Based in Iqaluit, Nunavut, CA lisamilosav@gmail.com
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At the Toonik Tyme festival in Iqaluit, Andrea Andersen stands on the igloo she built to test its weight. This is her first time completing an igloo.
At the Toonik Tyme festival in Iqaluit, Andrea Andersen stands on the igloo she built to...READ ON
At the Toonik Tyme festival in Iqaluit, Andrea Andersen stands on the igloo she built to test its weight. This is her first time completing an igloo.
An Arctic blast
Springtime in Iqaluit brings celebration and tests of traditional Inuit skills like igloo-building, dog-sled racing, ice fishing and more.
Igloo-building, sea-ice racing and bannock-making are just some of the competitions at the annual Toonik Tyme Festival in Iqaluit. The 52-year-old event celebrates Inuit traditions and the return of spring to Canada’s Arctic.
This year, participants and visitors attended the 10-day festivities from March 31 to April 9. One of the most popular events is the 320-kilometre-long Kimmirut Race with qamutiik, traditional Inuit sleds. Participants race their machines from Iqaluit to Kimmirut, a nearby community across Tasiujarjuaq (Frobisher Bay), and back to Iqaluit. Evenings are filled with live performances; this year, the closing-night concert was by singer Susan Aglukark.
Paul Irngaut remembers learning the craft as a teenager in Igloolik, which held building contests like this at Easter. ‘It’s hard to build igloos when you are young. But it takes practice. The young people here, they are trying, and it is really good to see young people try.’
Paul Irngaut remembers learning the craft as a teenager in Igloolik, which held building...READ ON
Paul Irngaut remembers learning the craft as a teenager in Igloolik, which held building contests like this at Easter. ‘It’s hard to build igloos when you are young. But it takes practice. The young people here, they are trying, and it is really good to see young people try.’
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Teenagers gather on a hill to watch the fireworkers on March 31. This is Toonik Tyme’s 52nd year.
Teenagers gather on a hill to watch the fireworkers on March 31. This is Toonik...READ ON
Teenagers gather on a hill to watch the fireworkers on March 31. This is Toonik Tyme’s 52nd year.
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Larissa MacDonald and her daughter, Maisie, high-five after Maisie returns from her dog-sled race on March 31, the first day of Toonik Tyme.
Larissa MacDonald and her daughter, Maisie, high-five after Maisie returns from her...READ ON
Larissa MacDonald and her daughter, Maisie, high-five after Maisie returns from her dog-sled race on March 31, the first day of Toonik Tyme.
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Adamee Itorcheak gives a pep talk to the participants of the kid’s snowmobile competition. He is a board member with 123 Go!, the group that organizes Toonik Tyme. ‘It is nice seeing people get out and see people they haven’t seen in a while,’ he says. ‘When you see that one person smile, it makes it worth it.’
Adamee Itorcheak gives a pep talk to the participants of the kid’s snowmobile...READ ON
Adamee Itorcheak gives a pep talk to the participants of the kid’s snowmobile competition. He is a board member with 123 Go!, the group that organizes Toonik Tyme. ‘It is nice seeing people get out and see people they haven’t seen in a while,’ he says. ‘When you see that one person smile, it makes it worth it.’
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Billy Kilabuk is the first to cross the finish line for the Iqaluit to Kimmirut and back snowmobile race on Sunday, April 2, 2023, traveling about 320 kilometres in 4 hours and 16 minutes.
Billy Kilabuk is the first to cross the finish line for the Iqaluit to Kimmirut and back...READ ON
Billy Kilabuk is the first to cross the finish line for the Iqaluit to Kimmirut and back snowmobile race on Sunday, April 2, 2023, traveling about 320 kilometres in 4 hours and 16 minutes.
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Shannon Hessian and Kamil Sameer take off on the frozen sea for the full team dog-sled race. ‘We had a good time riding together,’ Ms. Hessian, a veteran racer, says of her teammate. ‘There was great light, the dogs were great, just the peacefulness of the snow and driving around with the dogs.’
Shannon Hessian and Kamil Sameer take off on the frozen sea for the full team dog-sled...READ ON
Shannon Hessian and Kamil Sameer take off on the frozen sea for the full team dog-sled race. ‘We had a good time riding together,’ Ms. Hessian, a veteran racer, says of her teammate. ‘There was great light, the dogs were great, just the peacefulness of the snow and driving around with the dogs.’
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Lynn Peplinski travels through ice during the full team dog sled race on Sunday, April 2, 2023.
Lynn Peplinski travels through ice during the full team dog sled race on Sunday, April 2, 2023.
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Billy Kilabuk celebrates winning the snowmobile race from Iqaluit and Kimmirut and back again across the frozen sea ice of Tasiujarjuaq (Frobisher Bay). He finished in four hours 16 minutes. Getting to Iqaluit from his home community, Pangnirtung, took 15 hours. It was his first race.
Billy Kilabuk celebrates winning the snowmobile race from Iqaluit and Kimmirut and back...READ ON
Billy Kilabuk celebrates winning the snowmobile race from Iqaluit and Kimmirut and back again across the frozen sea ice of Tasiujarjuaq (Frobisher Bay). He finished in four hours 16 minutes. Getting to Iqaluit from his home community, Pangnirtung, took 15 hours. It was his first race.
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Kyle Ritchie and Paul Salter use a motorized ice auger to make new ice holes for the fishing derby.
Kyle Ritchie and Paul Salter use a motorized ice auger to make new ice holes for the...READ ON
Kyle Ritchie and Paul Salter use a motorized ice auger to make new ice holes for the fishing derby.
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Daniel Emmons poses with a small 18-inch arctic char during the fishing derby on Saturday, April 8, 2023.
Daniel Emmons poses with a small 18-inch arctic char during the fishing derby on...READ ON
Daniel Emmons poses with a small 18-inch arctic char during the fishing derby on Saturday, April 8, 2023.
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Lucy Duval Evic fishes on Immiqtarvimminiq Lake in Iqaluit during the fishing derby on Saturday, April 8, 2023.
Lucy Duval Evic fishes on Immiqtarvimminiq Lake in Iqaluit during the fishing derby on...READ ON
Lucy Duval Evic fishes on Immiqtarvimminiq Lake in Iqaluit during the fishing derby on Saturday, April 8, 2023.
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Nina Ipeelee shares some of her first-prize-winning palauga, or bannock, made with a family recipe.
Nina Ipeelee shares some of her first-prize-winning palauga, or bannock, made with a...READ ON
Nina Ipeelee shares some of her first-prize-winning palauga, or bannock, made with a family recipe.
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People dance to a local band, Driveliners, at the opening ceremonies for the 58th annual Toonik Tyme festival.
People dance to a local band, Driveliners, at the opening ceremonies for the 58th annual...READ ON
People dance to a local band, Driveliners, at the opening ceremonies for the 58th annual Toonik Tyme festival.
An Arctic blast
Springtime in Iqaluit brings celebration and tests of traditional Inuit skills like igloo-building, dog-sled racing, ice fishing and more.
Igloo-building, sea-ice racing and bannock-making are just some of the competitions at the annual Toonik Tyme Festival in Iqaluit. The 52-year-old event celebrates Inuit traditions and the return of spring to Canada’s Arctic.
This year, participants and visitors attended the 10-day festivities from March 31 to April 9. One of the most popular events is the 320-kilometre-long Kimmirut Race with qamutiik, traditional Inuit sleds. Participants race their machines from Iqaluit to Kimmirut, a nearby community across Tasiujarjuaq (Frobisher Bay), and back to Iqaluit. Evenings are filled with live performances; this year, the closing-night concert was by singer Susan Aglukark.