A winter solstice greeting from Inuvik

It’s a misconception that here, above the Arctic Circle, we’re plunged into 24-hour darkness for two months. Actually, we have three to four hours of twilight as the sun rises but never breaches the horizon. If it’s a clear day, the horizon is tinged with hues of gold and red while the blue sky is reflected on the snow, producing a lovely blue twilight.
Yesterday at about 1pm, the sun was glowing just below the horizon in the southwest, while in the north east a huge moon was rising. I tried taking some pictures, but the brittle cold makes it a challenge to spend a long time setting up the shot!

Inuvik at 2 p.m. (c) Sue Herbert/WWF-Canada
This sun chart shows the sun peaking above the horizon on January 6 for a total of 16 minutes and 25 seconds. On the nearest Saturday, the community celebrates the sunrise with a big party, complete with bonfires and fireworks.
It has been a busy couple of weeks, meeting people from different government departments. Among the federal staffers here, I’ve met with Fisheries and Oceans, INAC and the RCMP, whose staff sergeant is shortly being deployed to Afghanistan to lead the training of police officers in Kabul. I’ve met with territorial department staffers, the Aurora Research Institute, and, of course, Nellie Cournoyea, Chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.
Five of the six communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region – Aklavik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhatok – are on the Beaufort Sea. The IRC was given the overall responsibility of managing the affairs of the Settlement area that was established through the 1984 Western Arctic (Inuvialuit) Claims Settlement Act. A very important governing body indeed.
My time has been spent gaining an understanding of different perspectives of how to manage the Beaufort Sea and seeking advice on how we can assist. I’m benefiting from lots of input and plenty of strong opinions, a trait characteristic of northerners everywhere.
Oh! I should also point out I finally met Inuvik Phil, a purely unofficial introduction at the Christmas Community Feast. Phil works for the CBC and I have closely monitored his website since before my husband and I came up as tourists last summer. His sensible advice has helped many newbies.
We will undertake more reaching out in the New Year but, in the meantime, I want to thank everyone here for their kind help, and extend season’s greetings to all here and at WWF.