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Inukshuk
ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ
"Inukshuk" means "in the likeness of a human” in Inuktitut and is a symbol of the North. They have been used to guide travelers, warn them about dangers, help hunters, and mark special places that hold significance.
"Inukshuk" means "in the likeness of a human” in Inuktitut and is a symbol of the North. They have been used to guide travelers, warn them about dangers, help hunters, and mark special places that hold significance.
Travel map
This three-week journey took me to four different communities. I took seven flights in total. When you're traveling up north, you're at the mercy of the elements. Flights can get cancelled in a heartbeat due to bad weather, and you've got to be ready for any sudden delay. Pro tip: bring a good book and a lot of patience.
Airplane ride
I had quite the experience on this all-day charter flight from Kuujjuaq to Great Whale. What I didn't anticipate was that not all these flights are heated. To make matters worse, I didn’t wear my snowpants. When I got off the flight, I realized my legs were numb to above my knees and I had developed "livedo reticularis."
January weather
A cold shock getting off the plane.
Lifting off
Each airport in the Nunavik region has beautifully designed artwork from a local artist.
Kangirsiuk
View outside my clinic window.
Quaqtaq
View outside the clinic in the early evening.
Quaqtaq
You feel like you've reached the end of the world.
Muktuk
I was invited to share a meal of beluga whale with the locals in Quaqtaq. Muktuk, a traditional Arctic food, is a unique delicacy made from whale skin and blubber. Typically, it's enjoyed in its raw form, but it can also be frozen or cooked.
I was handed an ulu blade to cut from the tail. It looked easy to use for others but not for me!
I was handed an ulu blade to cut from the tail. It looked easy to use for others but not for me!
Water supply
Water supply can be inconsistent. Tap water is brought in by a truck, and sewage is carried away by another truck. If there's a sewage overflow issue, it can disrupt the entire water supply. We lost water for more than 24 hours and had to haul water from the clinic to the hotel.
Food prices (1)
A single pomegranate up north can cost a whopping $7! Food is sent by flights or freight shipments. By the time these fruits arrive, many of them have already spoiled due to the long journey.
Food prices (2)
A wilting spring onion at $5.86.
Allergy testing kit
The mobile allergy testing kit I brought to all the communities I visited. These included lancets, items for testing (standardized reagents, peanut butter, amoxicillin), as well as emergency medication such as epinephrine and antihistamines. It allowed me to conduct essential allergy tests in an efficient way.
Lunar New Year at 61°N
This New Year's meal might be quite humble compared to the traditional multi-course dinner. But it was a huge accomplishment to have brought my ingredients thousands of kilometres through multiple freezers. At 61°N, I may have had the northernmost lunar new year celebration in Québec, possibly North America?
Seal skin boots
A beautiful completely handmade set of boots. These delicate but hardy boots could only last in Northern conditions because of the snow is dry.
Whapmagootsui/Kuujjuarapik church
The church is used by both the Inuit and the Cree with services in their respective languages. The building also has a collection of cultural relics accumulated over the years.
Cree earrings
A lady at the clinic helped me to buy these beautifully handmade (but very heavy) beaded earrings.
Snowmobile trip
The highlight of Whapmagootsui/ Kuujjuarapik was the snowmobile trip to see the inukshuk
Whapmagootsui /
Kuujjuarapik airport
Goodbye, à bientôt!
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