Western Arctic Research Centre - Inuvik

The Western Arctic Field Center (WARC) provides field, logistic, and accommodation support to external researchers (‘external’ refers to any individual who is not an Aurora College employee). Access to WARC facilities or housing is scheduled through the Logistics Coordinator.   

For information on accessing WARC research facilities and accommodation, click HERE.

If you have any questions about this message or about research support and logistic services at WARC, please contact us at logistics@nwtresearch.com.

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The following services are available in Inuvik:

 Logistic support services are available out of the Western Arctic Research Centre, with more limited support available from the South Slave Research Centre. Logistics requests are booked on a first-come, first-served basis so be sure to submit a Logistical Support Request Form well in advance of your proposed work.

 Those booking our conference, meeting or teaching rooms must complete the Room Request Form.

All researchers doing field or lab work are required to complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the Logistics Request Form.  If you're using our facilities and traveling to the field, you are also required to complete Part 4 (Journey Management Plan) of the Logistics Request Form in advance of your arrival at the Western Arctic Research Centre.  If your fieldwork schedule changes due to weather or other factors, you can update and resubmit your Journey Management Plan via email, or you can update your Journey Management Plan at the Western Arctic Research Centre front office upon arrival.

When your forms are complete, please forward to logistics@nwtresearch.com or fax to (867) 777-4264.

Please see our Fee Schedule for a list of available services, facilities, and equipment, as well as the associated rental fees.

Take a virtual walkthrough of the Aurora Research Institute Below (to enlarge the pictures click the square in the top right):

Accomodations

The Western Arctic Research Centre can provide accommodation for individual researchers, or research groups, in our rowhouses. The rowhouses are about a 10 minute walk from the research centre and are located at 22-28 Nanuk Place. Each townhouse can accommodate up to six researchers in four bedrooms - two single rooms with one twin bed per room, and two double rooms with two twin beds per room. 

Take a virtual tour of our row house below (to make the pictures larger, click on the square in the top right):

The rowhouses are fully furnished. Each is equipped with bedding, pillows, cutlery, dishes, pots and pans, microwave, kettle, coffee maker, toaster, vacuum cleaner, some basic cleaning supplies, TV with cable in the living room, a washer and dryer, and wireless internet. Each rowhouse also has a phone on which you can make local calls free of charge (long distance calls require a calling card, available for purchase at most local stores). There are also shared barbeques on the front deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some things that are not supplied in the rowhouses are food, towels, dish and laundry soap, toilet paper, toiletries or hand soap. Please plan accordingly.

Once per week, research centre staff will come by the rowhouses to pick up recyclables and food bank donations.  Please make use of this service when you leave town and donate your unused non-perishable items to the food bank.  Proceeds from all refundable containers will also be donated to the Inuvik Food Bank.

Accommodations can be requested by completing a Logistical Support Request Form. Please contact the Logisitics and Administration Assistant for more information on accommodations at (867) 777-3298 ext. 201.

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Field Equipment

A wide variety of field equipment is available for rent from the Western Arctic Research Centre. Please follow the links below for more information on available field equipment, and see our Fee Schedule for current pricing. Field equipment can be requested by filling out a Logistical Support Request Form.

Please contact the Manager, Western Arctic Research Centre for more information on field equipment at (867) 777-3298 ext. 232.

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Lab Space and Equipment

The Western Arctic Research Centre has three separate lab spaces (Clean, Wet, and Dirty Labs) that can be rented by researchers. All labs are equipped with a fume hood, vacuum bench taps, and a laboratory-grade water source. All researchers also have access to fridge and freezer space for short-term storage of temperature-sensitive samples, as well as a lab support room where small, commonly used equipment, such as glassware, hot plates, and stirrers, can be found.

The fluorometer can be reserved by contacting logistics at (867) 777-3298 ext 201. 

Clean Lab

The Clean Lab is designed for work such as contaminant, bacteria, and low-level nutrient sampling, as well as work involving radioisotopes. It contains the following equipment:

  • Millipore Integral 5 water system (Type 1 water) with a 30 L tank 
  • One drying oven
  • Desiccator
  • Biosafety Cabinet

Take a virtual tour of the Clean Lab

Wet Lab

The Wet Lab is designed for work such as general water sampling, plankton sampling, and fish and animal dissections.  It contains the following equipment:

  • Millipore Gradient A10 water system (Type 1 water) fed by a 100L tank of pretreated water from Elix Advantage 3
  • autoclave (Currently unavailable – Being replaced)

Take a Virtual Look at the Wet Lab:

 

Teaching Lab
 

The Teaching Lab is designed for work such as soil, permafrost, and vegetation sampling. It is also well suited for use as a staging area for field equipment such as data loggers and thermisters. Since the teaching lab is our largest lab, it can also be booked as a space for groups of up to 15 students. The Teaching Lab contains the following equipment: 

Specialty or other lab equipment can be requested for reservation by contacting logistics at logistics@nwtresearch.com .

Equipment available upon reservation:

  •  Analytical Balance
  •  Balances
  •  Fluorometer
  •  Spectrophotometer
  •  Microscopes
  •  Dissecting Microscopes

Please request working and lab space using the Logistical Support Request Form and contact the Manager, Western Arctic Research Centre for more information on lab space and equipment at (867) 777-3298 ext. 232.        

 

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Support Space

Office Space

Desk space is available for individual researchers. This space includes outlets, lighting, a shared phone line, and both ethernet cables and wireless internet. Research groups can be accommodated at individual desks, or in a larger semi-private office. Our meeting room seats a maximum of eight people and can be booked for group meetings. Larger meetings and presentations can be accommodated in our conference room, which comfortably seats 20 people. With sufficient notice, both the conference and meeting rooms can be equipped with a projector for presentations.

Desk and office space can be requested using the Logistical Support Request Form.

 

Loading Bay and Workshop

WARC Loading Bay

The Western Arctic Research Centre loading bay is an ideal staging area for larger field equipment. There's space available to charge and test batteries, set up and test monitoring equipment, and clean and organize camping gear. The workshop contains tools that are available for researcher use, including a work bench, hammers, saws, screwdrivers, other hand tools, table saw, jigsaw, power drills, drill press, and grinder. Users must supply their own construction materials. We ask that all researchers meet with an Western Arctic Research Centre staff member for an orientation before using the Workshop, and that you never work in this space alone after regular business hours.

Long-term Storage of Researcher Gear

Long-term storage at WARCLong-term storage at WARC

Research groups that regularly use the same equipment each field season may be interested in storing their gear at the Western Arctic Research Centre in order to save on shipping costs and prevent unnecessary wear-and-tear on equipment. We have small amounts of both cold and warm storage available for researcher gear. Please contact the Manager, Western Arctic Research Centre, well in advance to arrange for gear storage.

 

Please contact the Manager, Western Arctic Research Centre for more information on support spaces at (867) 777-3298 ext. 232.   

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Research Support

The Western Arctic Research Centre has a strong history of supporting research and monitoring work in the western Canadian Arctic.

Our two technicians regularly travel to field sites to take samples, and to monitoring sites to download data, maintain equipment, and perform site inspections. They can be hired on a daily basis to accompany researchers to the field to assist with all types of research. They can also be hired to take samples or monitor equipment for research groups during off-seasons, while researchers are stationed at their home institutions. Please see our Fee Schedule for current rates for technician assistance. Since our technicians are in high demand, particularly during our busy summer season, please request technician assistance as far in advance as possible using our Logistical Support Request Form.

We can also help researchers find community monitors, guides, and assistants in Inuvik and other Western Arctic communities. Please contact the Manager, WARC Logistics & Facilities for more information at 867-777-3298 ext. 210.

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