It’s almost 10 pm and I’m not kidding you, the sun is shining so bright that we had to draw the shades in the living room. My internal clock is completely bonkers, however I feel that this awesome natural occurrence (and other ones, of course) is what fascinates me about life in the North.
For me, being up here is about re-educating the senses and re-discovering what Mother Nature is all about. What an adventure!
After my morning jog and a few minutes of our version of an “editorial meeting,” we decided to rent bicycles and tour Sylvia Grinnell Park. We rode for about 10 minutes along the river route, passing children playing on parts of the river that were still frozen over. The tundra was serene, some patches covered in snow, and the sky was painted grey with smudges of blue surrounding it.
At first, you’d think the park is flat and just plushy-and-moist earth. But it’s filled with frequent ups-and-downs, rocky mounts and the rugged terrain is only apparent when you get deep into the park. You can see where the heavy ice leaves depressions in the landscape.
As for the hiking? The routes are challenging, so make sure to stretch, wear good shoes and be careful.
We stopped at the first scenic point we could find, locked up our bikes and hiked into an area that was covered with large chunks of ice. The Sylvia Grinnell River separates the park in two, and we were at the spot where it meets and forms a waterfall. (This is also where many locals come to fish for arctic char, so it’s not hard to find.) The sound of the rushing water was intense AND quiet at the same time. I think this park is a treat for nature lovers around the world and it’s one of those locals-know spots that I hope you get to see for yourself oneday.
Leaving Nunavut tomorrow, I feel so lucky to have had this experience. I’m still here, yet I’m already planning my return. But then, that’s just part of my nature…
PS: Tavvauvutit means hello and aksunai means good-bye in Inuktitut.
While I’m a contributor to We Blog the World, the below blog post is the copyright of the Canadian Tourism Commission. Please link back and credit all content used to Canada is a Big Place. You can also check us out on Flickr and @biglaceblog.
Victoria Revay is a broadcaster, journalist and on-air personality. She has worked at BCTV on the Global Desk and regularly filled in for Pia Shandel’s show on CFUN 1410 am as a radio producer.
She was channel editor, citizen-journalism hustler and video presenter for Now Public, has appeared as a new media expert and trend/lifestyles expert on shows such as City TV’s Breakfast Television, CKNW 980, CBC radio and the Leo Laporte Show on G4Tech TV.
