I find Chief Dr. Robert Joseph’s call for reconciliation with First Nations Communities – and indeed with all who are at the margins of mainstream Canada – compelling in vision and profoundly inspiring. I hope you do too.

Answer, when you’re in Iqaluit. A rueben at a nice coffee shop cost $18. It was a good reuben, even if it didn’t come with any sides.

I landed here yesterday. I’m here for some training before starting as vice-principal at Qitiqliq Middle School in Arviat, NU in mid-August.

Flew up in a 737. Passengers are put in the back half of the plane. The front half is used for cargo. Sure, Canada is huge east to west and after a three hour flight @ 33,000 feet, from Ottawa, I can confirm we’re huge north to south too lol

I’ve had to brush up considerably on my geography and history. I’m just learning that Iqaluit – the capital of Nunavut – was temporarily known, by those who didn’t live here, as Frobisher Bay from 1943-1987. It was named after Martin Frobisher who stumbled here whilst looking for the infamous (at least, in Canadian folklore) Northwest West Passage.

Although above the tree line, Iqaluit’s shore does not rest on the Arctic Ocean (told you I was just learning), rather it rests on the Labrador Sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Inuktitut is the language spoken here (and Eastern Nunavut more generally) by Inuit, as are English and French.

Today I went to St. Jude’s Cathedral, an Anglican Church. I should have said “Hey” but I forgot. St. Jude’s is shaped like an Igloo. Really a fascinating structure. Martin Forbisher is said to have held the first Anglican/Episcopalian church service in North America in Iqaluit.

I have some pictures but the internet is such that I can’t post them now. I’ll put them on Facebook when I return to Ontario in about a week.

Peace,

~Jim