A Tale of Two Communities

What better way to spend the Canada 150 Summer Solstice but in two of Canada’s Northern communities as they celebrate Aboriginal Day? In both places we were warmly welcomed into their home territory with smiles, hellos and conversation.

Our first welcome was at the Happy Valley RV park on the edge of downtown Inuvik by the owner who is a teacher. She and I compared notes as she settled us into our spot for the next 2 nights with the Mackenzie River not too far away. We walked the main street that was like in any small town in the south but with utilidors and piling-raised buildings that Bryan found so very interesting. One difference was the sun that shone brightly all night. Maybe that was why everyone smiled so easily. From the Tundra Tour personnel, to the helpful woman at the visitor Information, the community librarians, the elderly women who chatted on the sidewalk, to all the children and adults ready with a hello and smile, we were welcomed.

Inuvik is home to the Igloo Catholic Church, dedicated to the memory of unborn children, a shining witness in the heart of town. There are many colorful buildings as well as those of substance such as a  large K-12 school, the Aurora Research Centre and College, and the community centre. We were so impressed with the use of the old arena as a community greenhouse garden. Any green thumb would be proud of the produce grown there in such a short season. The airport facility is also a professional and unique place to welcome guests. 

The gathering of so many in the park to celebrate June 21^st showed community spirit and pride. Although we missed the Aboriginal sports and games, we were in time to enjoy the drummers and dancers who entertained the crowd. As at any community gathering, there was lots of food, including fish, potatoes and bannock. Unfortunately, rain ended the evening rather early but after the jigging contest.

Tuktoyaktuk was the second community we visited, flying from Inuvik over the Mackenzie River delta in a Cessna 207 with 2 other tourists. Below, we saw the now-empty reindeer breeding station, the silt-laden Mackenzie River, the tree-line and the tundra pocked with ponds and lakes, pingoes including the world’s second largest, and driftwood deposited at the edges of the Beaufort Sea. Once we landed, John took us all around his hamlet and answered all our questions in a running dialogue. In two short hours we climbed the pingo for a view of the town below, were introduced to the main buildings such as the school for the 250 children there, and stepped into a model of the large Viking-inspired sod building used long ago. We also visited the Arctic Trans-Canada Trail mile zero, saw the Anglican Church and its beached mission boat used for many years, as well as the Catholic close by.

In preparation for the November 15 opening of the new Inuvik to Tuk highway, 30 workers are painting buildings this summer and another 30 will be employed to finish next summer, using a Jelly Bean color scheme.  This new route replaces the ice road, shortening the distance from 164 km by 20 km and providing a more reliable, year-round inland passage. This initiative provided many jobs for local workers over the past 5 years.  John, a long term resident, said that it will be very beneficial but a huge change for the people.

John and his wife live not far from the harbour where fish nets and smoke houses continue the traditional ways, along with hunting. Their home looks out over the Arctic Ocean where we walked along the shore among the driftwood, dipping our feet in the cold water. The quickly retreating ice pack was 7-10 km off shore. After our walk, he invited us in to his home for a taste of muktuk, a highly nutritional chunk of chewy, tasty whale blubber. Think beef jerky with a less salty, more rubbery slightly fishy taste. Bryan tried on the homemade traditional down parka with wolverine trim and wolf pelt mitts. Over the years, John and his wife have collected many small sculptures from local artists. Beautiful work!  We felt John’s genuine hospitality and desire to share his culture with us.

As we prepared to leave for the south again on this Summer Solstice, 2017, we knew that we have been challenged and changed by our trip. We have now encountered the third of Canada’s oceans, even though Bryan didn’t dip a bike tire in the Arctic Ocean. Our understanding of the North and the people here is broader now, our experience richer. The parks, highways, wildlife, mountains, forests and tundra have been a welcome part of our daily life for three weeks now.