Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/1499370
smaller, some home to just a few hundred residents. No roads link the tiny settle- ments, nor are there roads connecting Nunavut to the rest of Canada. In the remote hamlets, life is often still lived according to age-old timetables and traditions. Though snowmobiles, boats and guns have largely replaced dogsleds, kayaks and harpoons, many Inuit continue to hunt and fish to support their extended families. Once nomadic, they love to go out "on the land," camping throughout summer, collecting bird eggs and picking berries. Women wear homemade amauti jackets that keep their babies tucked against their backs. Drum dancing, throat singing, carving, storytelling and sewing traditional clothes are still practiced throughout Nunavut and locals are happy to share the experiences. OUT ON THE LAND While the communities are cultural outposts, most visitors also want to experience the mystical Arctic wilderness with its dramatic scenery and wealth of wildlife. Always choose licenced and insured operators whether they are locals situated in most hamlets or southern-based outfitters that also offer a variety of adventures from canoeing and hiking to dogsledding and cultural visits with specific dates using some locals as guides. Reservations are required with both types of operators as most trips are booked well in advance. An increasingly popular way to explore Canada's Arctic is via cruise ships that hopscotch along the coast, stopping at several communities where locals welcome guests with performances, feasts and handmade artwork and souvenirs. Often, Inuit elders, artists and cultural experts will travel on-board to enhance the experience. EXTREME TERRITORY Temperatures range from +30°C (86°F) in summer to -50°C (-58°F) in winter when much of the territory lies in almost 24-hour darkness as skies shimmer with the magical colours of the aurora borealis. So most visitors come during the short summers, when pleasantly cool days are lit around the clock by the midnight sun and the tundra comes to life with wildflowers and wildlife and the waters teem with whales, walrus and seals. WHAT'S NEW? Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conser- vation Area, an area rich in biodiversity, was established north of Baffin Island. At approx- imately 108,000 square kilometres (41,699 sq. mi.), this breathtaking Arctic landscape, where narwhals and thousands of seabirds reside, is rich with majestic fjords and glaciers (www.pc.gc.ca/en/amnc-nmca/ cnamnc-cnnmca/tallurutiup-imanga). The Agguttinni Territorial Park is being established north of Clyde River and will be the largest park in Nunavut. It offers amazing flora and stunning landscapes of mountains fjords, ice caps and coastal sites. The area includes significant Inuit cultural sites, important bird areas and essential habitat for polar bears and caribou. The seven-day Nunavut International Film Festival is now in its third year. Focusing on prominent works by filmmakers from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Greenland, screenings at the Astro Hill movie theatre are free. Workshops are also held at the theatre. NU 109 DANCERS • NU TOURISM/TESSA MACINTOSH