Baffin Island is located in the province of Nunavut, Canada between Greenland and the northern reaches of the Canadian mainland. Over 500,000 square kilometers in size, it borders the Arctic Ocean and is south of the Northwest Passage. Around 11,000 people reside on Baffin Island, approximately 6,977 (2011) in its capital, Iqaluit. The industry is primarily based on it being the central hub of transportation for the region as well as government and political center for the territory of Nunavut, Canada. Limited industry exists on the island, primarily “Baffinland” which runs one of the northernmost mines extracting Iron-ore, as well silver, lead and zinc in a formation known as the “Committee Belt, an assemblage of granite-greenstone terrains, and rift basin sedimentary and volcanic rocks.”
At the northern end of Baffin Island - 5019 miles north of the Equator, lies the town of Pond Inlet on the edge of Eclipse Sound. There is a simple airport with a gravel runway, a pipe from the edge for fuel supplies, very limited summer tourism, a few grocery stores, and it is home to approximately 1,300 year-round residents, mostly Inuit who survive on subsistence hunting and government subsidies. Dirt roads run through the town and four wheel tracks disappear out into the tundra. Water is supplied by tank trucks. 22 Kilometers north of town lies Bylot island and you can clearly see the Sirmilik glacier from town (Sirmilik means the “place of glaciers” in Inuktitut so the reference is somewhat redundant).
It is thought that the earliest humans were the Ancient Pre-Dorset people who may have transited from Greenland over ice bridges 3000 years ago. While camping out on Curry Island located to the southeast of Pond Inlet, we did find remains of an old “singer” sewing machines near remains of sod houses indicating possible outposts in the last 100 years. Archaeological evidence in the area suggests possible Thule culture, dating approximately as far back as 1,000 years ago. Today, it is the Inuit who remain.
“The Inuit have been able to survive in this arctic climate because of their adaptation to it, their hunting skill and technology, plus their profound patience, perseverance and respect for the land. They allowed the seasons and the weather to dictate their activities and movements as they followed the migrating fish, marine mammals and land creatures that sustained them. In the coastal region near Sirmilik, abundant fish and marine life resources, including seals, narwhals and bowhead whales, as well as roaming herds of caribou continue to be an important food source for the local Inuit”
Our journey began in Ontario flying to Iqaluit on a jet plane half of which was configured for cargo and half for passengers. Call it Arctic priorities or irony, but supplies went where first class seats would be, while the rest of us flew economy. As we waited for our aircraft to Pond Inlet, we stepped outside to swarms of small black flies typical of the brief summer. Leaving Iqaluit, the two engine ATR 72 turbo prop engine took off late and hopscotched its way first to Clyde River on Baffin Island’s East coast flying by glaciated valleys and rivers of ice. Clyde River (est. population 820) is an outpost, fueling stop, and often a holding area while weather clears further north. Now it was time itself you started to notice. It appeared not to be happening. Our watches said one thing, our bodies felt stuck at mid-day. Just six weeks after the earth began to tilt inevitably from its furthest point north, the solar rays still provided ample day light, supercharging the short growing season. Given the short season, everything had to happen 24/7. It was almost 9 PM but felt like the middle of the afternoon. And when we landed in “Pond” it was still early afternoon – only now, our watches told us it was 10:30 PM. Other than water, we were now reliant on what had been brought north.