Arctic

2023, I hardly knew you

/ Jane George / Leave a comment

Here’s to the passing of 2023, which for me was a year full of work and other challenges.

Let’s go back 25 years to New Year’s Eve when an avalanche toppled down the hill in Kangiqsualujjuaq in Nunavik into a school where everyone was celebrating: the disaster that killed nine and traumatized many more would occupy my thoughts for months and still brings heartbreak to recall.

You can read about the avalanche here on this blog and more again here.

The avalanche took place during the period when I was spending nearly all my time in the North, unlike this past year which saw me working for CBC Quebec, using my northern journalistic experience in the South (which actually went well.)

In 2023, I did go to Iqaluit in May and early June, but not for work, just mainly to see friends and the bench I bought for Jim Bell, my dear friend and former editor of Nunatsiaq News who died in 2021. Now he always has access to the view he loved through those that take a break on the bench in Rotary Park in Apex.

I went to Iqaluit at the most beautiful time of year, which helped make up for all the days I wasn’t there. I’ll leave you with this image as 2024 starts to take off, hopefully as a good one for all!

Siku girl takes a quick photo look-back to 2021

/ Jane George / Leave a comment

2021 is already three and a half months in the past but it’s taken me that long to process the year: personally, the past year brought big changes, the departure from my long-time job at Nunatsiaq News to a new role during the fall at CBC North. Not to overlook the August death of friend and former boss Jim Bell to cancer.

That being said I want to share some photos which capture some important landmarks.

First let’s talk a bit about Iqaluit’s water crisis, which isn’t over yet.

On Oct. 12 I looked out my window at CBC North’s office in Iqaluit and photographed people going in and out of the Arctic Ventures store to get water. A few minutes before we had received a city order not to consume any water from the tap. I took the photos at the top because somewhere in my head I was thinking the water situation could develop into a crisis, like any aircraft which makes an unannounced landing in Iqaluit. Soon we were getting water deliveries in bulk and bottles or from the river.

Within 10 days of the start of the water crisis, I started to develop a severe, now chronic, allergic response to over-chlorination (probably) that continues today and leaves me on heavy antihistamines and possible more treatment to come. I am sure others in Iqaluit have similarly suffered, as complaints about rashes surface on social media. I’ll look forward to learning more about the health impacts of the water on people like me.

Meanwhile there were meetings and a federal election to get through during the fall of 2021, along with cooler weather and shorter days.

So far I have been obliged to spend 2022 out of the North while I try to heal from the water’s impact and elude COVID.

Keep you posted on my next steps.