Kugluktuk NU May 9th – 12th 2012.
Sorry Kugluktuk. You are about to get the short end of the
stick through no fault of your own.
If you read my Yellowknife posting just skip the next 3
paragraphs.
On the first attempt to get to Kugluktuk, I got on our turbo
prop that was to visit all the Nunavut Western Kitikmeot regions communities,
with Kugluktuk being first. Oops, the ceiling is too low. As I understand it,
the planes are given a minimum height, say 400 feet. If they are coming in and
reach 400 feet and cant visually see the runway, they will abort the landing. It’s
a safety thing and understandable. So off we fly to the next stop, Cambridge
Bay, with thoughts of now seeing the airports of every darn community in the
West and then back to Yellowknife. Ugg.
They radio our predicament ahead and they hold the jet that’s
in Cambridge Bay for us so we can make a second attempt. Ahh, the jet. That’s better.
Sadly the ceiling hasn’t changed and the jet can’t land either, so back to
Yellowknife. Can’t say I’m too sad, lol.
The next morning, May 9th 2012, we made our
second attempt, this time with the jet, Ahh, the jet, and we manage to get in.
I was there to replace a system whose voicemail had dies a
few weeks before (yes I said WEEKS). After a quick call from the airport I was
met by a local technician who picked me up and took me to the “Coppermine Inn”
to drop off my stuff.
I was told by someone that the “Coppermine” was one of the
nicest places in Nunavut. Sorry but the “Dorset suites” kicks its ass. The lady
at the desk gave me my key and said she “saved me a plate” from lunch. She then
took me to show me my room and that plate that in fact even made me full later
that evening. On the way she pointed out the “men’s room” and the fact there
was a second one close to my room as well. Oh crap, memories of Pang all over
again. A room, with 2 beds, a TV and a desk (bigger than Pangs rooms) but NO
WASHROOM in it. You can tell me a place is great, but I’m not 20 years old and
like a private washroom to shower in. I likely did when I was 20 as well. It’s
like the YMCA or something. Any way the hotel only had 2 other people in it
while I was there so it wasn’t super inconvenient but still affects my ability
to say this place was great.
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| Coppermine lobby. |
I went right to work and that’s why I was apologizing to the
community. I did have a four week drive vehicle which still managed to get
stuck in the slushy spring snow on the road, so that was nice (not the slushy
part) . Other than visit the store a few times for food and drinks, and a quick
tour of a few local establishments to take work related pictures, I never saw
any of this place. It was pretty much work, work as we had a larger community
to install next and I wanted this place as close to 100% as possible.
On my last night I was invited to the home of the technician
I met to have pizza for diner. He’s a great guy. A pleasure to work with, and
even had a few Nunastories to make me laugh. Like I’ve said before the rooms
and people are what make a community experience either good or bad.
Perhaps next time, I will have a chance to look around and
take a few pictures.
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| Yield and then slap your dog? |
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| Santa vigilantly guards this garbage can. |
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