Residents gather for last sunshine
Inuvik residents say farewell to daylight until the new year
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Thursday, December 10, 2015
INUVIK
Saturday afternoon dawned grey and cloudy but that didn't stop several residents from heading to one of the highest points in town to say goodbye to the sun for a while.
Inuvik residents wave goodbye to the sun on Dec. 5 on the bypass road above the community. - Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo
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"Some years it's overcast and grey and you can't really see anything," said Jackie Challis, who organized the casual event on Dec. 5. "And others, it's clear and beautiful and there are five people out here with telephoto lenses on their cameras, just snapping away."
Challis heads to the hill to watch the final sunrise/sunset of the year every December, although she admitted that having it happen on a weekend made it easier.
Laughing, she said she always feels bad when the weather is overcast, as if it's somehow her fault that the sky hasn't co-operated to produce a stunning and picturesque vista.
About 10 people turned out Dec. 5, braving the cold and wind for something Challis called a unique opportunity.
"Sometimes it's just one person out here, and sometimes it's 10," she said. "I come for personal reasons, but it's also a good way to kick off thinking about the Sunrise Festival, when we'll welcome the sun back again."
Other attendees came for similar reasons.
"I come out here to get the last bit of sunshine before it goes, and to enjoy the nice day," said Sarah Culley.
While the dark months can be hard on some people, particularly those new to the North, there are a multitude of things to do, both inside and out, to keep busy and
happy.
Others take the opportunity to fly elsewhere for a few weeks during the holidays, avoiding the darkest days. Challis, however, chooses to embrace the darkness.
"I feel like it's something we can celebrate," she said. "It's unique to us."
