I explored one of the most isolated communities on Earth

On any given day you could pluck a thousand random Canadians off the street and not find a soul who’s ever been within 500km of Cambridge Bay.

Waiting for a coffee in a café on Beatty Street in downtown Vancouver, I started a conversation with the burly uniformed policeman beside me. I said I’d just returned from a trip to Nunavut, high in the Canadian Arctic, including a visit to the isolated 2000-strong Inuit community at Cambridge Bay.

“Cambridge Bay?” he said. “That’s a coincidence. I was stationed there last year for three months.”

A coincidence? It sure was. On any given day you could pluck a thousand random Canadians off the street and not find a soul who’s ever been within 500km of Cambridge Bay.

“When were you there?” I asked. “January to March,” he said with a smile. He’d lived through a Cambridge Bay winter. “It got to -52C.”

“Wow,” I said, aghast. “Sea ice?” The barista handed him his coffee. “The whole ocean was ice,” he said. “Would you ever go back?” I asked. “Sure I would,” he winked. “In summer.”

At the tail end of a Nunavut summer, I visited Cambridge Bay. Picture: Oscar Farrera.

Two weeks earlier, at the tail end of a Nunavut summer, I thought I was doing it tough, bobbing about in a Zodiac going into Cambridge Bay from our expedition ship, Hurtigruten’s gleaming new hybrid-powered, Polar Class 6 icebreaker, MS Fridtjof Nansen.

Ploughing our way through choppy waters, me in my waterproof pants that the conditions subtly told me were not, in fact, waterproof, we landed, were welcomed by village elders, and were soon enjoying canapés at the Cambridge Bay community centre.

We were soon enjoying canapés at the Cambridge Bay community centre. Picture: Barry Stone.

That’s right. Canapés. These ones:

Mini muskox burgers: A meat that chefs prefer to beef due to its abundance of protein, iron and vitamin B, muskox (translation: “long bearded one”) is much leaner than pork or beef, and the high moisture content in it gives it exceptional tenderness and flavour.

Arctic char sushi: Considered one of the world’s purest fish, Arctic char spawn in fresh water over gravel beds inland around Cambridge Bay in the fall. Char has fewer calories and less fat than its cousin the Atlantic salmon – and tastes great on a cracker.

A side of narwhal: Eating whale isn’t for everyone, but muktuk is an Inuit favourite. It can be diced, breaded, deep-fried – and if the taste still bothers you, do what I did and dip it in soy sauce. Muktuk is usually made from the skin of narwhals, belugas or bowhead whales.

I bought a chain-link coin purse from Elijah, a young jeweller who specialises in metal work. Picture: Barry Stone.

The community also showed us locally made arts and crafts including jewellery, bone carvings, gloves and boots made from seal fur in patterns that reflect the Inuit passion for colour, happiness and, above all, warmth. I bought a chain-link coin purse from Elijah, a young jeweller who specialises in metal work. This tactile, beautifully weighted piece of art fit snugly in my palm, took Elijah two days to finish, and cost a reasonable $C60.

Cambridge Bay sits on the southernmost shoreline of Victoria Island, which straddles the border of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Its indented coastline has jutting peninsulas and deep inlets and resembles a stylised maple leaf, the symbol of Canada.

Victoria Island is more than snow, ice and permafrost. Nearly 300 species of vascular plants have been identified here and its waters are rich in sea life including humpback, grey and minke whales, orcas, dolphins and seals. There’s a wealth of natural beauty, forever in harmony with its Inuit stewards who, in 5000 years of hunting, have never depleted a species. A way of life with lessons for us all.

I did the Northwest Passage cruise with Hurtigruten Expeditions. Picture: Supplied.

How to cruise the Norhtwest Passage

I did the Northwest Passage cruise with Hurtigruten Expeditions; it has sailed Arctic and Norwegian waters since 1893.

How to get to Vancouver from Australia

Air Canada flies daily to Vancouver and on to all Canadian provinces.

Bring a pair of high-powered binoculars. Polar bears are often seen at a distance.

What to pack for a Norhtwest Passage cruise 

Pack warm clothes. Even in August and September, the high rarely climbs above 4C. 

Don’t forget to bring a pair of high-powered binoculars. Polar bears and muskox are often seen at a distance.

The writer was a guest of Hurtigruten Expeditions and Air Canada.

Originally published as I explored one of the most isolated communities on Earth