shirleyupnorth

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake

The permafrost means that the houses are built up off the ground. Some of the houses or buildings are skirted in.

Here is a view of houses on the hill in Iqaluit

The courthouse in Iqaluit has some of the underside covered and some open:

The pipes underneath the houses are insulated. Some of the houses have their water delivered and there is a light on the outside of the house. If it is red that means that the water tank is full.

Some of the houses in Baker Lake have a ladder under the windows for a fire escape:

In front of this house you can see a main mode of transportation: the ATV and there are lots of ski-doos sitting in yards as well. In Rankin Inlet I saw a family with their groceries on one but they were too fast for me to 'catch' them with a photo:

So I have this blurry photo of two people on an ATV.

The art here is really lovely and will show you some on my next blog.

Iqaluit September 9-10

This is the Legislative Building in Iqaluit and the building to the right houses the Crown's office (one of them). I worked on files Thursday and Friday for Iqaluit and for Baker Lake.

We flew to Rankin Inlet. Kadla (the witness co-ordinator) called the RCMP and they came and gave us a small tour. Here is the Inukshuk at Rankin Inlet.

When we returned to the airport, Michael Jones, the prosecutor from Ottawa had arrived. Then we caught the plane to Baker Lake. Someone from the Lodge where we are staying came and picked us up. It is very nice. They added onto the Lodge and the Court is held in the Lodge but does not start until Tuesday. It was very dark and cloudy so did not see the Northern Lights.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

September 8, 2010

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

shirleyupnorth

September 8, 2010
Arrived in Iqaluit from Ottawa about 12:30pm. Had no idea that someone was there to meet me.
Box with files very crushed. Took a cab to Capital Suites (Hotel). Upgraded to a suite.

Vincent did call me and came and picked me up and took me to the office.
They have two offices here but I am in the one near the Legislative Building.
Judy Ricketts, my contact for the Iqaluit files, came over and we went over some paperwork.
Then she took me on a tour before we went to the other office. We drove around town and saw the courthouse, the hospital, the Lego houses (coloured like the toys), quite a few schools and then drove to the original settlement of Apex. Houses are built on stilts because of the permafrost.
There is a ship outside the harbour that is carrying supplies people have ordered and when the tide is high a barge will bring in the supplies in 'sea cans' (that look like railroad cars) on a barge. Tonight we saw large forklifts ready to unload the barge. Later we saw them moving the sea cans into a gated storage area but it was too dark for a photo.
Jessica Lott Thompson is a prosecutor who lives here with her family (husband, daughter Nora and son Wynn) and we will be doing court together in Iqaluit the week following my stint in Baker Lake. We went over some of the files. Then she invited me to her place for supper that her husband, Trevor, cooked. It was great. They get groceries from an organic store every two weeks as well as the sea lift with the sea cans (not sure how often, probably when you have a lot you need/want). Then Trevor and I played Chutes (used to be called Snakes) and Ladders with Nora. Nora won!!!! She is five and is in French school.
Sorry no photos today but will make up for it tomorrow.
We went to the grocery store and for $44 I bought a quart of milk, a chunk of cheese, some crackers, blueberries and muesli as well as some ice cream for Jessica. Yow!!!!!
It is quite mild here but not as hot as it was yesterday in Ottawa.
I was up at 4am my time and it is time to 'hit the hay'.
A pretty good day and I actually looked at a few more files.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Iqaluit and Baker Lake, September 2010

I am going to Iqaluit and Baker Lake September 2010 to prosecute.

This is my first attempt to create a blog.

In order to go to Iqaluit, one flies to Ottawa and then takes a flight to Iqaluit.

This photo is of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa taken on an earlier trip.