The Fire

It was the first time I'd watched the Oscars alone in years. Steph had to work.

Just as Natalie Portman announced the winner for best actor, I heard the first siren. It's become a habit to look out the window since Iqaluit is such a small town. The trucks stopped right in front of my house and turned towards the Creekside Village complex, or as everyone else calls it, White Row.

I followed the skyline to find it interrupted by a raging inferno. White Row was on fire.



We've seen a few doozies over the years. The house beside us burned down and the house across the street has burned down twice now . . . yes, the same house. But I had never seen anything like this. When I say "inferno" I mean, Backdraft . . .Rescue Me . . .Ladder 49 style fire. 2 dead, 83 without homes.


There's enough written about the fires for everyone to Google and research. When a story like this happens it's literally "moths to a flame". The entire town talks about it and the local online newsies go from 2 posts a day to 10 and just about everyone in town has their own version of "what happened". The reason why I wanted to write about this was because for only the second time in 3 years, I was blown away by how the community all came together so effortlessly.



In less than 12 hours there were plans in place to help the survivors. Donations were overwhelming and the contributions are still continuing 4 days later. We the musicians, have already planned multiple fundraisers and benefit shows and get this: in less than a week all the survivors and victims have more than enough supplies, clothes, food, and support to help them carry on. What an accomplishment!

I don't always sing Iqaluit's praises but when a community that often feels divided by race, social class, economic struggles and cultural difference, it was moving to see all those thing put aside for a cause like this. You can be rich or poor, tall or short, you can even speak a foreign language but what it means to lose your home to an accident like that is the same in any language. Just like the warmth you feel when you see people working together to help strangers.

Today, I'm proud to live here.

"The Racquet Club"

About a year ago, Steph and I "bit the bullet" and decided to become members of The Frobisher Bay Racquet Club. We had talked about it over the course of last year but waited out to see if it would fit our lifestyles once we were more grounded here in Iqaluit.

We'd heard it was crazy expensive.

We heard it was a "white supremacy"

We heard it was "cult like".

It's not true.

The initiation fee is higher than you'd find at most gyms but, you're not paying for a gymbership, you're paying club fees. I think the misconception comes from people wanting to going the club for it's gym, then expecting gym-like prices. But it's a CLUB, everyone there is a member. If it feels exclusive, it's because it is!

The food at the club is good and the prices are easily the cheapest in town. They are even better considering the amount of food you get. Drinks are cheaper, there's wireless internet, pool table, tanning beds, satellite T.V., gym, courts etc etc. It's small but, it's a club. If you go to anywhere where they have the club setup, you'll find that the initiation fees are usually pretty high. This is for income security. Some people join a gym, pay the first month, and never go back. So yes, it's pricey up front but, it runs us under $200 a month to both be members.

Steph and I have looked to improve our health. Steph is a little more successful than I am since I'm a little more . . umm . . ."social" so, we find that the club is really beneficial. Steph likes to go there to study because it's quiet and I've found that I actually like getting excercise.

There are large comparisons between the Racquet Club and Atii Fitness. They each have strenghts and weaknesses. I've been a member at both but, I've found my permanent home with the Racquet Club. I think if you can stomach the initiation fees, you'll find that it's a worth investment.

Go see Rob . . .He'll give you the tour, set you up and always treat you like gold.

Capital Suites

The Hotel industry up here is as competitive as anything you'll experience. There are 5 main places to stay:

- The Hotel Arctic (Formerly the NOVA INN)

- The Frobisher Inn

- The Discovery Lodge

- The Navigator Inn

- The Capital Suites

I've stayed or spent time at all of them. When we first moved up here we had the "privilege" of staying at the Navigator Inn and I used to work inside the building of the now Hotel Arctic. We frequently eat at the Discovery Lodge and I've had friends or company associates stay there while the Frobisher Inn is somewhere we've had friends stay and live and we've both spent time there.

I'd be lying if I said that the quality of all the hotels is close. It's not.




There isn't anywhere else to stay other than at CAPITAL SUITES. It's hands down the best lodging you will find here in Iqaluit. Sure, sure, if you ask the people who work or operate the other hotels, of course theirs is the best but, we've stayed at them all. There's just no comparison.

Think of all the things you want in a hotel room. Then think of those things being dependable, consistent, and at your disposal. That's what Capital Suites offers. A kitchen, Wireless Internet that isn't "down right now". Up to date furniture, a hotel lobby, and no-one ramming their own restaurant down your throat. The desk staff will pretty much help you get dressed in the morning if you ask them, there really isn't a thing they wouldn't do for you. They grasp the idea of real customer service and what it means to make clients happy. They'll even recommend their competitors menu items just so your entire experience is as fulfilling as you need it to be. To the staff there, it's just as important for you in the community here as it is to stay there with them.




Trust me, Capital Suites has to be your first choice. You have giant suites, great sized rooms, and a staff that are trained to be the best. You are at home with Capital Suites . . really.


Now, to be fair, the Hotel Arctic has made a huge improvement in there level of consistency since the company was taken over last June. It's modernized and the staff seem to be more informed and willing to assist. It's still a small work in progress but, in a year, it'll be exciting to see the changes they make.

The Frobisher Inn is still a mess. It's website looks fantastic yes, but, it's a crap shoot. Some weeks they're on and some weeks they're not. It's noisy and there's always a lot going on in there. The bar is really busy every night and the theatre is up there too but, it's a little too chaotic at times for us.

You'll love the food at the Discovery Lodge but, the rooms and the building are in dire need of a facelift. They're clean but, with the few they have, they'd better be.

I don't actually have anything great to say about the Navigator other than the fact that their restaurant serves Chinese Food. Seriously . . that's it.

When we're online booking a trip and checking out things like ratings or TripAdvisor scores, we compare. But I would take someones personal experience over anything else is if seemed details and concise. So, in the spirit of competition I'll still allow you all do to the same. Please look into each and see what floats y'er boat. Any of the accommodations will suffice . . . that is, if you want them to just suffice. I could write a post on each of them and show you the pro's and con's but, when we moved up here we couldn't find anything on these places and guessed. . . and we guessed wrong. If I had've known about Capital Suites when we needed a room, our first few days, maybe even weeks, would've been a lot easier.

Here's our TOP 5:

1. Capital Suites
2. Hotel Arctic
3. Frobisher Inn
4. Discovery Lodge
5. The Navigator Inn (by default)

CAPITAL SUITES - (867) 975 4000

Second Wind

You know what . . . I miss writing.

I miss waking up and reading everyone's blog and reflecting on my own. I applaud Townie, Tara, and the M & M's. They are at it almost everyday. That used to be me.

Annually I get this feeling however, it's difficult to deal with the actual effort of following though. Either way, I'm going to give it a shot.

Even though things seem fairly routine, I am in a position where I really see people for who they are. Iqaluit is simple like that. People seem to just let it all hang out. I think people moving up here deserve to know where is what and how those places are. Hell, maybe even a little bit about who runs them.

I get more traffic on the VENTURES vs NORTHMART post than anything else I've written and when you google ASTRO HILL theatre, our blog comes up. This is a good thing.

More to come.

We're Married!

My My, this blog is dusty.

On January 28th 2012, I married my co-writer, my best friend, and my fellow journey-woman, Stephanie. We moved up here almost 30 months ago and we survived. We're still here and are happier together than ever.

Moving up here is a journey, being up here is an adventure but, living up here was the real story. We grew closer is our tiny apartment and chose to become a family and start a family. This is part of our story up here and I felt it should be included on here.

I'm sorry we don't write or share anymore. Truth is, with all the big changes in our life we've grown a tendency to keep things to ourselves. I still hope this blog is helpful to those planning a trip up here but, I didn't want it to become overly saturated with mindless things or obsessions with wedding plans and baby excitement. There are great blogs everywhere for those topics and especially some great ones from the north.

A part of me hopes that one day, years from now, we'll read these entries with our kids and then can experience a small glimpse of what our lives were like just before we started our family. I want them to read these words and know that everything changed when they came and that we'll always encourage them to have great adventures like we did here in Iqaluit.

We're married!

Dear Stephanie

This morning I woke up and it's our wedding day.

We've been together almost 8 years. We're best friends and I can still remember the first time I really saw you.

I'm going to put my suit on, fix my tie, shine my shoes and take that one deep breath. But before I do all of that I want you to know that although our status will change, nothing else will. We got to this place because of who we are together and how we've grown to appreciate each other. Our strangest virtue is our ability to see each other for exactly who we are and love what that is.

I'll always protect you, cherish you, and find the warmth and comfort in the smallest things you do.

If I could choose again . . .I'd still choose you.

I love you . . . my wife.

Bandwagons.

I bought a Mac . . .


We're watching Mad Men . . .


I'm 2/3 of the way through the Steig Larsson trilogy . . .


The amazing thing is, each are equally amazing. I can't believe I/we put any of these things off for any length of time. The funny thing is, you hear about these things and you always say "I gotta see that . . . I gotta get that . . . I gotta read that" but, then when you finally get around to it you think "why didn't I see . . .get . . or read that before"

Such a Cliche.

I've also reached the obsessive stage with the Mumford & Sons album and we're "eating clean". I can't stop watching "Extreme Couponing" and there's something about "Pawn Stars" that my Dad was right about. MY DAD! I used to FIND these things not hear about them second hand.

Next up . . . Breaking Bad, The Hunger Games, and something about Yoga in a heated room!

Lately . . .

I'm pathetic.

I haven't even managed to "blog" yet this year. Jesus. What's the use?

Truth is, lately it feels like we're just passing the time. The longer we're up here the more we are used to the twists and turns of the city. Our lives are mostly consumed with work and our time off is usually spent taking things relatively easy. We're at that stage now where we have things so simplified that there's nothing really to write about. We're happy, you know?

The first 6 months up here were such an adjustment. The 6 that followed were the months we spent finding our bearings and now, the last 9 have been a breeze. I can't believe I've almost been at my "new job" for a year now. It still feels like yesterday that I started there.

Maybe this is part of the cycle. Perhaps the time you spend up here inevitably leads you to finding a copacetic state of mind where you can tune out the nasty side of the north and make it your own to enjoy. I can only speak for myself but, I think that's the key to success up here.

Finally.

The Billion Dollar Couch Report

This will conclude the posts for this whole ordeal.

Townie Bastard called me cocky so, the Godfather has spoken!

Enjoy the link . . .

http://www.aptn.ca/pages/news/video/?/services/player/&bcpid=90674670001&bclid=76787578001&bctid=679183006001

IKEA FIASCO on A.P.T.N.

I got confirmation this afternoon that the piece about the IKEA couch is running tonight on the 7 O'clock news!

I haven't seen any edits or what the piece looks like but, I've been told it's humour based.

Let me know what you think if/when you see it!

IKEA REPLIES!

So . . . I've been rattling a few cages and barking up some trees. It just so happens that Iqaluit is getting a kick out of this "billion dollar couch"!

At Wings (Wednesday wing night at the Frob), the group in front of us in line were asking each other if "they'd seen this billion dollar couch thing". At the office, a customer asked me if I'D HEARD of it. Then, the traffic on the blog exploded and now A.P.T.N. contacted me to do a story on it. What started off as a joke, has now become somewhat of a conversation piece. Who knew?

Steph did.

This whole thing started off with her saying "Hey Jord, look at this..."

On the weekend I e-mailed IKEA and below is their response. Much to my surprise they just flat out admit it's a mistake.



"Hello Jordan,

Thank you for your response. Please note that the price noted on our website is a mistake. To receive a shipping quote on your items, please contact our Home Shopping department directly at 1-866-866-IKEA (4532).

In the mean time, your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate department to have this rectified.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for choosing IKEA for your home furnishing needs.

Best Regards,
IKEA Canada Customer Service"

You don't say . . .

The piece for APTN is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow night at 7pm if you feel like tuning in. It was filmed in our mansion during my lunch break today and features a guest appearance by a certain famous cat! You can guess which one . . .

To wrap up, if you want to get your "billion dollar" fun in while you can, I'd hurry up. IKEA are Swedish, and they don't mess around. This all comes at a great time seeing as how I'm reading "The Girl Who..." trilogy!

Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Where did this ambition to blog come from?

I may woken mother nature up with my "Snow?" post, which was posted the day before all this snow fell but, I don't care, this is amazing.

It's mild, slightly windy, and a perfect resemblace to a snow globe. What else could you ever ask for from your first snow fall of the year? It's truly magnificient. If there were a few more trees and steeper hills NOT made out of bedrock then, I'd take the week off work just to toboggan. God, I love winter.

This makes all of last weeks headaches go away (see previous posts). Tomorrow I'm going to start putting gifts underneath the tree and searching for Egg Nog. Also, since we have a family up here now, I'm in the midst of planning a glorious holiday event. . . think Griswold's family Christmas . . . but Nothern!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weather and surviving the sheet of ice that covers Iqaluit at the moment. Drive Safe!

Christmas before Remembrance Day?

If I put up my Christmas decorations and tree up before Remembrance Day, does that make me un-patriotic?

Today I was poked, had a finger pointed in my face, and was told "you ought ta be ashamed" because I decorated for Christmas today.

By what standard does it so clearly state that I must wait until November 12th to begin enjoying the holiday season? Is this a "no white shoes after Labour Day" thing or did I miss something? Maybe I'm being naive, I don't know.

Look . .. there I go sounding un-patriotic. The truth is, I'm just as supportive of Remembrance Day as the next person. I had family who fought overseas and were a part of the sacrifice Canadians had to make for the safety of our country and I appropriately honour them by keeping them close to my heart on Remembrance Day. I also stand proudly beside others who may have similar circumstances and take comfort in keeping company with those who understand. That is how I've chosen to celebrate/commemorate that day and I can do so with or without a Christmas tree but I've chosen to do so with.

I'll tell you what I don't do. I don't take the paid holiday, sit around getting as drunk as I can at the Legion, lose my poppy getting cut off and thrown out at 2pm, pretend to be patriotic for an afternoon then forget about Canadian heritage for the other 364 days of the year. Give me a break.

It's prejudice to think that because I'm hanging a stocking in November, I'm not patriotic. Because who I am and the way I remember and honour those before me isn't up for debate, it's a choice I make. No one can tell me how I'm supposed to honour the dead and they most certainly can't tell me when my holiday spirit kicks in. Individuality is based on the idea that we're allowed to make personal, moral, and ethical choices without prejudice. If it's respect that's the issue here, then maybe we should respect what the soldiers were fighting for at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The bravely foung and died so we could find peace, understanding and . . . wait for it . . . tolerance.

If this blog were about the double standards that go on up here, it'd be a never ending catalogue of examples that would inevitably end with comment wars that undermine the value of the content and the place on which we're discussing... like YouTube. But this isn't about race or equality, this is about being human, being an individual, and being a proud Canadian; sorry, but I won't stand for this. Most of all, I love Iqaluit and this whole ordeal takes away from that.

I was raised Anglican Catholic, born in Canada, and as soon as I see snow I think of Christmas. It's no disrespect to anyone or any part of Remembrance Day, and if anyone has a problem with the tree in my window . . . look away, turn away, or keep it to yourself. Because as I wrapped up the rude intrusion on my personal space, I apologised for offending this middle aged man. I offered to shake his hand as I apologised for my unintentional actions. He pulled his hand immediately away and left with a bold statement: "...you white people think you know everything ..."

This town does it to itself sometimes . . .

Sorry everyone. Please have a Happy Remembrance Day in any manner you wish. Because at the end of the day, we're all Canadian.

Je Me Souviens.

My First Bonspiel

Curling is my new obsession.

Steph and I curled all last year and really enjoyed ourselves. We met new friends, developed better relationships with co-workers and really had a great time trying out something new. When mass registration came around this year, I knew I was only signing up for one thing and one thing only: Curling.

A Bonspiel is an open Curling tournament. Iqaluit has a loyal and dedicated group of people who run the Curling Club. They work year round to develop the game and earn the attention Iqaluit curlers deserve. Their passion is evident and gets well demonstrated with every step the club makes. The Tournaments are well organized, the league is perfectly set up, the help they offer and provide is outstanding and no matter where you see them, they are always sporting their club jackets. It's honourable.

We missed last years bonspiel because of work last year, which I regret more now after being to one. This year, with our team full of our Iqaluit family members (Ty, Lacie, Karen and I) we enjoyed the camaraderie, the game play, and the events of this years first bonspiel. Sure, we may have been brutally beaten in each of our 3 outings but, it was such a good time.

Ty, who is from Texas, not only is skipping the matches now, he won the door prize of 75kg of freight from First Air. Which is more like finding GOLD here in the north. Team Grenke will return stronger and better next year, you can count on that.

Last year I wrote that getting involved with local activities is crucial. I have to reiterate that. I've noticed that the acquaintances I made last year are turning into friendships this year. I have a front row seat to watch Ty, Lacie, Brian and Karen make their new acquaintances which I now know will turn into great things socially. You can't survive up here living like a hermit. Between the isolation and the often brutal weather, it's hard to find outlets for energy or social needs. Getting involved in new things like curling, darts, badminton, euchre, anything, it opens up the opportunity to make your time up here last and makes it even more worthwhile.

Here are some pics from the BONSPIEL:

The Ultimate Shipping Rate.

Who in Iqaluit has mouthed the words "that would cost like a MILLION dollars to ship here"?

Well . . . if you'd like something from IKEA shipped to you in Iqaluit they will actually charge you a BILLION dollars. I'm dead serious. I was in the neighbourhood for buying a leather sofa...I couldn't believe my screen . . .











It seems though, that their delivery would be somewhat timely . . . "billion dollars" timely though? I mean, for the love of god, the GST is 50 Million alone!

Try it for yourself. Especially enjoy the hilarity you experience when you go to order just a desk lamp, or just a power bar!

Amazing.

Snow?

This time last year we couldn't believe how cold it was and we marvelled at how much snow Iqaluit had in October. This year, there isn't even a hint that there even is a winter this year.

I took a dive through some old pictures and payed close attention to when they were taken/posted and there were tonnes of snowy-white pictures. To be honest, and I know this sounds crazy but, I miss the snow. Hell, I even miss the COLD. This city looks incredible under a blanket of ghost and it seems to almost feel warmer. . . yes, warmer.

I think the biggest let down is that our friend from Texas (Ty) has never experienced winter in Canada, let alone an Iqaluit winter. So, I'm anxious to see his reaction and what he thinks if the snow should ever arrive. We've been teased a few times but without any lasting snow. A friend of mine who has lived here his whole life made a comment to me over the weekend, he said "I think this is the first Hallowe'en in Iqaluit without snow."

If you don't buy into the whole "global warming" idea, I'm living through the proof.

Machete don't text

nope.

. . and so it begins. . .

It went from clear skies to a small blizzard in 45 minutes . . .

We didn't really celebrate a "One Year Anniversary" in Iqaluit. I didn't blog about it and it sort of slipped by us. Time seems to fly up here and there's no shortage of people who will confirm that. This month we officially joined the very popular club of "I was only gonna stay a year but here I am (insert lengthy time here) later!" Iqaluit grows on ya'!

What really drove the "anniversary stake" through me today was the weather. It's coming up to our second winter here and I think by Iqaluit standards that qualifies us as people who can say they've been here "a year". I'm proud of us.

I can remember thinking how we may not last up here during the first few months,and I especially remember how hard the homesickness hit during the holidays. I've always said that it takes a certain kind of tolerance and personality to really last up here and I still stand by it. But now, when you've met the challenges head on and you're still happy, excited, and strong, I think that's when you know you can last up here. It's an overwhelming experience, it really is but, you'll always be better for having taken the journey.

A year later, we'd still do it all over again.

DUMP FIRE

I love the smell of methane gas in the morning.

I decided to remember this because it's the strangest fire experience we've had to date.

Last week, some genius teenager decided it'd be a great idea to start a gas fire at the dump. Lucky for us it was the night all the wind decided to pick up. At first, you could smell that old warming scent of fire wood but now, it feels like you're inhaling the fumes off an over-heated engine. Oddly enough, from what I understand, we are inhaling parts, liquids, and burning fluids from old tires, engines, waste, and oils from cars.

Personally, I find this both ironic and coincidental since all last week on the local morning A.M. radio show they had pushed this story/report from some environmentalist who had just been to a dump out in Baker Lake. His very dramatic radio clip was funny to hear over and over all week, and then again translated to Inuktitut but, now it all makes sense.

After two days of burning wood, we are left with a god awful scent of burning plastic, methane gas, and just plain pollution. Maybe this guy was right. Maybe the dump situation up here is out of hand and this is some crazy way of realizing it. Who knows?

Either way, the whole situation . . . .wait for it . . . "Stinks!".

Yes, I did.