In the news

This is all old news now since I forgot to post this on Friday. But life changing news it is... read on!

Nutrition North Canada, a food subsidy program, is putting sour cream and cream cheese back on the "healthy menu"! This means that starting October 1st, Northerners will be able to dip their chips and excessively spread their bagels at slightly more affordable prices! So much for thinking I couldn't move here because cream cheese was 7$.

Also in the food news was the eyebrow raising Frobisher Market, a business that’s trying to bring lower food prices to Iqaluit once a week. I guess skimping on food packaging costs was part of the plan... frozen sausages, ground beef, and chicken is being sold straight out of cardboard boxes. It's probably not as much of a health concern as they're making it out to be.

Since I happened to walk by the Frobisher Market, which was supposed to be open from 5 to 7 pm, I decided to quickly stop in to assess the bulk meat problem I had read about earlier in the day. At 6:30, they were loading up their last box. I was told to come earlier next time. Little do they know, there is no next time!

AND in the local paper, Nathan spears his first Narwhal!

Seeing this announcement made me wonder if the Glengarry News published similar announcements? Can people pay to announce that their kid caught a buck just like they announce weddings or graduations... I think they should start!

purrrrrrFURct

I never thought I'd be one to wear real fur... but after spending only a few days here, I knew I needed to come home with some! Everyone has a coat trimmed with beautiful fluffy fur, and boots, slippers and mittens made with seal skin. And I'm obsessed with this one girl's purse made with mostly leather with a seal skin flap over top! In yesterday's photo's I was in heaven in the jacket I was wearing with Arctic fox trim lining the hood. Apparently I've been converted... I now love fur. And today, I purchased some of my very own!

Viewer discretion is advised...

Isn't that beautiful!!! 

I bought my fur from a fur trader today at the annual Nunavut Trade Show. I realize I just made that sound pretty hick, but I assure you it was just a regular trade show. There were businesses of all sorts giving away some swag, but also a lot of people selling crafts and other artisans. I guess the fur trader would be lumped into the artisan side of things because fur is a large part of crafts here... it's on absolutely everything that's hand made! There were a few thing on that side that were pretty neat... and I regret not taking a picture of the fur trading booth! He had quite the assortment of furs to choose from.

For the fancy lady:
a fur coat made of seal skin with a silver fox trim

Polar bear claw on a fur vest I saw

If fur's not your thing
(the north might change your mind)
but this sweat shirt  might also keep you warm!
I actually love the print - local design firm

On the way back to the office I noticed the iceberg I was trying to get a good glimpse at was finally at a reasonable distance, this picture is 2 weeks of waiting to get a picture! Photo of the day: Iceberg in the bay! No big deal.....

The tide is very low in this picture, and the iceberg is so close! Finally!

Favour-ite Spot

At lunch today, I was asked for a favour. I was asked by a coworker if I would be willing to be in a photo enjoying a nice Italian wine at one of her favorite places overlooking the Sylvia Grinnell river. I'm always up for anything, but this sounded like a pretty good gig. How could I say no to that?

Her husband was in turn doing a favour for a friend who works for this wine company,  and wanted a shot of their wine being enjoyed across the world. Since the majority of non-Canadians think we live in igloos, a Northern shot seemed to fit. Nunavut represent!

The sun was shinning, so we had to go quick before it faded away! We drove through some crazy potholes, and by the over flowing dump before getting to the "spot". It was beautiful!

The sun shining over the Sylvia Grinnell River

Blue Arctic waters of the Sylvia Grinnell River
The Sylvia Grinnell Park I had visited earlier in my trip is to the right.

I guess a lot of other people really like this spot too. There were a lot of traditional summer camps set out in the distance overlooking the river.

Traditional summer camps overlooking the Sylvia Grinnell River

I'm not sure how the final shots turned out, but here's a leaked version of the test shots...

Caribou antlers + wine + river <3

Decked out and loving the fur trim around my coat!

We were on a tight schedule because we were doing this over lunch, so little wine was consumed... but it will be part of dinner tomorrow night.

It was also wing night tonight.. and surprise surprise I didn't go alone! Woo woo... table of 6! Short post today since I took advantage of the company I had ;) I learnt a few words in Inuktitut as well... not that I remember how to pronounce them. But fun fact: There are no swear words in the Inuktitut language! The closest to a swearing is saying "I want to smack you"... black eye anyone!? Would swear words have been a better alternative? ...just sayiiiiiing. I've heard a few things.

Iqaluit Special

Now that I've been here for a few weeks, my coworkers are tired of my rosie stories about the North and think my perspective need a reality check! Little by little, they are trying to expose me to the realities of life in nice little Iqaluit. They sat me down on Friday and told me to "Listen up".

Ever since I was part of the crazy story exchange between a few long time residents, which was both hilarious and traumatizing at the same time, I've been noticing weird stuff all around me. Today especially...

It all started this morning when I found a sheet of paper slipped under my door. Apparently someone's been spitting on the hallway walls of the floor I live on! Disgusted at the thought, I really hoped Brent was able to identify the bad guy. At first, I thought the "wanted" poster was a little strange considering I had never noticed spit on the walls, and even after looking, I'm still not able to see what Brent's problem was. Thinking about it a little more, I wonder if it's all a joke..? Brent's last name is "crook" and his email address is @ nig. Profanity! ..I don't know if Brent can be trusted!

Other poster's I've seen around the city:

"All coat's must be checked for security reasons"

"Remove hood before entering store"

After a few black eye stories, they were surprised at how few black eyes I had witnessed. Then today, my cashier at the post office, not really fitting the "black eye demographic" had a big black one under her left eye! Kind of rattled, I hurry back to the office to tell my corworkers what I had seen. Turns out this specific cashier always has a balck eye... because it's a birthmark! Ooops! Even though it's fake, I bet no one messes with her... I wonder if it's an evolutionary thing? Maybe there's a long family history of black eyes...

The day goes on. I finally decide that tonight was going to be the night I go to a nice restaurant and order myself a big fancy plate of Arctic Char!

Arctic Char!

Anyway, I get to the restaurant, lovely table for 1. As soon as I sit down the server didn't waste any time to list off the menu item's that weren't available. Way to just list off everything on the menu I was interested in eating, frig! Turns out I wasn't eating Char tonight after all. But I was in the mood for fish, so I opted for the only other fish alternative available, turbot. It was good! I Googled it as I am writing this  post since I had never heard of that type of fish before. No wonder this fish was available...It's an easy catch! Predators/fishing lines just need to sneak around to the right!

I had turbot instead. Very un-symetrical fish.

Since I was close to the grocery store, I figured I'd stop in before heading home. I guess my walk there was just that much too long.. I can see a man stumbling along in the distance. I get close enough.. he stops, looks up, sees me, reaches down and starts peeing. Right there on the "side walk". No shame. Friiiiiig!

All in all, it was a good day... which just kept getting weird! With all of this behind me, I even managed to help a man at the store (remember all stores here are multi-purpose) score a free pair of longjohns! He was here working construction from la ville de Quebec, and obviously unilingual. The cashier obviously did not speak French so I was the lucky translator! There were no longjohns smaller than 3XXL to be found in Iqaluit, so finally, the cashier said to wait here while she went home to get him a pair that she no had recentlty bought, but didn't like! That's taking helping out a neighbour to a whole new level! Super nice, but really weird! Just imagine the dialogue I had to translate! haha

But like I said, it was a good day! I saw the sun AND I managed to score myself some ice cream.. some Haagen Dasz ice cream :) It costs the same here as it does in Ottawa!

Today's blue sky!

Rain "Fall"

Fall's only officially been upon us for 2 days now, and like in most places, it seems as though summer's been gone for way longer than that! When I got here 2 weeks ago, it was jacket weather, as it had been for most of the summer already. Summer temperatures here don't get very warm as the presence of ice in Frobisher Bay creates a cool micro-climate over the city for most of the season. Of course, there is the odd hot summer day, but high's generally only reach 11 degrees in July. With summer temperatures as low as that, you can just imagine that "fall" unofficially happens in Iqaluit before the Fall Equinox is crossed off our calendars. The vivid tundra colours I had witnesed last weekend, have already faded to brown.

Vivid tundra colours of last weekend

I've also noticed the days are getting noticably shorter. It seems as though when I got here, the sun was setting at about 8:30 PM! Today, the sunset at 6:26 PM, which gave us 12 hours of sunlight (give or take 2 minutes!). Word on the street is that 8 minutes of sunlight is lost every day as the winter, and darkness, makes its way over Iqaluit.


People are gearing up for the winter, which includes prepping their vehicles for the long cold months ahead. Extension cords are being mounted onto cars...

50 foot extension cord

Electrical outlets are readily available across most parking lots to ensure cars will start once the temperatures drop. Pipe like structures line most parking lots in new developments. I guess the presence of an outlet designates a parking spot since lines are rarely painted to separate spots.

Extension cord wrapped around a post it can be plugged into

Lines can be painted on pavement, but most of the streets and parking lots are made of a sandy gravel mix. When it rains, potholes pop up everywhere! I think this is the reason why 98% of vehicles here are trucks and SUVs.

So  many potholes! 

It's been raining for pretty much 15 days straight now... Just imagine the potholes! This is grater was hard at work just below my window this morning, and woke me up too early! SO much noise, but at least it will be a smoother drive.

The big loud grater grrrrrrr

Rain rain go away!!!

Nunavut stop signs in English and Inuktitut

Special Delivery: Food Mail

And I thought Hartman's was bad...


You may have noticed through previous posts that I'm kind of fascinated by the high cost of food in Iqaluit. Alternatives, as I've mentioned are available to residents to get food on the table, and I was lucky enough to see what Food Mail was all about over the weekend.

Food Mail is a program that offers reduced shipping costs for items identified as necessities such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat for example.

A very exceptional family has taken me under their caring wing to show me every thing they can about life in the North. Having been in Iqaluit for 8 years already, they are experts with how life works up here. I am very fortunate to have them so close to me during trip and to have spend as much time as I have with them already. Mush talk over! The point is, I shadowed them through their latest Food Mail order.

It started last week when the flyer from a Metro store in Montreal came in through the mail advertising the week's specials. The deals were good, so they decided they would be placing an order. The order needed to be submitted by Thursday of last week, and was to be picked up the following Friday (8 days later). The order arrived in a 767 cargo plane, and was stored in a warehouse until it was ready to be picked-up.

When we arrived, the family was greeted by name, and in we went to the warehouse without further questions. It made me feel like I was back in Alexandria again!

The warehouse also has a refrigerator and a freezer section, where boxes were stored accordingly.

Very helpful employees got us organized, and 6 boxes later...

We were loaded up, off we went to unpack...

SO much packing material was used to make sure everything made it in one piece

In addition to the cost of the groceries, the Food Mail receipt had additional fees for packaging, refrigeration, freezing, shipping, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some!

Factoring in these additional fees, the cost of this grocery cost someone living in Iqaluit about twice as much as someone who would have bought it from the Metro store in Montreal that shipped it here. This same grocery from North Mart however would be at least 3 times as much. This being said, the family was pleased with the price they had paid, although having been here for 8 years, they no longer look at the price of ingredients at the grocery store anymore.

Success at getting food to the table at a better price - YES. But I should point out that Food Mail is only available to those with credit cards, which leaves it unavailable to a large portion of the population. I may be making assumptions here, but I would think that someone who doesn't have a credit card for whichever reason could definitely benefit from a break in food prices...

Mystery Canners

Before leaving for Iqaluit I was told to be sure to check out this place called Canners, or something like that, for a cheaper alternative to the Supermarket. I tried looking it up when I got here, but no luck. I figured I had misunderstood the name, or it had shut down. When I heard people talking about this can-place in the office today, it was time to jump on the opportunity and uncover the mystery! 

Little did I know, Baffin Canners and I were pretty much neighbours, and I've probably walked right by it a dozen times since being here. 

Placemark A = Canners
V shaped building with blue roof =  my apartment

Do you blame me for not suspecting I was walking passed anything significant?! It's not even on a main road! It's kind of located along a trail...

If you do look closely enough, between all those pallets and storage containers, an inconspicuous entrance can be seen. Appearances as I've come to realize here, are usually deceiving! But inside, was an old-school grocery store; a mom-and-pop type operation. Baffin Island Canners LTD (Canners by the locals) imports a variety of food to sell at reasonable prices, or as reasonable as prices up here can be! 

I feel so welcome! chicken coop entrance (not actually!),  crooked stairs,
marker-ed store hour sign, the 0 missing from the building number...

The layout inside is pretty unconventional, as you need to make your way through a hallway lined with chest freezers/refrigerators before having to choose which of 2 rooms to enter first. The one on the right is filled with all sorts of cheeses, "fresh" fruits and veggies as well as bread. The room on the left has pop, toilet paper, cereal and pretty much everything else. There are also two white mystery chest freezers marked “Seafood” and “Beef”. Their content rotates based on what's been shipped to them. 

I came home with some pretty good finds, if I must say so myself! I was glad to spend $15 on a few items that I was really excited to come home an eat! I have been feasting all night! 

$5.89 for Baby Cheese
Even cheaper than it is in Ottawa!

Mmmmh! And avocado for $2.20!
What a steal, they are $6.39 at NorthMart!

Paired with a Shawarma from the one and only shawarma joint that calls Iqaluit home: Yummy Shawarma! It's been a great night!

Good food! Good night! 

My Very Own Inukshuk!

I've been sick since the weekend, and my level of activity and enthusiasm has taken a toll. My TV watching though, has steadily been on the rise. I haven't been up to very much, but I'm trying to see as much as I can while I am up here. I ventured out for a little walk, and like most of my walks, I ended up coming home with a memory card full of pictures!

Walking towards Frobisher Bay, near where I had my "polar bear dip".. I found a huge rockpile and built my very own inukshuk! Although small, I am very proud!

My very own Inukshuk!

Yay! Me and my Inukshuk friend!

Beyond the rockpile was the destination of my walk, the mouth of Frobisher Bay. Seeing as far as the eye can see seems to be common to almost all of the landscapes I have set my eyes on since I've been here.

A view of the mouth of Frobisher Bay

I walked along the fence that fences off the runway to the airport and it reminded me of a really cool picture I had taken over the weekend of a First Air cargo plane taking off (It's a 767, as confirmed by Mike Little below). That yellow building that looks like a yellow submarine is the Iqaluit (YFB) Airport!

Check out that exhaust!

It is the busiest airport in Nunavut, since it provides the important link from southern Canada to the rest of the 25 communities in the territory. It's geographic location situated along the 'over-the-top' route often used by planes travelling between parts of North America and Europe, and it's super long runway able to accommodate the largest planes in the sky due to it's military origin have also made this airport host to a series of unique events.

For example, unexpected landings have had to go down in Iqaluit because of in-flight medical emergencies - as often as once or twice per year. And I'm not sure if I believe it, but it is rumored that the Iqaluit airport runway was also an emergency landing sites for a NASA's Space Shuttle!

Besides landings from outerspace, the only international arrivals are seasonal flights flying in from Greenland. You can fly Iqaluit - Greenland in 1.5 hours, but you'll pay for it! A quick search on the Air Greenland website has a one-way ticket 735$! And the flight only operates from June to September.... No longer a possibility, but it's something to think about it if ever I come back during the summer months!

It's not cheap to eat here

I'm sure this is the post you've all been waiting for where I show you the reality of food prices in the North.

There aren't any roads connecting Nunavut to the rest of Canada, not to mention that Iqaluit is located on island. Transportation of goods is clearly a challenge this territory is faced with. It's no surprise that consumers must absorb the cost of shipping for all items purchased. Some foods are subsidized in order to promote healthy eating, but I'm not really sure why some food items fall under the subsidized category, while other foods that seem equally healthy aren't. Junk food prices, as you will see, are through the roof!

Fruits/Veggies

Dairy

Juice 

Juice wins the award for the most ridiculous price! Cans of juice are pretty much the only option at about 4$

Tropicana 1.89L wins the even more ridiculous price award at $19.19 

And you thought the store brand was a better option... 

Doesn't look like the best value, or the best product for that matter! 

Random Other Things

Being aware of this reality before I left Ottawa, I packed myself a little suitcase of food! So glad I did!!

Who knew a 30$ grocery from Hartman's would go such a long way!

Among all these crazy food prices, I was also able to find a few items I came across that had at comparable prices to those in Ottawa..

Eggs for $3.95

Frozen Berries at $7.79

Chicken for $19

And La Vache qui Rit at $5.45

These are examples of grocery store prices but people from Iqaluit have other means of getting food to the table. More on how "sealift" and "airmail" works at a later date.  A "100-mile diet" though is pretty much limited to hunting, and berry picking on the tundra. Gardening isn't really possible here because the growing season isn't long enough. Since temperatures don't get hot enough for long enough in the summer time, maybe a green house would be a good solution?