Monthly Archives: July 2008

The Great Northern Arts Festival is wrapping up today, and there are many great photos to share: 

Here is a photo gallery I put together for CBC.ca.

I think it captures the beauty of the traditional art on display, and also shows some of the artists working on their crafts.

Very glad and proud to be able to share my photography with everyone!

There are 27 photos in total, so enjoy! 

(I am now headed to Ottawa for two weeks, and will return on August 4, before hosting Northwind for three weeks.)

Here are some clay elders’ portraits, showing people of the arctic. They are painted to resemble wood carvings.

Such beautiful work!

They were displayed at the 2008 Great Northern Arts Festival, which is happening this week in Inuvik.

Click here for all the faces in a sequence:

Inuvik celebrated “Oceans Day” last weekend, with a special visit from the Coast Guard. 

There was a BBQ at the boat launch and a large ship allowed people to step aboard and look around. 

A parade was also held with floats, decorated cars, etc.

Here’s the Inuvik Centennial Library and the New North Networks Dome. Really interesting architecture to be sure! The dome is both a place of business and a decoration for the town.

Vandals and tress-passers, beware! Veterans Way has some fuel tanks and abandoned buildings which are well protected.

Found by the riverside: these prayer rocks, which have messages of thanks written on them.

This is the RCMP camper, which is used for long trips on the Dempster Highway.

Police sometimes use the camper to travel to places like Tsiighetchic — which has no police — or the Midway Lake Music Festival.

Here’s a climbing bug seen outside Parkview apartments, at 11:49pm.

Inuvik is now celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, and celebrations are being planned.

While fifty years is a long time for some people, it’s also important to remember that many lived here before the town even existed.

Above is an image from Wikipedia, showing Prime Minister John Diefenbaker at the official opening in 1958.

The Wikipedia entry on Inuvik has been updated lately, you should check it out.

Whose truck is this? Was it once used by someone at CBC Inuvik, or is someone just a fan?

There are more than mosquitoes flying around these days: Also plenty of dragonflies, bees, butterflies and moths.

Flowers are sprouting everywhere in Inuvik these days, including this yellow variety.

Inuvik’s high school was recently vandalized to the tune of $50,000.

On Saturday night, people — let me assume, young people, let’s assume boys with low grades — snuck in through a window and destroyed computers, spray-painted walls and smashed all the musical instruments used by the community band.

If past years are an indication, this is the start of Inuvik’s vandalism season, which happens during the summer.

Why does this happen? What does it mean about the town?

On this CBC.ca story, you can read people’s comments, which offer a very honest look at peoples reactions and opinions about Inuvik.

Some blame the parents, others say the community should have another bylaw officer, and others say the community is just hopeless. (That might be going a little far.)

My suggestion: I think every adult in town should ask every child “who vandalized the school? Who did it?” over and over again. Even if you don’t know the child, just ask them. It’s a small town and many children obviously know who it is. 

Here is the story’s link page. Thanks to CBC and Chris Harbord for the photo.

A group of 19 antique cars rumbled up the Dempster Highway from Anchorage, Alaska this week.

Where could you hear more about it? And perhaps hear a sound clip of myself speaking with the drivers on the streets of Inuvik?

Why, the CBC Northwind website, of course! 

Canada celebrated its national holiday on July 1, and Inuvik of course was no exception.

Celebrations here are always fun: There are barbecues, country music, dogs wearing costumes, etc.

Click here for a sound clip, which will air on today’s Northwind.