INUVIK - If you ever wondered what it would be like to stand on Russia, drive to the airport and find out.

A large map of the circumpolar world was put down on the floor of the airport earlier this month by Alana Mero and a crew of volunteers.

Alana Mero and Mary Storr look down at the Mackenzie Delta on a large map in the airport. The circumpolar map is a decal that was applied to the floor two weeks ago to promote International Polar Year. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Mero is the International Polar Year co-ordinator for the NWT.

According to Mero, the map was first in the Yellowknife airport.

"Peter Clarkson was the one to ask why we didn't have one here," said Mero.

The maps are provided by Natural Resources Canada.

Once the map was ordered, she said it had to be sent away to be prepared for its final home on the floor at the airport.

"Once it was sent away for laminating, we had to wait some time before we got it back," said Mero.

"It's basically three big stickers."

She added that the maps are rare.

"Natural Resources didn't make too many of them, we're lucky to get one," she said.

The large circular map contains all of the countries located North of 60.

"It's safe to walk on," said Mero.

She was with co-worker William Hurst two weeks ago when they started to place the map down.

"It's funny because we thought it was going to be easy," she said.

"We quickly found out it was too much for just us."

Thankfully, there were people in the airport who were waiting for incoming flights.

"Lillian Brewster gets full credit for being director," said Mero with a laugh.

"She made sure we got it on just right."

A group of 10 people stopped what they were doing to help Mero and Hurst apply the decal.

"There was a really nice teacher from Ulukhaktok who helped us a lot," she said.

"It was too bad his flight took off right in the middle of it all, we missed his help."

From start to finish, Mero said it took the crew about four hours to lay the map down properly.

Mero said it did not take long for onlookers to walk on the map to test it out.

"The best part of it was when the kids walked on it right after we were done," she said.

"Other people were around it too, to check it out."

Mero said the decal is permanent and should be stable as long as the building holds up.

"You'll probably have to tear up the floor to take this off," she said.

"We wanted to put it in the middle so people could see it and take pictures of it."

International Polar Year has been recognized as a time of exploration in the North.

"It's a two-year period when scientists and governments from all around the world perform intense research in the North and south pole," said Mero.

Climate change and wellbeing of Northern communities are the two main subjects for this year.

"Extreme climate change can affect the way people live in smaller communities," she said.

"They will also look at some health and wellbeing issues in the community."