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  • Day 118

    New Years in Igloolik

    January 6, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    New Years was to be celebrated in Igloolik just like any other town...fireworks at midnight down by the beach followed by a parade and dancing at the community hall. Except in Igloolik, the beach is frozen and the parade includes drawing out the year 2018 on the ice with Skidoos.

    The whole town turned out. I've never seen so many folks gathered. The chilly temps of -36C (windchill -49C) didn't seem to keep anyone away. New Years is exciting! I didn't arrive early enough to see the setting up of the fireworks and to be able to poke my nose around. This has worked for me in the past actually. I got the opportunity to help out with a pyrotechnic show at WSU by simply loitering at the fence and looking interested. Next thing I know, I'm helping load 8" shells and check the detonator boards. Being that close to exploding shells turned out to be a lot scarier than I anticipated, but it was definitely exhilarating. So, I wanted to check out Igloolik's set up too! Alas, I arrived just as they started going off. They were great. We were all lined up no more than 50-100m from them going off so it was like a backyard, front-row show!

    Right after, skidoos began racing out on the ice and lining up in what seemed like a hundred snowmobiles. They were facing the town so all we saw were a line of bright white headlights out on the bay. Then, somehow, a leader began to draw out the giant 2-0-1-8 with his skidoo and everyone followed. It was really neat. After finishing the 8, they raced, single-file, in a line back to town. There they joined the dozen or so vehicles and firetruck driving around town, sirens and lights blazing with everyone yelling "Happy New Year!" Pickup trucks were full up of people in the beds hollering Happy New Year. It was all quite infectious and exciting. However, I noticed that basically the whole town was IN the parade so there weren't too many people to wave and yell to. lol.

    Whole families were on the skidoos. Kiddos in the back of the trucks. I can't imagine how you'd keep your kid out of all the excitement on a night like that. But, damn cold! There was no damn way I'd be out there drawing 2018 on the back of a skidoo. YiKeS!

    I also had a business idea----next year, I need to get there early, and set up a hot chocolate and apple cider table! I'd make bank!! And, it would only take about an hour of my actual time to do it. Awesome!! Folks come in and sell soft drinks at the community hall for $3 a can.....folks will pay!!

    Happy New Year!
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