Out of The Darkness

The sun in Whale Cove is gracing us with her presence longer each day now. I can walk to school at 8:30 am without depending on the street lights to guide me. When the sun starts to rise higher in the sky the vibe in the community shifts. People are happier, more positive and more energetic.

I can definitely say that my energy level has increased lately. I place the blame on the sun and T25. Doing the T25 workouts after a hectic day at work can put me in a much better mood and I am starting to see the results! Alex is thinking about getting his soccer team to do some of the workouts that T25 offers to get them in shape for an upcoming tournament.

We haven't really been able to get out the land in the past while. We've been busy with fundraising, course work and trying to give our best at the school and the weather has not been the greatest. So when we did get to out on a hike with the dogs it felt like such a relief. The dog's loved it and we enjoyed escaping from our busy lifestyles. I was able to capture some of the snow drifts that our past few blizzards created. Enjoy!

Extreme Weather - Whale Cove Style

The weather here in Whale Cove can be quite treacherous but also very exciting! Last weekend there was a wind chill of about -56 degrees Celsius. This may not sound that exciting but not many people can say that they have experienced this type of cold. At this temperature exposed skin can freeze within minutes. I experienced this a number of times last year from not dressing appropriately, I thought a homemade scarf would protect my whole face. I finally gave in to the less stylish apparel when I got frostbite for the fifth time.  This year I wear a balaclava, a fleece neck-warmer and goggles if I am braving the cold for longer than three minutes. When you are outside in -56 degree weather you might also experience such side effects as frosted/frozen eyelashes, loss of breath and frozen nostrils. One must dress appropriately! 

Southerners might feel that wearing fur is distasteful and cruel but these are people that have not experienced -56. Having fur on my hood is something that has also saved me from frostbite this year. I don’t know what it does but it works. I have also found that the sealskin mitts are warmer than any mitts I have bought from a store. The Inuit have been surviving in the harsh environment of the north for centuries; I don't think they use fur because they think it looks nice, they have been using it for centuries because it serves a purpose.

It's Friday today and I am not at work because a badass blizzard has hit the Kivalliq region. I thought I knew what a blizzard was but I had no idea. I cannot see past my front porch. If someone were to walk outside they would surely become lost and be in danger of freezing to death. We are running low on water  because the water truck has not been able to get to anyone’s house to fill up their tanks and thus we must use some old water conservation tricks (if it’s yellow let it mellow…), washing the dishes is a no no (lucky for Alex haha) and showering is out of the question. The blizzard is supposed to end tonight, however, there is a possibility that it will last all weekend. So buckle down my fellow Kivalliq northerners we may be in for a long weekend!

Health Kick

Staying healthy in the north can be challenging at times. It is hard to find fresh fruits and veggies and any natural product like almond milk, hemp seeds etc. It is too cold to go outside and exercise for the most part and Whale Cove does not have a fitness gym.  One has to be motivated and creative in order to stay fit. 

 Last year I would play sports after school once or twice a week and participate in my Phys Ed class in order to keep in shape. If I was feeling motivated I would ride our stationary bike. I thought I was keeping in shape to the best of my ability. 

This semester Alex and I want to really focus on becoming more healthy, getting/keeping in shape and getting stronger. We are planning on participating in a mountaineering course in Alberta this summer and I want to be able to fully participate in the course without feeling like I want to die! (Kilimanjaro was a eye opened for my lack of length strength and endurance). So we have started to start our mornings off with smoothies, almonds for snack, light lunch and a healthy dinner. Alex is pretty good at working out independently however, I need a little bit more motivation. I started the Focus T25 workout program last Wednesday, I have done each 25 minute workout everyday since Wednesday and my body feels pretty sore but it feels great! It's only 25 minutes so its hard to talk myself out of it which I love haha because I am pretty good at doing that when it comes to working out. The workout also does not require alot of room. Sean T is the who leads the work outs and he is super motivating and I often find myself talking back to him during the work out. Anyways I have lost 5 pounds since this new health kick so if anyone is looking to shed some of the holiday pounds give this program a try - Focus T25. 

Niya is doing her stretches, getting ready to focus with Sean T! 

Big things are happening!

Big things are happening for Inuglak School this semester. One other teacher and myself will be taking students on an exchange trip to Bracebridge Ontario. Fifteen students from Bracebridge and Muskoka Lake Secondary School will be coming up to Whale Cove in March and we will be bringing fifteen students from Whale Cove to Bracebridge in April. Alex is planning on taking the girls soccer team to Yellowknife for Super Soccer (Soccer tournament for Arctic communities). The great 8/9 teacher is planning on taking students to northern Ontario to compete in a hockey tournament. Little Whale Cove is being put on the map!

This is the second time that Inuglak School has been chosen for an exchange trip (funded by the YMCA of Greater Toronto). One of the high school teachers took the kids down to Bracebridge a couple of years ago and he said it changed many of the students outlook on life. I am super excited to be part of this exchange trip not only because it will just be awesome to see the students (that I have become close with) experience Southern Canada, but I also get to show southern students how amazing Canada’s north is, something that many will never get to experience (unfortunately).

Inuglak School has seen so much turn over the years and therefore hasn’t had an opportunity to have so many exciting sports events, trips and activities all happen in one year. School attendance seems high and the energy at the school is extremely positive!

Back in the cove!

I arrived back in Whale Cove on Sunday. We were lucky to make it. Ottawa airport was so backed up with having to de ice all their planes so we ended up being delayed an hour or so. We made it to Winnipeg 5 minutes before our flight closed their gates! When we got on to the first air flight heading to Rankin it was like stepping into another world. Everyone knew eachother, the flight attendants were extremely friendly and there just seemed to be a very positive energy on the plane. Alex did mention that by stepping onto the plane we lost our anonymity. On our air Canada flight we were anonomous to the crew and to the people around us; this was not the case on the first air flight. We were part of the northern community.

We arrived home around 3ish and we were greeted by our two very excited pups! Niya has doubled her size and her and qimmik are even more inseparable as they were before. 

The first day back to school was great, the students shook my hand to wish me a happy new year. The skeptical students were the happiest to see us. It is not uncommon for teachers to not return after Christmas therefore many students are more skeptical than others when t comes to teacher commitment.

Second day of the new school year - blizzard!!! Today I am relaxing and making chilli. It is a blustery -55 with the wind chill so I wanted to make something to warm us up. 

I hope everyone's first few days back to work were not to stressful! 

Christmas time

I apologize for neglecting my blog so much these past months. Whale Cove offers a simple life, however it can get quite busy. The November long weekend my parents came up for a visit. It was very cold the weekend they came up and the Ice was starting to freeze, therefore many polar bears had been sighted. This made it difficult to take my parents out exploring on the land; however, we did make it up to the whales tale. My parents came up with 4 rubber maid totes filled with goodies :) My mom and I got some cooking and baking done and my Dad got some down time! It was a very relaxing and enjoyable visit.

I had a chance to travel to Iqaluit in November. I took 10 students to the territorial wide Badminton tournament held in Iqaluit. On the way there I had to sleep in Rankin because flights did not match up and on the way back I had to stay over in Rankin two nights. By the end of the week I was very happy to return home. It was an awesome trip, the kids were great! We won some medals and we all get to experience beautiful Iqaluit a little bit. The only down side to this trip was sleeping on a classroom floor for four nights!

I been working really hard on a new project that Inuglak School has took on. We have been offered an exchange trip to Bracebridge, Ontario. In March students from Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School will be coming to Whale Cove. We will organize feasts and activities and land trips for them and then in April we will be travelling to Bracebridge Ontario. We are all very excited about this!

Christmas time is here and I will be flying back to Toronto on Tuesday, December 17th. I am very excited to spend the holidays with family and friends!!!