Pangnirtung, Baffin Island

 Pangnirtung is a dry Inuit community on Baffin Island in Nunavut. As of 2006, its population was 1,325. 

Baffin Island straddles the Arctic Circle, about 2000km (1240mi) north east of Toronto 

Ross was up there last week to do a couple of day's work on a construction site. It's the first time he's gone away since we've been together.....and of course, I made him take the camera.

Imagine my surprise! I'm the usual picture-taker 'round here.... but he brought back almost 100 pictures ....and they were all great; no editing required.  When he took them for me, though, he didn't really know what I was planning to do with them, i.e. this photo essay - as soon as we started working on it, he started saying "Oh, if I had known...." and kicking himself over shots he didn't take. Next time he'll have the whole photo essay experience under his belt :) But for this time, I think he did pretty damn well anyway.

Constructon, up there, is a very complicated business. Jobs that would take a few months elsewhere can take years up there - workers come in by plane, materials come in by boat - and it takes a great deal of organization to make sure that the timing works.

This trip could have been a total waste of time - there were materials, and a necessary saw blade that didn't make it in - but fortunately, one of the crew had his own saw blade, and they were able to make do for the rest. (Picture is of hubby's roomie at the lodge, and his boss) 

So.... Pangnirtung ...

 
There is not a ton of stuff up there - it is a small community accessible by boat/air.

There is a school (the orange and green building).

The airport is right smack dab in the middle of the town - seems like a recipe for disaster, especially to have the school right by the runway.

A printing shop (and possibly other small businesses) use the round building on the right; orange is another view of the school - and the fence is for the airport.

There is a a co-op that is in use - 2 oranges for about $6; a bottle of juice & a pop came to almost $8. When you add the cost of shipping into the cost of the products..... it gets nasty. The people who live there receive a considerable Northern Allowance.

It seems that buildings are generally not well maintained. When they become too run down to use, they are often simply boarded up and their residents moved to new facilities. This picture is of the previous co-op building.

  The majority of the housing (and equipment and boats and ...and... and...) is provided to residents for little/no cost. The area is subject to high winds - 120 km/hour at times - and so many of the homes' roofs are held on with thick wire cables.

  Anyone want a bike?    Or a  kettle?  Other junk? It's laying all over the place ....although some of this stuff will disappear from view when the tide comes in.

 Lots more to come.... stay tuned for part 2!