Total darkness for four months, freezing temperatures all year round and no trees; Welcome to the northernmost community in North America.
Grise Fiord in Canada is located just 960 miles from the North Pole and although it sounds inhospitable, it has maintained a constant population since it was formed in 1953 and currently has just over 140 residents.
The village was created by the Canadian government in an attempt to assert sovereignty in the north during the Cold War, and several Inuit families were forcibly relocated as a result.
Over time, the community has flourished and now some locals have offered glimpses of their lives and the harsh conditions they endure through social media.
Grise Fiord in Canada is located just 960 miles from the North Pole
It has maintained a constant population since it was formed in 1953 and currently has just over 140 residents.
The village was created by the Canadian government in an attempt to assert sovereignty in the north during the Cold War, and several Inuit families were forcibly relocated as a result.
Over time, the community has flourished and now some locals have offered glimpses of their lives and the harsh conditions they endure through social media.
Despite the cold weather, resident Ooleesee Akeeagok explains in one of her TikToks that her young daughter “loves being outdoors even below -25°C (-13°F).”
In a YouTube video, Klaus Dohring and Michael Schneider, president and sales director of solar energy company Green Sun Rising, reveal how they landed in Grise Fiord to install some solar panels on the community office building and were impressed by what they saw. they found.
They explain that during the day the temperature is “negative single digits”, while at night it drops further to “negative double digits”.
Klaus says, as drone footage shows the otherworldly landscape: “A fascinating place, incredible views, mountains all around us, glaciers, lots of icebergs, lots of ice, and occasionally the occasional polar bear.”
At the end of the film, the men explain that they ended up trapped in Grise Fiord for several days because a “snowstorm and high winds” at the nearest airport prevented a plane from reaching them.
There are no roads connecting Grise Fiord to the mainland and it is only accessible via a single airstrip or by boat during the summer months.
The nearest airport is in Resolute Bay and flight time is approximately one hour and 30 minutes.
Return flights from Grise Fiord to Resolute on Inuit-owned airline Canadian North are infrequent and very expensive, with tickets costing more than $1,300.
In a YouTube video, Klaus Dohring and Michael Schneider of solar energy company Green Sun Rising reveal how they landed in Grise Fiord to install solar panels.
Klaus says, as drone footage shows the otherworldly landscape: “A fascinating place, incredible views, mountains around us, glaciers, lots of icebergs, lots of ice.”
There are no roads connecting Grise Fiord to the mainland and it is only accessible via a single airstrip or by boat during the summer months.
The nearest airport is located in Resolute Bay and the fight time is approximately one hour and 30 minutes.
Return flights from Grise Fiord to Resolute with Canadian North are infrequent and very expensive, with tickets costing over $1,300.
Because it is difficult to get supplies to the community, grocery store products are also very expensive.
On a TikTok, resident Jenn Ningiuk gives viewers a glimpse of some of the products for sale at Grise Fiord’s only store.
In the clip, he shows how a 12-roll pack of toilet paper costs $18.33 (CA$24.69), a 64-pack of baby wipes costs $13.36 (CA$17.99), and a 32-stick pack of Nature Valley granola costs $37.12 (CA$49.99).
Other Grise Fiord residents have shared videos of some of their daily activities, including seal hunting, cooking and hiking.
In most clips, conditions appear icy and strong winds, sometimes over 70mph, are another common feature.
Despite the cold weather, residents Ooleesee Akeeagok explains in one of her TikToks that her young daughter ‘loves being outdoors even below -25°C (-13°F)!’
In Grise Fiord, the average annual temperature is -2.3°F (-16.5°C) and reaches -50°F (-45°C) during the winter months.
As a result, residents spend a lot of time indoors and Katak Silas She shows on her TikTok channel how having a lot of free time has allowed her to perfect the art of body popping.
In his videos, he performs various dance moves to music tracks and viewers applaud his skill.
In one clip, he can be seen dancing at Daft Punk’s One More Time community hall, with every move perfectly timed.
Katak Silas shows on his TikTok channel how having a lot of free time has allowed him to perfect the art of body popping
In a TikTok, resident Jenn Ningiuk gives viewers a look at some of the products for sale at Grise Fiord’s only store.
The name Grise Fiord actually means “Pig Cove” in Norwegian, a reference to the grunting walruses heard by Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup when he sailed to the coast in 1899 aboard the Fram.
As for amenities at Grise Fiord, in addition to a grocery store and community hall, some of the other notable attractions include a health center, school, and church.
On the Travel Nunavut tourism website, the village is described as “warmly hospitable” and a place where visitors are “always greeted with big smiles.”
In addition to English, residents speak Inuktitut, which is one of the main Inuit languages of Canada.
The Inuktitut name for Grise Fiord is Aujuittuq, which translates to “the place that never thaws.”
The website notes that the main attractions for adventurous tourists include the scenery and wildlife.
In addition to seals, it is common to see narwhals, beluga whales and walruses, while polar bears are also regularly seen prowling around.
The name Grise Fiord actually means “Pig Cove” in Norwegian, a reference to the grunting walruses heard by Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup when he sailed there in 1899 aboard the Fram.
In the Grise Fiord Community Guidelines, today’s residents ask visitors to respect their home.
They note that while “we retain aspects of our traditional diet and lifestyle, we are as modern as you,” with satellite television, the Internet and iPhones.
Visitors are also advised to avoid asking sensitive and personal questions and instead “ask us about our passions and hobbies and how we like to spend our time.”