Tuktoyaktuk (/ˌtʌktəˈjæktʌk/ TUK-tə-YAK-tuk; Inuvialuktun: Tuktuyaaqtuuq [təktujaːqtuːq], lit. 'it looks like a caribou')[5] is an Inuvialuit hamlet located near the Mackenzie River delta in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, at the northern terminus of the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway.[9][10] One of six Inuvialuit communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, it is commonly referred to by its first syllable, Tuk (/tʌk/).[11] It lies north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and is the only place on the Arctic Ocean connected to the rest of Canada by road.[9] Known as Port Brabant after British colonization, in 1950 it became the first Indigenous settlement in Canada to reclaim its traditional name.[12]
Tuktoyaktuk
Tuktuyaaqtuuq (Inuktitut) Port Brabant (formerly) | |
|---|---|
Hamlet | |
 North Warning System radar station at Tuktoyaktuk | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Tuk | |
  Tuktoyaktuk  Tuktoyaktuk | |
| Coordinates: 69°27′03″N 133°02′09″W / 69.45083°N 133.03583°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Territory | Northwest Territories |
| Region | Inuvik Region |
| Electoral district | Nunakput |
| Census division | Region 1 |
| Settled | 1928 |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1970 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Erwin Elias |
| • Senior Administrative Officer | Holly Campbell |
| • MLA | Lucy Kuptana |
| • Member of Parliament | Michael McLeod |
| • Senator | Margaret Dawn Anderson |
| Area | |
| • Land | 12.66 km2 (4.89 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (15 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 937 |
| • Density | 74.0/km2 (192/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| Canadian Postal code | X0E 1C0 |
| Area code | 867 |
| Telephone exchange | 977 |
| – Living cost (2018) | 162.5A |
| – Food price index (2019) | 157.8B |
| Website | http://www.tuktoyaktuk.ca |
| Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[4] Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[5] Canada Flight Supplement[3] Northwestel[6] Natural Resources Canada[7] ^A 2018 figure based on Edmonton = 100[8] ^B 2019 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[8] | |
History
edit
Tuktoyaktuk is the anglicized form of the native Inuvialuit place-name, meaning "resembling a caribou". According to legend, a woman looked on as some caribou, common at the site, waded into the water and turned into stone, or became petrified. Today, reefs resembling these petrified caribou are said to be visible at low tide along the shore of the town.[13]
No formal archaeological sites exist today, but the settlement has been used by the native Inuvialuit for centuries as a place to harvest caribou and beluga whales. In addition, Tuktoyaktuk's natural harbour was historically used as a means to transport supplies to other Inuvialuit settlements.
Between 1890 and 1910, a sizeable number of Tuktoyaktuk's native families were wiped out in flu epidemics brought in by American whalers. In subsequent years, the Dene people, as well as residents of Herschel Island, settled here. By 1937, the Hudson's Bay Company had established a trading post. On 9 September 1944, a serious fall windstorm blew through the community and severely damaged several buildings and schooners docked at the harbour, also killing 11 people en route back from a reindeer station on the Anderson River on the schooner Cally.[14]
Radar domes were installed beginning in the 1950s as part of the Distant Early Warning Line, to monitor air traffic and detect possible Soviet intrusions during the Cold War. The settlement's location (and harbour) made Tuk important in resupplying the civilian contractors and Air Force personnel along the DEW Line. In 1947, Tuktoyaktuk became the site of one of the first government day schools, designed to forcibly assimilate Inuit youth into mainstream Canadian culture.[15][16]
The community of Tuktoyaktuk eventually became a base for the oil and natural gas exploration of the Beaufort Sea. Large industrial buildings remain from the busy period following the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries 1973 oil embargo and 1979 summertime fuel shortage. This brought many more outsiders into the region.
In late 2010, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announced that an environmental study would be undertaken on a proposed all-weather road between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.[17] Work on the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway officially started on 8 January 2014, and the highway was officially opened on 15 November 2017.[9]
Geography
editTuktoyaktuk is set on Kugmallit Bay, near the Mackenzie River Delta, and is located on the Arctic tree line.
Tuktoyaktuk is the gateway for exploring Pingo National Landmark, an area protecting eight nearby pingos in a region which contains approximately 1,350 of these Arctic ice-dome hills. The landmark comprises an area roughly 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi), just a few kilometres west of the community, and includes Canada's highest, the world's second-highest, pingo, at 49 m (161 ft).[18]
Employment
editMany locals still hunt, fish, and trap. Locals rely on caribou in the autumn, ducks and geese in both spring and autumn, and fishing year-round. Other activities include collecting driftwood, berrypicking, and reindeer herding. Most productivity today comes from tourism and transportation. Marine Transportation Services (MTS) is a major employer in this region. In addition, the oil and gas industry continues to employ explorers and other workers.
In 1962, the government sponsored Tuktoyaktuk Fur Garment Project was started; it provided vocational training in industrial sewing and commercial production of items for sale, including parkas, mitts, slippers, mukluks, hats, wall hangings, placemats and dolls produced by local women that were sold in the Tuktoyaktuk Fur Garment Shop. The shop closed in the 1980s.[19]
Demographics
editIn the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Tuktoyaktuk had a population of 937 living in 285 of its 334 total private dwellings, a change of 4.3% from its 2016 population of 898. With a land area of 12.66 km2 (4.89 sq mi), it had a population density of 74.0/km2 (191.7/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
The average annual personal income in 2015 was $21,984 Canadian and the average family income was $55,424. Local languages are Inuinnaqtun (Inuvialuktun) and English with a few North Slavey and Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib) speakers. Tuktoyaktuk is predominately Indigenous (90.8%) with Inuit (Inuvialuit) making up 88.0%, 9.2% non-Aboriginal, 1.7% First Nations and 1.1% giving multiple Indigenous backgrounds.[20]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 597 | — |
| 1976 | 590 | −1.2% |
| 1981 | 772 | +30.8% |
| 1986 | 929 | +20.3% |
| 1991 | 918 | −1.2% |
| 1996 | 943 | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 930 | −1.4% |
| 2006 | 870 | −6.5% |
| 2011 | 854 | −1.8% |
| 2016 | 898 | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 937 | +4.3% |
| Source: Statistics Canada [2][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] | ||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics (2008–2019),[8] NWT Bureau of Statistics (2001–2017)[29] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Panethnic group | 2021[30] | 2016[31] | 2011[32] | 2006[33] | 2001[34] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Indigenous | 850 | 92.39% | 815 | 93.68% | 760 | 92.12% | 735 | 84.48% | 875 | 94.09% |
| European[a] | 55 | 5.98% | 55 | 6.32% | 65 | 7.88% | 125 | 14.37% | 55 | 5.91% |
| Latin American | 10 | 1.09% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| South Asian | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 1.15% | 0 | 0% |
| African | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 1.15% | 0 | 0% |
| East Asian[b] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Southeast Asian[c] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Middle Eastern[d] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Other/multiracial[e] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total responses | 920 | 98.19% | 870 | 96.88% | 825 | 96.6% | 870 | 100% | 930 | 100% |
| Total population | 937 | 100% | 898 | 100% | 854 | 100% | 870 | 100% | 930 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||
Climate
editTuktoyaktuk displays a subarctic climate (Dfc), bordering on a tundra climate (ET), as the July mean temperature is barely above 10 °C (50 °F). Since the Arctic Ocean freezes over for much of the year, the maritime influence is minimized, resulting in cold winters and a strong seasonal lag in spring. This results in colder Aprils than Octobers and much colder Mays than Septembers. March is also colder than December, and is the only month yet to record a temperature above freezing at any point. Due to the dominance of cold air, Tuktoyaktuk has a lower precipitation rate than many desert climates. In spite of this, the cold temperatures mean it receives more than a metre of snow a year on average. Owing to the thousands of kilometers of land to the south of Tuktoyaktuk, southerly winds can sometimes push warmer air into the region. Rex blocks can cause an exceptionally strong ridge of high pressure to form at higher latitudes, allowing heat to build consistently.[35] As a result, temperatures well above average can occur in summer in spite of the cold surrounding waters. During a bout of exceptionally hot Arctic weather,[36] Tuktoyaktuk was among the numerous northern communities that witnessed new highest temperatures for the day, reaching a high of 29.9 °C (85.8 °F) on 4 July 2022.[37] Its overall highest temperature of 30.4 °C (86.7 °F) was recorded on 2 July 1998.[38] Tuktoyaktuk's climate stands in stark contrast to those of Northern Norway at similar latitudes, but is in many ways less extreme in comparison with Eastern Canada at lower latitudes, where summers are cooler, moderated by the cool waters of the Hudson Bay.[citation needed]
| Climate data for Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport) Climate ID: 2203912; coordinates 69°29′00″N 133°01′35″W / 69.48333°N 133.02639°W; elevation: 4.3 m (14 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 3.8 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 23.9 | 32.3 | 34.2 | 32.9 | 22.4 | 17.2 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 34.2 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
0.7 (33.3) |
3.2 (37.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
25.2 (77.4) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.4 (86.7) |
29.9 (85.8) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.9 (64.2) |
2.5 (36.5) |
0.8 (33.4) |
30.4 (86.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −22.0 (−7.6) |
−22.1 (−7.8) |
−19.6 (−3.3) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
1.3 (34.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
15.5 (59.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
6.3 (43.3) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
−20.3 (−4.5) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −25.8 (−14.4) |
−26.0 (−14.8) |
−24.0 (−11.2) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
11.4 (52.5) |
9.2 (48.6) |
3.6 (38.5) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−23.8 (−10.8) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −29.5 (−21.1) |
−29.8 (−21.6) |
−28.4 (−19.1) |
−19.3 (−2.7) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
2.4 (36.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−20.5 (−4.9) |
−27.2 (−17.0) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −48.9 (−56.0) |
−46.6 (−51.9) |
−45.5 (−49.9) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
−28.9 (−20.0) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−36.2 (−33.2) |
−40.1 (−40.2) |
−46.7 (−52.1) |
−48.9 (−56.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −70.8 | −61.2 | −58.1 | −55.5 | −40.1 | −16.5 | −6.5 | −8.9 | −21.6 | −43.5 | −50.8 | −58.9 | −70.8 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 10.5 (0.41) |
8.9 (0.35) |
7.2 (0.28) |
8.3 (0.33) |
6.8 (0.27) |
11.0 (0.43) |
22.3 (0.88) |
25.7 (1.01) |
23.3 (0.92) |
18.4 (0.72) |
9.6 (0.38) |
8.7 (0.34) |
160.7 (6.33) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (0.06) |
9.7 (0.38) |
22.2 (0.87) |
24.4 (0.96) |
15.5 (0.61) |
1.3 (0.05) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.01) |
74.9 (2.95) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 13.4 (5.3) |
10.2 (4.0) |
9.0 (3.5) |
9.4 (3.7) |
6.2 (2.4) |
1.3 (0.5) |
0.1 (0.0) |
1.2 (0.5) |
8.9 (3.5) |
20.1 (7.9) |
12.1 (4.8) |
11.2 (4.4) |
103.1 (40.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.4 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 10.1 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 105.6 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 4.3 | 10.0 | 12.4 | 9.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.10 | 38.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 8.6 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.14 | 0.90 | 5.0 | 13.0 | 9.9 | 9.1 | 72.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST) | 78.4 | 78.4 | 75.7 | 77.5 | 77.2 | 69.3 | 69.7 | 75.4 | 79.0 | 86.7 | 85.0 | 80.6 | 76.7 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[39] (rain/rain days, snow/snow days and precipitation/precipitation days 1981–2010)[40] | |||||||||||||
Transportation
edit
Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport links Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik. This 30-minute flight costs a few hundred dollars per passenger. Formerly in winter time, the Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road provided road access to Inuvik. The $300-million Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway opened in November 2017,[41][9] which provides all-season access to Inuvik, which connects to the rest of the highway networks in Canada.[42]
In popular culture
edit- In the third episode of Jesse James Is a Dead Man, originally aired on 14 June 2009 on Spike TV, Jesse James rides his motorcycle from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk to drop off medical supplies.[43]
- On 3 September 1995, the Molson Brewing Company arranged for several popular rock bands to give a concert in Tuktoyaktuk as a publicity stunt promoting their new ice-brewed beer. During the months leading up to concert, radio stations across North America ran contests in which they gave away free tickets. Dubbed The Molson Ice Polar Beach Party, it featured Hole, Metallica,[44] Moist, Cake and Veruca Salt. Canadian filmmaker Albert Nerenberg made a documentary about this concert, Invasion of the Beer People.[45]
- Tuktoyaktuk is featured in the Discovery Channel TV show Ice Road Truckers.[46]
- The imaginary Tuktoyaktuk University, abbreviated as TUK-U, has been "emblazoned on hundreds of thousands of T-shirts that travelled the world"[47] after "One cheeky clothing franchise has rather successfully promoted" it.[48]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
References
edit- ^ "Tuktoyaktuk". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ a b c d "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ a b Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
- ^ "NWT Communities - Tuktoyaktuk". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ a b "Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre – official names" (PDF). Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ Northwestel 2008 phone directory
- ^ Canadian Geographical Names Database – Native names for Native places Archived 1 October 2006 at archive.today
- ^ a b c Tuktoyaktuk – Statistical Profile at the GNWT
- ^ a b c d Montgomery, Marc. "Canada now officially connected by road-coast to coast to coast", CBC Radio, 15 November 2017. Retrieved on 15 November 2017.
- ^ Lamb, David. "Driving to the top of the world: Exploring Canada's new Arctic highway", CBC, 18 April 2017. Retrieved on 15 November 2017.
- ^ Welcome To The Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk Website
- ^ "Infofile Detail – Native Names for Native Places". Edmonton Public Library. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "Tourist guide". Tuk.ca. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008.
- ^ The Moccasin Telegraph, March 1945
- ^ Crowe, Keith J. (1991) [1974]. A History of the Original Peoples of Northern Canada (revised ed.). McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-0880-4.
- ^ Brant, Jennifer (1 May 2020). "Racial Segregation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada.
- ^ "Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry – Environmental Assessment Home Page". Ceaa.gc.ca. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ Parks Canada (2005). "Pingo National Landmark". Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
- ^ Arnold, C (2019). "Sewing culture: the Tuktoyaktuk Fur Garment Shop". Tusaayaksat. Fall: 19–23.
- ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "1976 Census of Canada: Population - Geographic Distributions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. June 1977. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ Population Estimates By Community from the GNWT
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 October 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 November 2015). "NHS Profile". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (20 August 2019). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2 July 2019). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Digital Writers. "Arctic Circle snags some of Canada's hottest weather to start July". www.theweathernetwork.com. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Records may fall as impressive heat wave roasts the Arctic Circle". theweathernetwork.com. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Tuktoyaktuk". Daily Data Report for July 2022. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate ID: 2203914. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Tuktoyaktuk". Daily Data Report for July 1998. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate ID: 2203914. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Tuktoyaktuk Northwest Territories". Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Tuktoyaktuk A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010 Station Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate ID: 2203912. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ "Official Opening Ceremonies". Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway. Government of Northwest Territories. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Stewart, Brian (23 October 2017). "New Arctic coast highway opens up remote Tuktoyaktuk". CBC News.
- ^ "Arctic Bike Journey". IMDb.
- ^ "It took heart surgery for this man to open this giant bottle of wine after 2 decades | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Website for Invasion of the Beer People". Nutaaq.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021.
- ^ Kaplan, Don (2 April 2008). "Back on the 'ice road'". New York Post. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "What To Do in Tuktoyaktuk". Spectacular NWT. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Harris, Kate (19 May 2014). "Tuktoyaktuk or Bust". The Walrus. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
External links
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