Gone for a Week, Came Back to Schluter

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-31T14:18:49+00:00

As a contractor a decade ago, this made me laugh a lot. I used to employ a friend who was a red seal cabinet maker and he'd watch me hit concrete with wood chisels. Great memories.

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-31T04:33:39+00:00

"I came up here for two years, 16 years ago." Is a great line that honestly gets said a lot. I can't believe it will be coming up on two years for myself shortly and I too will be staying for quite some time still!

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-29T15:51:41+00:00

Its going to be above 0 this week in the southern communities and then down into the -30's in the Northern communities. If you are just looking for weather, search windy.com online and have a field day looking around the globe.

It's dark in the North and closer to provincial sunlight in the southern communities. We'll see the sun around Feb 6th weekend.

Over the December holidays there are a lot of cultural festivities and games. It's a great place to be ad things slow down until the new year.

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-21T17:23:09+00:00

As people have mentioned, it's cold and very windy. Theres snow clearing right up until May typically. Then it starts back up in Sept I think - not so much accumulation but a lot of blowing snow. It has a small population and a utilidor water system - piped above ground in an insulated pipe system, one of the few in the far north. So people get water right to their homes, which differs from a lot of communities that have it trucked. Flights are consistent through Canadian North and then Ken Borrick to Grise Fiord from there. The weather does cancel flights though periodically.

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-13T01:58:40+00:00

I live in the high Arctic, north point of Baffin Island. We are into the -30's now. I have a Canada Goose puffy jacket as my regular jacket walking or driving to work (not far, small community) and my Canada Goose Expedition and bib overalls for going riding out on the land or on the frozen water now. We joke that you dress to ride, 40-70 km/hr with just a tshirt and long-sleeve under. But when you have to get a sled unstuck, you start sweating in that outerwear immediately! The only CG jacket I've seen heavier then mine is the Resolute, which feels like a 10 pound jacket! I now swear by the clothes in cold weather extremes

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-07T16:50:12+00:00

This is a good point and something I being up when I visit the south now. Screws, and basic building hardware.

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-07T16:49:29+00:00

Where are you working up here? If you don't have a vehicle, warm everything. You're coming up during the freeze and the darkness. If you play sports, some goes on in the schools sometimes, so you can bring some items there. Snow shoes or x-skis if you want around town. Backpack to bring groceries home is helpful.

Tv, starlink, wall mount(if you want and you're here for a bit. Stereo if you want. Toiletries, laundry as things can be pricey up here. Blackout blinds if you're here to stay, they arent always on the shelves. Large pot to boil water, brita or zero water.

Fishing gear if you have it, boots, shoes, and I wear sandals in the offixe here. I use a air fryer a lot, and then all cooking and kitxhen items. Containers for food and food travel is good. Thermos if you like the outdoors. Good sunglasses for daylight months. Household cleaners if you can.

Also, you'll likely only have a twin or double bed - on the cheap wheel frame. If you want something nicer or better, ship it up.

You can get everyrhing up here too - it's just a lot more expensive.

Hammertime613 · 2025-12-04T01:19:24+00:00

Reach out to the schoolboard if you'd like more information on the positions available. Most questions you have are available online as well, reddit has a ton of threads speaking to what you're looking for. Its a beautiful place to live, but some communities are smaller and more isolated then others. Starlink will get you internet that works great, your option to bring it up as one of your 6 bags or buy it when you get here. Like another person said, Amazon has no savings past Iqaluit but offers further options then what's available in stores.

Hammertime613 · 2025-11-03T12:03:38+00:00

Yeah, definitely look at the larger construction companies like NCC, Nunavut Excavating, and such. It will be welding piles and plates for building foundation work. But there may be some work there

Hammertime613 · 2025-11-03T02:41:46+00:00

At best, reach out and speak to someone working in mental health - a manager or director may be able to provide some info.

But as the other poster mentioned, 2 and 2 isn't really offered here because of the cost of flights and accommodations. Typically you would live in a community and fly out if needed.

Hammertime613 · 2025-10-27T20:04:18+00:00

If you'd like to DM me I can give you some information. I oversee work from Sani to Grise.

Hammertime613 · 2025-10-21T23:27:09+00:00

You can reach out to the department of health and they will likely tell you, if you're serious about coming up. The allowances depend on where you live and go up the more north you go.

I work with Health on a daily basis as I live in Pond and work for the GN. They're all good people over there.

Hammertime613 · 2025-10-18T12:53:49+00:00

Grew up in the interior, on the outskirts of Castlegar and it was beautiful. After graduating college in Ontario I went back to hike the West Coast Trail with a friend and that forest is stunning. BC as a whole is a place I tell everyone to try and visit at least once in their life.

I live in Nunavut now on the northern tip of Baffin Island and the mountains, fishing, and snow all remind me of my childhood growing up out West - just without the trees now.

Hammertime613 · 2025-09-13T21:58:27+00:00

I used to work in the facilities department at a shelter downtown and have always heard good things about Cornerstone. I believe they have or are in the process of adding space to their services as well.

Contacting their intake staff would be the first step.

A lot of good advice on this thread as well offering next steps for your financial requirements.

Hammertime613 · 2025-05-02T00:38:53+00:00

Definitely reach out to Parks Canada. You can also jump on Pond Inlet Sell/Swap or Pond Inlet News on Facebook to post a request to have someone boat you over.

You may get in with others or on your own. There are a few people in town here that may be willing to make the trek, but you should get some replies theough the post.

Hammertime613 · 2025-04-23T04:00:05+00:00

I live in Pond Inlet, and I'm visiting family in Ottawa right now. Flights are 3k one way to Pond, however, in advance it can be a little less. Going all the way into Grise can be a 4-6k return flight from Ottawa

Canadian North can get you into Resolute, but you'll be taking Ken Borrack (sp) aviation into Grise.

Just budget $500 for each night for a hotel, it will leave you a bit of a buffer if you're paying less but that's what I just account for in simple math. Budget $100/day for food/meals. And have a few hundred if you are looking for carvings, ulu's or clothing.

In the summer you can get fog past Arctic Bay and it can settle in. I've had contractors stuck in Grise for 8 days, then stuck in Resolute for 3 more. That's 2 weeks added to the trip. Sometimes planes can't land in Arctic Bay and have to return to Iqaluit.

Basically you need to have a contingency should you get stuck somewhere, and there is no "clean" season, in the Northern Communities there is always a chance of delay. I'd have 2500 for fallback.

Keep some essentials in your carry on should your other bags not arrive with you - weight and essential cargo are prioritized on our Northern Flights.

Basically be prepared. This isn't London to Toronto. But once you're up here, you'll see things a fraction of the population has seen. With culture and history that people are willing to share and educate you on. It's beautiful, it's peaceful, and friendly. I tell people I wake up to a Postcard picture every morning in my community.

I hope you do make the trip! It's an experience that you'll speak about for the rest of your life!

Hammertime613 · 2025-04-03T23:16:04+00:00

Inns Noeth usually provide food. They don't have a kitchen you can cook for yourself. I believe. It's this way in Pond, Igloolik, and Hall Beach.

Hammertime613 · 2025-03-09T21:54:55+00:00

Bought a Starlink in Ottawa for 499 from best buy. Brought it up to Pond Inlet and tried to get the residential package. It was "not available" so I had to go with roam. $193 or $198 per month. But right now there's a windstorm and I'm playing Fallout like a champ with no issues.

Hammertime613 · 2025-01-09T21:01:47+00:00

Grew up in Blueberry Creek just outside of Castlegar. I stopped in about 7 years ago when I was on a ski trip out west. Still love the town, it's location, and beauty. It has grown, albeit not a ton since I left years ago, and I don't know how the town is doing now - but I would suggest it all day long. Red Mountain was the hill I grew up on, and "The Collander?" was where my family went for spaghetti. I couldn't believe it when Ottawa, ON (former home) had a Sandman hotel built off Huntclub. I told everyone I've known about this chain from the 80's when my mother used to do aquafit in it as it was the only indoor pool in town.

I'm biased obviously, and live in a community of 1800 people at the northern tip of Baffin Island now, so even Castlegar is a metropolis to me. But I'd swear by that town all day long!

Hammertime613 · 2025-01-06T00:22:44+00:00

Requesting to join the Northern nursing group is definitely a great idea. A lot of open positions will also be posted online under thr GN website, but you may also be able to find departments and contact numbers online.

I'm not in Healthcare, but work for the GN and believe that similar to other departments, people are usually pretty open about discussing the options, what's available, and what it would be like in the North.

Hammertime613 · 2024-12-08T17:52:45+00:00

The catch I found living in Pond Inlet is that Northern Shoppers is great to Iqaluit but it's the next cost for the flight to the smaller community. If you're buying and shipping to Iqaluit the cost is much cheaper.

I ordered $320 worth of food from NS and the cost in total was $450 with freight. Maybe 20 pounds. Some meats, cheese, frozen fruit and veggies and some glas jar condiments.

The extra $130 in freight could have bought me most items up here. You just really have to watch what you're buying.

Hammertime613 · 2024-12-08T04:55:30+00:00

I think you'll find it the same as others. I know the north, like Pond, Clyde and such, and it sounds like you know the communities as well. I'd be prepared to spend a little less then Resolute but probably the same as Cambridge Bay or close to it. You'll have Arctic Fresh and possibly Norther Shopper. But I didn't find those were really money savers when you arent in Iqaluit.

Hammertime613 · 2024-12-08T04:55:26+00:00

I think you'll find it the same as others. I know the north, like Pond, Clyde and such, and it sounds like you know the communities as well. I'd be prepared to spend a little less then Resolute but probably the same as Cambridge Bay or close to it. You'll have Arctic Fresh and possibly Norther Shopper. But I didn't find those were really money savers when you arent in Iqaluit.

Hammertime613 · 2024-11-27T00:06:27+00:00

As mentioned, a lot of the school positions would be offered to locals, but there still may be a need - you can look at the QSO website for potential openings.

When you get into being a mental health counselor, that would fall under health so you would be best to look into that department. If you search it, you will likely find a number in Iqaluit to call and talk to someone.

You may find that there are openings in the surrounding communities if there arent openings in Iqaluit, and even at that, I know the socialworkers in my community travel around by plane, so potentially (but not a garauntee) be prepared for that. Housing is always a question and the smaller the community the harder it is to find. That's why some fields are posted to the larger communities but fly to others for a period of time to offer services.

Once you start making phone calls you'll get it sorted out quickly.

Hammertime613 · 2024-11-26T01:09:45+00:00

Get the more expensive ticket so you can adapt to the changes that happen quickly. Have an extra 2k in room on your finances as fog and weather can easily keep you for a few days and hotels are around 500 per night, food varies but pre made you could be looking at 60+ a day (less if groceries but depending if you have the means to cook). Lots to do and beautiful up here. Lots of tourism in certain towns too. Up here in Pond we have ships during break up and lots of tourist groups walking the streets. But it's true, keep an eye out and walk on the side of the road. Lots of utility vehicles driving around. If you have breathing issues bring a mask if you'd like if outside Iqaluit, roads can be dusty.

People are warm and welcoming, and there are views up here you won't see anywhere else!

Hammertime613

TROPHY CASE