Pond Inlet, arctic village with a difference

Pond Inlet (pop. 1400) is situated at 72º 41’N, 78º 00’W, about 700 km north of the Polar Circle, on the northeastern shore of Baffin Island, across from Bylot Island.

The Inuit call Pond Inlet Mittimatalik or the resting place of Mittima, an Inuk whose memory has been perpetuated through the years. Back in 1930's, Inuit were coming to Mittimatalik mostly in the spring to trade furs and to spend few weeks at the trading post or at the mission.

The comunity is considered one of Canada's "jewels of the North": a gorgeous scenery, mountain ranges all around, icebergs most often, several dozen glaciers, explorable ice caves, and many grand and picturesque inlets overlooking the waters of Eclipse Sound across to the towering mountains and glaciers of Bylot Island and Sirmilik National park.

http://www.pondinlet.ca/i18n/english/history.html

Welcome sign at the airport

Inuit mother and child

Local Ulaajuk school

Caribou, fox, seal or fish are the main resources of the settlement's population.


Inuksuk Residence,

Richard Carbonnier's innovative arctic house

Richard Carbonnier is a Montreal-born architect who spent four years building this tube house to suit – and tread lightly on – the polar environment.

The building stands on three floating footings. The curves allow the building to stand up to high winds better than a conventional design.

Made from three large aluminum cylinders that intersect at a living room space

The amazing Bylot Island

This small island, at 73°16′N, 78°30′W , north of Baffin Island right across a sea straight from Pond Inlet, has been for long an attraction for painters and explorers. Glaciers and mountains with an uncommon profile decorate this uninhabitated natural park, where polar bears come often to have their cubs.

Hoodoos in Bylot

Mount Thule, on Bylot island, by Lawren Harris

An icon for this blog!

Klaksvik, a lively faroese harbour with a view

Klaksvík (pop. 5000) is the second largest town of the Faröe Islands.

Coordinates: 62°13′N, 6°34′W


Klaksvik is located on both rivers of a small fjord in Borðoy island, one of the archipelago's northernmost islands .

Klaksvik lies between two inlets lying back to back.

As it is situated around a very well-protected bay, local skippers and their crews moved in here and the town started to develop and became the main fishing port in the islands.


Háfjal mountain (647 m) is unmissable wherever you are in Klaksvik. It's at the top end of the inlet body of water, where an important harbour with fishing industry and a modern fishing fleet makes Klaksvik the second largest town in the Faröe.



The first settlement at Klaksvík dates back to Viking times, but it was not before the 20th century that the district merged to form a large, modern Faroese town that became the cultural and commercial centre for the Northern Isles and the Faröe Islands as a whole.

Háfjal in winter

The main landmarks are the church, Christians - kirkjan, the museum, Nordoya Fornminnissavn, the brewery Føroya Bjór, the Weaving school and the Roykstovan pub.

Interior of modern Christians - kirkjan (1963), dedicated to the memory of the sailors who lost their life during Second World War.

Nordoya Fornminnissavn Museum

Roykstovan pub
A smoky pub to meet friendly locals and have a few drinks.

Føroya Bjórbrewery, a Faroese family brewery, founded in 1888.

Old and new side by side in Klaksvik

The beautiful Klaksvík Park

Klaksvík in late afternoon light.

****************************************

The island of Borðoy

Borðoy is an island of almost 100 km2, with an irregularly cropped coast and fabulous sceneries - waterfalls, sea inlets, small harbours and hamlets looking at the sea from up the cliffs.



Múli, a very small hamlet that is one of the oldest in the islands, lies on the outermost northern edge of Borðoy's east coast, in a remote and almost inaccessible location (see map). Its settlement can be dated back to the 13th century.

Borðoy in summer

Borðoy in winter

Baker Lake, the geographical center of Canada

Baker Lake is a native village located near the geographical centre of Canada:

Baker Lake sits inland, in a tundra forest region at the mouth of the Thelon River into the Baker lake.

Caribou crossing Thelon river at Baker lake

Other major rivers - the Kazan and the Dubawnt - flow into Baker lake. The lake is also connected to Hudson Bay by way of Chesterfield Inlet.


The local Inuit name this village as Qamani’tuuq, meaning, “where the river widens”.

Coordinates: 64'18' N, 96'04' W
(sub-artic).

Baker Lake, or Qamani'tuaq, pop. 1800.

The hamlet was founded in 1961, and has been growing due to local mining.
It has a health center, small hotels, swimming pool, library, primary and secondary school, youth centre and three small churches.

The main front, looking at the lake.

The hamlet in winter

New Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary school.

Inns North, a odd-looking arctic hotel

The local Northern Store

A Church in the snow

Baker Lake is an intriguing example of a modern day arctic community, for the amazing growth of its artistic community. With Cape Dorset and Pangnirtung, Baker Lake is well known for its inuit arts and craft activities.

The Jessie Oonark Centre

Distinguished artists and studios promoting arts and crafts, such as the Jessie Oonark Centre, and well-established independent art galleries, are famous for the quality of their art.

The old Hudson Bay Company store

The Vera Akumalik Visitor Centre is located in the original historic Hudson's Bay Company Post near the waterfront:


The centre is a replica of the old store. Staff will help arrange local tours, and will make suggestions on local walks to appreciate the beauty of the rivers and the tundra.


The Rivers

The Baker lake drains through Chesterfield Inlet into Hudson Bay.

North Channel of Chesterfield Inlet

Musk oxen herd at Chesterfield Inlet

The Kazan River flows north for 732 km before discharging into the southeastern corner of Baker lake.

Beautiful Kazan Falls, where the water drops 25 m and rushes through a red sandstone gorge.

Kazan falls

The Thelon River is one the great rivers of the North.


It flows eastwards 904 km to discharge into Baker Lake and Chesterfield Inlet. The river's middle and lower reaches have been designated as a Heritage River.

For the Inuit of Baker Lake, these rivers are a vital source of caribou, fish and spiritual renewal. Not only did the Inuit People live near and around these rivers, but they provided the means and the route to the North for many of the Europeans that traveled and traded in that area.