex membranacea

Carex misandra

*Carex nardina

Carex norvegica

Carex rariflora

Carex rotundata

*Carex rupestris

*Carex scirpoidea

*Carex vaginata

*Carex williamsii

Eriophorum angustifolium

*Eriophorum callitrix

Eriophorum scheuchzeri

Eriophorum vaginatum ssp. spissum

*Kobresia myosuroides

Juncaceae

Juncus biglumis

Juncus castaneus ssp. castaneus

Juncus triglumis ssp. albescens

Luzula arctica ssp. arctica

Luzula confusa

Luzula spicata

Luzula wahlenbergii

Liliaceae

*Tofieldia pusilla


Salicaceae

Salix arctica

Salix herbacea

Salix lanata ssp. calcicola

*Salix reticulata ssp. reticulata

Salix uva-ursi

Polygonaceae

Koenigia islandica

Oxyria digyna

Polygonum viviparum

Caryophyllaceae

Arenaria humifusa

Cerastium alpinum ssp. lanatum

Minuartia biflora

Minuartia rubella

Sagina caespitosa

Silene acaulis ssp. acaulis

Silene involucrata ssp. involucrata

Silene uralensis ssp. uralensis var. mollis

Stellaria longipes

Ranunculaceae

Anemone richardsonii

Ranunculus nivalis

Ranunculus pallasii

Ranunculus pedatifidus ssp. affinis

Ranunculus pygmaeus

Papaveraceae

Papaver lapponicum ssp. occidentale

Brassicaceae

Arabis alpina

*Braya glabella ssp. glabella

Cardamine bellidifolia

Cochlearia officinalis

Draba alpina

*Draba glabella var. glabella

Draba lactea

Draba nivalis

Eutrema edwardsii

Saxifragaceae

Parnassia kotzebuei

*Saxifraga aizoides

Saxifraga caespitosa

Saxifraga cernua

Saxifraga foliolosa

Saxifraga hirculus ssp. propinqua

Saxifraga hyperborea

Saxifraga nivalis

*Saxifraga oppositifolia ssp. oppositifolia

Saxifraga tenuis

*Saxifraga tricuspidata

Rosaceae

*Dryas integrifolia ssp. integrifolia

Potentilla nana

*Potentilla prostrata ssp. floccosa

Fabaceae

Astragalus alpinus ssp. alpinus

*Astragalus eucosmus ssp. eucosmus

*Oxytropis deflexa ssp. foliolosa

Onagraceae

Chaemerion latifolium

Pyrolaceae

Pyrola grandiflora

Ericaceae

Cassiope tetragona ssp. tetragona

Rhododendron lapponicum var. lapponicum

Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. microphyllum

Flora 109

Vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp. minus

Diapensiaceae

Diapensis lapponica ssp. lapponica

Plumbaginaceae

Armeria maritima ssp. sibirica

Scrophulariaceae

Pedicularis flammea

Pedicularis hirsuta

Pedicularis lapponica

Campanulaceae

Campanula rotundifolia

*Campanula uniflora

Asteraceae

Antennaria friesiana ssp. friesiana

Antennaria monocephala ssp. angustata

Arnica angustifolia ssp. angustifolia

Erigeron humilis

*Erigeron uniflorus ssp. eriocephalus

*Leucanthemum integrifolium

Taraxacum ceratophorum

Taraxacum lacerum

Non-Vascular Plants

Lichens

Alectoria nigricans

Alectoria ochroleuca

Allantoparmelia almquistii

Allantoparmelia alpicola

Arctocetraria andrejevii

Arctoparmelia centrifuga

Arctoparmelia incurva

Brodoa oroarctica

Bryocaulon divergens

Bryoria chalybeiformis

Bryoria nitidula

Candelariella aurella

Candelariella placodizans

Candelariella vitellina

Cetraria aculeata

Cetraria islandica

Cetraria islandica ssp. crispiformis

Cetraria islandica ssp. islandica

Cetraria laevigata

Cetraria nigricans

Cetrariella delisei

Cetrariella fastigiata

Cladina arbuscula

Cladina mitis

Cladina rangiferina

Cladina stellaris

Cladina stygia

Cladonia amaurocraea

Cladonia bellidiflora

Cladonia coccifera

Cladonia crispata

Cladonia ecmocyna

Cladonia gracilis

Cladonia macrophylla

Cladonia phyllophora

Cladonia pleurota

Cladonia pocillum

Cladonia squamosa

Cladonia stricta

Cladonia subfurcata

Cladonia sulphurina

Cladonia uncialis


Collema cf. ceraniscum

Collema polycarpon

Dactylina arctica

Dactylina ramulosa

Ephebe lanata

Flavocetraria cucullata

Flavocetraria nivalis

Gyalecta foveolaris

Hypogymnia austerodes

Hypogymnia subobscura

Lecanora epibryon

Melanelia fuliginosa

Melanelia hepatizon

Melanelia panniformis

Melanelia stygia

Nephroma arcticum

Nephroma expallidum

Ochrolechia androgyna

Ochrolechia frigida

Omphalina hudsoniana

Ophioparma lapponica

Pannaria pezizoides

Parmelia omphalodes

Parmelia saxatilis

Parmelia sulcata

Peltigera lepidophora

Peltigera malacea

Peltigera rufescens

Peltigera scabrosa

Pertusaria coriacea

Pertusaria dactylina

Pertusaria cf. oculata

Pertusaria panyrga

Pertusaria subobducens

Phaeophyscia sciastra

Physcia caesia

Physcia dubia

Physconia muscigena

Pilophorus robustus

Pseudephebe pubescens

Rhizocarpon cf. eupetraeoides

Rhizocarpon geographicum

Rinodina turfacea

Solorina crocea

Solorina saccata

Sphaerophorus fragilis

Sphaerophorus globosus

Stereocaulon alpinum

Stereocaulon arenarium

Stereocaulon glareosum

Stereocaulon cf. grande

Stereocaulon paschale

Stereocaulon cf. rivulorum

Thamnolia subuliformis

Thamnolia vermicularis

Umbilicaria cylindrica

Umbilicaria deusta

Umbilicaria hyperborea

Umbilicaria lyngei

Umbilicaria proboscidea

Umbilicaria torrefacta

Umbilicaria vellea

Xanthoria candelaria

Xanthoria elegans

Xanthoria sorediata

Flora 111

Bryophytes

Hepaticae

Pseudolepicoleaceae

Blepharostoma trichophyllum

Ptilidiaceae

Ptilidium ciliare

Cephaloziellaceae

Cephaloziella spinigera

Jungermanniaceae

Anastrophyllum minutum

Barbilophozia barbata

Barbilophozia binstaedii

Barbilophozia hatcheri

Barbilophozia kunzeana

Chandonanthus setiformis

Gymnomitriaceae

Gymnomitrion corallioides

Scapaniaceae

Scapania nemorosa

Scapania undulata

Marchantiaceae

Preissia quadrata

Mosses

Sphagnums

Sphagnum aongstroemii

Sphagnum arcticum

Sphagnum balticum

Sphagnum capillifolium

Sphagnum compactum

Sphagnum jensenii

Sphagnum lenense

Sphagnum lindbergii

Sphagnum nitidum Warnst.

Sphagnum orientale

Sphagnum russowii

Sphagnum squarrosum

Sphagnum subsecundum

Sphagnum teres

Andreaeaceae

Andreaea alpestris

Andreaea blyttii

Andreaea rupestris var. papillosa

Ditrichaceae

*Distichium capillaceum

*Ditrichum flexicaule

Dicranaceae

Dicranella subulata

Dicranum elongatum

Dicranum fuscescens

Dicranum groenlandicum

Kiaeria starkei

Seligeriaceae

Blindia acuta

Pottiaceae

*Tortella tortuosa

Grimmiaceae

Racomitrium lanuginosum

Bryaceae

Pohlia bulbifera

Pohlia cruda

Pohlia nutans


Aulacomniaceae

Aulacomnium palustre

Aulacomnium turgidum

Messiaceae

*Paludella squarrosa

Bartramiaceae

Conostomum tetragonum

Pterigynandraceae

*Myurella julacea

Amblystegiaceae

Calliergon stramineum

*Campylium stellatum

Drepanocladus aduncus

Drepanocladus aduncus polycarpus

*Limprichtia revolvens

*Loeskypnum badium

Sarmenthypnum sarmentosum

Warnstorfia fluitans

Brachytheciaceae

*Tomenthypnum nitens

Hypnaceae

*Orthothecium chryseum

Hylocomiaceae

Pleurozium schreberi

Polytrichaceae

Oligotrichum hercynicum

Pogonatum dentatum

Pogonatum urnigerum

Polytrichastrum alpinum var. alpinum

Polytrichum commune

Polytrichum hyperboreum

Polytrichum juniperinum

Polytrichum piliferum

Polytrichum strictum

Polytrichum swartzii

Psilopilum cavifolium

A p p e n d i x

Newly identified regional flora and rare vascular plants 113

Newly identified regional flora

and rare vascular plants

Newly identified regional flora

and rare vascular plants

Newly identified regional flora and rare vascular plants 115

Species Newly identified regional flora Rare in thestudy area

Crater Puvirnituq Hills

Agrostis mertensii ssp. borealis ! !

Antennaria friesiana ssp. friesiana !

Arenaria humifusa !

Astragalus eucosmus ssp. eucosmus ! !

*Braya glabella ssp. glabella ! !

Calamagrostis lapponica !

Calamagrostis stricta var. borealis ! !

Campanula rotundifolia !

Carex capillaris ssp. capillaris !

Carex glacialis !

Carex membranacea !

Carex rariflora !

Carex rotundata !

Carex williamsii !

Cochlearia officinalis s.l. !

*Deschampsia brevifolia ! !

Deschampsia caespitosa s.l. !

Draba alpina !

Dryopteris fragrans !

Dupontia fisheri !

Erigeron humilis !

Erigeron uniflorus ssp. eriocephalus ! !

*Festuca hyperborea !

Hierochloe pauciflora ! !

Juncus biglumis !

Juncus castaneus ssp. castaneus !

Juncus triglumis ssp. albescens !

Kobresia myosuroides !

Koenigia islandica !

*Leucanthemum integrifolium ! !

Luzula spicata ! !

Oxytropis deflexa ssp. foliolosa !

Pedicularis flammea !

Pleuropogon sabinei !

Poa arctica ssp. caespitans !

Potentilla prostrata ssp. floccosa !


Species Newly identified regional flora Rare in thestudy area

Crater Puvirnituq Hills

Ranunculus pallasii ! !

Ranunculus pygmaeus !

Sagina caespitosa ! !

Salix lanata ssp. calcicola !

Saxifraga aizoides !

Saxifraga hirculus ssp. propinqua !

Saxifraga tenuis !

Silene involucrata ssp. invollucrata !

Taraxacum ceratophorum ! !

Woodsia glabella !

* Vascular plants on the list of threatened or vulnerable species in Québec

Source: Gauthier and Dignard (2000)

A p p e n d i x

Birds of Parc des Pingualuit area 117

Birds of

Parc des Pingualuit area

Birds of Parc des Pingualuit area

Birds of Parc des Pingualuit area 119

ENGLISH NAME LATIN NAME INUIT NAME Deception Bayarea (1)

Kangiqsujuaqarea(2)

Pingualuitarea

Red-throated loon Gavia stellata Qarsauq R R -

Common loon Gavia immer Tuulliq R R P

Snow goose Chen caerulescens Kanguq R R R

Canada goose Branta canadensis Nirliq R R R

Green-winged teal Anas crecca KuuksiutiSaaggaq

R R -

Northern pintail Anas acuta Qarlutuq R R P

Greater scaup Aythia marila Ivugaq R R P

Common eider Somateria mollissima Mitiq R R -

King eider Somateria spectabilis Amaulijjuaq R R -

Harlequin duck Histrionicus histrionicus Tullirunaq R R -

Oldsqaw Clangula hyemalis Aggiq R R -

Barrow’s goldeneye Bucephala islandica Kingutuq R - -

Red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator Nujalik R R P

Rough-legged hawk Buteo lagopus Qinnuajuaq R R P

Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Natturalik R R -

Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus Kiggaviarjuk R R P

Gyrfalcon Falco rusticus Kiggavialuk R R P

Willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus Aqiggiq R R -

Rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus Aqiggivik R R P

Semipalmated plover Charadriussemipalmatus

Arpatuaraq R R P

Semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla Sitjariaq R R -

Least sandpiper Calidris minutilla Luviluvvilaaq R R -

White-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis - R - -

Red phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria Aupaluktuarjuk R R -

Red-necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus - - - P

Pomarine jaeger Stercocarius pomatus Isunngaq R R -

Parasitic jaeger Stercocarius parasiticus Isunngaq R R -

Long-tailed jaeger Stercocariuslongicaudus

Isunngaq R R P

Herring gull Larus argentatus Naujaq R R -

Thayer’s gull Larus thayeri Naujarlugaq R R -

Iceland gull Larus glaucoides Naujarlugaq R R -

Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus Naujavik R R -

Great black-backed gull Larus maritimus Kulilik R R -

Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Naujaraaq R R -

Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea Imirqutailaq R R P

Thick-billed murre Uria lomvia Appaq R R -


ENGLISH NAME LATIN NAME INUIT NAME Deception Bayarea (1)

Kangiqsujuaqarea(2)

Pingualuitarea

Black guillemot Cepphus grillae Pitsiulaaq R R -

Snowy owl Nyctea scandiana Uppik R R P

Horned lark Eremophila alpestris Qupanuarpaq R R P

Common raven Corvus corax Tulugaq R R P

American pipit Anthus rubescens Ingirtajuuq R R P

Common redpoll Carduelis flammea - - - P

Savannah sparrow Passerculussandwichiensis

- - - P

White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Quputalik R R P

Lapland longspur Carcarius lapponicus Nassaulligaq R R P

Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Amaulligaaq - R P

Sources: 1) Roche 1992

2) Betsy Etidloe, personal communication

Key: Reported (R)

Potential (P)

A p p e n d i x

Mammals of Parc des Pingualuit area 121

Mammals of


Mammals of


Mammals of Parc des Pingualuit area 123

Terrestrial Mammals

(Drawn from Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec

species lists for Northern Québec)

ENGLISH NAME LATIN NAME INUIT NAME(4) REMARKS

Arctic hare Lepus arcticus var.labradorius

Ukalik Potential, reported in the region (1)

Ungava lemming Dicrontonyx hudsonius Avingngak Historical data, crater lake (2)

Meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicusvar. labradorius

- Not known to Kangiqsujuaq residents (4)

Historical data, Kangiqsujuaq (3)

Wolf Canis lupus var.labradorius

Amaruk Tracks observed, Laflamme Lake,summer 1998

Arctic fox Alopex lagopus var.ungava

Tiriganniaq Dens observed south of Rouxel Lake,summer 1998

Red fox Vulpes vulpes var.bangsi

Kajurtu tiriganniaq Potential, reported in the region (1)

Polar bear Ursus maritimus Nanuq Potential, reported in the region (1)

Ermin Mustela erminea var.richardsonii

- Not known to Kangiqsujuaq residents (4)

Potential, reported in the region (1)

Least weasel Muastela nivalis var.rixona

Tiriaq Potential, reported in the region (1)

Wolverine Gulo gulo var. luscus - Not known to Kangiqsujuaq residents (4)

Potential, reported in the region (1)

River otter Lontra canadensis var.chimo

Pamiurtuu Historical data, head of Puvirnituq River (2)

Caribou Rangifer tarandus var.caribou

Tuktuq Observed – widespread, summer 1998

Muskox* Ovibos moschatus Umimmak Potential, reported near Kangiqsujuaq (4)

Sources: 1) Roche 19922) Harper 19613) Répertoire des micromammifères du Québec (Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec)4) Betsy Etidloe, 2000. Personal communication*introduced species


Marine Mammals of the Kangiqsujuaq Region

(Based on distribution maps prepared by Banfield, 1977)

ENGLISH NAME LATIN NAME INUIT NAME (4)

White whale Delphinapterus leucas Qilalugak

Narwhal Monodon monoceros Allanguaq

Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus Arvik

Walrus Odobenus rosmarus Aivik

Bearded seal Erignathus barbatus Utjuk

Harbour seal Phoca vitulina Kairulik

Ringed seal Phoca hispida Natsik

Harp seal Phoca groenlandica Not known to Kangisujuaq residents (4)

Hooded seal Cystophora cristata Not known to Kangiqsujuaq residents (4)

Sources: 1) Roche 19922) Harper 19613) Répertoire des micromammifères du Québec (Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec)4) Betsy Etidloe. Personal communication

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Endnotes

Endnotes 131

1 Dusseau and Borgeat 1984, Beauchemin 1992

2 Mainly from Daigneault 1997, 1999 and Bouchard 1989

3 Mainly from Daigneault 1997, 1999 and Bouchard 1989

4 Mainly from Daigneault 1997, 1999

5 Mainly from Daigneault 1997, 1999

6 Lichen assemblages occurring on a consolidated mineral substrate, occupying existingrock or moraine boulders

7 Lichen assemblages occurring on fine sediment (sand, fine gravel, etc.)

8 A lichen thallus lying close and tightly fixed to the substratum

9 Lichen that grows in the shape of a tree leaf

10 Lichen that is shrubby in shape

11 Plants that resemble a true grass

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