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NUNAVUT - Unaalik Air's cancellation of scheduled service between Pond Inlet, Nanisivik and Resolute means people in the two Northernmost communities have limited access to family in Pond Inlet, the rest of the territory and the country.

One of Unaalik Air's Twin Otter airplanes, of the same type as the one still used for flights between Resolute and Grise Fiord. As Twin Otters don't need much runway length, they are suited to landing on Grise Fiord's short (less than 300 m) runway. - photo courtesy of Unaalik Air

"Some people up here in Resolute Bay are virtually prisoners because no one can afford the cost (of flying out)," said Resolute's recreation co-ordinator, Joadamee Amagoolik.

The end of Unaalik's Pond Inlet-Nanisivik-Resolute corridor means people must now go through Iqaluit to travel between Pond Inlet and Resolute. A one-hour trip which used to cost roughly $500 one-way is now more than $1,500 and more than nine hours of travel at best.

Unaalik's remaining scheduled flight is still running between Resolute and Grise Fiord - the only regular air service to Canada's most northern community. Unaalik president Jimi Onalik said the Grise Fiord route is still profitable because the airplane they use is often chartered for scientific expeditions to study the Ellesmere ice sheet.

The company is focusing on its medevac and charter flights, said Onalik, avoiding competition for the scheduled flight market with larger airlines First Air and Canadian North.

Unaalik has also terminated service between Resolute and Cambridge Bay, where there are connecting flights to Yellowknife and Edmonton.

Cathy Rose, a nurse working in Resolute, was on Unaalik's last flight from Cambridge Bay after visiting family in Alberta for the holidays.

"That was a tremendous service," she said. "They were always pretty good. People were satisfied with them. I certainly was."

The loss has also affected shipping. Rose used to work in Pond Inlet and has friends to whom she sends Christmas presents. That used to cost her about $50 on Unaalik's flight, but this year it was more than twice that on First Air's much longer route.

When Resolute and Grise Fiord were established in the 1950s, some of the settling families were from Pond Inlet and there are many family connections between the communities.

Angela Manik lives in Resolute and her partner's sister helps out as a babysitter from Pond Inlet. The sitter went home for the holidays and can't return, so Manik is going to have to look for another one.

The children of Manik's brother split their time between their father in Resolute and their mother in Pond Inlet. Without Unaalik's service, it's unclear when they will see their father next.

Sporting connections between the communities have also been strained. Pond Inlet hosted a basketball tournament in December which Resolute's team attended. Amagoolik said Resolute is unlikely to be able to send a team to Pond Inlet's volleyball tournament this March, given the price tag involved, upwards of $30,000 for five to seven people to travel.