Blogs from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, North America - page 2

Hey hey! We left the story in Dawson City. Now we are in Inuvik, Northwest Territories where the only way to get here from Dawson is...THE DEMPSTER HIGHWAY....that's right: A one way road, 750 kilometers of gravel and mud and pot holes! And oh yes, let us not forget the unforgettable: MOSQUITOS. In addition to the challenges, we saw some unbelievable views. Beautiful mountains, tundra, and boreal forests and wildlife accompanied us on the way. We hope that our return trip brings more sunshine so we can see even more! (we hit a lot of rain along the way). Our first stop on the Dempster was Tombstone Territorial Park where tundra meets mountains. We did some very picturesque walks to the frozen ice sheets on the North Klondike River and some guided walks with very knowledgeable ... read more

The end of the road music festival ... read more

Delta Survey... read more

Today I got to drive down the Dempster Highway to the Peel River crossing just past Fort Mcpherson with Jolie and Sean. We collected some water samples from the Peel River, the Arctic Red and the Mackenzie river. The Dempster Highway is extremely dusty, as you can see in my photos! It is a one of a kind drive though. Our first "stop" was to catch the mini ferry across the channel where Arctic Red and Mackenzie merge. From here we drove straight to Fort McPherson. Fort McPherson is a Gwich'in community along the Peel River, connected to Dawson and Inuvik by the Dempster Highway. There are only 900 people in this community. The highlight here was the burial site of the Lost Patrol. The RCMP Lost Patrol consisted of Inspector Francis J. Fitzgerald, Constables G.F. ... read more

I finally got a chance to tour Our Lady of Victory church, better known throughout the western Arctic as the "Igloo Church." It is said to be the most photographed building in Inuvik. Which is not surprising considering it is a large circular structure surmounted by a byzantine dome, crowned by a cupola topped by a cross in a town of squat rectangular buildings. It is funny that this building seemed to sit more comfortably and congruously in the arctic than the shoebox-shaped house around town. The tour was given by Father Mathew a Nigerian Priest who has been in Inuvik for 5 years. He did a very great job telling us of the history of the church and the structure is not the only intriguing part. The church was designed by a local Catholic ... read more