NUNAVUT, "OUR LAND, OUR STRENGTH"

BY Clay Larroy

Traveling can be an important part of your life, whether for business or for pleasure. You need to do all of your research so that you don't forget to pack something important, see what the best methods of transportation are, etc. Avoid crowds and save money by visiting in the off-season. If you want to be able to enjoy your vacation without having to battle a crowd of people everywhere you go, learn when the popular months are for the location and plan your vacation for the less popular time. Be aware, while it can save you money, in some locations you may have to contend with less than ideal weather. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Things to see and do in Nunavut

Arctic animals

You can seek out musk ox or tundra swans near Cambridge Bay or take a boat trip to Coats Island in Hudson Bay to see walrus and polar bears. Nunavut's herd of 500,000 caribou is the world's largest. Many species roam the tundra in the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, which straddles the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot regions.

Art tours

Inuit art tours offer visitors an opportunity to learn about native carving, tool-fashioning, weaving, print-making, jewelry-crafting and hat-making.

Authentic tours

Nunavut's fauna, flora, culture and history come alive on one of the territory's nature and cultural tours.

Dog sleds and igloos

You can take a trip across the frozen tundra by dog sled with an Inuit guide in Iqaluit, or bed down for a night in a bona fide igloo.

Fishing

The catch of the day includes Arctic char and lake trout. Enthusiasts should note that catch-and-release is practiced in all areas and that possession limits are based on regular and seasonal evaluation of stock.

Go with the floe

Wildlife is particularly abundant in spring (April to July) at the 'floe edge', where the land ice meets the sea. Plankton, shrimp and fish attract seals, whales and polar bears, making for excellent wildlife viewing. Bring your binoculars, as this is the time of year when migrating birds fly north by the millions. Good wildlife-spotting locations include Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay.

Hiking and rafting

Utter wilderness greets those who hike around amazing destinations such as Auyuittuq National Park's mountains, the waterfalls of Katannilik Territorial Park, wildlife-rich Quttinirpaaq National Park, or Sirmilik National Park (a haven for polar bears, walrus and migrating birds). If you have excellent white-water paddling skills, challenge yourself to the heart-stopping waters of the Coppermine River in Kugluk (Bloody Falls) Territorial Park.

Photography

Dramatic scenery and seasonal variations in light and temperature provide rewarding conditions for photography. One of the best times is during the sunlit nights (between 2000 and 0300 in spring and summer), when shadows are long and colors and textures particularly well defined.

Spring frolics

Not surprisingly, in a land where winters are long and harsh, spring is a traditional time for celebration. Cheer on snowmobile and dog sled racers, or join in a community supper, at the Taloyoak Spring Games in Taloyoak or the Toonik Tyme Festival in Iqaluit, among others.

Food and Drink in Nunavut

Known as 'country food', the cuisine of Nunavut is mostly based around subsistence living and products that come from hunting and fishing.

Regional Specialties

- Arctic char (with a taste somewhere between salmon and trout) is served in many ways - as well as sampling it stewed, baked or smoked, try it dried for a true northern experience.
- Mussels, scallops (especially from Cumberland Sound), clams, turbot (especially from the Baffin region) and Greenland shrimp.
- Musk ox and caribou.
- Local bannock (a simple unleavened bread dough cooked slowly in a frying pan, baked or boiled), which kept for weeks in an easily transportable form, was a favorite of early Arctic explorers.
- Raw whale blubber and skin, known as maktaaq or muktuk, is a highly prized local specialty - despite whaling being frowned upon internationally.

Things To Know

In group meals, elders are usually served first. Alcohol is controlled in Nunavut and in some communities is prohibited. Hotels and restaurants in Iqaluit are licensed.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

Life is short and the older you get, the more you feel it. Indeed, the shorter it is. People lose their capacity to walk, run, travel, think, and experience life. I realize how important it is to use the time I have.

Viggo Mortensen

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