Where the light never sleeps

At 69.05' North and 81.25' West daylight is your constant companion.

The Northern Store, there's one in every Inuit community, it sells absolutely everything.

I arrived yesterday to the Nunavut community called Igloolik (Iglulik) meaning "There is a house here".
It is situated on a small island in the Foxe Basin close to Melville Peninsula. It is the place where Bowhead Whales and Walrus are sighted frequently and during the summer months, darkness alludes all who live here.

In this polar climate, 9 months of the year has an average tempterature of 0 degrees celsius.
Record high ever recorded was 24 degrees celsius and...
Record low ever recorded was -53 degrees celsius.

The population is about 1600 and only 84 of those are non-Inuit. I arrived on Nunavut Day, where festivities from treasure hunts, dances, bike races, live music and BBQs were the line up of activities throughout the day. I grinnned when I looked at the program. Pancake breakfast at 1200 (noon), teenage dance at 1200 - 2.00 am. Yes, since the nights are light, time means nothing to the people of the North. They sleep when they feel tired so it's not unusual to see kids playing in the streets and down at the beach at 3.00am in the morning.

Today we have a film crew arriving from the UK. Together we will spend each day on the water with our Inuit guides, insearch of the elusive Walrus and the shy Bowhead Whale. We hope to interview a local artist and utilize our short time in this remote and friendly community.
6 members of the community peformed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Igloolik is the homebase of the only Inuit Circus 'Artcirq'.

Nunavut Day celebrations