Page "Iqaluit" Paragraph 3

The Hudson's Bay Company moved its south Baffin operations to the neighbouring valley of Niaqunngut, officially called Apex, in 1949 to take advantage of the airfield.

The population of Frobisher Bay increased rapidly during the construction of the Distant Early Warning Line ( DEW line, a system of radar stations, see North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD )) in the mid-1950s.

Hundreds of construction workers, military personnel, and administrative staff moved into the community, and several hundred Inuit followed to take advantage of the access to medical care and jobs the base provided.

In 1957, 489 of the town's 1, 200 residents were reported to be Inuit.

After 1959, the Canadian government established permanent services at Frobisher Bay, including full-time doctors, a school and social services.

The Inuit population grew rapidly in response, as the government encouraged Inuit to settle permanently in communities with government services.