Nunavut - finale

Another wonderful vacation comes to an end. Nunavut was a marvelous learning and enjoyable experience and we are so happy to be able to say we have visited and spent time in all 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada. We're not done with this nation by any means...there is still an unlimited amount of territory to be explored.

The last three days were not without a few bumps, more blemishes and incompetence in our transit systems than anything. Our stay in Ottawa was short but sweet. The highlight was certainly the Aviation and Space Museum. Getting there was not easy and it certainly was expensive but well worth it. We had to take a cab because public transit does not go there...at least not from the hotel where we were staying.

The following morning we headed by Via Rail to Toronto. Riding facing backwards for five hours, what else can I say?

We arrived around 5PM and were totally bagged by the heat and the weight of our backpacks. We were quite happy with the zero degrees and perfect days we had in Iqaluit so this 25 plus stuff was killing us.

The subway trip from Union Station to St Clair West was our worst nightmare. A full assault by the peak rush hour hordes made my head spin. I could not and would not do this every day. There is something wrong with these people...and we get to do it again going back in the morning.

We spent the night at Gavin's, got to play with the kids and had a great visit all around. After a quick breakfast in the morning we saw the kids off to school with Adrienne then trekked back to the subway station to head to Union Station. This time we left our large, heavy backpacks at Gavin's. We'll get them in a few weeks time.

Here's where some of the incompetence built into the system arises. Our mission back at Union Station was to find the Go Train that went to Barrie South, the closest we could get to our house but still about 25 kilometres away. The signs are not overly clear or helpful and we discovered last night the website is absolutely useless. According to it we had to get to Barrie by way of Brampton and Mississauga. Anyway, that's another story. The piece de resistance was that the platform for the train was not posted until ten minutes prior to its departure. Trust me, there are plenty of people who would not be able to make that train in 10 minutes.

Once on board I had to laugh at the seating. The entire car (all three levels) was in groups of 4 seats, 2 and 2 facing one another. That may be great for families but 80% of people travelling do not want that. Thankfully it was not busy so was not a problem.

Getting from Barrie to our home is not easy in any way. There is an Uber-related service called Go Go Grandparent. The name alone begs failure. It's very inexpensive but, as it turns out, that doesn't matter. We called for a pick up, poked our way through automated hell and were told we were second in line for an operator. Half an hour later, after being asked to press three different numbers, we were still on unanswered hold. Go Go no go go. I can sell you eggs for 3 cents a dozen...but I don't have any eggs. We called a regular taxi and arrived home around 1PM. Travel is wonderful but as I have said many times, getting there (and back) is NOT always half the fun.

Keeping this experience in mind you can imagine my feeling as we sat on the Go Train and flew by this...could you just slow down and let us hop off. This is about one kilometre from our house.

Thank you again for joining us on our travels. 

We'll let you know when we're ready to hit the road again.

😎

Nunavut - Day 5

Our last day on any vacation is sad but it was exceptionally so today because Iqaluit has been such a special place to us. After decades of travelling we have finally visited and spent quality time in all ten provinces and all three territories. Because we travelled so much with the boys when they were younger we managed to see all 50 states in the US a long time ago – so long ago that it was a pleasure to journey through the incredible geography and history of that once great nation.

Our perseverance paid off with one last visit to St. Jude's Cathedral. As we tried the doors unsuccessfully once more a young lady from the volunteer society across a courtyard shouted, “Would you like to go inside?” Absolutely! She was newly arrived from the UK, here for a couple of months to help out. When Karen asked what brought her here she happily replied, “God!”

She had arrived two weeks ago in a blizzard and snow up to her knees. A couple of days ago she was wearing shorts and today took delight in claiming this was real ice cream weather. What am I missing here? It was another gorgeous day but the temperature was still below zero, albeit 1 degree below zero.

The igloo church is wonderful inside. Pristine in every way with no perception of the shape whatsoever.

The original church was built in 1972 but was destroyed by arson in 2005. The Igloo Cathedral was opened in 2012. It is primarily the product of Inuit craftsmanship including wall hangings and a cross made of narwhal tusks. It was so good of this woman to take time to show us around. I'm so glad we decided to give it one more try.

The Sculpture Garden is a public park/garden displaying an extensive range of mostly stone sculptures by artists of the Nunavut Arctic College. Although the thuggish-looking Sedna (sea goddess) with raised fist will likely grab your attention I was instantly drawn to the raven made of scrap metal. What a lovely Saturday stroll through the park.

The Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum had been recommended to us when we stopped in at the Visitor Centre a few days ago. Who are we to argue? Housed in an old Hudson's Bay Company warehouse, complete with red roof, the museum is a registered charity that cares for a collection of artwork, tools, archival documents, photographs and books centred on the local Iqaluit community.

As we entered it was evident the place was packed. You have to remove your shoes to protect the vintage cedar floors and the vestibule was a minefield of footwear. We were offered an option of wearing shoe covers so we chose that. We walked through the displays on two levels of the building then paused on the way out to hear a local girl singing and playing guitar.

The walk back to the hotel was pensive as we accepted the fact that it was the last time we were going to get to do this. Once again I think we're lucky to be here when we are. There's an awful lot of construction and I envisage in two years time a much more congested and even more expensive city.

As we walked we were a little surprised to see that in 5 short days the melt water from the surrounding ice-covered hills had built to a raging stream through most of the open areas.

 Our shadows on the walking path signified our farewell to Nunavut. 

Thanks again for being part of our journey. We leave tomorrow morning for Ottawa. We're staying there for a couple of days before heading back to Toronto by train on Tuesday.

I'll send a link in a couple of days to finish this whole thing off. 

Stay well everyone - and keep smiling. Until next time...

😎

ut - Day 4

It was another beautiful day, though this time the temperature was a little less so. Apex is a small community about 5 kilometres outside Iqaluit. That's where the road ends in this area of Nunavut; but it's not just a single road, it's an impossible tangle of gravel roads traversing hilly barren land. That made walking out of the question which worked out well because of the temperature. It was another gorgeous day but what the photos do not show is a cold wind blowing off the ice and snow of the frozen bay dropping the temperature to minus 6 or 8 degrees. It felt even colder than that when we were in the open.

Apex was the place most Inuit lived when Iqaluit was a military site and was off limits to anyone not working at the base. Officially Apex is part of the City of Iqaluit but many residents reject any affiliation with Frobisher Bay asking for territorial representation with the south Baffin Island community of Kimmirut.

The village got its start in 1949 when the Hudson's Bay Company moved its south Baffin Trading Post operations from Ward Inlet to Apex Beach to take advantage of the increased activity near the new US Air Force Base and landing strip.

Our visit to Apex Beach was well worth the somewhat uncomfortable weather. 

On the beach a red fibreglass lifeboat sits permanently grounded, abandoned and belonging to no one, alongside a series of equally abandoned Hudson's Bay Company buildings. Iqaluit folklore has it that two lifeboats were acquired from the MV Minna, a Norwegian-built vessel that had run aground in Brewer Bay at Resolution Island, NWT in 1974. An entrepreneur had the lifeboat shipped to Apex somewhere around the turn of the millennium.

The village beckoned as we arrived at the end of the beach. From there we walked into and all around the village. The housing was respectable, all of it on stilts. The high hill covered in snow and ice obviously becomes a threat as summer approaches. 

Karen wanted to see the cemetery and though we did not see it on our way in we did manage to find it on the way out. The Apex Cemetery is a uniquely beautiful, tranquil site. Overlooking Frobisher Bay, an enormous pair of bowhead whale rib bones serves as a gateway to the fields of white crosses adorned with green wreaths and colourful flowers.

Karen noticed there were an unusually high percentage of very young people at rest. From infants through teenage and into their 20s and early 30s. That seemed odd because if it were death from disease or natural disaster one would expect comparatively similar numbers of adults. Upon our return to the hotel I checked and discovered a comment from a local, "It is heartbreaking when a cemetery is filled with more people who took their own lives than those who died of natural causes."

Stay with us...tomorrow is our last day in Nunavut before our return to Ottawa Sunday morning.

😎

The Apex Cemetery

Nunavut - Day 3

It was another walking day but as you can see the weather co-operated nicely - pretty cool (around 2 degrees) but beautiful. I think local street murals say so much for a city/town and its people and always make a journey through so much more enjoyable.

The local college is proud to display the students' work. Many call these inukshuks but here they are inuksuks. A subtle difference but I feel a need to give credit due.

I love this! I crossed the road to ask these people if I could take their photo. Karen was shocked I didn't have her do the asking. The man smiled and said, "You want to take a picture of me!?" I admitted I really wanted the baby so he took him out of his papoose. I explained no, we wanted him in the carrier. It's a very unique coat designed with the sling built in. Quite brilliant.

It was recommended we stop in and see the Legislative Assembly Building. A great deal of it is off limits but the main foyer is worth a visit. The Mace of Nunavut (made of Narwhal tusk) is used at the beginning of each day's sitting of the Legislative Assembly, carried in by the reigning Sergeant-at-Arms. In the Chamber the mace rests in the hands of a man and woman carved in granite, representing the equal respect for both genders of the population. We can learn from these people.

A look at housing in the "suburbs" was definitely a little more upscale than what we saw yesterday, looking even more wonderful against this glorious backdrop.

On July 9, 2013 Nunavut celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. This monument commemorates more than three decades of tireless work by everyone who helped conceive, negotiate and implement the NLCA reclaiming the Inuit homeland. The monument represents the beauty of Inuit culture and embodies their tenacity and spirituality and tells the story of their history and how far Inuit have come in Canada.

It's an enigma wrapped in a riddle. I always thought Saint and Cathedral tended to refer to the Catholic religion and I definitely associate Jude with the Jewish faith. However, this is an Anglican cathedral. It is the seat of the Diocese of The Arctic covering the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Nunavik region of Northern Quebec, making it the greatest area of any Anglican diocese in the world. 

Referred to as the Igloo Cathedral, the unique building has been a landmark since opening in 2012 and serves an important spiritual role for the people of Iqaluit. I really wanted to see inside but all the doors were locked. I always thought churches were always open - guess not.

As we left I did my best Maxwell Smart impersonation stepping across a ditch covered in a thick layer of snow. It did not support me as I quickly sunk down up to my knee and came crashing down face first into, fortunately, nice soft snow. I quickly got up, dusted myself off, looked around to make sure no one saw then headed on my way. I meant to do that.

😎

Nunavut - Day 2

I'll start by giving my head a shake and admitting that I referred to the airline that brought us here from Ottawa was Canadian Air even though the photo I included clearly showed it was Canadian North. Airline travel often clouds my thinking.

Today was a perfect day to explore - about minus 2 degrees and sunny. It's a lot of walking in this city of 8,000. Everybody walks. Very few own cars because you can't go anywhere. Once outside the city there are no roads...and it's too expensive to take a cab everywhere. That being said I love the license plates.

The cost of living here is very high. I can't speak for housing but if you want to eat, it's about three times higher than in Ontario. Here's a couple of things we did not buy.

These are about $1 at home.

It's actually a very pretty town in its own way - definitely has a rustic charm all its own.

The Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre is a must see in Iqaluit. A quick education in a beautiful setting.

We were also given an honourary North of 60 certificate. That's nice because we have something similar from Antarctica. Nice to have both ends covered.

The people are so nice and patient. As we wandered about aimlessly not a single motorist honked or displayed any displeasure at all. That helps make the place look even nicer.

We always meet wonderful people when we travel. Never get their names and often their story either. This time we asked (not the name). This CBC cameraman was filming a waterline that was freezing. We initially asked if he had anything to do with the North of North TV series. That conversation yielded that he was from Brazil. Once again I was floored by the logistics of it all. How and why does someone from South America end up on Baffin Island? This type of thing is one of the many joys of travelling to remote areas.

😎

 

Day 1

It took a long time (and don't just mean today) but many many years later we finally made it to Nunavut!

It's a short visit so we packed light for a change - no checked luggage this time, all carry on.

And we're ready to roll once more.

Remember, when flying, getting there is never fun. After a slam damn, holy crap, I think you broke my back Air Canada landing in Ottawa we made a quick connection to Canadian Air to Iqaluit. Modern they're not but good they are.

The flight was bumpy and 3 and a half hours long but we were shocked to receive a full hot meal with wine. When was the last time that has happened on a domestic flight? I don't normally post food pics but this was a keeper.

I don't care for beaches or resorts and can't stand hot weather...but this may be a little extreme.

The hotel we're in is wonderful (as you'd hope it would be for the price). It's about 9PM and we're just getting settled in. The idiot abroad is back.

Stay with us. Tomorrow we hope to see what things are all about. We're here for 5 nights then back to Ontario.   😎

Manitoba - Day 22

It truly is the end of the road trip. We got gas and returned the rental to Enterprise. The Bronco was wonderful, the first Ford product I've experienced that was good in so many ways; most notably, the first I've ever rented that CarPlay worked flawlessly.

They were really good and dropped us at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. Unlike most I have seen, this is not a military museum but rather a commemoration of the courageous men and women who mapped Canada and created our first airlines. Years ago friends Murray, Rick and Steve piqued my interest in such places and I have been pursuing them each time one appears on my travels.

MANITOBA was an enjoyable visit. It's quite different from what I had imagined. I had only ever been to Winnipeg and the Falcon Beach Ranch near the Ontario border so did not have a lot to foster any meaningful opinion. That is exactly why we chose to visit for three weeks, much to the surprise of everyone we spoke to on the trip.

The wildfires did not affect us directly; we never even saw any smoke but we missed them by a narrow margin and it was very sad to hear of the devastation they caused especially in Whiteshell Provincial Park where we spent time in 2019 on our way to Saskatchewan.

I always thought Manitoba was just an extension of Saskatchewan in the classic misunderstood and totally wrong view of endless prairie wheat fields. Southern Manitoba leans toward that though not as fully as their neighbouring province. The surprise to me was as you head north it takes on a persona much more resembling that of Ontario. As in Saskatchewan it was a total shock to me to find a “mountain” in the guise of Riding Mountain National Park.

As always we learn so much when we travel and meet some wonderful people. It will be some time before we'll come across someone as engaging and enjoyable to talk to as RCMP Officer Richard Graham. It just supports my claim that Canada is an amazing land and you'll never run out of things to see and do...and you'll be forever grateful you took the plunge.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!...or is it?

We'll be home tomorrow then head out for a brief 5 day adventure on May 27. 

Some of you know where it will be, others probably have a solid good guess and the rest will have to wait and see. I'll advise you when the blog is up again and hope you'll continue to follow along. For now, thank you so much for joining us in Manitoba. I hope it brought you some joy. We loved it and loved having you along.

😎 

Manitoba - Day 21

With our final day in Manitoba (Tuesday) rapidly approaching, we headed out at 11AM on a beautiful sunny, clear blue sky day once again...it figures. 

We had stopped in Hilbre yesterday to have a look at the old general store but could not find the school. I remedied that on our way out this morning. The wood frame school was built in 1916 and later expanded. It occupies a tranquil rural setting and is a well-preserved example of the serviceable one-room schools that appeared throughout the Manitoba countryside in the early 1900s. 

From there it was an easy 250 km drive to Winnipeg. We were able to take our time and enjoy the last of this wonderful road trip. We haven't seen any wildlife (save a woodpecker and the pelicans) since we left Riding Mountain National Park and that streak was maintained on today's drive. A stop for lunch at the Don McEwen Memorial Park in Eriksdale was peaceful and relaxing – the gorgeous day certainly helped. 

We saw more cars today than we've seen since we left Winnipeg 3 weeks ago. Something that really helps that scenario is Manitoba's use of their railroads. They know what trains are and what they can do with them and it makes a huge difference in the amount of truck traffic on the roads – next to no trucks. Like Saskatchewan, that makes driving an absolute joy.

The closer we got to Winnipeg, the flatter it got. We also noticed that three weeks had brought the environment noticeably into spring. All the trees, bare on the drive north now wore a full coat of fresh leaves. Looks pretty sweet on this perfect day.

We are back at the Airport Hampton Inn in Winnipeg for 2 nights. Probably the last photo of this crazy road trip guy...until the next trip!

Tomorrow's our last day then we fly home mid-morning Wednesday. Will post a short one tomorrow.      😎

Manitoba - Day 20

I must say I find the artwork of our First Nations people inspiring...and I'm not even talking about anything professional. I'm sure there are plenty of immensely talented local, everyday people. Proof of that is in the samples found in this hotel lobby.

About 50 kilometres from the hotel, along some of the most atrocious roads we have yet to find in Manitoba, lies the Little Steep Rock Hiking Trail. It passes through over 350 million years of natural history, including fabulous views from atop the Steep Rock cliffs, remnants of a prehistoric sea bed. Lake Manitoba is itself an echo of a once enormous ancient lake surrounding the old Lafarge Quarry.

It was still pretty cool for May, about 2 degrees when we began our hike. It warmed up a couple of degrees but the way we were dressed probably appears pretty silly to those back home or just about anyone else we know.

We strayed off the path a few times so we could get a good look at all that was there. The cliffs were fascinating from below, rising straight out of the water and surrounded by an incredibly rocky beach. On top you have to be extra careful because you can walk right to the very edge where one misstep on the crumbling limestone could be quite disastrous.

As we returned I saw a mass of large white birds swimming in the water. At first I thought they were swans but as we quietly drew closer it was obvious they were pelicans. Excuse me, I'm no ornithologist but I thought pelicans were native to places like Florida, not central Manitoba.

All in all it was a nice day for essentially our last one exploring Manitoba. Our remaining two days will be in Winnipeg preparing to leave on Wednesday. I'm sure we'll find something to post. Hang in there, we're almost done.