Coffee Treats for All

The tradition of a break during the workday has been raised a bar or two at 62 degrees north of the

March Birthdays celebrated with Cheesecake surprizes and homeade bread

 equator. While employed by the Government of Nunavut, the health centre workers enjoy a cameraderie that is seen in few other places. Being a small town, everyone knows everyone and their business to a large degree, but there is a big family atmosphere here.

I mentioned earlier how on the first or second friday of the month we celebrate staff birthdays for the month. For the month of March Colleen, our 'cook', surprised us with a wonderful cheesecake desserts. These small, melt in your mouth surprizes, are right up my alley as I've always had a sweet tooth. The only problem with a three o'clock official unveiling is that many times I don't make it there in time.

The chocolate dreams of February celebrations

Of course, the reason isn't tardiness by choice, but tardiness by patient. They always seem to arrive about 1445 on a Friday and by the time you complete the exam, finish the cleanup and grab your mug, the goodies have been revealed and many are history.

I remember arriving over four weeks ago, just in time for the 'celebration' in February. A little after three, the two trays of chocholate muffins, with drop dead sour cream icing (decorated in two colours), were already reduced to one. Before much longer, they had evaporated.

Hot off the grill.....The Cardiac Montiors were standing by...but not required.

The friday treats have continued and, yes, the latest was no disappointment. Fresh, still warm from the baking process, homemade doughnuts. Soft, moist with a dripping glaze that looked like it should be too sweet...but it wasn't. Just the right blend. This week, I wasn't late....but there were others that beat me. Success was achieved and as I licked my fingers and tasted the gooey presentation, I thought about how fortunate we were.

It had warmed up to -28C outside. There was cloud cover...not so much sunshine, but here on a friday afternoon we were enjoying each others company with jabs and stories. Everyone had plans...looking forward to:

a) the Bingo on Friday and Saturday

b) the 12 team hockey tournament that had started wednesday night

c) the flea market Saturday at one

d) sleeping in

Of course, the other big event on payday fridays, drawn at 4 p.m.....the 50/50 draw. Here's how this works...tickets are $2 or 3 for $5. Half the money pays for our coffees and this week the winner walked off with well over $120. Not a bad way to start your weekend. After two draws I have yet to win...but I'm still in the hunt for the next one.

So far, my descriptions of these breaks, is pretty mundane and quite usual for many. Some mornings,

MUKTUK frozen delight

you can see staff arrive in the morning with a Tim's in their hand but that's much the same throughout most of Canada. However, what I am about to describe you will only see here.

This past week, when I arrived to our staff lounge, an event occurred that was quite unique from my perspective. Many of the support staff were already present. On the table were several pieces of cardboard box, ripped to various sizes. There were several larger sharp knives, the kind you see of the workbench of a butcher...hard handles, heavy blades.

Why have a timbit when you can have MUKTUK?

On one of the cardboard, someone had shared their prize 'frozen' delaacy. There sitting quietly was a large white slab about three inches thick and roughly the size of 10x12 xray film. The inuits that were gathered were eager to explain and proceed. I had come for coffee. Instead, I was offered Muktuk. The knives were quickly engaged and the frozen mass became the focus. With determination it wasn't long until some was carved with precision into small 'bite size' pieces. I politely replied that it was a bit early for me...and tried repeatedly to repeat Muktuk with the correct inuktitut inflection.

A sharp knife is a start

For the next few minutes, we were privileged to find about more inuit traditions and part of the 'country' food chain. You see, the white mass, as it was being devoured, was beluga whale. Raw foods and meats are not unique to the Inuit, but as a nomadic people their traditions are oft misunderstood. There are no trees here. In fact,there are no trees for several hundreds of miles. So you couldn't just find some wood and start a fire if you wanted to out on 'the land'.

In the summer months, there are mosses and lichens that can burn and boil water. Many months though, the tundra is ice and snow covered, only the caribou and muskox dig through to find these morsels. So the raw foods are still savoured, and enjoyed by many. There was a gleam in the eyes of a couple of the older staff as they wielded their respective knife to achieve success. Obviously enjoying the tasty treat.

The week had started and coffee breaks would never be quite the same for me...Here I was in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut...only 70 kilometers from the actual Whale Cove hamlet, having MUKTUK as an option. I thought back for a moment, to my home in Niagara Falls...to the belugas at Whale Cove in Marineland. Food chain versus attraction...I had come a long way in four weeks.

Whale Cove at Marineland never looked like this!!

Friday the 13th …PARTE DEUX

It’s already the second Friday the thirteenth of 2015…another

The Sun is getting stronger, the days longer, and the roads are showing centre bare...for now!

happens later in the fall. This is my second Friday the thirteenth while here in Rankin Inlet. Hard to believe, it’s also pay day…and the direct deposit actually went in this time…the beauty of online banking inquiries.

There are two big things happening locally…namely Bingo

and Hockey. First, its pay day so all government workers and many others get paid. The local charities are on board and radio bingo “is on the air”…top prize $20,000 on friday...my mother-in-law is happy when she wins $20.00 at her residence in Welland. Now Saturday’s top prize is $18,500. Now those are the top prizes….the other bingo games pay out handsomely as well. Also quick picks when you buy your cards for $30 EACH.

A raven sits atop one of the 'old' poles

Newer infrastructure is visible but hidden

This afternoon, my Colleague Marie, informed me that a group of snow mobilers had just arrived in town to get their bingo cards…from Chesterfield Inlet...a trip in -38 degree weather of over 100 miles one way. Now while they are here they probably will also cheer at the other big event in town. There is another hockey tournament this weekend. Rankin Inlet has five men’s teams of the total 15 registrants. Arviat and Iqualuit are not coming due to financial or other reasons apparently.

So it’s probably a good day to clear up questions and answers that have arisen and give some updates as to other events, here, in the north. For the past 48 hours, the work of Jason and Guy has remained successful as we had water in our apartment building for the past 44 hours already! Thank you both. Camping at -40 degree temps has some benefits but that list does not use a lot of ink!

I haven’t been on call for the past two weeks, so that’s been quite a treat as well. Marie has taken the call during that time, but that will all change Monday at 8 a.m. as she smiles and hands me our new G3 Samsung cell. I’ll be on for the next two weeks thereafter.

The full moon is waning and today was to set around 9:30 a.m. but it hid behind some morning clouds after a cloud streak sunrise over at the other end of town. The plan is to try and see some northern lights after the moon goes dark in the next ten days. The sun itself is much stronger as everyone in Niagara keeps reminding me…thanks.

The weather here has been quite decent for the past two weeks. The roads have become almost centre bare and some pavement is actually showing now. There are multiple rocks showing through on the more popular snowmobiling routes through the various shortcuts in town. I tried to find out how they actually dig through the rocks to lay the sewer pipes necessary only to find out that they have just raised the level of the roadways as needed.

From the hill by the fuelling station over looking the dog pens and the town.

 

The housing and newer Power Lines

There’s definitely more street lighting around town and I’ve noticed an increased number of power lines. Bigger poles, heavier gauge wire and more routes are visible all through the hamlet. Obviously, this is in anticipation of future growth when the nearest gold mine reaches full production only 25 miles away, within the next year. Certainly housing will be expanding as the new building season approaches. Hard to imagine, what those large barges and containers will carry this year. So far they won’t be carrying my new Tim’s Horton Roll –up Toyota…I haven’t won it yet!

This morning, while watching CHCH television, and their live feeds from Port Dover I couldn’t help but think about the difference in temperature from one month ago. When the cyclists gathered last month, the temps in Dover were minus 24 and we were about -45. 

Today, Dover is well above freezing at plus 10 but we are hovering at -24 (-39 with the wind chill)…the closet things to motorcycles that we see here are the quads you see buzzing about town…those and the snow machines scurrying everywhere, even more so, since the weather has warmed slightly. Every Friday the 13^th motorcycle enthusiasts gather in droves to Port Dover to celebrate their sport together. This has been happening for over 33 years.

Have a great weekend. 

Here in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Monday has storm alerts and possible blizzards, after Sunday’s possible freezing rain. I really want to see how arctic freezing rain is any different. Stay warm, stay safe, enjoy your spring-like conditions… especially those in Port Dover. There the crowds are immense and yet I’ve never been there…but then most of them probably haven’t been here, either.

Port Dover crowd on a warmer 13th

Rankin Inlet Walking Tour

The walking tour can start many places but I’d thought we’d start from the Health Centre..the reason

Looking out over the Bay

being it’s of central focus to many of our residents. Going north along the main road through the centre of the hamlet you pass the bay on your left…in the near distance you can see some hills and such and apparently there are islands, just across. Of course, this time of year, it can look pretty barren but wintry beautiful especially on sunrise.

Further up the road and over a block or two past the generating plant are some remnants of the Shaft Head of the original Rankin Mine. Only a few parts remain…some concrete framing and some of the gears and such. Up the hill and over to the left of

town there’s a light that sits atop the hill. This light needs more research before I can bring its story to ‘light’.

The original Rankin Mine left overs

Back in Rankin Inlet town centre, there are new street lights, traffic signs, and street signs. I’ve noticed new electric poles, much taller and stronger than the previous ones. There’s a snow covered stack of them over by the old mine head, so you know that more will be replaced over the next few months/years as the infrastructure continues to be tweaked. The street signs last time were almost non-existant, this time they flourish and a few speed limit signs have been added as
well.

Once past the Northern and towards the firehall on the right you can see our famous 15 foot Inukshuk, through gale and calm, a pillar to the community. Apparently, in early summer, the hill it stands on is exquisitely covered in a blaze of small purple flowers. Just up the hill past my old ‘homestead’ sits the C-Co-op building complete with CIBC bank branch, co-op store and Inns north restaurant and hotel. It’s quite sad to see my place all boarded up and just awaiting the wrecking ball. There’s frost in the windows…where the sun used to stream in.

Across Williamson Lake we trek, past a multitude of houses. Some old “matchbox” style and some, more modern ones, having replaced the others as time moves forward. There are two story and singles, many with quads, snow machine or machines, and / or trucks or SUVs. The mix of colours,

The snow "block" wall wind protector

in the bright sunshine, are quite a contrast to the snow and ice. In front of one house the closest thing to an Igloo was a wall created to prevent snow from blowing up the front porch. It's the closest thing seen to date of an igloo style dwelling.

The housing here are mostly single family style stand alones, but multiple families live inside many. Housing and homelessness are two of the more pressing issues here in Nunavut just like the southern regions. I find it amazing that at these temperatures the word 'homeless' can be used. I know there are community freezers organized that local populations contribute to just like community kitchens in the south. The reality is proper nutrition and diet are a concern like everywhere.

New front windows kept out the cold winds

So by now we've passed the CBC building on the north side of town and stop in at the “matchbox gallery” for a lesson in the artistic history of Rankin and a comparison of the artwork of the other regions of Nunavut and our communities of Kivillaq. After a time to rest and warm, my journey continues to the target of today's tour. The most talked about house in town for the past two weeks.

You see, two weeks ago, there was talked of broken pipes and water damage and blockages. Then the weekend blizzard happened so I couldn't get out to see the attraction then either. At -40 temperatures it was not going away soon. In this part of the country and at this time of the year, frozen water is always an issue. The topic of conversation was the house. The house with the icy windows. The house with the ice spewing out the windows AND the level of frozen water ON THE INSIDE.

The story goes that the owner passed a year or more and family took over and rented it out for a while to the drivers working for the taxi company. From here it gets cloudy but with no one living in it and no one shutting off the water or watching the heat...you guessed it....mother nature took over.

Ice House attraction

The main attraction, this month, on the Rankin Walking Tour has been this house. To my knowledge it hasn't been named and you won't find it anywhere else. In fact, the creative talents at Pixar and Disney, I don't think could have dreamed up this version of “FROZEN”.

Winter Water Land

As of today, it’s been a month since I left the warmer climate of Niagara Falls, and travelled through

Niagara Falls' Bridal Veil dressed in Winter White

Winnipeg (with an overnight stop) and continued on to YTR Rankin (anytime now it will be an International one). Since then, according to CNN, the Falls have froze and cold weather has continued with much more snow than usual. Those lower temps do a number on car batteries but does more of a job on sitting water.

Here in Rankin Inlet, we have had a few blizzards and very cold temps, but the weekend weather is scheduled (as of this afternoon) to be -6 and -3 for Saturday and Sunday… a far cry from the -58 with wind chill of the blizzard two weekends ago.

With cold weather comes water issues. I’ve been told that the ice on Hudson’s Bay can reach 7 feet thick or more (hence the need for auger extensions on the ice drills used for ice fishing). I certainly won’t be ‘dipping my pole’ this weekend, but around town we have really had some interesting events.

'Big Bertha' working hard at our apartment building at noon today

The last time I was here in January 2008, there were some water issues at the Health Centre but that pertained to frozen water in the fire sprinklers that caused some flooding at the time. I can still see us mopping the floors at the health centre, trying to get it opened ASAP. When I left in late January, at the end of our longest recorded blizzard in canadian weather history, the airport had experienced the same type problem...computers were down and liquid water was everywhere. All tickets, and boarding passes were hand logged.

The fire sprinkler issues seem to have been dealt with, but water delivery seems a more pressing problem. One of the apartment blocks in town, located not far from the health centre, is used for staff housing for the GN (Government of Nunavut). This building has had intermittent problems over the

There's a reason these buildings are built on stilts

past two weeks with the main supply pipes freezing and, of course, the result is restricted water or more likely, non-supply. I’ve noticed a large trailer about town parked at various locations, mostly on the street. There’s always steam coming out the chimney on the trailer.

Last weekend, our building started to experience a failing water supply. Saturday we had no water from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., but then supply had returned and we had notes placed under our doors asking us to assist by leaving some water running in our bath tubs. Sunday, I got up early, checked the water supply (it was running) and went to do some laundry. By ten, the pipes were dry. And then the water returned about 2 p.m.

Inside Big Bertha

Monday evening about 8 p.m. after I had finished doing the dishes, the well was dry, so to speak. That continued until noon today (Wednesday). We now have a trickle, which is all you need to fill your toilet tank. Yesterday afternoon the landlord delivered two gallons of bottled water to each apartment. With that and the extra two gallons, of non-drinkable water, we have survived another northern exposure. Dishes were done this morning and showering before work took place at the health centre for many of us both yesterday and today.

It was like camping in a heated 1000 square foot cube van. We had lights and power, heat, and internet connections…we just couldn’t flush our toilet and wash the dishes easily. With the weekend’s warning I had taken the precaution, of filling up a couple of larger pots with water…just in case. Was able to prepare supper each night and do the dishes in the morning. A couple of extra trips back and forth to the health centre meant we had water to wash and flush and continue on.

This noon hour as I walked back to the apartment with my one gallon jug of potable, the famous white trailer named ‘Becky’ was backed in tight to our building…steam belching forth from the stack. A couple of guys were busy adjusting the knobs and checking the dials. My curiosity got the better of me and I stopped back at the trailer after delivering the gallon jug….AND FINDING THAT THE WATER WAS RUNNING AGAIN!!!!!

The hot hose melted the packed ice and snow

On my way back to work I stopped to see how they were handling the frozen pipes. The process is most interesting for sure. Now I don’t know if this is how it is done down south…I hope I never have to learn firsthand. Here in Rankin Inlet, they drill a hole in the supply line to the building. Through this is inserted a long, half-inch heavy duty pressure hose. Similar to a vascular surgeon removing a clot from a major artery, the process unwinds as follows.

Water is heated to approximately 190 degrees and forced down the hose at a PSI of almost 2400. The end of the hose is advance to the clot (oops, ice jam) and the combination of pressure and hot water melts the icy centre and the hose is advanced further as the frozen water liquefies. Eventually the end of the frozen water blockage is cleared and water flows. The 'melting hose' is then removed as quickly as possible and the newly installed access valve is closed…ready for another day!

What is more interesting though...and I’m not sure that I have it 100%...Is that our building has a 6" supply line. In order that the pipes don't freeze normally, there is also a one inch line that acts as a return to the main street supply. A circulating pump keeps water moving in the main building supply and when there is no demand returns water to the street supply forming a complete circuit. This keeps the water moving and (hopefully) not freezing solid.

Guy and Jason inside 'Big Bertha'

When I had returned home at noon and checked the pressure, I found it to be substantially less than normal.The reason being the 'de-icers' had done the return line first and the main 6 inch pipe was being worked on. The building was actually being fed by the 1 inch return line...but we had water.

At this writing, I'd like to thank Guy and his cohort Jason, who explained this whole process in his best St. John's, Newfoundlander speak. Tomorrow, we'll update this and talk about the other Winter Water Wonderland Attractions on the Rankin Route Walking Tour....Hopefully "we be talkin' 'bout the pipes is froze" in the past tense!

Oh, and a Happy 60th Rick!

Just call it...Sani…

Sanikiluaq across the 'Bay'

…most of the Inuks do. The full name is Sanikiluaq. It is the last of the “communities we serve” and is in a completely different time zone. In fact, they are currently on Eastern Daylight Saving time while we here in Rankin Inlet are on Central Daylight Saving time since early Sunday morning when we switched our clocks forward.

Being the southernmost community in all of Nunavut, it is only 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the shores of NUNAVIK, Quebec. Not only is the community the most southernly, it is also the most easterly of the Kivalliq region of NUNAVUT located on the north coast of Flaherty Island in Hudson Bay.

It is still the arctic there, as no trees grow and temperatures are often very cold and accompanied by strong winds. Located in the heart of Hudson Bay in the Belcher Islands, Sanikiluaq is an Inuit community of some 850 residents. It is the only permanent settlement in this entire archipelago, which is a group of 1,500 islands spread over 3,000 square kilometres (1,158 square miles). 

The Hamlet's Crest

The hamlet is named after a legendary Inuk person who once lived here named Sandy Kiluaq. He was an adopted boy who lived in hard times and grew up to become the best hunter and best provider in the region, a hero to his community, so they named it after him. 'Home of Sandy Kiluaq'.

The terrain near Sanikiluaq is composed of numerous rocky cliffs that tower to 155 metres (509 feet) above sea level. Many of the smaller islands provide special breeding grounds for numerous species of migratory seabirds, ducks and geese. The coastal waters contain an abundance of seals, walruses and beluga whales. Expert hunting and fishing is a traditional lifestyle here, as is sea kayaking and soapstone carving.

The famous water truck supplying most hamlets in KIVALLIQ

Thomas Wiegand of the Hudson Bay Company led an exploration party from Fort George, Québec (Chisasibi Cree Nation) to the Belcher Islands in the 1840s, but he did not stay the winter. When caribou disappeared from the islands in the late 1800s, the women started sewing winter parkas from eider duck skins. The men expanded their knowledge of the ice fields, earning great respect for their kayaking skills.

Robert Joseph Flaherty and his crew arrived here on a prospecting expedition in 1913. They were the first 'qallunaat' ('people with low bushy eyebrows' — white people, in Inuktitut) to winter here. Flaherty brought along a movie camera and later he became famous for his documentary film titled 'Nanook of the North' (1922). The island is, of course, named after him.

The fine art of Sanikiluaq

Grass Basket Craftwork

The Government of Canada founded two settlements here in 1960: North Camp and South Camp.

5" Black Basking Walrus by Johnny Appaqaq - Inuit Carver

The community of Sanikiluaq was created in 1971 when the federal government consolidated its services and relocated all the buildings and inhabitants of the southern settlement into the northern one. The economy is largely based on subsistence hunting, fishing, plus arts and crafts.

The indigenous ancestors of the local Inuit people inhabited this area for many centuries. They arrived there from the mainland region of northern Québec. As evidenced by the numerous archaeological sites found scattered across the archipelago, the ancient Dorset and Thule cultures both lived on these islands.
    Dorset Culture ('Tuniit' or 'Sivullirmiut'): 500 BC to    1500  AD

     Thule Culture (Proto-Inuit): 1000 AD to 1600 AD

     Inuit Culture (Eskimo): 1600 AD to present-day.

The archipelago first came to the attention of European outsiders when the British explorer Henry Hudson spotted these islands in 1610. After wintering further south in James Bay, his crew mutinied in 1611. Cast adrift, Hudson and his son were never seen again.

The natural resources of Sanikiluaq owe much to its geographic location. As with many northern islands, the weather is noteworthy for its sudden winter storms and dramatic drops in temperature. Travellers to the island should take this into account.

The modern Inuit 'sport'

As I’ve stated before, this country we live in, is vast, it’s taken two trips here to realize just how vast Canada really is. I have developed a deeper respect for those early explorers, who without modern conveniences and navigational aids were able to traverse the Arctic in search of the northwest passage.

At this point, I’m eagerly awaiting the news this summer, of the exploration of one of Franklin’s missing ships found in the past year. All Canadians should be proud of the people of the north. They, too, are proud Canadians and their contributions to our culture are reflected when you look at the art, the crafts, the music and, from what appears to be here in the north, the 2 favourite past times…Bingo and…Hockey.

…Coral Harbour…Awaits

Coral Harbour almost halfway to the Nunavut's Capital 'Iqaluit'

Before you think you are heading to the sunny south…let me warn you. The thoughts of waving palms give way to harsher realities. The hamlet of Coral Harbor, Nunavut is unlike anything that resembles the tropics. The community is one of two, that we service, located on an island. The name of the settlement in INUTITUT is called “Salliiq” which means “large flat island(s) in front of the mainland” and is surrounded by fossilized coral in the surrounding waters. It can refer to all inhabitants from the island.

Coral Harbour is home to almost 850 inhabitants. With an FM

station (101.9 on the dial), up to date communication is available for the residents. The hamlet council, like all the other communities, is responsible for garbage, water delivery and sewage pump outs. Costs are offset by federal funds distributed by territorial disbursement.

 

The original population was wiped out by Scottish whalers in the early 1900's bringing typhus, a disease from which, the locals had no protection. Only one woman and two children were removed alive before being transferred out. The woman later died. In 1925, the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post at the present site of Coral Harbour by combining secondary posts from Chesterfield Inlet and Coats Island. The traders brought with them Inuit from Baffin Island, northern Quebec and Keewatin to repopulate the area.

Every 'QUAD' is known as a Honda,
in Rankin Inlet, and throughout Nunavut

The entire area of Southhampton Island is about the same size as Switzerland but getting around the island can be easy enough. Dog Sled, snow machine, and Hondas are used the most. Honda is a “term” used in Nunavut describing those four wheeled “quad” ATV’s that you see scurrying about here. To us southerners, we would use the term ‘quads’…while the locals use the term ‘honda’ no matter who the manufacturer really is.

Of course, as an island you have your choice of arrival: by boat for some of the year or by plane all year round. The airport (YZS) is almost 16 kilometers (11 plus miles) from the town so again having someone meet your plane has its advantages. It can be a long, cold, and sometimes dark walk. The runway is 5,000 feet (1526Meters) and gravel based. Most of the smaller runways in communities in Nunavut are made of gravel, a point that I failed to make a few times now.

Three airlines service the area. Both, Calm Air and First Air but also KIVALLIQ AIR which services many of the communities, mostly for cargo. Those goods not arriving by container ship or barge from Churchill, Manitoba or from Montreal, have to be shipped in by air…a vital link that I cannot stress enough in these blogs.

The Coral Harbour INUKSHUK, the stone here is different.

A little known fact is that just outside Coral Harbour, an American military air base was built in 1941 as a staging point for aircraft being ferried to Europe during World War II. The site later became a military training area, then a weather observation point, before becoming the current municipal airport.

Coral Harbour is one of the best places in Nunavut to see marine wildlife. The nearby Coats Island is a resting place for walruses. The East Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary and the Harry Gibbons Bird Sanctuary are a must for bird watchers. Snow geese, Tundra swans, Sandhill cranes and other species migrate to the area in the spring.

Despite the harsh climate there is plentiful wildlife around the island. Among some of the species found there are walruses, polar bears, barren-ground caribou, ringed seals, gyrfalcons, and (rarely) peregrine falcons.

Coral Harbour is the home to many artisans who work their wonder in ivory, whalebone, duffle, print, soapstone and seal skin. Here, people are able to enjoy the traditional as well as modern livelihoods.

The beauty of the area awaits your presence. Just remember, on this island time stands still...you don't fall back...and this week they didn't spring ahead. If you take up residence, in C.H., you won't have to change your clocks,...since there is “No daylight saving time” in this harbour !

Repulse Bay...Going for the Gold

'6' of the 8 communities of the Kivalliq Region

To the north east approximately 500 kilometers from Rankin Inlet is the last coastal community, we serve, on the west coast of Hudson Bay, specifically, Repulse Bay. Perched right on the Arctic Circle “RB” is another small hamlet but has a unique place amongst them all. Of all the communities in the Kivalliq region, it is the most northern.

The Inuktitut name for Repulse Bay is NAUJAAT and literally means "seagulls' nesting place") named after a cliff 5 kilometers to the north, where seagulls migrating from the south each June, make their nests. “Naujaat” was first visited by Europeans in the 1740s, and by the late 1800s it became a popular whaling grounds for American and Scottish whalers.

On 12 May 2014, a by-election was held to elect a new mayor which was won by Solomon Malliki. At the same time a non-binding plebiscite was held to gauge how the community felt about restoring the traditional name, Naujaat. With voter turnout at 36% there were 82 people in favour and 73 opposed to the name change. The hamlet council will decide on the change at a later date. If you are in the area, tune in to FM 93.3 for the latest local updates.

FM 93.3 on the "Air"

With an increasing population close to 1,000 persons, the Naujaat community continues to rely on traditional sealing, fishing, hunting, trapping, and carving for their livelihood, together with tourism. “Naujaat” is known for its Inuit artists, especially carvers (typically creating small realist animal sculptures of ivory, soapstone, marble and antler), as well as jewellery and crafts. The ivory, of course, Walrus tusk.

The Ukkusiksalik National Park is located just south of the community of Repulse Bay. The Park surrounds Wager Bay, a 100-km-long saltwater inlet on the northwest coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavut. Declared a national park on August 23, 2003, Ukkusiksalik became Canada's 41st national park. The Ukkusiksalik National Park covers 20,500 sq. km.


While Inuit do hunt in the region, the parkland is uninhabited. Inuit had lived in the area from 1000 AD through to the 1960s, and the Hudson's Bay Company had a trading post there from 1925-1947. Over 500 archaeological sites have been identified in the park, including such features as fox traps, tent rings, and food caches.

Arctic Cairn in Repulse Bay on the Arctic Circle

Skins of caribou and polar bear dry on the walls of modern houses, and meat and fish hang on drying

racks. Every June the area is occupied by thousands of seagulls, as well as snow birds, loons, eider ducks, longtail ducks, and jaegers.

Repulse Bay is the only North American community located on the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is a line that delineates the points on the earth's surface north of which the sun is above the horizon for 24 hours on June 21, and entirely below the horizon for 24 hours on December 21.

The next two paragraphs are directly used as they describe the overwintering and whaling activities of the area “where Inuit would congregate to establish trade and seek employment. The first relates the voyages of the Hudson Bay Company's whaler the 'Perseverance' which wintered in Repulse Bay in both the 1892-3 and the 1896-7 seasons. During the latter season the 'Perseverance ' was joined by
the 'Platina' from New Bedford, Massachusetts and as Ross relates, the Bay was bustling:

"The winter community at the Ship Harbour Islands in Repulse Bay was large and multiracial. When the Platina gave a Christmas dinner and dance, 200 Inuit were present, from at least three distinct groups or subcultures. The crews of the two whalers numbered about thirty-five and included men of diverse nationalities and origins. Socially and economically Inuit and whalemen had developed a symbiotic relationship that transcended the boundaries or region or race." (Ross, 1973)

"The second account, the published journal of Captain George Comer, makes frequent reference to whaling activities in and around Repulse Bay. Although Comer did not winter in Repulse Bay, preferring instead Cape Fullerton and Depot Island, he did gather astute ethnographical information on the Aivillingmiut of the area. In his introduction to the journal W.G. Ross identifies Repulse Bay as an anchorage, in keeping with Depot Island and Cape Fullerton, which "attracted wintering vessels from time to time, and provided occasional protection in summer to ships cruising for whales" (Ross 1984). He also notes the presence of a small Scottish vessel, the 'Ernest William' which "spent several years in Repulse Bay and Lyon Inlet after 1903, functioning as a whaling station and trading post."

The Rankin Inlet "STARS"- Silver Medalists

UPDATE: Meanwhile back here in Rankin Inlet, on a sun drenched sunday, the first day of Central Daylight Saving time, I spent the afternoon at the community arena. The twentieth “Hockey for all Ages” Tournament wrapped up this afternoon, just in time for the teams to head to the airport for flights back to their respective communities. At the medals presentation, the first words the convenor made was to acknowledge Calm Air for making the tournament possible by reducing their rates for travel. The second thank you was to the hamlet of Rankin Inlet making the ice time available for the tournament.

The Gold Medals and "CUP" went to Repulse Bay

The team from Iqaluit was a no show....the weather on that side of Hudson Bay made the blizzard that kept the plane grounded. Repulse Bay ironically won the gold medals and took home the Cup...seventh in a row. Ironically, since the topic for this edition which I started this morning was Repulse Bay. By the way, did I mention that it was the Ladies turn this weekend. Ladies of all ages having fun, getting exercise, and representing their towns.

The final game against Rankin Stars finished 8-4 for Repulse Bay. Yes, they got the gold and Rankin Inlet got silver. The ladies were good and some were very good. Almost makes me wish that someone would tell me “you skate like a girl!”

The Rankin Stars "break away"