Monthly Archives: August 2008

Here’s a shot from the Boot Lake trails. Notice the colourful leaves on the ground!

(Also, photo stitching is amazing.)

Here’s a sign at the Aurora College trades workshop space.

It’s seen it’s fair share of bad weather over the years.

This old sleepy dog was lazily watching people pass by…

It turns out, there are suburban-style houses on the edge of town.

It’s not all trailers, row-houses and log cabins here!

Here’s the view from my front door and back window, at Parkview apartments.

(Both are several photos stitched together, and you can see some perspective errors here and there.)

This is what it looks like when I drink tea and look out the window.

More fall colours in Inuvik. Feels like Hallowe’en is just around the corner, but it’s still August!

Here’s the newsstand, the hardware store, Mr.Chips’ wagon, etc.

In super-wide vision.

This “image stitching” stuff is really wonderful. 

Here’s Inuvik’s Samuel Hearne school (still boarded up for the summer) in super-high resolution.

(Note: some of the stuff like the telephone wires don’t exactly line up. I am still learning.)

It turns out there is some software which does amazing things with photos, such as “stitching” many together.

Just look at this panoramic view of Tsiigehthic!

Fig. 1: Myself and Inuvik Drum editor Dez Loreen enjoying the drum dance. (Photo by Michele Taylor)

Fig.2: The press, proving that 20 people are needed to capture the same man from the same angle.

Fig. 3: The PM meets dancers with the press in the background. (Photo courtesy of Merven Gruben)

Many people have been sending emails about the recent photo gallery of Stephen Harper’s visit.

The main question is: How did you get so close?

Well, Harper’s arrival was a very staged event. I was placed in a designated “photographer’s pen,” where about 15 photographers were stationed. 

 When the Prime Minister arrived, he met the dancers and spoke a few moments with delegates there. He left without taking questions from the press.

Here is a monument at the Inuvik cemetary.

There is a candle left there, so people can pay tribute to veterans on wind-free days.

Here’s a small plane getting ready to travel to a small community such as Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok or Tuktoyaktuk.

For people in smaller communities, a trip to Inuvik is a visit to the big city.

This time of year, it’s worth it to stay up late. 

The 1am sky is amazingly colourful.

Earlier this week, someone painted graffitti on several buildings downtown.

Whoever’s number this is, they are going to get a lot of prank calls.

It also makes the town look terrible during the Prime Minister’s visit.

(Note to readers: Please do not call this number.)

Athletes and coaches from Team NWT get to wear these jackets. They have caribou antlers in a red circle, which resembles the Gwich’in caribou logo.

There is a display at North Mart which shows historic photos of Inuvik.

Among them are photos of traditional foods being prepared: beluga whale fat left to dry on a beach and a woman scraping a sealskin.

Amazing to think how traditional life was completely different than modern life.

Helicopters of all types can be seen at Inuvik’s airport. 

They are essential to search and rescues in the North.

Here’s a closer look at the polar bear which is stuffed at Inuvik’s airport.

Try to picture those teeth chomping at you.

This is a very nice promotional image for NWT tourism…but then you look closer and realize: They’re wearing parkas in summer!

These fur collars are meant for 40-below weather, not grassy fields!

Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived in Inuvik today.

New! The photo gallery is up CBC.ca

The Anglican Church in Inuvik has many funny and clever messages.

I really enjoy seeing their different billboards!

Inuvik’s mini-putt looks pretty run-down. There is long grass and broken structures with peeled paint.

When the hit counter was installed on Oct. 26 of 2007, I wondered if I could increase viewership of this site to 50,000 hits for a year. 

It appears this has been done, with two months to spare!

Thanks to everyone for your comments, letters and suggestions.

Will global warming affect the curling polar bear?

A black and a white dog enjoy the weather at Boot Lake.

This young boy recently built an Inukshuk from Pepsi containers at the recycling depot.

Could it be modern art?

It reminded me of Brian Jungen‘s stuff, which makes aboriginal art from mass-consumer products.

Here’s some remarkably specific vandalism. 

Case closed, I guess.

Did someone throw away an old shoe, or did they get caught trying to jump the fence near the fuel tanks?

Here’s a witty and true statement, seen on the roof of a house in Inuvik. 

It would have been affixed to the cab of a pickup truck at some point.

Someone is flying the Confederate Flag in Inuvik.

Too many Dukes of Hazzard reruns, or is it someone from the United-States?

This photo was taken outside Ingamo Hall recently, as a child was playing in the long grass.

The view at Boot Lake is very nice indeed. A perfect spot for a BBQ.

This is fairly typical of Inuvik:  The scenery is nice, but you’ll notice all the windows have been broken.

The midnight sun is definitely gone now. Midnight brings a large red moon.

Hey, it’s an orange truck and an orange house.

This cross was made of fencepost wood, with the kinds of letters you’d find on a mailbox.

There is a new gallery posted on cbc.ca, which examines recycling in Inuvik.

This was really fun to photograph!

The town has 3500 people but recycles more than 1000 beer bottles a week.

This statue of Jesus seems to be gazing upwards, lost in a daydream.

Here’s a Whiskeyjack on the Boot Lake Trails, seemingly on the lookout for noisy vehicles.