Well, this is it.
Never in my time here did I expect I would be the last editor of Inuvik Drum. But, unfortunately, the paper was not selling enough advertising to justify the costs of keeping me here.
To say I'm saddened by this would be a gross understatement. I have enjoyed my time here thoroughly, both through the fun festivals, making friends and the crazy adventures that just come out of being in the North. This is a place not just rich in news but in people.
Inuvik is a very special place with a uniquely wonderful culture. This is a town where volunteering is alive and well SA国际影视传媒� something nearly extinct across the rest of Canada and the world, and it's a town that celebrates its volunteers too. People will help total strangers in need on the side of the road and plow unofficial ice roads to their neighbour's cabins. In most of the world these days, people just drive on by.
There is so much I'm going to miss about this place. I'm pretty sure I haven't even rationalized it all yet.
I'm going to miss Lilian Elias's moments of pure joy, randomly running into Winston Moses almost anywhere and shaking his hand, and the many, many anecdotes of Ruth Wright and Gerry Kisoun.
I'm going to miss the look of triumph on a young athlete's face when they make a one-foot high kick. I'll miss how many people in town simply referred to me as "Mr. Newspaper man." And, of course, I'll miss dodging flying bodies during the ongoing performances of Totally Arctic Wrestling.
So much of Inuvik's story is yet to be told. Both the Gwich'in Tribal Council and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation are pushing ahead with major housing projects, which will hopefully give people more opportunities to live comfortable and healthy lives. Ottawa is scrambling to make up for nearly a half century of neglecting development of the North as the Arctic Ocean opens up and North America's major competitors exploit the consequences of our democratic choices.
The fight to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, barely finished, is undoubtedly going to have to be fought again SA国际影视传媒� and probably again and again.
The cost of living will continue to be a worsening issue here in the Beaufort Delta for some time to come as well. Even if there's a push to accelerate the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the road is still years away and it will leave Inuvik with two extremely expensive, high-maintenance roadways.
Since we've melted many of the glaciers that feed our continental waterways, barges are likely not going to be as effective as they once were. Also, that dwindling glacier water is used to grow some of the food that gets trucked up here. A few crop failures could lead to a massive spike in food prices and put Inuvik in a similar situation to Norman Wells. And those are just problems we can potentially foresee SA国际影视传媒� what else climate change has in store for the North is anyone's guess.
How all this news gets reported accurately to the people who need it is going to be a challenge in the future. Inuvik certainly loves its rumours and they can spread fast, but rarely do rumours actually have any legitimacy. My favourite rumour was when word was circulating that I had died somehow. I squashed that one.
And that's what I will truly miss about Inuvik. How alive and vibrant this community is with stories, hope and wonder. This is a place where people actually communicate.
I am honoured to have been able to spend the last five years of my life here. Until we meet again Inuvik SA国际影视传媒� Aarigaa!
