DAY ONE IN NUNAVUT
Farewell Yellowknife. Good Afternoon Rankin Inlet!
Why did we go to Rankin Inlet? A simple question with an even more straightforward answer. Rankin Inlet was on our way to Iqaluit, the capital city of Nunavut territory, and a transport hub to connect with our flights further north to Arctic Bay and Resolute. Anyway, we reasoned as it was necessary to stay overnight in Rankin Inlet, why not spend a few days there?
As mentioned in an earlier chapter, a more significant question was one that our friends and acquaintances asked again and again: "Why are you going to Nunavut? Even Canadians don't travel there. There's nothing to see. After all, it is known as The Barren Lands". Well yes. We knew that. And that's why we were going. Exasperating, really...
Similar comments were made about Yellowknife. Even we wondered why we were going there! Again, it was on the way to Nunavut. Interestingly, we loved the city and the people.
Visiting the so-called Barren Lands of Nunavut was the rationale for our journey to Arctic Canada. Our ultimate destination was the second northernmost settlement of Resolute. Like many previous Arctic journeys, we were heading to the Edge of Nowhere.
Leaving Yellowknife, our Canadian North Airlines aircraft flew over a landscape completely covered by a lacy web of frozen lakes interconnected by stretches of rocky ledges, muskeg and wetlands. This was the tundra. Permafrost country.
I love Arctic geographical formations, many of which I had never heard of before we began travelling in the polar regions. And I certainly did not learn about them during my school days, despite majoring in geography...
During a winter visit to Lorino, Chukotka, in Arctic Siberia, we asked ourselves why there were so many endless lakes in the permafrost zones. What were those weird sunken pits on the shoreline of the Bering Sea? And for that matter, what on earth were atlases, pingos, thermokarsts, thermokarst slumps, polygons, beaded streams, taliks, frost boils, ice wedges, stone circles, and sinkholes? How and why were they formed?
We were determined to learn more about these fascinating landforms. Alan's close school friend Aert, a great supporter of our travels and a very experienced geologist, came to our rescue, sending us an Alaskan article, "Tundra Topography and Soil." It was an excellent introductory reference and well-worth reading. I love it.
The article's seductive introduction reads: "MYTH: Tundra, especially of high latitudes, is
flat and featureless... FACT: Anyone who attempts to walk across the tundra soon finds that flatness is an illusion.
The land surface is gouged by ravines, gullies,
troughs, and sinks and pockmarked by rises,
hillocks, and mounds..."
Our flight with Canadian North was very good. Once again, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and we appreciated an unexpected hot meal for lunch.
As we flew closer to Rankin Inlet, I looked in awe at the snowy remoteness of a sheer nothingness landscape. But what were those crazy huge depressions looking more like alien's footsteps? Giant thermokarsts or even sinkholes, perhaps?
The first signs of the settlement were exciting. Once again, the anticipation of what may lay ahead was quite overwhelming. I wondered if one could ever become blasé about such extraordinarily remote destinations. I would hope not.
* This article can be found online: "Tundra Topography and Soil". Alaska's Tundra and Wildlife 2001. I have explained the above permafrost land formations at the end of this chapter.
Afternoon Arrival at Rankin
Factoring in public holidays is not a strong feature of our overseas travel planning process. I cannot tell you how many times we have landed in Muslim countries such as far western China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, etc., during Ramadan or on Eid. And I guess, being a religion not all that familiar to us, perhaps our ignorance could be forgiven. Well, once perhaps. We are not in any way religious, but to completely forget about Easter?
In hindsight, it would not have made much difference to our plans. In travelling to Arctic destinations in winter, we have only a small window of opportunity for our travels. It is impossible to go in December or January as it is during the winter darkness.
Early February and March are ideal. There are more daylight hours and it is generally still cold enough for ice roads to be used. April should also be fine, but there is every chance that the snow could melt early, preventing driving on ice roads. And, quite frankly, melting and re-freezing muddy snow doesn't just look awful, it's lethal. Our plans for this trip were slightly late, but Easter would still have to fit in somewhere. What we didn't bargain for was that the hotel we booked was technically "closed" for the holiday weekend.
When we booked our accommodation, we requested a pick-up from the airport.
The answer was, "Yes, if the shuttle bus is working. If not, here are the taxi phone numbers". There was no shuttle bus or any taxis. Was it because it was Good Friday?
Like our planning for public holidays, I cannot even remember how often we have been stranded at airports or borders with no shows of organised pick-ups: Tibet, Morocco, Xinjiang, China, to name a few.
In addition to our dilemma, the SIM card on my phone was not working at Rankin Inlet Airport. It had worked perfectly in remote Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik and Inuvik, so I thought it would be fine. I must admit, however, that we were warned that Bell SIM cards were the only reliable ones for Nunavut.
Fortunately, Brenda who staffed the Canadian North Airlines reception desk, kindly offered us the company phone. To our dismay, the hotel phone was unattended. A voice-recorded message droned, "This hotel is closed for Easter. Please call back later". It was not a great start... Our helpful friend Brenda offered to call our hotel manager's personal number. Thankfully, a minibus was finally found, and a staff member, Holly, took us back to our hotel.
Late Afternoon Tour of Rankin Inlet
We had an awful feeling that the staff had forgotten about our booking. And they probably had...
At our hotel, we met the manager, David, and the chef, Simon. Neither looked very happy. David told us that he was not working over the holiday weekend but kindly offered to take us around town in his car, a huge black RAM utility, as long as we could go that very minute. Fine, we thought.
Our tour of Rankin Inlet was comprehensive, with David explaining his life there and the town in general. He had spent his youth in Rankin Inlet and, after leaving to pursue studies, thought he would never be back. He returned, and thirteen years later, he was still living there.
Our "tour" took us through the urban area of Rankin Inlet, where the housing was a mixture of prefabricated, modular mobile homes and multi-storey apartments. The town looked to be well-serviced, with three schools, several grocery stores, hotels, a sports stadium, and several motor service centres. Oh, and a beer and wine store. Rankin Inlet even housed its own prison. I must say, it looked pretty ritzy for a jail. Several enormous tanks supplied the town with fuel.
As we drove, the weather began to deteriorate. The scenery looked increasingly formidable as a howling wind swept blinding snow across our narrow icy road. Visibility dropped to just meters. In the distance, we could just see sturdy snow-proof fences built to protect the town from being snow-bound. A vehicle in front of us all but disappeared from view. In fact, we saw very few vehicles in or out of the town. Apparently, most people use snowmobiles in the winter season.
David told us that the weather in Rankin Inlet was highly volatile; gale forces winds whipping up freezing conditions within minutes. Being on the shores of the famous Hudson Bay, the exposed township was highly prone to blizzards, white-outs and bitterly cold conditions. "It's the wind that gets to you" commented David. And it sure was cold. The estimated outside temperature was around minus 38 °C with the wind chill.
Back at the Turaavik Inns North Hotel...
Like most settlements in Nunavut, hotel room tariffs at the Turaavik Inns North were booked per person; most guests being single mining, business or government workers. CAD 350 per person was an unbelievable price but apparently "normal" for a night's accommodation at mega-remote locations like Rankin Inlet. But when we had to double it for both of us, the cost was eye-watering, and it was made even worse by not including breakfast or evening meals. No wonder there were no tourists. Nevertheless, the hotel boasted around 80% occupancy...
Our room was tight for two, but it was warm, pleasant, and relatively comfortable. It included a small kitchenette with a microwave and tea and coffee-making facilities. Oh, and Wi-Fi was available. Annoyingly, it only had one chair. It was OK, even if crazily priced.
Outside, it was bitterly cold and blowing a gale, so we were relieved that the hotel had its own restaurant. Our pleasure, however, was short-lived when we were told that the Board of Inns North had declared the dining room facilities closed for the Easter weekend. It was a ridiculous situation. The dining room was empty, and the chef was cooking in the kitchen. We could order food, but we had to eat it in our tiny room.
There were no "ifs" or "buts." The management apparently could do nothing for us. The staff apologised but said if they allowed us into the dining room, there would be a queue of local people wanting to dine there, too. It didn't make any sense, but there was not a thing we could do. And as we were to find in some other places in the High North, it was pretty much a culture of "take it or leave it."
We were not happy. The hotel accepted our booking at a whopping CAD 700 per night, with no prior notification that the hotel was technically closed nor that we would have to eat our evening meals in our room. "Well, as we only have one chair, could we borrow another from somewhere?" we asked. No, that was not possible. So, we ate our meal with one of us sitting on the bed... To fuel the fury, we ordered a meal called "Grilled Chicken Banquet", only to find it was a hamburger with chips. We turfed the chips and half of the hamburgers...
Interestingly, the hotel had, and still does have very good reviews...
DAY TWO IN RANKIN INLET
A Brand New Day...
We may have had a disappointing start to our stay in Rankin Inlet, but Easter Saturday was a new day... Firstly, we had a surprisingly comfortable night and a good sleep. Secondly, our day promised to be brilliantly sunny, if a tad cold. Further good news was that a hot breakfast was served in the dining room, and for some inexplicable reason, we were allowed to dine that morning. But not for our evening meals... It was by then a case of "just go with the flow..."
Furthermore, our hotel adjoined the Kissarvik Cooperative Supermarket and Department store. Our room was actually adjacent to the store door. There was no need to walk outside and, of course, no need to don heavy clothing or snow boots (or so I thought...). Needless to say, Alan-the-Compulsive-Supermarket-Shopper was in his element... And last but certainly not least, the beer and wine shop was within easy walking distance of our hotel. Things were looking up.
The breakfast menu was extensive, including full hot meals of just about anything you could want. We knew the servings would be huge, so we ordered just one poached egg on toast each. A surly young boy of about ten years of age was waiting on the tables. Looking like he would rather be anywhere else in the world, it was almost impossible to get a word out of him, let alone a smile. We never did find out whose son he was... Two fried eggs each arrived. There was no point in commenting. The food was good, anyway.
During our tour with David the day before, we asked about local employment in the hamlet. Were people still mainly engaged with the mining industry? David lamented that getting
staff was difficult. And attracting good, reliable people was almost
impossible. It was unclear as to the reason. Surely, people in such remote
outposts would be happy to have reliable work at the hotel? Realising it
could be a sensitive subject, we decided we didn't need to know at that stage... Perhaps that was why our sad young friend was the sole waiter?
A Visit to Kissarvik Cooperative
Like the Inuvik Northmart Supermarket, The Kissarvik Cooperative store was fascinating. A mall full of variety and supermarket shops under one ceiling, really...
Again, we immersed ourselves in the wonders of Arctic gadgets - ice-free garbage bin mittens, warmed door handle jackets for outside doors, very fancy snow shovels, and even coloured seal skins for outdoor clothing. Despite our abhorrence for killing such beautiful creatures, in such extreme Arctic conditions, apparently nothing beats seal skin for natural warmth.
And talking of hunting, the Kissarvik Cooperative store, like all the Nunavut outlets we visited, was loaded with rifles, shotguns and hunting apparel. Everything from ATVs and hunting rifles to kitchenware, beds and inside furniture was for sale. The sight of guns and ammunition in a department store was very foreign to us. But as we were to learn, hunting is very much part of the Canadian Arctic culture.
The supermarket's fresh food was of excellent quality. And there was a wonderful variety of packaged and processed foods - local Canadian berry jams and products, sauerkraut from Ukraine, and even the much-famed Australian chocolate Tim Tam biscuits. Tins of Poutine gravy lined the shelves. We had seen "poutine"** on various menus but had no idea what it was then. I was sorry that we did not have the opportunity to try it. After all, chips and gravy are often on hotel menus in Australia. I hate to admit it, but we have even seen menus including prawn culets with gravy! Yes, that is gross and definitely a bridge too far...
**"Poutine is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It is thought to have emerged in Quebec in the late 1950s. For many years, some used it to mock French Quebec society. Poutine later became celebrated as a symbol of Quebecoise culture and the province of Quebec. It has long been associated with Quebec cuisine, and its prominence has led to its growing popularity throughout the rest of Canada." (Wikipedia) Note: There is even a National Poutine Week in February 2025!
Preparing for a Cold Morning Walk in Rankin Inlet
Our brilliant, cloudless sunny day was deceptive. The temperature was minus 28 °C, and wind was forecast for the late morning. Despite the relentless chore of dressing in so many layers, we knew we really needed to rug up. At temperatures of less than minus 30 °C, we have found the main issue is how long it takes to become seriously cold. Not long at all. In Russia, we were warned that if a car breaks down in seriously cold weather, it is only a matter of some 30 minutes without the car heating before the temperature equilibrates with outside. And then you are in real trouble.
The wind chill factor is perhaps the most surprising phenomenon. As many people would know, wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin and internal body temperature. For example, at a temperature of minus 30 °C and wind speed of just 8 km per hour, the felt or wind chill is minus 46 °C. Our Russian guide once told us that in some parts of Yakutia, with high winds and very cold conditions, it was theoretically possible to feel temperatures as low as minus 100 °C!
Furthermore, inside heating in the Arctic is very efficient. In fact, it is so warm that we mostly wear trekking pants and T-shirts. This can be dangerous for novices, as the outside environment on a sunny day can look inviting and deceptively warm. For warm-climate Australians, it is easy not to bother wearing a hat or mittens.
The other cold climate lesson we have learnt is not to dress too far ahead of venturing outside. Layers of thermals and outside clothing have the additional danger of making yourself too hot, causing perspiration, which then can freeze and lead to frostbite. Yes, it is dangerous stuff for the unwary...
Mission: Liquor Shop
Rankin Inlet would be our last destination where we could purchase alcohol. From here on in, we would be staying in the "dry" settlements of Arctic Bay and Resolute, where alcohol was banned because of its devastating effects on local Inuit communities. We had purposely let our supplies dwindle as we knew we could buy at least enough beer or wine at Rankin Inlet to see us through our stay.
Thankfully, it was only a short walk from our hotel. Within minutes, however, our glasses fogged up, and our cheeks burned. A slight breeze became a significant wind. It was alarmingly cold. To our disappointment, the beer and wine shop was closed due to an "Easter Inventory Undertaking".
We needed a walk, but it was far too cold to go further. This is where you really have to pace yourself and set rigid times for outward trips on foot. Alan's eyelashes and eyebrows had completely iced up, and patches of ice had formed on his face. Conscious of his previous collapses in Greenland and frostbite in Yakutia, we decided it was best to return to the hotel.
I then continued my walk for another kilometer or so, down to the shores of nearby Johnston Cove on Hudson Bay. The scenery was gorgeous. I found a freshly graded track onto the frozen waters, but within minutes, I had slipped into a couple of sinkholes and was up to my waist in soft snow. It was time to head back. I was only too well aware of how lethal they could be. Especially with no one else stupid enough to be around in this extreme cold to help me...
Back at the hotel, lunch was a suitably simple affair - bananas, potato crisps, and the last of our gin with tonic. We had even managed to buy some limes. Bliss... It was one of our last decent drinks for some time.
Oops, Nearly Caught "Barefoot" in the Kissarvik Cooperative...
Late afternoon, I slipped into the Kissarvik Cooperative from our hotel entrance to buy fruit and soda water. I didn't need to dress for outside wear, so I wore just my slippers and didn't bother with a coat, hat or mittens. After all, it was merely an inside door away from our room.
Roaming around the store and amusing myself by looking at the different products for sale, I suddenly realised the lights were being turned off, and I was the only shopper left. Having quickly paid for the fruit and water, I headed to the hotel's internal door entrance only to find it was locked. The last check-out personnel were beginning to lock the front doors and hurriedly told me to make my way out. Pointing out that I had only slippers and no coat on, I asked if they could please unlock the hotel doors. No, it was too late.
Oh great, it was at least 200 meters through deep snow and ice, in bitterly cold conditions, via the long way back to the hotel. And, of course, I was wearing nothing more than trekking pants and a T-shirt - and only slippers on my feet! Pleading eventually worked, and a disgruntled staff member stormed back to the door to let me back into the hotel. It was another lesson. Never go out without sufficient outdoor clothing. But really...?
My mood was poisonous, so I decided we would take the risk that evening and eat in the dining room. If we were very quiet, closed the dining room curtains, and sat well out of view from the outside, surely we would be let stay. We would plead ignorance if we were confronted. We closed the curtains and ate our meal in peace. And no one said a word... In fact, the kitchen staff was very chatty...
INTRODUCING THE TERRITORY OF NUNAVUT
Nunavut at a Glimpse
Nunavut is the largest, easternmost and northernmost of Canada's three northern territories. With an area of 2,093,190 square km (including water and/or frozen water), it comprises a significant portion of Northern Canada and most of the Arctic Archipelago. Its vast area makes it the fifth-largest country subdivision in the world. Its area is larger than France and Germany, respectively.
Nunavut includes Ellesmere Island to the far north, the eastern and southern portions of Victoria Island in the west, Baffin Island to the east and all of the islands in Hudson, James and Ungava Bays.
With an estimated 2024 population of just 40,758, Nunavut is the world's least densely populated significant sub-division. Its population comprises 87% Inuit people. The official languages are Inuktut (Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun), English and French. The capital city is Iqaluit which is located on the southern shores of Baffin Bay.
Geography
Nunavut is divided into three physiographic regions: the Hudson Bay Lowlands, a sedimentary basin in the middle of the Canadian Shield; the Canadian Shield with extensive bedrock covered by a thin layer of soil; and the Canadian Arctic, comprising about half of the coastal plains, lowlands, and Arctic Archipelago.
The Arctic mainland's northernmost regions are known as the Barren Lands. They comprise a vast tundra region covered with grasses, mosses, and lichen, interspersed with granite outcrops and dotted with innumerable lakes and streams, including the Coppermine, Hood, Thomsen, and Thelon Rivers.
The term Barren Lands is as confronting as the very region it is. A harsh and unforgiving environment, it supports only tundra-type growth. Barren Lands can result from soil degradation, inadequate water availability or nutrient deficiency. The harshness of its polar climate further exacerbates the Canadian Barren Grounds. Land that is not arable makes for difficult economic development and low population density.
Nunavut has no trees, but over 200 species of flowering low-cover plants exist. Land mammals include the polar bear, caribou, muskox, Arctic foxes, wolves and hares, wolverine, and lemming. Aquatic mammals include walruses, seals, belugas, narwhals, and several species of whales.
The territory is also home to a wide variety of birds, most of which are migratory. They include auks, buntings, ducks, geese, cranes, loons, plovers, sandpipers and terns. Only the raven, the ptarmigan and the snowy owl spend the entire year in Nunavut.
As of 2025, 12% of the territory was protected. Plans are in place to increase that percentage to 30% by 2030 (World Wildlife Foundation).
Climate
Nunavut experiences a polar climate in most regions, owing to its high latitude and lower continental summertime influence than areas further west.
Historical Briefing - Ancient Settlements
The region now known as Nunavut was first populated approximately 4,500 years ago by the Pre-Dorset, a diverse ancient Eskimo culture that migrated eastward from the Bering Strait region. They were followed by the Dorset people about 2,800 years ago.
The Thule people, ancestors of the modern Inuit, began migrating from Alaska in the 12th century into the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. By 1300, the Thule people had genetically and culturally replaced the Dorset.
European migration is thought to date back to around the 1570's when English explorer Martin Frobisher thinking he had found gold, made the first recorded European contact with the Inuit on Baffin Island at what is now known as Frobisher Bay.
As Nunavut was originally part of the Northwest Territories, further history on the region can be found in the "Historical Briefing of the Northwest Territories" in the previous blog Chapter "Crossing the Arctic Circle. Farewell to the Yukon".
The Cold War Years: Forced Relocation of Indigenous People
The mid-20th century was a dark period for the Indigenous people of Canada. During the Cold War years from the 1950s to the late 1960s, the Canadian government, concerned about the geographically sensitive location of its high north and proximity to Russia, enacted the High Arctic Relocation Plan to forcibly relocate Inuit people from north Quebec to populate the lands around Resolute and Grise Fiord in northern Nunavut.
In the unfamiliar and hostile conditions, they faced almost certain starvation or death due to exposure. Promised free return to their initial homeland after a year if they wished - or were still alive - the government reneged, and the Inuit were forced to stay.
An extraordinarily cruel situation, it was not until the 1970s when activism increased amongst the Inuit, First Nations and Inuu people for recognition of their forced assimilation. In 1976, as part of the land claims negotiations between the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami organisation, a separate territory was demanded for the Inuit people.
In 1982, a plebiscite on the division of land from the Northwest Territories was held with a majority voting in favour of the division. In 1993, the Canadian government passed the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act. The transition to establish a Nunavut Territory was completed on April 1st 1999.
Economy Today
The Inuit and Territorial Governments drive Nunavut's economy today. It comprises mining, oil, gas, and mineral exploration, arts and crafts, hunting, fishing, whaling, tourism, military activity, Arctic research, and education.
DAY THREE IN RANKIN INLET
A Breakfast Chat with Chef Simon - A Little About Rankin Inlet
Easter Sunday was our last day in Rankin Inlet. We were due to fly out that evening to Iqaluit, where we had to stay the night before flying north to Arctic Bay.
Our little friend was serving breakfast again, glowering as he reluctantly took our order. At least we were the only guests, and he could hop into a massive breakfast without making eye contact with us. It was easier to serve ourselves fruit juice and coffee...
Chef Simon, on the other hand, was interested in where we were from and why we were visiting Rankin Inlet. He was indeed on for a real chat. I guess the hotel does not get many tourists.
The relaxing feature of this holiday was that, unlike our 2023 travels, we had planned virtually no activities and had time to chat or do whatever we wished. Simon was interesting, providing us with a briefing on the hamlet from the point of view of a person who lived and worked there full-time. And we were very grateful.
Rankin Inlet Hamlet at a Glimpse
Rankin Inlet is the largest hamlet and second-largest settlement in Nunavut, after the capital of Iqaluit. Located on the northwestern Hudson Bay between Chesterfield Inlet and Arviat, it is the regional centre for the government, education and business for the Kivalliq Region.
The population of Rankin Inlet is approximately 3,000 (2021 census), of which some 80% are Inuit. The main languages spoken are Inuktitut and English.
For a small hamlet, Rankin Inlet is surprisingly well-serviced. It has government offices, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment, banks, schools, a health centre and hospital, a dental clinic, and several drugstores. Furthermore, there are three department (convenience) stores, five hotels, a bed and breakfast, several restaurants, and, more amazingly, two hardware stores.
There are no connecting roads to other settlements, and most of the transport is by air. Two companies service Rankin Inlet: Calm Air and Canadian North Airlines.
Rankin Inlet has a sub-Arctic Climate. Winter low temperatures are around minus 40 °C, with a record temperature of nearly minus 50 °C. As David had mentioned, the hamlet is notable for its chilling wind, severe winter storms and abundant water resources, with the Diana River emptying from the north into Rankin Inlet.
Rankin Inlet has no trees, just low-lying tundra grasses, mosses and lichens.
Like many modern Nunavut settlements, Rankin Inlet has a rich mining history. It was founded in 1957 by the owners of Rankin Inlet Mine, just north of Johnston Cove. The mine produced nickel and copper ores from an underground operation. When it closed in 1962, 80% of the mining population were Inuit, and many were unemployed. Several unsuccessful attempts to provide alternative incomes for the population included pig farming and chicken raising.
The Meliadine Gold Mine, operated by Agnico Eagle, was opened in 2019. It is expected to produce until at least 2032. Together with Meadowbank Gold Mines at Baker Lake and service industries, mining provides the backbone of employment for much of the hamlet's population.
A Midday Walk Around Rankin Inlet
I knew what Alan was thinking. We had just been told there were TWO hardware stores in town! Now, if there is any shop that Alan likes as much, if not more, than a supermarket, it would have to be a hardware store. Oh, and to my utter lack of comprehension, he is also keen on electrical, lighting and nut-and-bolts places.
On another bitterly cold but sunny day, the hardware stores were too far away from our hotel to walk to. And we were told there were no taxis. After all, it was Easter Sunday. So, I left Alan reading while I took a walk around town. Very well rugged up.
I didn't get too far. It was windy, and the sword-edge cold bit cruelly into my fingers as I took off my mittens to take photos. Walking back to the hotel, I took a shortcut, which took me past a giant stone structure perched high on a hillside. It was a statue of a traditional Inuit "Inushuk". The sun suddenly beamed on its rich stones, reflecting a glorious light against a deep azure sky. Blessing my good fortune, I walked to the top of the hill and took several photos. I stood, literally spellbound. It was a compelling sight.
***"The Inushuk is a symbol with deep roots in the Inuit culture, a directional marker that signifies safety, hope and friendship. The word inuksuk means 'something which acts for or performs the function of a person." The Rankin Inlet Inuksuk is a classic example of this remarkable symbol. (Wikipedia)
Farewell Rankin Inlet
Jess, an Inns North employee, was visiting Rankin Inlet and kindly offered to drive us to the airport for our 7:20 pm departing flight to Iqaluit. A bubbly young woman, Jess' role was to visit each of the Nunavut Inns North Hotels to liaise with the staff about their needs and any issues they may have. A friend of Taquut Inns North managers Tom and Shantelle, Jess was very positive about the hotel and our coming stay at the pretty hamlet of Arctic Bay. "Tom and Shantelle are great hosts!" she enthused. "And you will just love Arctic Bay!".
We were grateful. It being Sunday, there was no shuttle bus, and apparently, there were no taxis. And it didn't help that our phone didn't work in Rankin Inlet.
Our flight was delayed for an hour. But so far, we had been lucky with our flights, with some leaving even earlier than scheduled. It gave us time to watch as the sun set on a stunning pink-golden afternoon.
Once again, it was the anticipation and thrill of what our coming destinations may hold...
ADDENDUM - Descriptors of Photos of Arctic Land Formations
Thermokarsts: Landscapes that occur as a result of melting ice-rich permafrost. The ice-rich ground is very robust when frozen and can support a variety of land covers. Since water is most dense at 4°C, it expands when it begins to freeze (0°C). For this reason, when permafrost ice melts, the landscape collapses from the sudden decrease in volume. This land failure creates a thermokarst environment of holes, trenches, slumps, ponds and uprooted vegetation.
Polygons: A type of patterned ground formed from the action of ice-wedge development. As multiple ice wedges form, surrounding ground is uplifted through seasonal expansion (freeze) and contraction (melt), creating channels at the ice wedge location. Seasonal melting produces small ponds within this landscape.
Beaded Streams: A route of small, round connected water ponds created from the melting of ice-wedge surfaces. Each pond overlies an ice wedge formation.
Stone Circles: Permafrost features formed over hundreds of freeze cycles. As the underground water freezes, larger rocks are heaved upwards into concentric circles.
grant ashwell
2024-11-17
Amazingly comprehensive...Good job