Events
CHAR SUMMIT
February 24-25, 2026
Inuvik, NT
About the Event
The Western Arctic Char Summit is taking place February 24-25th, 2026, in Inuvik, NT. The goal of the Char Summit will be to facilitate knowledge-sharing about two char species, Dolly Varden and Arctic char, both of which have populations that span across multiple jurisdictional boundaries and management areas within the Arctic Region. This Summit will bring together co-management boards, community leadership, government agencies, researchers, youth and local harvesters from across the Western Arctic and Canada for the two-day gathering.
Program
The 2026 Char Summit will be an opportunity to not only share knowledge and highlight current management challenges across the Western Arctic, but will also support relationship building, promote communication and sharing of community-based science findings and explore pathways towards collaborative research and monitoring of char that reflects both Traditional Knowledge and Western science.
Over the course of the two days, there will be presentations, panels, workshops and activities led by a range of Knowledge holders and researchers designed to spark curiosity, start conversations and inspire collaborations. All sessions will be connected to one or more of the five themes of the Char Summit, outlined in the 2026 Char Summit Program below.
Registration
Registration to the Char Summit is free but limited.
You can secure your spot by registering through the Eventbrite page.
The Venue
The Char Summit will take place at the Midnight Sun Complex in Inuvik, NWT.
Travel
Thanks to sponsorship from Air North, Yukon’s Airline, we are able to offer Char Summit participants a discount code on Air North flights to Inuvik:
- Discount Code: 2026WACS
- Discount Value: 10% OFF – Applies to GoYukon and Optimum Fares
- Booking Period: December 1, 2025, to February 24, 2026
- Travel Period: February 16, 2026 to March 4, 2026
- Routes: Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Inuvik, Old Crow or Dawson City to/from Whitehorse. Old Crow or Dawson City to/from Inuvik. Vancouver to/from Yellowknife.
Accommodations
Be sure to book your accommodations soon, as there are limited hotels in Inuvik. Alternatively, if you are interested in billeting, the rate for billets is $100/night. The following hotels are in Inuvik:
Arctic Chalet (out of town)
Things to do in Inuvik
Attending the Char Summit from out of town? Visit the Town of Inuvik website for a list of things to do during your stay in Inuvik.
As a special offer to Char Summit participants, the Inuvik Ski Club will be offering $15/day cross-country ski rental packages Monday, February 23 to Wednesday, February 25 from 5:30-7:30pm.
Where to Eat
Breakfast and lunch will be served on-site during the two-day Char Summit. You can also pick up food from Northmart, Stanton and Mac’s New Stand. Other options for where to purchase food in Inuvik include:
- Alestine’s (5:00-8:00pm)
- Mamaqtuq (5:00-9:00pm)
- The Roost (11:00am-11:59pm)
- Lil Ava’s (10:00am-11:00pm)
We suggest calling ahead of time to Alestine’s or Mamaqtuq to ensure they are open.
Thank You to the Steering Committee
The 2026 Western Arctic Char Summit has been developed in collaboration with the Char Summit Steering Committee.
Thank You to Air North, Yukon's Airline
We are grateful to Air North, Yukon’s Airline for helping to bring this event to life by supporting travel to the Char Summit.
