Cape Dorset Plant Life

Today, it is snowing with a mix of rain and wind speeds are expected to be up to 90 km/hr! I have been warned to watch for flying debris as I walk home today after work.  I hope the wind is at my back, so it pushes me up the hill!  I shall keep my eyes peeled for flying boards or ATV's!  Last week while out on a walk, I photgraphed the variety of low-growing plants I found growing so close to the ground.  I don't remember the names of these plants, but my co-worker took me out on a short walk and told me which ones were edible.

The Dorset Island is very rocky with very little "soil," so the plants cling to the surface.

Wild low-growing blueberries grow here, but they did not produce a crop this summer to much disappointment.

The view looking towards "the valley" area of Cape Dorset on a beautiful sunny day.

Scenes from Cape Dorset

I work in a modern learning centre with four classroom, including a PC lab.  During the summer the windows are boarded up to protect the windows while the centre is not in use.

Community Learning Centre: Arctic College

The Centre is located right next to the high school.  Here is photo of the school taken a few days before it burned down. If you look to the right, you will see the low, blue building where I work.

Peter Pitseolak High School

I live in a 3-bed townhouse right at the edge of town on the top of a long hill.  This makes for a great walk to work, and a great workout on the way home! Houses here are built on stilts set into the permafrost.  What looks like a basement is actually a crawl space where the stilts and piping, etc are located.  

My place with its 14 steps up the front door.

My view out my back window is often of this fellow doing his carving.  Cape Dorset is known around the world for its fine carving and print work.  Something like 24% of the population makes its living as artists.

I can't end my post without a few more view shots! Here is a shot of the bay where the polar bear came into town.  You can see the blue and red  high school building in the centre right.  That is near the downtown area.

The bay at low tide. 

Here is a fishboat in the bay.

At Home in Cape Dorset

I have been in Cape Dorset for two weeks now, and during this time I have experienced the thrills of starting afresh in a new community, but also the lows of watching the only high school in town burn down.

My view as I walk to work each morning in Cape Dorset.

Everyone is so friendly, and I am enjoying the beautiful arctic char fish and fresh air.  Temperatures are getting cooler each morning. Today is was 2 degrees C when I walked to the college this morning.  There are some vehicles in town-4 wheel drive trucks for work use, mostly - but many people get around by ATV, or on foot.  Everything is walkable.

The sunsets are gorgeous.

Last weekend, the high school burned down, and it has been devastating to the community.  It was a beautiful school recently renovated.  I was at the graduation ceremony the night before the fire and was so impressed with the speeches, decorations and celebratory feeling of the event. It will be a challenge to replace given the difficulty in getting building supplies here.

The high school burning