The Olympic Torch Goes to the Arctic

On November 10th I was at home in Kuujjuaq when the Olympic flame came to town. The morning started off a bit cloudy, snowy, and windy, but as the event went on the sun came out, the wind died down, and it turned into a nice clear day.

In addition to the official ceremonies and speeches a breakfast was sponsored by Makivik and the Northern Stores that was cooked and served up by community volunteers, the youth choir sang O’ Canada, there were throat singing and square dancing performances, and there was a good supply of free hats, neck warmers, and t-shirts available for anyone who wanted them. The red mitts were the most popular!

One of the most hopeful things about the event was the number of children and youth from the community who attended the celebration, all were excited to see the Olympic flame and, I am sure, proud that one of their important cultural symbols, the Inuksuk, is the official symbol of the Olympics. In a stroke of good luck athletes from around Nunavik were in Kuujjuaq attending trials for the upcoming Arctic Winter Games – what a motivating experience that must have been for them.

The entire event was a wonderful experience and I hope that it inspires our young people to both stay in school, and to become more involved in their local community activities.

I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

The official torch relay ceremony

Community residents assembled to see the Olympic torch

The Olympic torch

Olympic mascot Quatchi

Community youth square dancing

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