In 2016, I went to Canada's Arctic to work for the Census as an enumerator. We went in February: known for being cold in southern Canada, let alone the Arctic. It was a great experience.
I haven't really had the opportunity to share the pictures I took on these trips, but most Canadians don't end up going to these places so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!
Iqualuit Airport
February 2016
Frozen on Frobisher Bay, taken from an Iqaluit dock.
I went to Nunavut for the 2016 Census,
to enumerate households door to door for 5 weeks.
We worked every day, so I snapped a photo whenever I could.
2016 population of Nunavut: 35, 944
St. Jude's Cathedral, Iqaluit
Sled Dogs of Iqaluit
Ravens at the Dump.
Visiting dumps have become a hobby when I'm in the North:
I've been to the Yukon's Dawson City Dump (great second hand/salvage shop),
the Yellowknife Dump (NWT) - extremely well organized,
Cambridge Bay dump (Arctic foxes roam at night), and Iqualuit's.
Welcome to Cambridge Bay, on Victoria Island.
This is the Elder Palace, a community centre where Elders offer programming.
I went to the sewing night, to learn to sew fur on my coat. I bought the fur at the grocery store.
Most locals make their own coats.
My work uniform with it's new fur.
"Uniform" means everything you brought, layered.
The coldest day I witnessed (with windchill) was -59 degrees Celsius.
The skyline of Cambridge Bay: We counted 1619 people in 2016 over 3 weeks. We go in the winter because
in the summer, more people are away trapping.
The Martin Bergmann, a Department Of Fisheries and Oceans boat that seems to be parked for the winter.
I worked at DFO for 4 years in Winnipeg, where Marty also worked.
It was strange to suddenly see his name in the middle of the Arctic,
the boat named after him after he died in a plane crash near Resolute, Nunavut in 2011.
The ice road leaves from near these boats. It didn't go anywhere in particular:
just a distance out, then loops back so that you can feel like you're getting out of town for a bit.
All of Nunavut is fly-in only, no roads.
Hockey Puck dents at the Northern Store.
And no, not many trees in Nunavut!
