speedboats in

up north again

For those of you who only know this blog address, I'm posting the address for my new blog highlighting my new experiences in the north. It is www.upnorth2.blogspot.com I decided to change the name since I am going to a different community. Hope to hear from you.

home again

It's been two weeks since I arrived home, and a busy two weeks they have been. I left Kimmirut on a very nice day by their standards, temperature about 12C, and light winds. I think I indicated previously, that the ice had just left the harbour about four days before that, thanks to a strong north wind. But flying over to Iqaluit, we could see lots of snow still around, and most of the inland lakes were still frozen over. At Iqaluit, Frobisher Bay was still completely ice covered. The flight down was uneventful, starting with clear skies, but running into clouds and thunderheads by the time we reached Ottawa. I found the humidity quite stifling after stepping from the plane. I just barely made my connection to Toronto, where Laurel picked me up. After a nice dinner at Red Lobster in Barrie, we made it home in time for me to see Edmonton lose the Stanley cup! It has been a litte strange to be home, and one of the most striking things for me was to see how far the season had advanced. We were just barely into spring in the north whereas that summer was well advanced here.

last post from Kimmirut

This is my last day in Kimmirut. I am so ready to leave, and yet there are people and things in this community that I will miss. I have loved getting out on the land and learning as much as I could about life in the north. I have been facinated with the changing seasons and the ways that people adapt. The tides of up to 12 metres from high to low have intrigued me to no end. For those familiar with the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay, imagine the same sort of features of islands and shoals, and small channels, but then superimpose the changing tides, and you can see how tricky it is to navigate up here. In the winter the whole ice pan moves up and down with the water level.
I've included a picture that I took yesterday showing the heel with the ice gone. A strong north wind took the ice out on Friday. The remains of the ice wall still stick to the rocks forming a white rim around the harbour. The other picture is of Robert, one of our two graduates this year, and me.
School certainly has been a challenge, but there are some students that I have really gotten to like, and I hope they will continue with their studies and take on the challenge that this society presents. Nunavut needs educated Inuit very badly in all sorts of positions.
I fly out tomorrow morning by Twin Otter at 10:15, with about a 2 hour layover in Iqaluit, then a 3 hour flight ot Ottawa, where I catch a plane to Toronto, arriving there about 6:00. I will be looking forward to seeing many of you. I will make another posting to the blog after I get home.

One week to go!

Just one more week. I fly out a week from tomorrow. I've been busy selling off my stuff, and all the bigger things, like TV, Microwave, VCR, Bicycle, are all gone or spoken for. Now it's just the little things, and I've been busy trying to decide what I really want to take home and what I can let go and just replace. I've sent three packages by mail, and I think if I send one more, I can get all the remaining things in one hockey bag. Plus I'll take my guitar on the plane with me. My exams are all marked, final marks calculated and reports almost finished. This week will be pretty relaxed, with the kids not expected to get to school until 10:30, and they will leave at 2:30. Tomorrow is the grad dinner. We only have two graduates this year but there will be a good crop next year. Wednesday night is the elementary graduation ceremony and Thursday the secondary. The school day will be taken up with preparing and decorating the whole school for the grads. I've had a really bad cold this week. I always get one each school year, and I thought this year I might not, but no luck. I'm feeling much better now, but it was enough to keep me from hiking this weekend. I might have a chance to do a little next Saturday or Sunday if the weather is nice. We've had a lot of rain this past week as well, so I'm hoping that changes as well. I've posted threepictures, one showing the harbour, which is just beginning to open up, one of a curious little plant I found growing on the hill opposite my apartment, and the third taken out my back window at 2:45 in the morning.

Just a couple more pics from yesterday's outing.

Just over two weeks to go and I'm still enjoying getting out on the land. Today Paul Mooney and I took his Honda (ATV) on a little trip out to the other side of the penninsula that the place is on. The trail is good in some places but very rough in others, but leads over some very high hills, with spectacular views. We spent some time at the sea on the other the inlet on the other side, just taking pictures and enjoying the day. Although there was a cold north wind blowing, we were able to find some shelter behind some rocks and catch a bit of sun. I've included a few pics. This week the high school students have exams. They have study hall in the morning, and then write the exam in the afternoon. I will still have my grade 8/9s, but they have a few other activities to do as well, so it is not the same as having classes all week. Only two weeks to go. I'm ready to go home!