Traditional Fun

This is mine and Shane's last week in Repulse Bay, and even though we are excited to be home with our family and friends, we will miss the fun we've had here. 

Here is a little bit more of what we've been up to...

Sometimes lesson plans don't work out because our classroom (aka: kitchen) is being used...so we went for a walk

Inukshuks

Beautiful day for a walk

Selfies

Just like "down south" we have heritage fair and a heritage day...here is some of the projects

During Heritage Day there were many activities students and staff could attend...Shane wanted to get his hands dirty skinning a seal

Cleaning out the intestines

Braiding the intestines...not quite sure why...

I was lucky enough to learn how to make wall hangings...this is my first attempt...an ulu

This is my second...an inukshuk

My finished project

I scheduled a day for one of my classes to visit the old original HBC buildings down by the sea ice

The Northern Gerneral Store now use it for storage

There are markings on the wood that tell us how old the building was. Since the HBC started in 1670...you would add the number 260 and that was the year it was built...so this one has been around since 1930.

A sign in the building.

This was a separate building next to the larger one...and we found out that it has been transported from Igloolik and has been around since 1943

This is the remains of an outdoor freezer. The people who ran the HBC would dig a hole in the summer (as best they could because of the permafrost) and then when it got cold in the fall they would keep food and perishables in it.

This was a little shed near the HBC...with the iconic white walls and red trim.

Hanging out at an assembly

The kids always love taking selfies and random pics with my camera

Penelope loves to find snuggly places to rest

Ryan will work too...

Izzy and Penelope

She can't get enough

Shane had the opportunity to go out on the land for a few days with the grade 9 class and they came back with they most delicious Arctic Char...this was the first one he caught. Can't get anymore organic than that!

I hope you've all enjoyed reading about our adventure in the North...who knows what our next adventure will bring! 

Stay tuned!

Igloos and On the Land

An old picture of a Hudson Bay store

The Hudson Bay Company was founded in 1670. It was "the" company to go to for fur trading. It now exists as HBC (The Bay). One of the original buildings is in Repulse Bay beside The Northern (our local general store) located on the Hudson Bay. It is the white building with red roof and trim.

To give you an idea of where we're located...here's a little map. We're at the top of the Hudson's Bay.

This is the view from a small hill in the town

Repulse Bay

A ski-doo going out fishing with a qamutik (sled)

Shane and I went out with Elsa and Julia some to an igloo they had built about a month ago...still holding up!

Inside the igloo on caribou skins

Igloo roof

Going out

Shane moving his way out

Snuggles by the igloo

Julia and Shane pose with tools for building an igloo (saw and snow knife)

View of the sea ice and Jenn's ski-doo (Shane's gun for protection...you never know)

Arctic Cat on the Arctic Cat:) On the Sea Ice

Beautiful View

The Arctic Landscape

This week I had the chance to be out on the land with my class and Jenni's class. Our plan...hunt, fish, cook and eat! This is us getting ready at school to go. Qamutiks and ski-doos are our form of transportation

View from the Qamutik

Beautiful View on the way

A short break on the way

Caribou migrating

Setting up camp

Auger to make a fishing hole

Lucy with her leg in a hole...the hole wasn't deep...the auger hit a rock and we weren't successful with the fishing

Laimmiki and Justin scoping out caribou

The first caribou caught by Tiffany

Christina and Tiffany with their caribou (the first ones they've ever caught, they were so proud)

View of the land

A beautiful day

Larva that is usually inside the hide of a caribou (the kids love to eat them)

Larva on the caribou skin

Cleaning the caribou

Cutting up the meat for lunch...I was the head chef;)

Tenderloin...yum!

My creation

My kitchen

Jenni, Anita and Lucy enjoying lunch on a caribou skin (one we had brought, not a fresh one)

Me, Anita and Lucy

Tiffany and Me

Cleaning up the meat to bring back to town

Skins and meat on the front of the qamutik (sled)

View from camp (on a lake)

View on the way home

Amazing view

Our Crew

The spring in the North is beautiful. There is so much to see with the sun coming up around 3am and setting around 10pm. The weather is warmer (around -10) and allows us to experience life on the land.

Stay tuned for the last month of Arctic Cat Adventures!