Western Arctic Research Centre

The Western Arctic Research Centre (WARC) has been in operation since 1964 and houses ARI headquarters. It is located in Inuvik, NWT, just south of the tree line on the eastern edge of the Mackenzie Delta, in an ideal location to support researchers working in the northern NWT and northern Yukon.

Inuvik, a town of approximately 3,200 residents, acts as a regional centre for the northern NWT, and as such offers many amenities to visiting researchers. These include grocery stores, a hardware store, a department store, several ground and air shipping companies, a full-service Canada Post outlet, ATMs, a full-service CIBC branch, restaurants, and recreational facilities.

Inuvik is accessible via road for most of the year, except for periods in the spring and fall when both the ice roads and ferries aren’t in operation. Air service runs year-round, and includes daily jet service from Edmonton and Yellowknife (via either Canadian North or First Air), as well as Hawker Siddeley 748 service daily from Whitehorse (via Air North).

To date, more than 3,000 research projects involving more than 1,500 researchers have been conducted using the Inuvik facility. The Western Arctic Research Centre operates year-round and can provide researchers with office space, access to a research library, high-speed and wireless internet, laboratory space and equipment, and accommodations. In addition, the facility is equipped with storage and freezer facilities and can provide field equipment to researchers. Research and monitoring services can also be provided on a contractual basis, and hiring of local research assistants can be facilitated. Please view the rest of the Western Arctic Research Centre web pages for a more complete description of services and facilities available, and our Fee Schedule for a current pricing list.

For more information on services or projects in the region, please visit the WARC logistics page.