hunt every spring. The community is also home to the largest commercial muskox harvests in Canada. Oil and gas exploration has provided jobs over the years for some Sachs Harbour residents — estimates of commercially recoverable oil in the Beaufort Sea range from , and there is believed to be between of natural gas. Aulavik National Park Sachs Harbour is the headquarters of Aulavik National Park and the Visitor Reception Centre is situated in Sachs Harbour. Aulavik National Park is located on the north end of Banks Island, and is co-operatively managed by Parks Canada with the residents of Sachs Harbour and the broader Inuvialuit community. The Visitor Reception Centre presents the park and Inuvialuit culture to visitors to Banks Island, as well as serves as a centre for community activities. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sachs Harbour had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The two principal languages in the town are Inuinnaqtun (Inuvialuktun) and English. Sachs Harbour is the only permanent settlement on Banks Island. Infrastructure Services include a two-member Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment and a health centre with one nurse. Phone services are provided by Northwestel with Internet access. The local hunters and trappers association provides outfitting for big-game hunts like muskox and polar bears. Bulk supplies of food and other items are brought by barge in the summer months and flights from Inuvik, some to the southwest, operate all year, via the Sachs Harbour (David Nasogaluak Jr. Saaryuaq) Airport. Geography Climate Sachs Harbour is in the Arctic tundra climatic zone (ET), characterized by long, cold winters. Since the activities of many residents of the community revolve around fishing, hunting, and travel, many residents have considerable knowledge of weather conditions, permafrost, and even erosion patterns. Flora and fauna Banks Island is home to the largest goose colony in North America. Three quarters of the world's population of muskoxen roam the island. Barren-ground caribou and polar bear are also seen on the island. On April 26, 2006, the world's first documented wild-born grizzly–polar bear hybrid was shot near the town. Since the climate has been changing, sea ice has been breaking up earlier than normal, taking seals farther south in the summer. Seals are