Lights out

Well, we've entered the season of no sun which begins officially for our location tomorrow, but in reality began last week because of the high hills just to the south of the hamlet. So far it is just like before dawn, or just after sunset, not really dark, but just dusk. It is strange when it begins getting dark before noon (we're a quite a ways east for the mountain time zone), and is totally dark by 1:30. By the time school is out at 4:00 it seems like it's time for supper. We've had very cold below -30C weather for approximately a week now, although it has been quite calm. Tonight we are having a quite a storm with high winds whipping the snow around.
Last weekend I accompanied the badminton team to Rankin Inlet for the weekend. It was a good flight down, and I enjoyed seeing a new community. Rankin is about twice as big as Kugaaruk, and you can even get a Pizza Hut pizza at the Northern Store there! We saw some men's hockey being played and it was pretty good. Of course, Rankin is home to Jordin Tootoo, the NHL hockey player. I even met a former student of my good friend Tom Garrity's brother Dave, who taught in Rankin back in the sixties. I'm beginning to get excited about going home for Christmas. I fly out on the 18th, stay overnight in Yellowknife, and get back to Ontario on the 19th. Hope to see many of you at that time.

cross on the hill

I went out for a ski today. The sun was out and the sky clear, but it was still very cold. It is just after sundown now (1:49) and the temp is -28C. I went across the ice to the hills on the north side of the hamlet and skied up a ways, then climbed the rest of the way up to the huge cross that has been erected there. It is quite high and affords a panoramic view of the hamlet and the surrounding land and ocean. Anyway, I thought a couple more pictures were in order. Just about froze my hands taking them though.

Long weekend

Ah, how nice it is to live in a civilized part of the country where Remembrance Day is still a holiday, even if it falls on a weekend. It is so nice not to have to go in to school to teach tomorrow. Mind you I'll be in to do some prep and marking. Sunset is now about 1:15, and it begins to darken soon after, so there is not too much one can do outside in the afternoon anyway. It has been very cold here lately with the temperature not rising above -20C for more than a week. Got out for a snowmobile ride with Linda yesterday, and went about 30 km south of here where the locals go to fish for char. They set nets through the ice and bring home lots of fish. They were nice enough to give Linda and me one each. I'm going to try to post two pictures, one of me with Bartholomey and a komatick (sled) full of char. Apparently they got about this much again after we left. The other is of the sunset this afternoon. The air was full of ice crystals and the sun was just a round ball. Very pretty. I've decided to stretch it a bit and add one more pic, of haircutting day in Kugaaruk.

skating on sea ice

Apparently my posting from last week didn't make it on line. The sea ice was very good on Saturday but it was too cold. On Sunday, although we had some snow Sat. night, some of us went down to the ice where Joanne and I tried the skates. It was pretty good, and we likely won't get another chance to do this. The other pic is of Linda and Jess, grade 6 and grade 5 teachers respectively.

Another weekend almost gone. The weather has been cold, and overcast, but no snow to speak of. The sea is frozen out to the islands now, and is likely to stay frozen unless we get a high wind in the near future. Went to church again this morning, and took a picture of the altar which I will post here. The priest is a really good guy, and I admire the way he has made himself fit into this community. The people really like him, and he is doing a great job among them. I took a picture of myself and Gertrude, my guitar. I've been growing a beard which is now quite noticeable. I don't really like its look or feel, but it does keep the face warm.

Just thought I'd make a new posting to show off the new snowmobile. Managed to get some gas tonight. Took a little bit of turning over to get it started, because it was totally drained of gas for shipping, but it started and seems to be running fine. Now just have to wait for more snow. I don't think I'll be running it on the gravel as some of the locals do, and the sea ice hasn't formed yet. That will probably happen by the end of the month.

thanksgiving weekend

Well here it is Monday evening, and the long weekend is over. It started out well with the arrival of my snowmobile. It appeared to have survived the trip okay. Trouble was, I couldn't buy any gas on the weekend, so I haven't had a chance to even start it up. Saturday evening the principal's wife invited the school staff in for Thanksgiving dinner. She really put on a spread and we all had a good time. I went to church on Sunday, then spent the rest of the day catching up on some things around the house and going into the school for awhile. Today was really nice with bright sun and mild temperatures around freezing. My housemate Keo flew out to a conference today and will be gone all week, so I hiked out to the airport with him. Then this evening there was a thanksgiving service at the church to give thanks for the safe return of two young men who spend a three days lost out on the tundra during the storm we had last weekend. All in all it was a good weekend. I'm sending two pictures: the first is a batchelor's cupboard (actually Keo's not mine!), and the second is of the kookik in the church. A koolik is a piece of soapstone shaped like half of a clam shell, in which whale or seal oil is burned. In the old days it was used for cooking, heat, and light, in the igloos. Now it is mostly used for ceremonial purposes. It is used in the church more or less like candles.

More snow again last night. Took the attached picture this morning from my doorstep.
That's the school in the background. The weekend has flown by, and tomorrow it's back to the classroom. I was in for an hour or so today, getting attendance records up to date, and planning for the week.

september snow

Feeling a little under the weather this weekend with a sore throat, so I haven't been out much. I'll post a picture that is at least a couple of weeks old showing the snow we've had. Sea ice is now forming although the wind takes most of it out again when it blows. It won't be long now though. My snowmobile still has not arrived. Apparently it has been in the airport in Yellowknife for several weeks. I don't know what the holdup is, but I'd just like to get it here so I could relax about it. School continues to go fairly well, and time seems to be passing quickly. I have to decide soon whether to go home to Ontario for Christmas(where I don't really have a home any more), to go to Chilliwack to spend it with my daughter Kristi, or just to stay here and save the $3000 it will cost for the round trip. I thought you might enjoy a picture of the snow.

another weekend

Not too much to report this time. School continues to roll along. I'm getting to know the students a little better but not well enough to assess their progress well. I got out for a jog on Saturday, but the weather wasn't great today. I did go to church with Margaret and Fraser this morning. This is a Catholic community and there is a full time priest in the hamlet. The church itself is quite impressive with beautiful Inuit artistry around the altar. I'll try to get a picture to post. Most of the service was in Inuktitut but the priest did repeat some things in English our benefit. He is an interesting guy. He is Polish. His second language is Inuktitut and English is his third language. I am getting to understand a little bit of the Inuktitut, and can guess what part of the mass is being said most of the time, but I still have a long way to go.

arctic sunset

There was a beautiful sunset last Thursday evening, and I took a bunch of pictures. I thought this one with the old stone church in it was quite nice. Unfortunately the church is falling down. It was built on the permafrost, and attempts to repair it have so far been in vain. It has existed here since about 1941 when there was a Catholic missionary by the name of Father Henri here. It is a well known landmark in these parts.

still here

It's been a frustrating time lately, because the internet has been so spotty. This community is connected to the rest of the world through a satellite hookup, and there has been some sort of local problem with it. The long weekend was great weatherwise. I was out kayaking Friday night and Saturday. The temperatures were mid teens, and the winds calm. On Sunday I went on an extended hike for about four hours up on the high hills overlooking the hamlet. The arctic is beautiful at this time of year when the sun is shining and the temperature mild. This week has gone quickly, and here it is Friday again. We had snow flurries this morning but no snow stayed on the ground. This weekend looks nice again, so I hope to get out again for awhile. I have a lot of school work to do this weekend as well, so I'll be spending some time there. School is going well, and I'm enjoying the north.

arctic charms

It has been a rather dreary week with rain at some point every day, and not much sun. Today was more of the same. I did get out for a run this morning, but it hasn't been a wonderful day. My friend Margaret, who taught a Kimmirut when I was there, arrived today to take up a position with Arctic College in their local teacher trainee program. The co-op manager was busy with a Hercules cargo plane so I volunteered to meet her at the airport and take her to her assigned house. Later this evening I am going to a pot-luck supper for all the school staff. It's nice to have these occasions since there are so many new members on staff. I've included another picture from last week since the weather hasn't cooperated for doing much photography this week.

arctic summer

Summer is finally in full swing up here. It takes this long for the land and water to warm up. Today's temperature was a balmy 12C. Last Thursday it was up to about 17C, and it was sunny and calm. Some staff members have been taking advantage of the warm weather to do some kayaking. I was out last Thursday, and again today, although today was a little windy. Still it was great to get out. People spend large sums of money to come here to do just what we were doing. I hope the pic I am including shows a little of the charms of the arctic.

DEW line

Last Saturday most of the teachers at the school were treated to a bumpy 25km ride in a little school bus to visit the DEW line station. It is all automated now, and no one is there, but it is still pretty impressive. I took a number of pics, but can only send one.

char fishing

Char are now running in the river and I was lucky enough to get one about 200m from my front door on Friday evening. They will only be in the mouth of the river for about a week before they move upstream. There were quite a few people from the hamlet out tonight and I saw a number of char being caught. On Saturday a most of the teachers from the school were taken on a bumpy 25km bus ride to the DEW line station. Quite a set up. Of course they are unmanned now, but are still operated remotely. We stopped at a lake which is part of the river system that flows into the hamlet. I was able to catch another char there. I'll be trying to get out most evenings while they are in the vicinity of the hamlet.

pics

Having trouble sending more than one pic at a time. Here's one of the front foyer of the school

school

Today was the first day having kids in the school. Things are still a little up in the air with respect to my teaching assignment, but that's par for the North. I bought a fishing license today, and hope to be able to show you a picture of a nice arctic char before too long. There is supposed to be good fishing in the mouth of the river, just a stone's throw from my door, for about the next two weeks. Then the char move upriver. I got my own internet connection today too, so I'll see how it works in sending some pictures of the school.

pics

Still trying to send some pics. This is one of the school taken from my front door.

pics

Having trouble sending pics as the wireless connection here is a bit spotty.

kugaaruk pics

I'll try the pics again.

back in Nunavut

Arrived in Kugaaruk yesterday after a 2-day trip from Toronto, by way of Edmonton, Yellowknife, Cambridge Bay, Goa Haven. This community is a little bigger than Kimmirut where I was before, on Bafffin Island, but essentially it is the same. This place has lots of hills around it as Kimmirut does, and I look forward to going on some hikes in the near future. I'm glad I didn't take a job in Goa Haven however as it appeared to be almost flat for kilometers around. My roomate is to arrive either today or tomorrow, and I won't really settle in until we get together to decide who goes where, etc. I've been able to connect by way of a wireless set up in the school, although it seems a little slow, so I may not be able to send too many pictures. I've included two, this posting: one on the tarmac at Yellowknife airport, and one showing my new home (not the best shot perhaps).

Lou and Me

Apparently the pic of Lou and me didn't get on to the blog, so I'll try again. Packing is going slowly but I have bought a new snowmobile, a Yamaha Venture 500. It seems like a great machine, and I hope I'll be able to sell it readily when I am finished in the north. I'll post a pic of it when I take delivery of it.

back to the tundra

Well after a year in the balmy weather of Central Ontario, I'm heading back to the north country. (You may look at my previous experience on my former blog at www.kimmirutkid.blogspot.com.) I will not be going back to Kimmirut this time, but to another slightly larger community farther north and west: namely, Kugaaruk, or to call it by its old name, Pelly Bay. There are a number of reasons why I'm going back north, but certainly not least is that I am totally facinated with the Arctic. It is an awesome country in every sense of the word. Some of you will know that in the past year I became very close to a certain lady who lives in Guelph. That relationship is still on; we have agreed that this is just part of the plan for us to eventually be together. Yes, it will be a lonely winter, but time goes quickly and I'll be home for a couple of weeks at Chrismas. I have included a picture of Lou and me taken recently. I'm finishing a couple of months of teaching at St. Peter's in Barrie this week and will have to get my rear in gear in order to get packed up, get my house rented, and still get up to the north for the start of the school year on August 7. Short summer! I still hope to get in a little boating on the Georgian Bay. I have my eye on a snowmachine to take up with me and will save that for a future blog. Hope everyone has a good summer.