what i have been doing in Inuvik

The past few days haven't been too eventful for me here - I am starting to get a bit restless and need some more physical activity. I have done some visiting with people that I met up here last summer (although they are all working during the day so they haven't been able to hang out too much). I have been spending most of my time reading and doing some prep work for my research. There is lots more of that to keep me busy (I think that I could prepare forever and never really be ready for my research until I actually get to Tuk and start doing interviews).

For some reason I underestimated the physical size of this town - I have come to realize that I need to do some more wandering around by foot to see the whole place. I would love to get to go out into the Mackenzie Delta (I mean on the ice/water) since Inuvik is right in the Delta but it doesn't look like I am going to get my chance this week. I am hoping that I will be able to do so on my way back through here in August. Here are some pictures of this interesting little town...

This is the Igloo church. I don't know what denomination it is because I didn't walk up close to the sign but I think that it is non-denominational.


This is one of main streets in Inuvik.


The metal tunnel in this picture is what they call a utilidor. This particular picture is taken behind the house that I am staying in - the row houses you see in the picture are much like the one that I am staying in. Underground piping isn't a feasible option, so water and natural gas are connected to the houses via the utilidor. I am not sure what they do in other parts of the arctic, but the other communities I have been to in this area simply have storage tanks beside or beneath their houses. In those communities they have utility trucks that drive around to fill up the tanks.


I bought a dozen eggs and a small block of cheese this afternoon. The bill: $12.88. Oh yeah, an update on the night-time light... I am getting good sleep every night. I managed to block almost all light from coming in my window so now the main source of light is from around the door. I can't do much about that but I have started closing the blinds outside of my room so it cuts down the light.