Inuvik photos

The blog continues...after the jump!

2007-05-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems I have exhausted the free hosting offered by blogger...so I am jumping to another blogger site and starting again!

This blog will stay up, but --- as nosey is clearly showing here --- the new address will be www.bootgrille.blogspot.com

See you there!

Speaking of Paulatuk..

2007-05-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Talk about culture clash!

This strange video on Youtube shows the Paulatuk Moonlight Drum Dancers doing their traditional motions in their parkas.

However, the filmmaker dubbed over the sound with a rap tune, which may or may not feature Del Tha Funky Homosapien.

Strange, no?

Back from Paulatuk!

2007-05-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have returned from a day trip to Paulatuk (pop.300) which is a remote community in the Beaufort Delta.

Watch for many more pictures, coming soon! (I have reached my limit for pictures on Blogger afyer 300+ posts, so I will have to switch, perhaps creating a "boot grille 2")

Wierd building, at 2am

2007-05-24T15:12:00.001-07:00

I was walking around at 2am (24/hour sunlight will do that to you) and took this picture. It's not very interesting per se, but it's prety cool to see the sky at that hour. You'd think it was 2pm.

Dissapearing languages

2007-05-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

This flyer is also from the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre. Can you imagine? Worldwide, only 450 fluent speakers of Inuvialuktun?

Inuvik's video store

2007-05-24T10:55:00.001-07:00

We might not have a movie theatre, but we have this place...

Hooks and barbs

2007-05-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

These antler and bone fishing tools are displayed in Inuvik's Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre.

It's a mini museum and library which preserves traditional culture, and should definitely be visited by anyone coming through Inuvik.

Look at the ages listed on the bone hooks! It's uncanny!

Also interesting is the inclusion of a "labret piercing," to be worn through a man's cheek.

Inuvik's great lakes

2007-05-24T10:36:00.001-07:00

Spring is here, which means the snow is melting!

Unfortunately, it appears to be forming giant puddles. It's a good thing homes are on stilts., which prevent the permafrost from melting during the winter.

A view from above (really, really above)

2007-05-20T21:28:00.001-07:00

Here's the Google Earth picture of Inuvik. The airport is down at the lower right, and the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik is the river, driving upper left.

Bird on a utilidor

2007-05-20T09:41:00.001-07:00

These metal undulations belong to Inuvik's utilidor system; a pretty ubiquitous presence.

Paulatuk has one page in the phone book

2007-05-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

Views from the church roof, pt.2

2007-05-18T08:48:00.002-07:00

Now that's convenience

2007-05-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Living in a small town means everything is close!

Journey to the top of Igloo Church

2007-05-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is the inside of Inuvik's famous Our Lady of Victory Church, built in 1959 by Francophone masons.

Rev.Matthew Ihuoma allowed me to climb the stairs and photograph the city from above, which was a really unique experience.

Notice: It's an old barrel with a hole cut out

2007-05-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

The master of ceremonies adds wood to a stove in Tuktoyaktuk, during the recent Beluga Whale jamboree.

Pretty smart use of scrap metal, if you ask me!

Yeah, it's May..

2007-05-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some views from late (very late, 2am) Saturday. It's still winter here!

This thing is picking up speed!

2007-05-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

The hit counter now registers 2000 visits in two months. Thanks to all readers!
(Photo taken in Fort McPherson during Peel River Jamboree.)

Lock up your bikes

2007-05-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Fun fact: Inuvik's bylaw officer has a shed without about 40 confiscated bikes, which are waiting to be claimed.

Safe to say, bikes are stolen frequently.

That's wolverine fur!

2007-05-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Baby in McPherson with sunglasses, wearing fur trim.

U of T(uktoyaktuk)

2007-05-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty common shirt around town: University of Tuktoyaktuk.

The phone lines are busy in Inuvik

2007-05-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

These little white birds are everywhere. They travel by the hundreds, and pick through the freshly exposed ground, since the snow is melting.

Traditional art gets no respect

2007-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

"I get no respect --- no esteem, either. I went to the doctor, he told me I was in excellent shape for a beluga whale."

Rollin' through town

2007-05-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, exaggerated rims. They are everywhere now, including Inuvik.

Hello from Tuktoyaktuk

2007-05-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

A view from downtown

2007-05-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

You know it's springtime when kids appear on bikes.

I have never been here. Maybe I'm missing something good.

2007-05-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is apparently a functional eatery in town. Kind of mysterious looking..

The town pipelines

2007-05-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

With the snow receding, we can once again see the town Utilidors.

That nebulous shape you're seeing is a headless caribou, floating in water

2007-05-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

What a sad display! Caribou is so threatened right now, it's illegal to sell it at jamborees and community feasts, yet someone threw out the entire animal.

Did they just want the antlers?

Northern lights decoration

2007-05-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

This fabric installation is quite successful in evoking the northern lights. It was seen at the Aurora College graduation ceremony which happened last week.

Wind power in the north

2007-05-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Aurora Research institute in Inuvik has a wind turbine, which is pretty cool.
Plans are underway to install turbines elsewhere in the north: Use what you have, right?

A bird in mid-flight

2007-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Once again, you can never take a detailed photo of a raven, it's always just shapes.

A mirror image of a previous post

2007-04-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

How lovely to see, the sunlight has returned. Being here in the summer makes the winters completely worth it.

Hello from Aklavik!

2007-04-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

This little guy was warming up in a heated car, during the Mad Trapper Rendezvous March 30.

Ice road to Tsiigehthic...end of the season

2007-04-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Tsiigehthic/Inuvik ice road is currently on 48-hours notice. This means the entire Dempster highway could soon close, but it's still open.

On April 21, I drove across the road twice. There was nearly a foot of water and slush in some places, and I honestly thought the car was going to sink.

Thankfully, ice roads are well-monitored here and I saw an 18-wheeler pass after I was done.

Gutentag, Tuktoyaktuk!

2007-04-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here, a German tourist wearing a traditional coat speaks with an elder in Tuktoyaktuk.
(Which proves: Yes, it might be cold here, but people know how to dress up.)

That is one giant shovel

2007-04-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Kids crowd around a gigantic snowplow in Aklavik, March 30.

Hey, it's him again!

2007-04-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember that "crazy-looking but friendly dog" from a while back? He was walking around Aklavik's Mad Trapper Rendezvous, March 30.

Well, false alarm.

2007-04-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

This always happens to me: I see a shape in the distance, stop the car, get my camera, and then realize: It's just a piece of garbage.

The amazing silhouette birds

2007-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

No matter what angle you photograph a raven, they always look like shadow outlines, which suck in all the light and provide no detail. It's kind of cool.

Better pull to the side

2007-04-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Driving the Dempster highway is scary. It's a dirt road shared with 18-wheelers, which goes on for hundreds of kilometres.

The town landscape

2007-04-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here's another shot from the apartment window. (Am I getting creepy, taking photos of passing cars from behind my curtain with a zoom lens?)

Sledding fun in McPherson

2007-04-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

One rule of taking photos: You know anyone under 12 will do "bunny ears." It's like an absolute law of photography. :)

Life on Mars

2007-04-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

This was taken Saturday night around 11:30pm. It's the view from my apartment window, using a zoom lens.

No photoshop, it's all real! I cannot believe this colour.

What's so bad about winter, anyhow?

2007-04-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

Walking through the main street of Fort McPherson, you come to appreciate clean white snow.

Government shack in Tuktoyaktuk

2007-04-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the government for saving tax dollars here. Paint is expensive.

Views from Tuktoyaktuk, p.2

2007-04-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

Shown here: A marker celebrating Canada's three oceans, and an antique boat seen in town.

The power of gravilty

2007-04-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a good system for fueling snowmobiles, used in Tuktoyaktuk during last week's races.

Wrestling is fun

2007-04-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Inuvik has a very successful wrestling program, for both kids and adults.
Some people really seem to enjoy it.

BBQ on the sea

2007-04-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here are two cool things about holding a barbecue on the frozen Beaufort Sea.

1. Cracks might be there, but it's okay, the ice remains stable.

2. You can build an "igloo wall" to protect the cook.

Good morning

2007-04-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

The sun rises above the treeline...

The quintessential northern blog photo

2007-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy 1000 visits since the counter was installed, everyone! It took only three weeks!

Fur shop in Tuktoyaktuk

2007-04-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

End of the road, in widescreen

2007-04-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the News/North Blazer in Tuktoyaktuk with the Beaufort Sea in the background.

Canada's northern seaboard!

Sounds like one hell of a high-school match..

2007-04-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, the Mongoose defeats the cobra, but the Inukshuk is really solemn...uum...and the skull reminds opponents of their mortality?

Sports are confusing.

We have mountains here, it's not just flat ice.

2007-04-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

(Seen on the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk. Anyone got skis?)

Boarded up windows

2007-04-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is the old Aurora College building in Inuvik.

(It's been replaced by newer facilities, but I guess no one wants to destroy or renovate it.)

More dogs in Tuktoyaktuk

2007-04-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Why? Because they are fun to photograph!

When will the ice roads close?

2007-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

It could be weeks, it could be days...who knows?
Once they do, Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik will only be accessible by plane or boat. :(

Why so sad, Charlie Brown?

2007-04-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

This little guy seemed to think his snowsuit was too big.

Jamboree goggles

2007-04-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sipping coffee at the Beluga Jamboree in Tuktoyaktuk.
Cool glasses, eh?

Beluga Whale Jamboree

2007-04-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

This dog was brought to Tuktoyaktuk by a German tourist. I wonder what he thought of walking on the frozen ocean.

350-mile bike trip

2007-04-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here's an amazing story mentioned in an earlier post: Europeans held an eight-day 350 mile marathon and bike ride in March, going from the edge of the arctic circle to the Beaufort Sea.

Read all about it at http://www.6633ultra.com/

It's spring, which means...

2007-04-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Shoveling the roof!

Can I see your daguerreotype I.D?

2007-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

The NWT drivers' license has a see-through picture as a security feature.
It makes people look like a ghosts from the 1800s..

Dogsled passing on ice road

2007-04-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing unusual here, just a dog sled passing the car on an ice road. (I guess someone was going on a practice run.)

Museum quality artifacts

2007-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

This traditional boat is displayed at Mangilaluk school in Tuktoyaktuk.

Thank goodness for planes

2007-04-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Flying over the arctic gives you a sinking feeling: If it weren't for airplanes, you would be absolutely helpless.

Really: Imagine yourself trying to cross this immense landscape without roads. You might as well be an ant crossing a soccer field.

I probably have smallpox now...

2007-04-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Spring always brings months of litter back to the surface of the streets.
Seriously -- a biohazard warning?? What is this??

Adventure tourism: We've seen it all

2007-04-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here's one thing I've learned about the north: Everybody with money is trying to break records.

In the months since moving here, I have heard about:

1. Helicopter pilots flying from pole to pole around the world.
2. European "extreme ultra marathoners" running 350 miles on the ice roads
3. A motorcyclist traveling from Regina to Tuktoyaktuk, to raise awareness of autism.
4. A hot-air balloonist planning to spend 36 hours in the air, to break a record. (Cold air helps)
5. People paddling the Mackenzie River.
6. People cycling the Dempster Highway.

This fellow arrived here in a two-seater plane last summer, after flying from the tip of South America.

I am half expecting Richard Branson to show up riding an elephant.

Tiny dancer

2007-04-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

A five year old member of the Tuktoyaktuk Drummers & Dancers leads the show, while his colleagues dance and make animal-style noises. (Like a goose? It's hard to describe.)

Sign says: Long drive ahead

2007-04-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Winter Wizard

2007-04-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Cool goggles, eh?

Three new roomates; quiet nonsmokers, very clean

2007-04-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun fact about flying to Inuvik from Whitehorse. There is absolutely no security clearance. You just check your luggage, stand in line, and then get on the plane.

This is good, because it allows some bending of the rules. For instance? Carrying three live goldfish in a camera bag.

Views from Whitehorse

2007-04-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I returned from Whitehorse, Yukon this week. What a beautiful city! It was very strange to walk into shops such as the Supercentre grocery/department store (Which is acres of junk, literally), and see all manner of stores selling clothing, camera supplies, sushi, and other things unavailable in Inuvik.

Whitehorse is an 18-hour drive from Inuvik, so thankfully we took a plane.

Drawing the curtains to get some sleep

2007-04-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the apartment's view last night at 11:05 pm.

At this rate, midnight sun is only a few weeks away.

Fresh caribou skin.

2007-04-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

This house in Tuktoyaktuk had a bloody caribou skin left outdoors.

I hope the local stray dogs don't chew it.

Accident scene. Hopefully everyone is OK.

2007-04-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here's another flipped truck on the Tuktoyaktuk ice road. I stopped to check if there was anyone inside, but found nothing but broken glass and a spilled lunch cooler, with coke cans and a sandwich spilling on the ice.

Crashed vehicles are like haunted houses, in a way.

Tuktoyaktuk youth centre

2007-04-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Like many communities in the Beaufort Delta, Tuktoyaktuk has youth centre where kids are free to spend time.

Here are some views from a regular Saturday afternoon.

Yes, they sell slushies in Tuktoyaktuk

2007-04-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hockey teeth

2007-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

April is probably the nicest time of year in Tuktoyaktuk. The ice roads are still open, there is sun until 10:30 at night and the temperatures allow for outdoor hockey.

(This guy seemed to be having a great time.)

Snowshoes in the photocopy room

2007-04-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Chief Paul Niditchie school in Tsiigehtchic has about 28 students. It's a very nice place.

The Dempster Highway is slippery

2007-04-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

This unfortunate accident happened between Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic. There's just something about long roads, topped with loose gravel and patches of ice..

(And no, this isn't my truck!)

Who can nail the fastest?

2007-04-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here's Steph Weimar from ICS trying the nail-drive competition at the Aklavik carnival, March 31.

Another dog with blue eyes

2007-04-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

Fort McPherson tent & canvas

2007-04-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Fort McPherson has a factory which manufactures canvas.

In Aklavik on March 31, some of the company's tents were heated by wood stove and installed for guests of the carnival to warm up.

It was a nice place to eat lunch, because it smelled like pine needles and wood fire.

An interesting reaction

2007-04-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a snippet from the Inuvik Drum's editorial page last month. It never occurred to me that my "outsider's perspective" might be read as condescending.

Are you having fun? What do you like best?

2007-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here's Zoe Ho, editor/writer/photographer of Tusaayaksat, sharing a laugh and interviewing some kids in Aklavik.

The wizard of Oz

2007-04-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

When I went to interview Inuvik's nighttime cab dispatcher, John Ozolins, I wasn't expecting his manner of dress.

I think it's great he manages a super-stressful job while having a little fun.

The mysterious "car tombstone"

2007-04-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

What is this strange sculpture between Inuvik and Aklavik? Does it commemorate an old special car, now useless?

Traditional sign

2007-04-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see traditional languages used in an everyday context, such as this sign in Chief Paul Niditchie school in Tsiigehtchic.

Some rides are better than others...

2007-04-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

(Note: I have no idea if this thing still runs, it looks charred.)

Traditional games pt.3: The airplane

2007-03-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Can you do this difficult stunt?

Lie face down, with arms outstretched and legs together. Then, get three friends to carry you forwards. (You are not allowed to touch the floor, so you need strong arms and shoulders.)

Ambulance in Tsiigehtchic

2007-03-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's a 114km drive from Tsiigehtchic to Inuvik Regional Hospital, so I am guessing something serious was happening here.

Inuvik's welcome sign

2007-03-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

If you've driven up the Dempster Highway, odds are you're happy to see this sign.

The R.C

2007-03-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Tsiigehtchic calls the old Roman Catholic church "The R.C. Church."

This teacher went from Toronto (pop.4 million) to Tsiigehthic (pop.150)

2007-03-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

Isn't Canada an amazingly diverse country? It's strange to think that Tsiigehtchic and Toronto are are both represented by the same parliament.

Respecting the elders

2007-03-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

This display at Tsiigehtchic's Chief Paul Niditchie School is a really nice gesture. It recognizes all the elders in the community.

A view from Tsiigehtchic

2007-03-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Looks like this raven is also the town traffic cop.

I am assuming the red logo was the bullseye

2007-03-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Kind of a funny image: The CBC sign between Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic is riddled with bullet holes.

Dark skies in the morning

2007-03-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

There are so many colours in the sky here. It's really fascinating to see it change. (These photos taken around 8:30am)