All
day, the wind howled and the snow blew. Outside, the wind and cold
could give you frostbite in mere minutes. Inside at Aziz's though, life
was good. The combination of kids and puppies proved irresistible
for most of us, and Aziz's grandkids, Gabrielle (4) and Cheyenne (3,
today) kept us entertained with games of hide-and-go-seek, tag,
coloring in - even a tea party (yep, that was with Clive!). When we got
tired out, there was homework, movies to watch, papers to read, and
discussions to have. Most of us ventured outside for short periods,
taking the opportunity to walk on the Northwest Passage, that
controversial piece of water that may really open Resolute up to a lot
more traffic in the future. A stop at the co-op, the general
store, was a real eye-opener. We gasped at the $18 for a 6 pack of
toilet paper, $28.99 (on special) for a case of pop, and $10.50 for a
box of cereal. The locals tell us that shipping is $10/kilo for
non-food items, $5 for food, which explains the high prices.
I remain amazed at the people who live here. The high price of living
and incredible hostility of the weather makes me wonder about the
lifestyle. And yet every one of the people I have met here has been
overwhelmingly friendly, positive and proud of their town. It is
obvious that there is a very strong sense of community. A
birthday party for Cheyenne brought more kids into the inn after dinner
than I have seen for a long time living in Toronto. None of them were
shy about coming and talking with us, and before we knew it, we were
again being caught in games of tag and arm-wrestling.
This morning (Friday, 22nd), the wind has finally eased, the school has
reopened and the planes have started flying. As much as I am relieved
that we should finally make it to Eureka, I, for one, am going to miss
the South Camp Inn in Resolute, and the wonderful friendly people that
I have met here.