Repulse Bay, Nunavut

Well, seeing as most of you will never visit me here (sort of out of the way!), here is some information about Repulse Bay:

Introduction
Surrounding Repulse Bay there are countless inuksuit (plural of inukshuk). These rocks piled on top of each other in the shape of a human, and other forms, are referred to in English as stone cairns. Some of these inuksuit were built hundreds or thousands of years ago by Inuit to show where they had traveled, or to mark good fishing and/or hunting locations. The landscape is dotted with scenic inlets and rolling hills, some of which are snow-covered year round.

Repulse Bay is located on the Arctic Circle, 66oN. Buildings in town include: a two bay fire station, Arctic College, new RCMP detachment, Social Services office, small hotel, airport, three churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Glad Tidings), post office, two stores (Northern and Co-Op), arena, and the new Hamlet building. The first language of most people here is Inuktitut.

History
Before 1964, Repulse Bay consisted of a Hudson Bay Company store and a Roman Catholic Mission building. The Inuit of the area lived in small camps and came into Repulse Bay for supplies and to trade at the Bay store. In 1964 the first houses came. These houses were small one-room dwellings, often referred to as "matchbox houses." As the number of people moving into the community increased, so to did the demand for additional housing.

Weather
It is an area of true Arctic climate, characterized by extreme long and cold winters and cool short summers. The temperature ranges from 15 to 20°C in the summer and between -40 and -50°C in the winter. Winter usually sets in during mid-October and ends around the end of April. Snow can be expected at any time during the year, as can winds, which are usually from the northwest at an average speed of 17 km per hour.

Wildlife
Just north of the community is a cliff where seagulls nest in the early summer. It is from this nesting place that Repulse Bay got its Inuktitut name: Naujaat (fledgling, or baby seagull). Other birds that make this region part of their annual migratory tour include: snow buntings (signaling the beginning of spring), loons, eider ducks, long-tailed ducks, jaegers, snowy owls, terns, ravens, ptarmigan, tundra swans, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, rough-legged hawks, Canada geese, snow geese, and sandhill cranes. There is also an abundance of marine wildlife around the community of Repulse Bay. When out boating in the ocean one has the chance to see bearded, ringed, harbour, or harp seals, as well as, beluga, orca, narwhal and, if extremely lucky, bowhead whales (the second largest animal on the planet), and possibly even polar bears or walrus.
When "out on the land" in either the fall or spring it is not uncommon to see herds of caribou within 25 kilometers of town. As well, arctic hares, wolves, foxes, and the occasional wolverine roam the tundra outside of Repulse Bay.

I got this info from the following website: http://mailhub.edu.nu.ca/kivalliq/orientation/Repulse.html.
Click here to see the local weather forecast: Weather Office
Some info about artwork can be found here: Artwork
Any questions, let me know. I will try to find the answer for you.

My first blizzard!

Well, school was shut down early on Friday due to a blizzard passing through. I guess it wasn't a super bad one, but it was pretty cold and blowy. Some teacher were supposed to fly down south, but their flight was cancelled. The below pics are the same view on two different days. It can be really dangerous to walk around in a blizzard as it can be disorientating and you could get lost very easily.




Below are some pictures from today. I went for a walk with Aubrey (the principal) out on the ice, then around town. The sled dogs are kept out of town (on the ice) during the winter I believe. There were 3 teams of dogs out there. We stopped by to see Carroll and Bill's dogs as well (kept at their house). They have about 9 dogs? It was a beautiful day and a great way to see some of the town.

My first week

I have decided to start this blog to share with friends and family back home to keep everyone up to date with my goings on. I hope to post lots of pictures to share my Arctic experience.

Well, I have almost survived my first week. I arrived in Repulse Bay last Tuesday and I have been lucky with the weather so far! I guess it has been "warmer" than normal for this time of year. I know that winter isn't over yet and I am looking forward to see what will come.

The school has been very welcoming and my class is great! Grade 4 was always my favourite. The kids are still pretty eager to please. :) I don't understand (probably never will) their sleeping habits. Some of my students only show up in the morning or the afternoon (or not at all), or they fall asleep in class. Some of them stay up until 4 in the morning, then sleep all day. I'm told it will only get worse as the days become longer. By mid-April there will be 24 hours of sun and the kids have a hard time sleeping. I need to invest in some curtains before then!
A lot of the kids are very sensitive and I haven't made it through the day yet without someone crying! lol Some of them have some very sharp words.

The apartment is really nice! It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit, not even 2 years old. It is pretty modern and in great shape. I will be getting a roommate on February 26th. Normally, I wouldn't be thrilled about it, but up here it will be nice to have someone to hang out with (and share the exuberant rent)!

On another note, Alex Bilodeau just won Canada's first gold!! Way to go! He seems like such a genuine person, so glad he won! He deserves it. :)

My first impressions of Nunavut have been great. I hope the next few months continue to go well. The only thing that would make this adventure even better would be if Chris were here too!! Maybe he will miss me so much that he will move up here for a while!! Maybe.

Soon I will post some stuff about Repulse Bay.