{"id":369146,"date":"2025-12-26T02:43:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T02:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/369146\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T02:43:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T02:43:19","slug":"a-week-in-nunavuts-northernmost-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/369146\/","title":{"rendered":"A week in Nunavut\u2019s northernmost community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stories we loved to tell | Grise Fiord leaves lasting impression on visiting reporter<\/p>\n

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Drinking tea on the land outsdide Grise Fiord. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)<\/p>\n

In this year-end series, Nunatsiaq News reporters look back on their most memorable stories from 2025.<\/p>\n

In the North, you can experience some incredible scenery as your plane approaches the runway.<\/p>\n

From the blue water of Ungava Bay around Tasiujaq, to the first sight of Apex when landing in Iqaluit, I\u2019m always enamoured by the beautiful landscapes of Nunavut and Nunavik.<\/p>\n

None of those top landing in Grise Fiord. On a bright April morning, the tightly packed Kenn Borek Twin Otter I was aboard looked like it was headed straight for the mountains before it tightly banked low above the community and came to smooth landing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to Grise Fiord,\u201d a passenger told me as I was curiously taking pictures of my surroundings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never forget travelling to Grise Fiord for a week. It was also something I never expected would happen during my time at Nunatsiaq News.<\/p>\n

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This newspaper has a travel budget to give reporters the opportunity visit other communities. Attentive readers may have seen stories reporters filed this year from Gjoa Haven<\/a>, Puvirnituq<\/a>, Aupaluk<\/a>, Kugluktuk<\/a> and Qikiqtarjuaq<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the high cost of a plane ticket to Grise Fiord \u2013 Canada\u2019s northernmost civilian community \u2013 I never expected to be able to go.<\/p>\n

However, we got some help.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the April 28 federal election<\/a>, the Rideau Hall Foundation announced the Covering Canada: Election 2025 fund, which set aside $500,000 to support local news organizations\u2019 efforts to report on the national vote.<\/p>\n

Reporters were told during a story meeting that Nunatsiaq News would apply for a grant to cover the costs of an election-related trip a community other than Iqaluit. Initially, I assumed we might try to catch up with the three Nunavut candidates as they hopped around places like Arviat, Rankin Inlet or Baker Lake.<\/p>\n

To my surprise, the granters approved our pitch to fund a trip to Grise Fiord.<\/p>\n

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On April 16, I was on my way from Iqaluit to the High Arctic.<\/p>\n

Grise Fiord is much smaller than the 8,000 people I\u2019m typically used to being around in Iqaluit. At times, it was challenging to find people to interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only 140 people here,\u201d one resident told me outside the Co-op store while I was asking around.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, I was able to speak to several residents who shared their thoughts on topics including Arctic security and sovereignty<\/a>, infrastructure, and the high costs of food and travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Larry Audlaluk<\/a>, who was relocated to the Hight Arctic in 1953, left a lasting impression on me.<\/p>\n

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After reading his book, What I Remember, What I Know: The Life of a High Arctic Exile, on the plane, it was a pleasure just to sit down and listen to him over a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

On the last day of my trip, he took me out on a tour on the sea ice to show me places that were part of his upbringing. It was also fascinating watching him check his seal nets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With perfect weather on my flying days, I returned to Iqaluit without any delays or cancellations. (Friends were telling me beforehand that I was definitely going to be grounded in Resolute Bay for a few days.)<\/p>\n

I love reminiscing about my experience in Grise Fiord. You may also see me around Iqaluit wearing a Hamlet of Grise Fiord hoodie or sporting the polar bear claw pendant I bought from the local hunters and trappers association.<\/p>\n

I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to visit this incredible part of our territory and for the people who shared their thoughts with me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stories we loved to tell | Grise Fiord leaves lasting impression on visiting reporter Drinking tea on the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[49,48,295,66],"class_list":{"0":"post-369146","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-environment","11":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}