Kangerluk (Diskofjord) is the only remaining settlement on Disko Island. It is situated approximately 35 km north-west of Qeqertarsuaq, slightly remote, in the largest fiord system on Disko Island, which it is named after. Its original name was Kangerluarssuk after the fiord arm where the settlement is situated. The settlement has been more or less inhabited since the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Provisions and subareas
The general provisions apply to all subareas of the municipalities in towns, settlements and open country areas. The provisions are general and do not consider the local conditions in the subareas.
General provisions of the Town Plan
The overall provisions for each subarea are the basis for the municipality"s granting of area allotments and building permits.
The present level of service and housing in Kangerluk is to be adapted to the population trend and business opportunities. The settlement might have business potential within experimental agriculture, and as a tourist destination in cooperation with Qeqertarsuaq. It would be beneficial to include existing buildings in cultural and leisure activities in the community.
The number of inhabitant has seen major fluctuations in the past 200 years, and the settlement has been uninhabited in periods. On 1 January 2017, Kangerluk had 23 inhabitants. In 1980, the figure was 71, but since the turn of the millennium, the number of inhabitants has decreased significantly.
In 2010, there were 30 homes in the settlement, of which 90 per cent were single-family houses (27) and 10 per cent linked houses (3). In the settlement there are 10 households, and the average household size is 2.3, slightly smaller than in Qeqertarsuaq (2.5). This means that a large part of the houses are uninhabited.
The number of inhabitants is not expected to increase significantly during the coming years, so the planning period will primarily call for rehabilitation, redevelopment and, possibly, replacement buildings. In the town plan, the remaining capacity in Kangerluk is estimated to approximately 20 homes, which will be sufficient for the planning period.
The primary trades in Kangerluk are fishing, sealing and whaling. The settlement has a factory where Uvak (local codfish) and sealskin are traded.
The remaining capacity in the town plan for industry and port facilities is approximately 13,000 m2.
By 2015 there were no unemployed in Kangerluk. Jobs in the settlement are related to sealing, whaling, fishing, various municipal functions, the shop and the school.
Tourists can visit the settlement by sea or as a destination of a hiking or dog sledge trip.
There are no roads, but several tracks in the settlement. In the winter, the primary means of transport are dog sledges and snowmobiles, but in the summer, it is possible to travel by boat to and from the settlement. However, there are no actual port facilities. The major part of the passenger and goods transport is handled by dinghies and power boats. In the northern part of the town, where small boats are docked, Naalakkersuisut has designated a port authority area.
Kangerluk has a power station, which supplies most houses. Water supply is based on a groundwater well, and heating is generated by private oil burners or stoves. There is no sewage system and grey wastewater is discharged above ground. Day-time refuse and night soil are collected and taken to the dump site, where it is discharged into the sea. There are no receiving facilities for environmentally hazardous waste, except for waste oil from Nukissiorifiit.
The settlement’s service functions include a post office, a shop and a settlement office. There is also a service house and a nursing station, which share the same premises. There is no organised child care in the settlement.
Around five children are taught in a building called Aalunnguup Atuarfia, which acts as a school offering up to form 8. After that, the children can continue their education in Qeqertarsuaq. The school also houses a library.
No buildings or areas have been designated preservation-worthy in the settlement. The church function is integrated in the school.
Kangerluk does not have a specific village hall, but the school is used for various leisure activities, and the municipal carpenter’s workshop is used for parties and gatherings.
The painter Jacob Danielsen (1888-1938) was born and raised in the settlement, and many of his drawings reflect his experiences and daily life in Kangerluk. Some of his original drawings are on display at the museum in Qeqertarsuaq.
