Pond Inlet, Nunavut. We are happy to be here. We filled our first evening by marvelling at the light and strolling the streets while our parka hoods gathered haloes of frost. Many people waved as they skidooed by, and a few kids called out: “What is your name?!?” We’ll have lots of names to learn…
Dreamworld from 23,000 feet. Soaring north over Baffin Island on the approach to Pond Inlet. Sea ice on our right and this view on our left, looking inland. During the flight: ice, moraines, and arêtes to inspire the glaciologists, but also shadow, light and mystery to fuel the spirit. Photo by Eric Guth
Easter welcome in Iqaluit with spring sunshine. We have a day here to explore and visit with our good friend and advisor Eva Aariak. Already the north feels like the south with the length of Baffin Island still to travel. Photo by Eric Guth
Reunion and packing party complete. We have tested our gear, packed our parkas, and wrangled it all into bags. It’s been fun showing Eric around our nation’s capital – including the Inuit art at the National gallery, classic poutine from La Patate Dorée, and even a brewery. But the real adventure lies ahead in Nunavut….
Meet the North HQ. Welcome to the little room in Ottawa where this all began. Today: last minute lists, shopping, packing and repacking. We’re off to Baffin Island tomorrow. Guess who took this picture?!? Eric Guth is back. Reunion photo to come. We’ll spend a month learning from the people we meet in Pond Inlet. Arctic spring…
In the second of our Arctic Deeply stories, meet Joachim Myhrvang, a miner working in Svalbard, Norway. Follow along with him as he heads below ground for a day of work. At 7 a.m., Monday to Friday, Myhrvang enters Mine 7, pours himself a cup of coffee, and walks through the door from the clean zone into…
Our Arctic Deeply story about Longyearbyen’s men’s choir has been picked up by The World Post , a partnership of The Huffington Post and the Berggruen Institute. Same story, different title: “A Unique Norwegian Choir Is United By Coal As Mining Industry Suffers.”
I’m sending this out to all of the women who have guided Meet the North this year. Thank you for letting me look over your shoulder to see what you see. You are the guiding lights. Happy International Women’s Day. Photo Eric Guth
Meet the North’s series with Arctic Deeply has begun. The first segment is called “When Coal Leaves Center Stage in Longyearbyen” Have a read – discover the singers and miners who keep Svalbard going. It was below freezing inside the derelict mining building that looked down over Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Coal dust powdered the wooden floor….
Remembering: Warmth and welcome under the votive ship of the Svalbard Kirke. Leif Magne Helgesen shows us around his chosen home at 78 degrees north. Photo Eric Guth