The Clyde River chapter in his life began two-and-a-half years ago. He came to the community because the occupational timing was right.

"I had the opportunity to work as the wildlife officer and my wife, Carol, had the opportunity to work as a nurse.

"I didn't really know much about Clyde at all," he said. "I guess coming here was really searching out the unknown."

They arrived in Clyde River early the summer of 2000. Conroy said it was the best time of year to arrive with the sun still shining and the weather still relatively warm.

Before moving to the Baffin community, he worked as a fisheries officer in Cranbrook. He said he saw lots of black bears and grizzly bears in B.C., but never so many polar bears.

The growling winter is another issue for him now. Sure, he's used to the cold, but after two winters he still can't get used to the darkness.

"The sun just came up for the first time and so it was a very happy day in the community," explained Conroy.

In darkness or in the sun, to Conroy it's the people in the community that keep him there. He said that despite the fact a lot of southerners come and go, the residents still take the time to get to know all the newcomers. To show his appreciation, he's taken the time to add some Inuktitut to his vocabulary.

"I've learned enough to get by in basic conversation. I've actually taken two Inuktitut courses here at Arctic College."

Broadening horizons aside, he knows learning the language will help him build bridges with the residents of Clyde River both on the and off the job.

"There's no cable and no satellite dishes. The VCR and DVD player gets used a lot down here but there's a lot of socializing. I think the lack of television has a lot to do with it," he explained.

At work, Conroy is kept busy with the many polar bears that stroll through town.

Topping the animal charts last year was a call he received about an abandoned cub beneath the airport terminal building. When he arrived at the scene, he found three guys locked in their car with the windows rolled up. The men had gone to see the cub and discovered there was another cub. They were also confronted by a charging mother. Conroy will stay put in Clyde River. He's happy there for now and hasn't grown tired of discovering something new about the Canadian North every day.