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Published: July 12th 2012
This has been a trip I've wanted to do for a long time... A working trip in Nunavut Territory, Canada. The timing hasn't worked out in past opportunities, so in mid June when all the stars aligned, I accepted my first Psychiatric Nursing contract in Iqaluit. I've always had some idea of what the north was like and have done some research, but somewhere as foreign as northern Canada; it’s tough to get a grasp. From what I understood, it’s not exactly a tourist hotspot.
My overnight layover was in Ottawa and after a fairly painless flight; I checked into my hotel. I had some dinner and met two girls at the bar who were heading up to Pangnirtung, another community in Nunavut. We both had similar curiosities about up north and it was nice to know that I wasn’t the only one on a journey like this.
The next morning seemed fairly routine as we boarded the plane; however, this is when the first hiccup of the trip kicked in. As we pulled out of terminal the pilot came over the speaker and explained that there was a mechanical problem they needed to look into... So the waiting
began. We had to de-board and this is when I was so thankful I loaded my laptop with the entire series of Sons of Anarchy among other shows and games. The delay continued and after an entire day in the airport, we were told that the flight would be rescheduled for tomorrow morning due to foggy weather in Iqaluit. So after a season of Sons of Anarchy down, back to the hotel it was.
The next day seemed like the movie “Groundhog Day” as the entire morning routine was exactly the same... Sadly, the rest of the day went quite similarly to the last, but without boarding. Instead, I was told right as I checked in that my flight would be leaving at 6pm that night. Rather than sit uncomfortably in the terminal, the airline had offered a hotel voucher. So I took advantage of it and waited in style. Free wireless and a bed made the 8 hours of waiting tolerable until I was startled by a phone call explaining the flight would be cancelled yet again, and rescheduled for the next morning.
Groundhog Day all over again and as I checked in, I was really hoping
things were going to change. And they did! Luckily I made it onboard the flight and it actually took off this time. I was finally on my way to Iqaluit. Unfortunately the fog was still an issue and as we began our descent, all I could see was white which I was disappointed with because I was really looking forward to see a bird’s eye view of the landscape. But as we dropped closer to the ground, we got beneath the fog a bit, and I was able to see some of the surrounding land. It was still difficult to see with the fog, but I was able to make out some ice flows and treeless tundra. It seemed as if I was landing on the moon. As we got off the plane, the weather was just like home... showers and about 10 degrees.
I was greeted by my nurse manager and was given an orientation to where I would be working, Grinnel Place, home of Mental Health and Social Services. The work seemed interesting and I was excited to get started. I was given a tour of the city and I was immediately intrigued. This was a different
world. No trees, rolling hills, strange buildings, it actually felt like I had made a lunar landing. I was also oriented to my apartment suite for the month and my new roommate. He gave me a bit of a rundown of the surrounding area, and a full explanation on how crappy our T.V. coverage was. Iqaluit is situated on the tip of Frobisher Bay and is right on the Koojesse Inlet. As I gazed out my window, I was able to see some broken up sea ice in the inlet and an ice burg that washed ashore with the heavy tides. I was told by my roomate who had already been here for three weeks that there was more ice in the bay and even some on the ground up until about a week ago. But as of now, the ground was bare.
The rest of the week was spent orientating to the job and getting used to nearly 24 hours of daylight. It was truly a foreign spot and retiring at anytime makes you feel like a kid again when you had to go to bed before 9pm in the summertime and all you wanted to do was
play. But I managed to wind down and knew this was going to be something I’d have to get used to.
Another thing to get used to was the grocery prices. Luckily, I had a bit of a heads up and was able to pack a suitcase with some staples, pasta, rice, Mr. Noodles, Kraft Dinner, and condiments, so I didn’t have to start entirely from scratch. But I spent nearly $50 on just a few items. I managed to avoid the absolutely ridiculously priced things like a box of cereal for $15, pack of cookies: $9, bag of 3 bell peppers: $10, 4 pudding cups $7. And thank goodness I don’t have a cat... Cat litter: $57.
Luckily the sun decided to come out later in the week and on my first Friday night I decided to make the most of the midnight sun. Although the sun wasn’t exactly above the horizon, it was still very bright out. Just after midnight, I decided to hike up a hill that overlooks the entire city. It was a bit bizarre being able to do this when it should be dark out, but my naivety was soon checked by the
reality of the time. Although it was still light out, it was evening and my South African experience kicked in. I immediately thought of predators at night. I wish I was going somewhere exciting with this, but my fear of a Polar Bear jumping out to surprise me was misplaced and instead my only company was a swarm of mosquitoes which followed me the entire way up the hill. However, the view was breathtaking and having my first up close view of the rolling tundra was remarkable. The ground was covered in green vegetation and colourful flowers. Unfortunately the harassment of the mosquitoes cut my time a bit short and at around 1:00am I decided to head home.
The next day had me take a hike around town to explore some of the neighbourhood and strange buildings. Many structures have been designed to maintain heat in the winter in case of a power outage, which has them looking like giant white or blue cubes with little circular windows. As I suggested, the design of a lot of things here must have come from space. I also got to experience some of the friendly culture that comes from a small
town, and specifically the Inuit people here. Most, if not everyone smiles when you pass them, cars stop for you when you need to cross the road, and it seems that almost everyone knows everyone. There’s quite the sense of community.
I was also able to check out a major attraction of Iqaluit: Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. This gave me another great experience of the amazing tundra, landscape and of course... intense mosquitoes. The park is situated around the Sylvia Grinnell River, which is home to some great fishing. Luckily once I had view of the river, the wind picked up and the mosquitoes were less of a problem. I managed to relax by the river and I really wished I had a fishing pole... Maybe next time.
My final highlight of the week was Nunavut Day, which is the annual celebration of when Nunavut separated from Northwest Territories to become its own territory. I was able to catch the tail end of Canada AM, which was broadcasting live from the Legislative Assembly’s parking lot. I think I even made it on T.V. The rest of the celebration had music, food, both traditional and foreign, and everyone gathering
around and socializing. Traditional food that was made available was Narwhal, seal meat, Beluga meat, Caribou, and dried Arctic Char. Unfortunately I didn’t have the appetite to try any of the local delicacies, but I did have a musk ox burger! I was also fortunate enough to watch a seal skinning competition as well as a duck plucking competition. Overall, the festivities gave me a glimpse into what Inuit culture is all about and it was a very enjoyable time.
My first week in Iqaluit has been an intriguing one and I look forward to explore more of the surrounding area. I have been made aware to the unique Inuit culture, which I’m still trying to get a grasp on. Hopefully over the next 3 weeks I’ll be able to get a better sense of it and have a chance for some new discoveries around the area.
(scroll down for more photos)
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Stephanie
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Can't wait to read more!!