I've been away from home for the past week. Work has taken me to Baker Lake, Nunavut's only inland community, in the Kivaliq region. I'm here for training workshops/conference with the other Economic Development Officers from across the territory.
Bake Lake is windy.
I have a few other impressions of the place (not many as we've worked from 9 am right through to 9pm most days, sometimes over meal periods as well), but windy is the one big one. I arrived a week ago today and we're at the tail end (hopefully) of our second blizzard. We're to fly out today, but its not looking good at the moment.
The first blizzard was awe inducing. Winds over a hundred kilometres an hour coupled with snow falling horizontally is an impressive sight. From the inside of our hotel room. You can not over estimate the danger being outside in a storm such as this brings. Two neighbouring communities had people had people lost in the storm. In one case a 74 year old man was luckily found alive after being lost on the land during the blizzard. The other one ended in tragedy, when a young man, running an errand at the store, lost his way in the storm and ended up a couple of kilometres from the community, succumbing to the elements.
Right now the second storm seems to be abating somewhat, as we await word on whether the weather (see what I did there?) will allow our plane in and out. That's one hurdle, the storm is moving to Rankin our next stop, so there is only a slim chance we'll be flying today. And a miss today will impact all the travel plans for the rest of the journey.
But it is all part of travel in the north. As much as we like to talk about the weather there isn't much we can do about it. Other than anchor down, relax and see what the day brings.
More on Baker when I can get a couple of photos uploaded.
Comments
3 responses
It’s hard to believe were all in the same country, if that had happened in Toronto it would have been on the news.
I remember an awful storm in Paulatuk that had me weathered in for a week… The lights of Inuvik looked especially pretty when I returned after that trip!
The missing people/death did make the news here Carole. It is perhaps considered more of a “local” story. They could be found on CBC’s north page.
Yeah, this delay doesn’t really change my travel plans, at least in terms of when I get home. Living in Arctic Bay one is used to the term “weather permitting” Teepe.