Where is North?

The North is different things to different people, depending on perspective and where you live.

In Canada, it's called the Arctic, especially by the people who live there. It's a land mass of about 1.3 million sq.miles, made up of the Northwest Territories in the west, and an area in the east called Nunavut. The population of both territories is around 67,000 so you can ski, snowshoe, or sled in any direction for many days and not see a soul.

For 3000 of the people living above the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories, the north is a small town called Inuvik. (pronounced in-nuu-vik.) The word means "place of man" in the local native language.

The community is situated on the east branch of the McKenzie River, about 90 miles from the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The river delta is also home to the native villages of Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk. It is a land of extremes. Winter temperatures reach minus 40 and beyond on a regular basis, yet in summer it can be 30 degrees C., or 90 plus on the Fahrenheit scale.

In winter the sun sets in early December for about 4 weeks, rising again in the new year. Of course the weeks prior to and following this event are not long, bright, sunshine filled days of leisure. As the sun begins its descent in early August, the days gradually shorten, with sunrise getting later and later. Through most of November, the daylight is limited to a few short hours in the early afternoon. Gradually sunrise and sunset merge into one. The colour of the skies can be spectacular under the high pressure systems that dominate the weather patterns. Soon the orange ball, once round and bright through the ice fog, becomes a ribbon of light on the southern horizon. Ice fog forms when water droplets freeze and remain suspended in the air near the surface. Looking south each day, the ribbon grows smaller and smaller, then disappears althogether. It is dark over twenty hours a day, with a gray twilight emerging for a short time after lunch.

The dead of winter in January means a return of the sun at about 4 minutes per day. Needless to say, the month is a long and dark affair. February sees longer days, and by the end of March the north will pass the more populated south in daily hours of light.

April is a favourite among the residents. The river is still frozen, the ice roads are open to the coast, and sunshine reaches 18 hours a day. It's a great time for sleds and outings. Temperatures have moderated, although it is still in the minus 20 range most days, and sunglasses are mandatory. The sunlight reflected off the ice and snow is a dramatic change from the weeks of darkness.

All good things must end, and the warmer temperatures of May bring the snow melt and closure of ice road travel. The area is linked to the south by the Dempster Highway which runs north from Whitehorse, in the Yukon. There are two river crossings south of Inuvik which are serviced by ferries in the summer, and ice bridges during the winter. In spring and fall the road closure during the transition period means perishable groceries must be flown in, and if people want to travel, the airplane is their only choice.

The extremes of winter are off-set by the extremes of summer. In late May the darkness is long gone, and the sun shines around the clock. People have to put aluminum foil over their bedroom windows so they can sleep. Sled dogs staked out for the season howl and bark through the night in protest of their confinement and the torment from the mosquitoes and black flies. The river ice moves north to the Arctic Ocean in mid-June and the open water becomes a playground once again with boats and barges. The extended daylight allows people on the river at all hours going to and from summer camps. Winter fuel supplies are barged down the McKenzie from the railhead in Hay River. It's a busy time of year as everyone enjoys the sun and the rain, and not having to wear a parka and winter clothes.

In late July, the sun begins to leave, and by mid-August, it's dark again at night. The leaves turn on the trees and the tundra comes alive with the colours of fall. It gets colder and the people of the Arctic begin to prepare for another long night.