What is it like there?

Cape Dorset is well above the tree line and just south of the Arctic Circle. In the summertime the days are long and the evenings stretch on all night. It never really gets dark in the height of summer; just dusk-like as the sun slips below the horizon of Malliq Island and rises again a few hours later over the eastern end of the airstrip. The children ride their bikes and play in and around the streets until very late. There is no snow, and no ice in the bay although there may be pans and icebergs floating further out in the Hudson Strait. Most Inuit still retain their close connection to the land, and summer is the time to return to favourite camping areas at the fish lakes and down the coast, even if only for the weekend. The sound of boats heading in and out of the bay is a summer constant.

In winter, the sound is of snowmobiles and the journeys are shorter. The days are shorter too; December 21st is the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year. It will be light by 10am, but the dark will return by 3pm. Nevertheless, the day goes on as usual, with offices open until 5pm and stores open even later. It is cold; the average winter temperature is around –30° celsius, but people dress in warm winter parkas with hoods trimmed with fur, and the qamik (sealskin boot lined with thick wool duffle) is still the warmest footwear for the weather. By the end of January, the sun is visible above the hills surrounding town. It will remain cold for several months to come, but the sun makes all the difference.

Click here for photographs of Cape Dorset today.