The First Week

Unfortunately, the Arctic hare (or hares) did not reappear on my morning walk to school for the rest of the week.  Thankfully, the ravens were still around to keep me company with their assortment of sounds and songs.  These large black birds are the seagulls of the north.  They survive by picking up the leftover food that we humans throw away.

I wasn't pleased to wait for phone and internet installation at my residence but that's the way it is in the north.  Goods and services aren't always available.  I would have to rely on the school's phone and internet to keep in touch with the outside world.  And the posting of my latest blog would be delayed as well.  I hoped my loyal readers would not be upset.    

            

It didn't take long for me to realize that the shock of static electricity I received on my first day was actually a forewarning of a nuisance that is always present in the north.  To escape the extreme cold, people retreat into heated buildings.  However, the climate inside is so dry that everything you touch creates a spark.  I experienced a little bit of static electricity when I was working in Iqaluit, but here, it's on a different level.  Every time I hear the discharges in the hallways, they remind me of the rapid camera flashes you see in a sports stadium during a game.       

            

I had a meeting with the principal about what my third class should be?  From our discussion we decided on starting a guitar class.  The class would take place during 4th period, the last period of the school day.  Third period would remain as my spare/preparation time.  Before I could begin the following week (February 4), I had to make sure that I had all the necessary instruments and resources.  I first examined the school's three acoustic guitars and determined that two of them were too warped to be used.  Finding replacements weren't a problem because the local Co-op had acoustic guitars on sale for $220 each.  They also sold guitar strings, picks, and tuners.  I selected 3 guitars, 3 packages of replacement strings, two packs of guitar picks, and a tuner.  All this was paid for by the school.  My students would use the new guitars and I would use the old guitar that wasn't warped. 

            

At the end of the week, I received two separate deliveries: my two food boxes, and 18 boxed & wrapped items containing my appliances, kitchenware, clothes, toiletries, and furniture.  I didn't have to go to the airport to pick up the deliveries; I arranged pickup and delivery with the local mover Bobbie.  Delivery of the two food boxes only cost $10.  As for the larger load . . . I'm not sure because it was covered by the Nunavut Government.    I was surprised that all 18 items arrived at once.  I was expecting them to be delivered in smaller loads.  I commend First Air for being able to fit everything into one plane.    

            

A lot of fundraising happens at Inuujaq School.  One such event took place on Friday, February 1, in my classroom after school.  The event in question was a video game hockey tournament, organized by Sean, the teacher who had been looking after my classes before my arrival.  The chosen game was NHL 13 for the PlayStation 3, made by EA Sports.  Participants had to pay $5 to enter the tournament and that money went towards the Badminton Team.

            

Even though I'm a computer gamer, I decided to enter the tournament to contribute to the fundraiser, meet some of the students, and to have fun.  Five students and three teachers participated in the tournament, playing continuously and simultaneously on three televisions.  I don't want to brag but I won one game and lost three, ending in fourth.  Sean won first place, followed by Boy, an elementary school student, in second.  Kyle, a middle school teacher, attained third place. 

            

On my first weekend in Arctic Bay, I decided to take a walk and photograph the town and the surrounding landscape.  Not many Canadians and tourists get a chance to visit this distant and isolated part of the country so best to give you a glimpse of what life is like on the northern tip of Baffin Island.  To combat the presence of permafrost, buildings are built above the ground, resting on metal stilts.  The stilts are driven deep into the ground to bed rock.  If there was a central water and sewage system, the pipes would also be above ground but heavily insulated against the Arctic cold.

            

Arctic Bay Airport

When it comes to transportation, the people of Arctic Bay have many choices.  When you're in town, the cheapest option is to walk because everything is within close proximity (minus the industrial area, and airport).  Residents also use cars, pickup trucks, snow mobiles, and ATVs.  Dog teams are used for hunting and leisure trips out on the land.  During the long winter months, the dogs reside on the frozen ice in the bay.  They are fed seal meat to stay strong.  When it's feeding time, the dogs become very excited and bark loudly when the master approaches with the food. 

            

Feeding Time

As I mentioned in earlier posts, there are only two stores in town: Taqqut Co-op and the Northern Store.  However, thanks to the internet, goods can be ordered and flown in.  For food (referred to as Food Mail), residents order from the Marché Central du Nord.  And of course, there're animals to hunt in the surrounding areas, such as, caribou, seal, ptarmigan, Arctic char, and polar bear.  (I should note that quotas are in place as to how many polar bears a community can hunt).

            

RCMP Station

For people wanting to visit the community, accommodations can be reserved at the Tangmaarvik Inn.  The RCMP maintains a presence with a small station manned by two officers who are on call 24/7.  When it comes to alcohol, Arctic Bay is a restricted community.  Residents must obtain an import permit from the local Alcohol Education Committee before they can order liquor.   

            

The health centre employs three nursing staff and a community physician flies in once every month.  The dentist comes about once every 3 months and a psychiatrist every 6 months.  Since demand for these services are high, out-of-towners are encouraged to seek these services down south.  Prescription drugs can be ordered through Iqaluit.    

            

Hockey Arena

The sport of choice is hockey and games are played at the local arena.  The town recently built a Community Hall (nicknamed the 'C Hall') to host public gatherings, activities, and clubs.  Event planners use Facebook, the local radio, and word of mouth to spread the word.

            

There are several local customs to be aware of when residing in the communities.  Similar to down south, locals rarely lock their doors and knock.  They just walk in.  If you would like privacy then just lock your door.  When someone raises their eyebrows it means 'yes'; when they wrinkle their nose it means 'no'.  And spitting, passing gas, and continuing to speak Inuktitut when a Qallunaat is present is not considered rude.

Tangmaarvik Inn

*Note:  The information about the health centre and local customs were summarized from a welcome package I received from Barb, the community's social worker.  A former Warrant Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, she also volunteers at 3045 Army Cadet Corps as a drill instructor.             

The First Day(s) - Part 2

January 30.  My first 'real' day of teaching.

            

I follow yesterday's morning routine and am out the door at 7:50.  The only alterations are a silver dress shirt and a black tie with a different design.  To my surprise, I see an Arctic hare (possibly the same one from yesterday) run across the same intersection on my way to Inuujaq School.  Will this be my morning companion from now on?  A future pet?

            

I arrive at the school slightly after 8am and the front door is locked.  Thankfully I have a key to let myself in.  The hall lights are on, indicating that someone is already here.  It's most likely the Inuit teacher in charge of the morning breakfast program.  I receive a shock of static electricity as I flick on the lights in my classroom.  I immediately go to work on preparing for my first class: Grade 10 English.

            

The darkness outside makes me think I'm a night school teacher.  Even though there will be light at midday, the sun itself will not rise above the mountains.  As a precaution, I have plenty of vitamin D tablets on standby. 

            

Five students, all of them female, arrive for English class.  Eleven students are registered for the class.  After morning announcements I introduce myself as their new teacher and write my name on the board.  My last name draws particular interest from them and they get a kick out of trying to pronounce it.  We spend another two minutes learning each other's names.  I also tell them a little bit about myself including my recent teaching experience in Iqaluit.  They appear intrigued.

            

Before my arrival, the students had been studying Speak, a young adult novel written by Laurie Halse Anderson in 1999.  The award winning book tells the story of Melinda Sordino, who begins Grade 9 after suffering a traumatic event during the summer.  This event makes her depressed and nearly forces her to stop speaking altogether.  The novel explores how she learns to acknowledge what has happened and how to move forward.  We watch the 2004 movie as a class.  I haven't read the book before so the film will give me a good idea of what the story is about.  Since most movie adaptations differ from the original source material, I plan to read the novel later.

            

Grade 10 Social Studies is the next class after morning recess.  Out of the fourteen students that are registered, only four are present.  I continue the Arctic Sovereignty unit they have been studying for the last several days.  Today's lesson focuses on the Polar Sea Controversy in 1985.  At the time, the United States Coast Guard vessel Polar Sea sailed through the Northwest Passage, from Greenland to Alaska, on a resupply mission without asking permission from the Canadian government.  This act angered Canadian government officials and the general public because Canadians claim sovereignty over the Northwest Passage and all the surrounding islands.  To this day, major world powers, such as the United States and Russia do not recognize these claims.

            

I remember studying this affair in high school except I didn't think much about it at the time because it happened far away from Ottawa.  Now, it held more weight to me because I was now residing & teaching in Arctic Bay.  The Northwest Passage is in Arctic Bay's 'backyard'.  At first, the students don't seem to mind what the Polar Sea did because it happened before they were born.  But after studying it in depth they begin to understand its significance and even form for & against opinions by the end of class.

            

Afternoon classes are cancelled because of a funeral for the passing of a community member.  When someone from Arctic Bay passes away, school is cancelled the next day and the entire community mourns.  The resident died in Ottawa due to medical complications and was transported back to his hometown, in a coffin, by plane.  The plane that transported  the coffin from Iqaluit happened to be the same one I was on.  

            

I decide to pay my respects to the gentleman and his family by attending the funeral in the school's gym.  Upon entering the gym with a program in my hands, several pairs of eyes are looking at me.  I take a seat at the back of the gym and listen to the soft music that is playing.  A steady stream of people continue trickling into the gym as the service begins.  Some approach me and introduce themselves and to ask who I am? 

            

The funeral service includes readings from the Bible, hymns, prayers, a sermon, and statements from family and friends.  What stands out for me the most is the Final Farewell.  While the last hymn is playing and sung by the congregation, family members & close friends crowd around the coffin to say their last goodbyes.  Since this is very difficult to do, all feelings of emotion come flooding out.  After several minutes, the coffin is carried outside to a waiting truck to be transported to the cemetery later for final burial.  As the coffin is led out of the gym, members of the congregation line up to hug and pass along their condolences to the remaining family members.               

            

After the funeral, I continue the process of settling into the community by setting up accounts for electricity, heating, water, sewage removal, and garbage pickup.  Completing all of this requires visits to the Hamlet Office, Housing Office, and the Northern Store.  The Northern Store (residents just call it 'The Northern') and Co-op are the only two stores in town that sell food, clothing, electronics, furniture, and other essentials.  The Northern has an ATM machine and also a post office.  Since there is a shortage of post office boxes, most people receive their mail through 'general delivery'.  I receive warm greetings from staff and local residents upon entering each establishment.  I lose track of the amount of 'Welcome to Arctic Bay!' greetings I have received.     

            

Setting up phone and internet is done differently in Arctic Bay.  You need to directly contact the employees of the companies providing the services.  Thankfully, it is not difficult to obtain contact information because everyone knows everyone.  NorthWestTel provides phone services but not the internet like in Iqaluit.  The internet is provided by Qiniq, a Canadian company that brings broadband internet to 25 Inuit communities in Nunavut.  Unfortunately, I will have to wait up to two weeks to get these services installed at my residence. 

            

I return to the school's gym in the early evening to meet with the Commanding Officer of 3045 Army Cadet Corps, Canada's most northern army cadet unit.  The unit has around 20 cadets and they use the school's gym as their training facility.  The Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant Frank May also happens to be the town's mayor.  The cadets are quite an energetic bunch who enjoy drill, sports, biathlon, and shooting.  For this training night, they were working on their drill.  I spoke with the CO about where I could put my extensive cadet experience to good use?  We decide on general training; this means assisting and/or teaching lessons in the classroom.  The training night concludes with the CO introducing me to the cadets who welcome me with an applause.              

End of The First Day(s) Mini-series.

The First Day(s) - Part 1

January 29.  6:30am.  The alarm clock rings and I turn it off.  The first warning bell has sounded.  I reset the alarm for 7am.  Just a few minutes longer. 

            

7am.  The alarm clock rings again.  Time to get up.  No excuses.  It's your first day.  First impressions are everything.  I put on black dress pants, shirt, and a new tie I bought in Iqaluit.  The black tie is dotted with small colourful inukshuks.  For breakfast, I finish the snacks I bought the night before.  It is still dark outside. 

            

I pack my knapsack with what I need the most.  Since I'm quite far from the school, it would be too laborious to carry everything in one trip.  I would have to transfer all my resources to the school in multiple trips.  At 7:50, I'm wearing my large Canada Goose parka, snow pants, and new winter boots.  After locking up my housing unit, I start walking towards Inuujaq School carrying a knapsack on my shoulders and my laptop briefcase in my right hand.  The added weight of my outerwear, knapsack, and briefcase forces me to walk slowly.  I'm glad I left a lot earlier.  I calculate that I will arrive at 8:15, fifteen minutes early.  It pays to be early. 

            

The darkness fools me into thinking that I've woken up too early.  I periodically check my watch to reassure myself that it is indeed morning and not the dead of night.  There is even a moment when I doubt my watch.  In the distance I see the outline of King George V Mountain and to the right, the airport landing lights.  Sewage and water trucks are driving around, removing sewage and delivering water to selected houses.  Unlike Iqaluit and cities down south, there is no central sewer & water systems.  Up ahead at a four-way intersection a small white Arctic hare runs across the snow covered road.  Perhaps a sign of good things to come?     

            

I arrive at the school and am greeted by Jill.  Since I'm not sure where my classroom is, she lets me store my belongings in hers.  While touring the building, she explains that the school is divided into four sections: pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school.  Students begin arriving at 8:30 and the breakfast program starts several minutes later.  The school is built on a sloped hill with classrooms, offices, storage rooms, workshops, and the gym spread across two floors.  Jill introduces me to the Inuit & non-Inuit teachers that we see in the hallway.  As we head back the way we came, more and more students are coming in.  Their faces, full of curiosity, are looking at me. 

            

I enter the main office as Jill heads back to her class.  I introduce myself to the secretary and several student support assistants.  The principal, A. Salam, is there to greet me.  He explains that today will be my orientation; I will have the entire day to plan and to get my affairs in order.  He leads me to my classroom through the throng of Inuit students.  Several elementary and middle school students decide to act on their curiosity.  Their questions & comments come flooding out. 

            

"Good morning!"

            

"Who are you?"

            

"You the new teacher?"

            

"What's your name?"

            

"Nice tie!"

            

"How old are you?"

            

I get waves.  I get handshakes.  I get smiling faces.  I do my best to receive them all while trying to keep up with Salam.  Am I teacher or a politician on the campaign trail?  Teachers come to my rescue before I am swallowed up.  They hustle their students away, just in time for morning announcements.  Salam and I arrive at the English/Social Studies classroom in the school's high school section.  The room itself is big with plenty of space and a large window with a great view of the bay.  Five students and a teacher are there.  Sean, a middle school teacher, has been looking after the class since early January.  The original teacher, Patricia, is taking time off to complete her master's degree in education. 

            

Morning announcements begin with the playing of "O Canada", followed by a prayer in Inuktitut.  Announcements come next, read in Inuktitut and English.  When morning announcements are completed, class instruction begins at 9am.  After introducing me to the students, Salam let's me speak to Sean about the students in my classes and the resources I  will have at my disposal.  While Sean fills me in, the students talk to each other in Inuktitut.  With his explanations finished I let him continue teaching the students and I head back to Jill's class to retrieve my belongings.  

            

Before the end of first period, I head back to Salam's office to receive my welcome package and to ask him any questions.  There are four periods in a day, separated by morning recess, lunch, and afternoon recess.  Recess is for ten minutes while lunch is for an hour.  School finishes at 3:35pm but extra-curricular activities can continue to 7pm on some days.  The school bell is not automated but manually operated.  In Arctic Bay, the winter semester begins in January and finishes in early June.  At the moment, I only have two classes but a third will be added later.

            

After morning recess, I am allowed to go to Housing and sign the rental agreement papers.  It is no longer dark outside but not sunny.  I am told by the Housing staff that the sun will not fully rise above the mountain tops until February 6th.  We drive to my unit so that they can inspect it to make sure everything is in working order.  Everything looks a-okay.  I grab some of my binders and books before they drive me back to the school, thus saving me a trip.        

            

At lunch time, the school 'shuts down' and students and most teachers go home to eat.  Those teachers who stay behind eat in the staff room.  As a form of welcome, Jill and her mother, also a teacher, provided me with a lunch to carry me through the afternoon.  I thank them for their hospitality and happily eat the meal while speaking to the other teachers.  

            

I am formally introduced to the high school body after lunch in the science room.  The students are there to watch the documentary People of a Feather so Salam decided that that was the best time to let everyone know that the new teacher has arrived.  I am surprised that no one draws attention to my formal clothing.    

            

I spend the rest of the afternoon planning and setting up the classroom the way I want.  When the final bell rings, I feel confident that I am ready to begin tomorrow.

            

Later that night, I buy more snacks from the Co-op to keep me going for the next day.  My two food boxes and the rest of my stuff have yet to arrive.  Unlike the previous night, I now have Arctic Bay residents introducing themselves and welcoming me to the community.  I return their greetings and explain who I am and how long I am planning to stay.  Walking back home under a dark winter night, I get the feeling that I will like this community.

To be continued . . .

Flight of Darkness

The estimated flight time was two and a half hours.  With the propellers droning on loudly outside the cabin, I pondered how to pass the time?  In my knapsack I had a book and my MP3 player but I didn't feel like getting them out.  The gentleman in the window seat next to me had fallen asleep against the window.  I thought about doing the same but a little child at the front kept making loud noises.  I could have put on my earplugs but chose not to.  I just sat and kept my mind clear.  Occasionally, I glanced out the window to my left to see the vast landscape below.  Nothing but white.

            

I was surprised to hear that a light meal would be served.  The small size of the aircraft convinced me that there would only be tea, coffee, and pop.  The light meal was a sandwich and some fruit but I declined because I ate before boarding.  Instead, I just had a can of Pepsi.  To new beginnings, I said to myself before taking a sip.

            

The sun disappeared over the horizon early in the flight.  The only light coming from outside were the wing lights.  The rest of the flight was uneventful but it took an extra thirty minutes to reach Arctic Bay.  As the plane banked to the right during the final approach, I caught a glimpse of the runway through a window to my right.  In the distance, a rectangle of blue lights illuminated from a sea of black.  Just to the right of the runway was a line of bright red lights.  Completing the turn, the turboprop continued to descend from the cold Arctic sky.  To my left, I caught a glimpse of orange lights from a group of buildings.  Squinting, I noticed they were the town's oil tanks.

            

The plane landed with ease on the snow covered gravel runway. The landing took a little longer than I thought because I had misjudged the distance to the runway when I first saw it.  I frowned when the plane touched down a little later than I had expected.  Once safely on the ground, the turboprop taxied to the small terminal building while the stewardess welcomed us to Arctic Bay.  The child who had been loud and energetic throughout the flight was now sound asleep.  All passengers had to disembark because the plane needed to be refueled.  Once completed, passengers continuing to Resolute would be allowed to board.  

            

"You're getting off here?" asked the gentleman who had been sitting in the window seat next to me.  He was continuing on to Resolute.

            

"Yes," I replied with a nod.  "I'm here for the next six months."

            

A small but brightly lit terminal building greeted me as I disembarked from the turboprop.  I followed the line of passengers into the building.  Some of the passengers who were flying to Resolute stood off to the side of the terminal to have a smoke.  The Arctic Bay Airport was recently completed in 2011, with the construction of a new terminal building and long gravel runway.  Until January 2010, all flights to the town were serviced by Nanisivik Airport, some 25km away.  Taxi rides cost $40 one way. 

            

There were several people inside the terminal building but none of them were there to greet me.  After waiting several minutes, I saw a truck loaded with luggage drive around to the front of the terminal.  I walked outside with several other passengers and we claimed our luggage as it was offloaded from the truck.  It was here where I met Jill, one of the elementary teachers of Inuujaq School.  We loaded our luggage into the town's only taxi and were driven to Arctic Bay for $20 each.  Also in the taxi were two nurses who had come up to administer eye care at the health unit.

            

The paved road from the airport does not have any street lights and is a little bumpy.  While the taxi snaked its way down the road, I asked Jill about life in Arctic Bay and how the students behaved.  She explained that in a small community everyone knows everyone, groceries are a little expensive, and the students are eager to learn.

            

It didn't take long for us to see the town; hundreds of bright orange lights formed a crescent around the frozen bay.  We drove by the oil tanks which are located in the town's industrial area.  The area actually lies between the town and airport.

            

The first stop for the taxi was the house of Innujaq School's principal, A. Salam.  He had the keys to my assigned residential unit.  Jill and I greeted him at the door.  He gave me the keys to my unit and instructed me to be at school for 8:30 the next morning.  The taxi then stopped at the health unit because the nurses needed to unload their supplies.  They were then dropped off at their housing units.  I was the last passenger in the taxi after Jill.  The Inuit taxi driver, Moses, welcomed me to Arctic Bay and asked what I had been doing before coming here?  I explained I was a teacher in Iqaluit for the last year but originally from Ottawa.

            

With the help of Moses, we moved my two suitcases and box into my housing unit.  The place is pretty spacious and I was glad to see that it came with a washer and dryer.  After unpacking for a good hour, I felt hungry.  Unfortunately, I didn't bring any food with me and the two food boxes I mailed in Iqaluit had yet to arrive.  Remembering that the taxi drove past a Co-op store, I decided to go and see if it was still open.

            

Stepping outside, the first thing I noticed was a large dark silhouette of a very tall mountain.  It must be King George V Mountain.  This prompted me to look around, noticing that the entire town was surrounded by tall hills.  I walked along the main road, retracing the path Moses took with his taxi.  It wasn't very cold and the town was eerily quiet.  After ten minutes, I made it to the Taqqut Co-op store.  Inuujaq School was just a block ahead.  The only other store in town is the Northern Store but it was closed.

            

I walked inside the Co-op and bought a few snacks that would hold me over for the night and the following day.  From what I can remember, no one asked me who I was but I sensed that questions would be asked around town tomorrow (January 29).  I devoured a good portion of the snacks when I got home.  Sitting on the couch, I finally breathed a sigh of relief that the travelling and unpacking was done.  When it was time, I crawled into bed to get some much needed rest.

            

I dozed off, thinking about what to say on my first day.  

Introduction

For nearly 5000 years, the northern part of the Borden Peninsula of Baffin Island was occupied by Inuit nomads.  In 1872, the European whaling ship Arctic, captained by William Adams, sailed into an enclosed bay and named the area Arctic Bay.  The Hudson Bay Company became interested in the region in 1926 and built a trading post but closed it the next year.  It was reopened in 1933.  The community rapidly expanded during the 1960s, with the Canadian federal government constructing public housing units, medical facilities, and a school.  The remaining nomadic Inuit families moved off the land and into the community in 1971.

            

Nearby, in the small community of Nanisivik (the place where people find things), just 32 kilometres to the east, a lead-zinc-silver mine opened in October 1976.  The towns were joined by Nunavut's only highway which still remains to this day.  When the mine closed in 2002, the town was abandoned and its residents moved to Arctic Bay.  There was a hope that Nanisivik's buildings could be moved as well, but this was not possible due to heavy lead-zinc contamination.  Today, all that remains are two small houses.  There are currently plans to convert Nanisivik into a refueling station for Arctic patrol and government vessels in an effort to enforce Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.

            

Today, the population of Arctic Bay is around 750.  The town is the birthplace of  Nunavut's current premier, Eva Aariak.  In Inuktitut, the town is called Ikpiarjuk, meaning 'the pocket'.  On three sides, the community is surrounded by high hills with jagged tops, and King George V Mountain.  Since the town is situated above the Arctic Circle, there is a period of continuous night for two and a half months (mid-November to January) and continuous daylight for three and a half months (May to mid-August).  It is here where I would continue my Arctic adventure.

            

For those of you who are new, let me give you a recap.  My exploration of Canada's Arctic began a year ago, in January of 2012, when I was hired to teach music and English for a year at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Nunavut.  Overcoming nervousness and the unknown, I made the northern trek and enjoyed teaching young Inuit & non-Inuit students and forging new contacts with teachers and staff.  (You can check out my Iqaluit blog here.) 

            

When the new year arrived, I was sad to see that my term was nearing completion.  Not wanting to return to 'the South' just yet, I looked for other teaching opportunities in the northern territories and successfully applied for a senior English/Social Studies teaching position at Inuujaq School, in Arctic Bay.  The school teaches kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) and has a student body of 235.  Looking on a map, I noticed that I wouldn't be leaving Baffin Island, merely moving to the other side, some 1,227km northwest of Iqaluit, the territorial capital of Nunavut.  Upon mentioning this to the teachers at Inuksuk, they informed me that instructing in a smaller community is nothing like teaching in the city.  To experience the true North, one must live in one of the many smaller, more isolated communities that dot the expansive northern landscape.

            

Preparing for the 'Big Move' was a little tough because I had many items to pack into boxes, such as, food, clothing, teaching resources, and kitchenware.  I was glad that the Government of Nunavut (GN) covered the moving costs and my plane ticket.  And then there was the task of cancelling all the local services.

            

When everything was taken care of, I took a taxi to Iqaluit Airport on January 28th.  While I trudged up a ramp with my loaded baggage cart, I noticed a large Airbus A380 parked on the tarmac.  Word on the street was that the large passenger plane had come for cold weather testing on its engines.  After checking in my luggage, I patiently waited in the terminal for boarding to begin.  I wondered what was to come?  I had been told that news of my impending arrival was the talk of the town.  Would I be greeted by a crowd of locals?

            

The First Air plane was an ATR-42 turboprop, meaning passengers didn't have to go through the security checkpoint.  The flight was fully booked with passengers to Arctic Bay and Resolute.  We all boarded a bus which then drove us to the assigned ATR-42.  Out of the nineteen travelers I counted, only five, including myself, were Qallunaat (non-Inuit).  As we disembarked onto the tarmac, the plane was being loaded with cargo at the front, separating the cockpit and seating area.  I took one last look at the scenery around me before stepping into the turboprop.  I was going to miss Iqaluit.

            

When it comes to seating in turboprop planes in the north, it's a free-for-all, regardless of what your ticket says.  I took an aisle seat and did my best to get comfortable.  The seats are too small to accommodate large parkas.  Once everyone was buckled in, the pilots fired up the plane and taxied to the runway.  When clearance was given from the control tower, the plane accelerated and lifted into the afternoon sky with ease.

            

I was on my way.