Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Aug 29/05) - In a declaration of the obvious, Environment Canada has confirmed what Nunavummiut already knew: there is extreme weather in Canada's newest territory.

Nunavut has been declared the extreme weather capital of Canada in a recent Environment Canada study. That is no surprise to the people of Iglulik. This home was torn to shreds during a storm last September.

There were 70 categories in the study, and the winner was declared the gold medal champion in each. Nunavut's tally was 22 gold medals, four silver and two bronze medals.

Josh Hunter, the SAO in Resolute, home to some of the toughest weather in the territory, wasn't surprised.

"That's pretty common for Resolute. People up here are willing to adapt and live through it. There is some pride in that," said Hunter.

Akumalie Tikivik, 21, of Kimmirut saw some positive aspects to being the winner.

"At least Nunavut is getting noticed, it's different here than in the rest of Canada," said Tikivik.

In Pond Inlet, Nasivvik principal David Parks has closed the doors of his school many times when Nunavut was showing its gold medal form.

"We assess the weather in the mornings, and if it changes while we are at school, we get the cancellation on the local radio," said Parks, who has lived in Pond Inlet since 1979.

The school is usually closed due to weather from one to five times year, but Parks remembers a five-year stretch in the 1980s where the Pond Inlet students didn't receive a single snow day.

Kerry Horn, who has lived in Kugluktuk since 1976, says the results of the study are more than welcome news.

"It will help us keep our secret up here. When I go south I see over-crowding and pollution. Don't tell anyone how great it is up here, we don't want everyone moving North," said Horn.

Nunavut also claimed the title of the toughest weather in Canada.

The title was determined through a point system. Finishing in the top seven in one of the 26 extreme weather categories won points, and Nunavut finished first with 99 points. Quebec squeaked into silver with 85 points and Newfoundland and Labrador grabbed bronze with 82.

Nunavut wasn't just a winner in extreme weather categories. The most comfortable weather in Canada was also determined with a similar point system.

Nunavut was declared to have more comfortable weather than Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec.

Iqaluit was left out of the toughest weather city competition because of its small population, but it didn't go unnoticed.

"There is no question that if Iqaluit had been included, it would have captured top honours in most cold-weather categories," states Environment Canada on its website.

fact:

Nunavut placed first in Canada in the following weather categories. All stats are based on yearly averages over 30 years: