Monthly Archives: September 2006

I’ve never posted an article here before, but I thought this was especially funny.
Comic nerds will recognize Alan Moore’s “Watchmen,” Jeff Smith’s “Bone” and Alan Moore’s “Tom Strong” as the scans.

This is the weekly “coffee break” of the Inuvik drum, which is the random page 2 article.

I finally published something about comics! ha ha

Here are some facts about Inuvik, obtained from Environment Canada.

Weather:
Inuvik enjoys 56 days of twenty four (24) hours of daylight (late June, July and part of August) and has 30 days without sunlight mostly in the month of December.

Temperature: Mean Annual -9.7 degrees Celsius (14.54 degrees Fahrenheit)
Extreme Maximum: +31.7 degrees Celsius (89.06 degrees Fahrenheit)
Extreme Minimum: – 56.7 degrees Celsius (- 70.06 degrees Fahrenheit)
Warmest Month: July
Coldest Month: January
Annual Precipitation: 266.1 mm (10.5 in.)
Driest Month: February
Wettest Month: August

The skies are beautiful here at night! I took this picture from the apartment window at 1:30am.

The colours are just a little brighter than real-life, because of the slow shutter speed.

There’s a new playstructure in town, and I visited Sunday to take pictures.

From the first camera flash, I was swamped from all sides. Kids were yelling “take my picture! Me and my friend! Over here, over here!” It was fun.

Eventually, one 9-year-old girl asked if she could take my picture. “Here, just don’t drop it,” I said, and handed her my camera.

Here’s the result!

Here’s a ‘sobering’ statistic, from Stats Can.

“Yellowknife (Sep 15/06) – The Northwest Territories boasts the heaviest drinkers in the country, according to a recent study from Statistics Canada.

Residents spent just over $40 million on beer, wine and spirits during 2005, the research agency reported Wednesday. That translates into a whopping $1,241 for each person over 15, a figure about twice the national mark.”

Our newspapers are delivered the office twice a week.

Though some people have subscriptions, most sales are done by local kids who buy News/North or the Inuvik Drum for 50 cents and sell it for 75.

Here’s Alex (in Spider-Man shirt) and his buddies, playing interconnected Gameboys as they hang around the office.

I saw a black bear the other day as I was driving along the Dempster Highway. It ran into the brush when I got close, but I managed to take this picture.

(Let me say: Animal photography is tough without a good zoom lens!)

Interesting fact about Tsiigehtchic: Before it was a town of 150 people, with houses and a school and everything else, it was a traditional Gwich’in fishing camp.

People have probably lived here for hundreds of years, with barely a dent on the landscape.

When I take photos of children, it often attracts a crowd. Kids gather around and say “take a picture of me!!” while making faces and gangsta poses.

Here’s one I took today — I showed the kid his picture from the back screen of the camera and he laughed. I don’t know his age, but he was about the height of my elbow.

The Inuvik visitors’ centre has several taxidermied animals. It’s interesting to see them up close.

I will also note that the Muskox is the most serene, aloof-looking animal in existence. Look at his expression: It just says “no need to get excited, man. Be cool.”

I got this “Certificate” at the Inuvik visitors’ centre today. They are free, and are given out as a tourist souvenir. (They print them out in about 5 minutes)

The full text praises the “initiative, integrity and bold adventurous spirit of the true Arctic explorers, who have crossed the Arctic Circle and will hereafter be recognized as honourable members of the exclusive Arctic Circle Chapter, Order of Arctic Adventurers.”

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll going to watch cable TV while eating store-bought cereal in my apartment.

Frontier life indeed!

Here’s a strange graphitti, next to The Mad Trapper bar.

What happened here? Was it a proud CBC employee celebrating? Did someone want to write something critical of the CBC but stop early? Does some kid have an unfortunate name?

CBC: It’s got “street cred!”