Without any roads, how do people in Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory, travel? Where do they get their food and water from? Does that place really have a Tim Hortons? Here are seven fascinating details about the country’s largest and least populated region and about Nunavut Culture.
In Nunavut, there are no roads.
This isn’t exactly accurate. All communities have roads, but none of the 25 communities are connected to one another by roads (except for a 32 km stretch between Arctic Bay and Nanisivik). Locals accoring to the Nunavut Culture have a different mode of public transportation than taking a bus: small planes.
Within Nunavut’s 2-million square kilometre area, only by boat are communities accessible. Some of the itineraries for small expedition cruise ships, like those run by Adventure Canada, include some of the ones along the coast.
A taxi ride in Iqaluit
Iqaluit, the largest city in the territory and Nunavut’s capital, is home to about 7,000 people. The distance between one side of the city and the other isn’t particularly great, even in the “big city.”
There is only one cost for a taxi ride: $6. Walking between the museum, legislative building, visitor’s centre, and a few hotels is possible, but getting to the more modern area of the city or the nearby community of Apex (where you can find original Hudson’s Bay Co. buildings) usually requires a taxi.
Recycling and Composting in Nunavut
In Nunavut culture, there is no municipal recycling programme. Some locals who frequently travel outside the territory bring bottles and piles of paper with them to recycle down south.
There is a small, seasonal greenhouse in the center of Iqaluit for those who are interested in growing their own food. Composting is done through one man with the Bill Mackenzie Humanitarian Society. Every two weeks, he makes a voluntary visit to those on his list, collecting their compost and bringing it to an old landfill where it will eventually be used in the greenhouse once more.
The Beloved Sealift
As you might expect, ordering groceries to be delivered up north can be unpredictable. Each community has a grocery store, but the costs are astronomically high. A two-liter carton of milk can cost $12.49, and most other items are about twice as expensive as they are in our country.
In the summer, a sealift carrying dried goods arrives after the ice has melted. For the remainder of the year, families who can do so will place pre-orders for their food and wait for the sealift to arrive before stocking up on supplies.
Oil tankers and water trucks
In areas with piped service, the daily limit for household water is 225 litres per person. Trucks travel the streets of Iqaluit every day, stopping at homes to fill their water tanks. By observing a red light, drivers can determine whether a household requires water by assuming that it is full if it is on in accordance with Nunavut Culture.
Similar to the sealift, the yearly oil tanker arrives in the summer, much to the relief of locals (although delays are common). This is a lifesaver during the chilly, dark winter months because homes are heated with oil.
And Then There was Tim Hortons
When you thought Nunavut was far away, Tim Hortons shows up. North Mart, a northern grocery and general merchandise retailer, will set up three Tim Hortons kiosks inside its Iqaluit stores, which it first opened in December 2010.
The northernmost Tim Hortons in Canada is located in Nunavut, which is also the country’s last province or territory to have one. Planes will no longer smell “donut-y” because locals have a reputation for bringing boxes of Timbits on their flights home when they visit the south.