Nunavut in Canada's Far North Should Be on Your Bucket List

"Are you ready?"

This was the question I heard most on my five-day trip to Nunavut, Canada. In this case, it came from Louis-Philip Pothier, one of the co-owners of Inukpak Outfitting.

He was sitting in the driver’s seat of a snowmobile that was pointed toward the blinding white snow and ice of the Canadian Arctic. He looked relaxed and excited, like he had done this a million times — which, in fact, he has.

But this was my first time. I was sitting in the driver’s seat of the snowmobile beside him, the size of the machine and the responsibility for driving it already weighing heavily on my mind. I had some comfort in the fact that my only job was to follow his lead.

“Ready!” I called back to him; the scarf wrapped around my mouth muffled the sound of my voice.

I raised two double-mittened thumbs as a backup.

Catching a glimpse of myself in the reflection of his mirrored ski goggles, I was pleased to see that there would be no way he could tell that I was lying. I wasn’t ready. Who could be?

That morning, we were in Iqaluit, the capital city of Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory. This is the Canada that travelers think of when they refer to the country as the “Great White North.” In the few days I was there, I saw my first igloos; lusted over the giant fur-lined hoods and beautifully embroidered parkas of the indigenous Inuit; and marveled at kids who seemed oblivious to the biting winds.

Despite all its snowy whiteness, Iqaluit is a colorful place, with modern homes painted in bright, bold hues that pop against the natural landscape. The territory felt fresh and new, and that’s because it is: Nunavut is Canada’s baby.

Once upon a time, there were only two Canadian Territories — the Yukon and the Northwest Territory. But in April 1999, the Inuit were given control of the land that had really always been theirs, and Nunavut — the Inuktitut word for “our land” — was born. The change meant redrawing the Canadian map to give more than 800,000 square miles of mainly Arctic land back to the people. Twenty years later, the largest, newest and most northern part of the country remains a mystery to many.

Local Traditions

Mind you, not every adventure in Nunavut requires breakneck speed. One morning, our group headed out to explore beyond the city limits. We boarded a single engine, turbo-prop plane for the flight over to Pangnirtung — an Inuit hamlet about an hour from Iqaluit. It was a sunny day, and the views from the air of the ice floe edge were absolutely stunning.

The descent was even better. Our wings were so close to the fjords as we landed that it felt as if the space was carved out specifically for them. The tiny airport is only a few minutes’ walk from the heart of town and Angmarlik Centre. This visitor center tells the story of the territory’s history, and information about the local communities is laid out with artifacts and easy-to-understand panels. Travelers can’t help but appreciate the ingenuity of the people in this region: Survival here is never an accident.

This was a lesson we learned again with the day’s final activity: ice fishing. Fishing for turbot, a type of flatfish, is one way that locals have lived off the land for generations. Commercial fishing remains a mainstay, and it takes skill, patience and fortitude to be successful.

Peter Kilabuk of Peter’s Expediting & Outfitting Services took us to his family’s fishing hole. To get there, we had to pair up and climb into qamutiiks — deep, wooden, lidless boxes that look like giant baby bassinets on traditional Inuit sleds. Each one is attached to the back of a snowmobile and towed across the ice. Two adults fit snugly in each, and at first glance, it looked like it was going to plenty comfortable.

It was not.

When the snowmobiles hit about 30 mph on the snow-covered ice, it felt like the equivalent of riding in a convertible during a snowstorm. I sometimes had the sensation that I was flying, and the thick caribou skin beneath me did little to soften the bumps. It was an experience so unique that, even as it was happening, I found it hard to believe. Still, I was grinning when we arrived at our destination.

The only shelter at the unmarked fishing hole was a small, shed-like cabin. Inside, a Coleman stove warmed the air and allowed for hot meals and coffee. Snack-lined shelves and bedding made it clear that if the weather changed, an overnight stay was a possibility.

Some of the local men cut a hole in the ice and lowered 200 feet of line into the water, and then we waited. Between the cozy shed, the friendly company and the beautiful landscape, the time went quickly. An hour later, we pulled 47 large fish out of the hole and put them in a heap on the ice. It was mesmerizing to watch.

The men gutted the haul on-site. They split the catch between fish that would be sold commercially and food for their families. When they were done, it was time to start the journey back.

Leaving felt a bit surreal. The ice walls in the distance seemed closer than they actually were, and the endless white made it hard to know which direction we came from or where we were heading.

We counted on our new friends to see the things we couldn’t — the way the snow peaks formed told them which way the wind was blowing, and which cracks in the ice were safe to cross and which weren’t. We relied on the people who live here now, but also on the ancestors who traversed the lands long before them and passed on their wisdom.

As I carefully maneuvered my body — mummified in layers of warm clothing — back into the qamutiik, I heard a familiar call.

“Are you ready?” the snowmobile driver asked.

I snuggled down into my coat, pulled the hood as far over my face as I could and called back, “Ready!”

It was only when I said it out loud, that I realized this time — despite the blowing winds and the snow already starting to crust on the fur of my hood — I meant it.

The Details

Angmarlik Centre
www.pangnirtung.ca

Destination Nunavut
www.destinationnunavut.ca

Inukpak Outfitting
www.inukpakoutfitting.ca

NorthWinds Expeditions
www.northwindsexpeditions.com

Peter’s Expediting & Outfitting Services
www.kilabukoutfitting.com