First Day in Iqaluit: Flight from Ottawa and Nunavut Weather

The day starts out less than stellar. My flight is delayed from the Ottawa airport because of heavy winds in Iqaluit, my destination for the next week. When we finally do get going, the pilot announces that the temperature is 2°C but the wind is making it feel like -10°C. But isn’t it summer??

Flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit
The winds were unreasonably strong all day. In fact, we had to taxi in behind a hangar in Iqaluit because the plane’s doors couldn’t open with the force of the wind. There’s some sort of maximum wind pressure for these small planes. The hangar provided a shelter for us and we were shuttled into the terminal by buses.

Arriving in Iqaluit, Nunavut

After getting a quick tour of the city (and the neighbouring community of Apex, where there are three original buildings from the first Hudson’s Bay Company settlement here and have signs on them that read, “Incorporated in 1670”), I dropped my bags off in my new room.

I’m staying with a couple and their eight year old son from Ottawa and Quebec, the man who picked me up at the airport and gave me a short tour today. I’m about a half an hour walk from “downtown” Iqaluit in a cozy three bedroom house. I had no idea where I would be staying here and I’m relieved to discover I’m staying with good people in a nice home. Phew.

It’s incredible to be able to come all the way up to the arctic and stay in a home, rather than one of the Iqaluit hotels…

Nunavut Weather and Friendly Inuk

The overcast sky and unfriendly wind couldn’t hide the beauty of Iqaluit, nor dampen the warmth of the people here (they see much worse in the winter!).

From the young woman at the visitor’s centre who told me all about her hip hop classes and basketball season, and the woman at dinner who tried to guess where I was from (she was sure I was from Nova Scotia), to the people who I walked by on the street who all smile and say “Hello,” a big city this ain’t.

Even the teenaged boys who hang outside of buildings, smoking cigarettes in their baggy clothes, unexpectedly start up conversations as soon as I say “Hello.”

Baffin Island
Even though Iqaluit is wrapped around the stunning Koojesse Inlet, it’s still a northern community that looks stark on an overcast day. The people I’ve met so far have warmed up the setting completely.

(This trip was partially sponsored by Nunavut Tourism, Canadian North Airline, the Canadian Tourism Commission and the Alianait Arts Festival.)

Tags: baffin island, canada, Flight from Ottawa, Flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit, Iqaluit, Koojesse Inlet, Nunavut Weather