Arrived!

It was a frosty Jan 10 morning in Edmonton when I started my journey north. However, as I was soon to discover, "frosty" has an entirely different meaning when one includes the great Canadian arctic! With a teary goodbye to my sweetheart, I rushed through customs and on to my gate. As I glanced at the First Air jet, with its big beautiful polar bear adorning its tail, I knew my adventure had truly begun. There was no looking back now, despite what lingering doubts remained... "What, are you crazy, leaving your loved ones, the sites and sounds of Edmonton, everything that has been "home" for the past 17 years?"... Yes, maybe I was crazy, but the call for adventure was too strong to ignore. Knowing that the love of my life was supportive of my dream to experience the north, to learn about and try to improve educational opportunities for the Inuit children of Nunavut, I boarded the plane, with an open mind and a heavy, but open heart.

My journey involved three flights. The first to Yellowknife was a two hour flight. With a short delay, I would then board a jet to Rankin Inlet, the main hub of the central (Kivalliq) region of Nunavut, another two hour flight. Rankin airport is a very busy centre, with 128 flights a day coming and going! I never would have imagined it being so busy. When we arrived, there were 6 other aircraft at the terminal, either unloading or preparing to leave. It makes sense, as the only way to get in and out of communities is by air (there are no roads connecting any of the Nunavut communities). Rankin serves as the major hub and one that I will fly through many times. Rankin is also the largest community in our region, so many of my meetings will be there.

From Rankin, I was to have an 8 hour delay, waiting for the final 30 minute Calm Air flight that would take me my new home, Baker Lake. As it turned out, there was to be no final delay, as I was able to catch an earlier flight to Baker Lake. This was great news as it meant I'd be arriving in the afternoon, rather than the evening. Not only would it give me an opportunity to see the area, but a bit of time to unpack and get my bearings, before reporting to work the next morning.

The flights were all amazing. Air Canada - take note! The first two jets served full meals, including warm cookies for dessert! And, most astonishing of all, the last leg of my journey - the turbo prop on Calm Air to Baker Lake left with only one passenger (me!). Yes, I had the whole plane to myself. I can't ever remember that happening. I took a picture of my "private plane" and you can see it in this post (Calm Air). Wow, now that's service.

Once I arrived at the Baker Lake airport, I was greeted by two members of my staff who were very welcoming. They had bought some items to put in my fridge and apartment which was a very kind thing to do. A frozen pizza was the highlight, until I went to eat it the next day, only to remember that I didn't have any of my baking "stuff" yet. That would all arrive in 3-6 weeks, depending on how the air cargo availability was. When it left my home in Edmonton, the shippers told me that local blizzards had left a backlog of shipments to go to Rankin and beyond. My "stuff" would be in that backlog, somewhere! In the meantime, I would have to make do with what I brought with me on the plane and what I could beg or borrow from others. And beg or borrow I did. When it comes to eating and surviving, one can't be too proud! The first day I borrowed a pot and a kettle, hopefully enough to get me through the next few weeks while I waited for my shipment!