Repulse Bay

In early December I had the opportunity to go to Repulse Bay. 

Its a small hamlet of approximately 750 people located exactly on the Arctic Circle, on the north shore of Repulse Bay. Transport to the community is provided primarily by air and by an annual sealift. Repulse Bay (Naujaat) is home to a wide variety of animals including polar bears, caribou, seals, whales, and walrus. There are also approximately one hundred species of birds in the area, including gyrfalcons and peregrine falcons.

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.

I had the opportunity to meet a number of the community residents.  The residents are very friendly and inviting.  While I was there the finishing touches were being done on a new multi-million dollar health centre.  It has brought many tradesman and construction workers to the community for almost 2 years.  It has had an amazing boost to the community.  Also, many of the local's had the opportunity to get labour jobs at the job site. 

In the Hamlet there is the Artic Circle Arch, which when walking through it signifies entering the Arctic Circle.

On the Friday that I was to fly out, the temperature was -55C with the wind chill and there was some blowing snow.  I assumed that the chances of us getting out that day were slim.  We were to leave at 9:30AM.  Interestingly the flight crew was staying in the hotel I was staying at and at breakfast I had an opportunity to talk to the pilot.  He told me that chances were actually pretty good that we would get out.  Since the plane did an overnight in Repulse Bay it was already on the ground.  He said its actually much easier to take off than to land, so as long as he can see the run way and its clear, we'd be OK.  I wasn't sure if the conversation with the pilot was reasurring or scared the crap out of me but it was interesting information.

Anyway, we did get off the ground and I went from there to Baker Lake, then to Rankin Inlet and finally home to Iqaluit.  Just another fun day on the job.  :-)