In May of 1845, two ships along with 128 officers and men, under the command of Sir John Franklin set sail from London in quest of finding and crossing the Northwest Passage from east to west. Never to return, the HMS Erebus was discovered in 2014 and two years later the HMS Terror was located. We embark on a similar voyage, however from west to east and hope we do not meet the same fate as the Franklin Expedition
MS Roald Amensdun
Thursday, 1 September 2022
Can You Pronounce Ulukhaktok?
I can spell Ulukhaktok but I certainly have a lot of difficulty pronouncing it. Situated on the west coast of Victoria Island, this community of 300 lies near the beginning of the Northwest Passage. Home to the most northern golf course in the world (the greens are artificial turf) its people are some of the friendliest and welcoming I have encountered. They fully embrace the onslaught of 400 tourists as this is the second to last ship that will visit this community this season. No tourist ships have been here for the previous two years though there is a 12 room hotel and 2 bed and breakfast places for those who decide to come for hunting and fishing. Other than Aklak Air (Grizzly Bear Air) the only other supply chain of food and supplies is a barge which comes in once a year. It is due within the next week, before the freeze begins to set in. Many of the older women wear the traditional Mother Hubbard parkas and though the unemployment rate is somewhere around 50%, many try to supplement their income by fishing, hunting and trapping. Though something we would not normally do, we purchased a coyote skin from the community store as a means of supporting a traditional way of life.
After a brief tour of the settlement by Rose, a mother of six who took time off from hunting geese to welcome our group, I decided to go for a hike to get a better view of the town from a nearby hill and Jennifer decided to take in a traditional dance and craft presentation at the local community hall. The local school educates approximately 100 students, and the teachers will be flying in for the new school year shortly. The local RCMP detachment is very visible, and ATV and snowmobiles are indeed the vehicles of choice. Beluga whales are often spotted in the bay but alas we will have to continue our journey to spot some.
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I can spell Ulukhaktok but I certainly have a lot of difficulty pronouncing it. Situated on the west coast of Victoria Island, this communit...
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Great shot of the sunset. Why is Jenn wearing a covid mask? Lovely outlook lounge on boat ! Whattya going to do with the coyote pelt?
ReplyDeleteCOVID policy is you have to wear a mask when you go into the local communities. Though not mandatory it is advised to wear a mask onboard. Last night they announced one COVID passenger onboard and now that individual is quarantined to their cabin for the next 10 days!! Jen took the sunset pic and she says she'll use the pelt to keep warm when I am not around to snuggle up to :) Cheers!
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