Into the Wild

Angus, who I've mentioned in a few previous blog posts, has truly been one of the most friendly and welcoming people I've met in Fort Good Hope! He is constantly phoning Anouk and myself to see how we're doing. He's always suggesting get togethers or little trips. He took me on my first skidoo ride, he took me and Anouk on a boat ride to Fossil Lake the other day. He is someone I'll always remember fondly from my time here. Anyway, this week he is Winnipeg for a special convention planned and put on by the "Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada" - an organization created for survivors of Canada's Residential Schools. Being up in the North, pretty much everyone I meet over a certain age is a survivor. The whole history and implications of Residential Schools is too much to get into in this simple blog post. Yet, the thing I am excited about is...before Angus left Fort Good Hope for the convention, I gave him my parents phone number so, if he had time, he could contact them when he was in Winnipeg. Well, he did!! And he and my parents are getting together for dinner tomorrow night!! I just think it's so awesome that my friend from up here is actually gonna meet my family down south.

One thing I realized I haven't posted about yet is the Fort Good Hope radio station! It's just a one room operation and it only broadcasts to the community, but it's one of those quirky things that, before I came here, I pictured as kind of a Northern cliche...well, it's a Northern cliche that's completely true! And I've even been on the air promoting some community events. :) CBQE all the way!!

I find it so ironic that up here in the high North of Canada the weather is hotter, sunnier and all around better than down south in Winnipeg and Edmonton. It has been hot, hot, HOT here. +25 in the shade and climbing!
Last night I got to experience my first NWT boat ride. Angus (our lovely Fort Good Hope friend and unofficial ambassador) took myself, Anouk, Ida and Gretal (Ida's dog) on an awesome boat ride from the Mackenzie River, down Fossil Creek to Fossil Lake. We hiked up to a waterfall near Fossil Lake, and then tried our hand at some fishing. It was such a fun time, complete with eagle, beaver and muskrat sightings! The only down side was the mosquitoes. All the stories are true, they are getting torturous, and will probably soon make any outdoor activity less than enjoyable...even with bug spray! We were undeterred though. :) Here's some pics of the trip. Oh, and this is what "night time" looks like now in Fort Good Hope. The sun sets about 2am!

Up here I am constantly struck by how much I have taken for granted in my life. Yesterday was Grade 12 graduation day in Fort Good Hope. What an exciting time for the whole town! 9 students graduated which was the biggest graduating class from the school to date.
In the community and family I grew up in, it was just assumed that my sister and I would go to school until grade 12 and then graduate and move onto to bigger and better things - university, career, etc. If you dropped out of school or didn't make it to grade 12 grad you were the exception. Here, for many different reasons, it is the opposite. It is the exception to graduate, and families don't naturally assume that their young people will pass all the way through to grade 12. And if they do, it is a VERY big deal.
Many in the town came out for the ceremony and feast. The school gym was decorated in a beautiful Hollywood theme. And the graduates all looked so wonderful! Even though I haven't been here that long and I don't know the grads that well, I was so proud to be a part of such a big milestone in their lives. Congrats to the grads of '10!!!

Who knew that a tiny town way up in the North of Canada had such artistic talent! What a great time last night at the Fort Good Hope Ice-Breaker Variety Show!! The house was full, the acts were on, and everyone seemed to have a really good time. In addition to dancing and acting in the Show, I ended up emceeing the event which, unfortunately, means I was not able to get a lot of pictures. Here are a few though, of some of the talented artists up here in Fort Good Hope: