Google Street View travels to Canada's Far North

A fishing bridge in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut is pictured in this undated Google Street View Image. (Photo Courtesy Google)

Google launched a Street View map of one of Canada’s Arctic communities Wednesday, giving the world a detailed -- and digital -- look at part of the country’s vast and remote North.

The new map is of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, a small community of just under 1,500 people located in the Kitikmeot Region.

It is the furthest north in Canada Google’s Street View Team had ever travelled, the company stated in a blog post.

Google visited Cambridge Bay in August and, with the help of community residents and non-profit group Nunavut Tunngavik, built the Street View map.

Using Google’s Street View tricycles and cameras, team members and residents captured 360-degree photos of the region’s sights and locations to create one of the most detailed maps of the area that’s ever existed.

“This is a place with a vast amount of local knowledge and a rich history,” said Nunavut Tunngavik’s Christopher Kalluk. “By putting these tools in the hands of our people, we will tell Nunavut’s story to the world.”

And with the new maps, people from all over the world can now get a feel for life in one of Canada’s northern communities.

The sites featured in the map include a Hudson Bay Company cabin, a bridge used by local fisherman and the parts of the town’s extensive shoreline. Local shops, schools and recreation centres are also featured in the map, giving users a feel for the everyday community life.

Users can click on any of the sites and scroll through a series of high-definition, panoramic colour photos. The company even produced a two-minute video detailing the project.

In the video, stunning photos of Cambridge Bay are shown as Kalluk describes the map-making process.

“I want people to see what it looks like, where I live,” said Kalluk of his home in the video. “It will be great to see our community online finally.”