tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post6957267021636285781..comments2023-09-22T09:03:09.417-04:00Comments on Townie Bastard: Moving to Iqaluit FAQ, v. 2.0towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-28610217879608039692010-06-12T14:36:57.057-04:002010-06-12T14:36:57.057-04:00Is there a mall in Iqaluit??
I keep reading about...Is there a mall in Iqaluit??<br /><br />I keep reading about this Astro Hill Complex, and I am trying to find info or pics on it. Trust me, I am not going to Iqaluit for the shopping (although I am sure there are very nice stores there)-- I currently live in a town with a population of 1,500 that has no theatre or shopping and I think it's just dandy-- but with that said I am curious about what kind of indoor entertainment there is on very cold wintery days. I heard the Astro Hill Complex has many stores, is this true?? <br /><br />I also heard Nunastar apartments is attached?? Are those apartments extremely difficult to get into??<br /><br />Thanks for all your help:) I love your Blog!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-65826998677248222592010-05-17T13:26:52.243-04:002010-05-17T13:26:52.243-04:00As so many have already said, great job on the FAQ...As so many have already said, great job on the FAQ post! <br />A few other questions I have are:<br />What types of stores are in Iqaluit? You mentioned a Source store. What types of clothing/sporting goods stores are there? <br />You also mentioned an online pharmacy that ships to Iqaluit, is there not a pharmacy there?<br />I would love to take my treadmill, as I am an avid runner, but would the shipping just be crazy? Are there places to buy treadmills there?<br />Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-75149696174817420392009-12-14T17:14:05.321-05:002009-12-14T17:14:05.321-05:00Well, I think I mentioned one of the companies you...Well, I think I mentioned one of the companies you can contact about rental properties. You can also try www.nunastar.com and they might be able to help. There is only one real estate agent in town and that's John Matthews. I don't know if he does rentals, but you can give him a call at 867-979-1343.<br /><br />Your Ontario Health Plan will cover you for nearly a year in Nunavut. If you've been here around 9 months and are planning on staying for more than a year, start working towards getting your Nunavut Health Care Card. This can take some time, so give yourself a couple of months leeway.<br /><br />Hope that helps.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-1124408908410399032009-12-14T16:50:02.748-05:002009-12-14T16:50:02.748-05:00Hello, thank you so much for the valuable info. We...Hello, thank you so much for the valuable info. We are planning a move up in the spring of 2010. Could you offer any more information about find a place to rent? Do you know of any real estate agenst that deal with rentals? Also, does my ontario health card work? Do i have to switch to the health care coverage offered by the GN? What is the coverage you recieve from GN? Thanks in advance for any information you can share.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-51384631303200933832009-12-14T16:45:17.475-05:002009-12-14T16:45:17.475-05:00Hey,
Great blog! Much apperciated! Could i ask, i...Hey, <br />Great blog! Much apperciated! Could i ask, is it difficult to change your goverment health care coverage for someone who moves from another provence? I currently live in ontario and have OHIP.We are planning a move in the spring, could you offer any more information about finding rentals? For example... any contacts you have that handle rental real estate? Anything you can share would be very much apperciated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-4217197337151486682009-10-03T21:01:35.114-04:002009-10-03T21:01:35.114-04:00Hello, thank you for your post, I really appreciat...Hello, thank you for your post, I really appreciated it as well as many other people certainly did. Although I have no plans to move up so far, it was very interesting for me. You're doing a great job!<br /><br />Take care,<br /><br />Jayreal estate in Vancouverhttp://jaybanks.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-5334767123311663972009-09-18T22:46:29.798-04:002009-09-18T22:46:29.798-04:00I simply don't know much about ATVs and ski-do...I simply don't know much about ATVs and ski-doos because I don't drive them, nor have any plans to, alas. I don't know the cost, but I can tell you that you can't drive ATVs for probably 6 months of the year. It's simply too cold. So you have to ask if you want a machine you can only drive six months of the year or not.<br /><br />As for licencing and registration, there is an office for that in Inukstgait Plaza, which can help you with vehicle registration and licencing. There are also a couple of different places to get insurance.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-43184648648762064872009-09-17T20:13:57.664-04:002009-09-17T20:13:57.664-04:00To start - thanks for all the info - I hope to be ...To start - thanks for all the info - I hope to be coming to Iqaluit in the coming month and your site and those you've linked to have helped a lot.<br /><br />Could you provide a bit more information on getting a vehicle, registration and insurance (particularly for an ATV or snowmobile)? Is a snowmobile preferable (I'd prefer to ride an ATV...but is it unsuitable for the Iqaluit winter?...in and around town. How much exploring out of town can one do on an ATV (in the winter)? Where does one buy an ATV (North Mart)? How much should I expect to spend? Used?<br /><br />What about motor vehicle licensing? Due to my own stupidity, I let my Alberta license expire...years ago (I currently live in Ontario)...since its been a such a long time I now have a learners permit and need to do the whole graduated licensing thing over again in Ontario. I do, however, have a full motorcycle license. Will I be able to drive an ATV?<br /><br />thanks again for all the helpGunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-44060885257348022802009-09-05T12:37:19.716-04:002009-09-05T12:37:19.716-04:00Yes there are. This isn't Toronto or Vancouver...Yes there are. This isn't Toronto or Vancouver, but certainly seeing people from different ethnic backgrounds other than white or Inuit is common.<br /><br />At my former place of work one of my co-workers was originally from Africa, another from the Philippines.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-46079947089299016092009-09-04T23:50:04.552-04:002009-09-04T23:50:04.552-04:00Are there any visible minorities in Iqaluit?Are there any visible minorities in Iqaluit?Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-716525252327081002009-09-04T23:48:39.130-04:002009-09-04T23:48:39.130-04:00Are there any visible minorities, non white or inu...Are there any visible minorities, non white or inuit, living or working Iqaluit?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-59972105137222697902009-09-04T22:42:48.627-04:002009-09-04T22:42:48.627-04:00Apartments are *not* all inclusive. You will have ...Apartments are *not* all inclusive. You will have to pay for phone, electricity, internet and cable.<br /><br />Costs vary. We don't pay for for our electricity simply because we live in a small-ish, but well insulated apartment. So we pay, on average, about $70/month. But I know people with houses who pay $300. Phone/internet will set you back about $150 and cable, depending on the package, but look at around $80.<br /><br />*Some* apartments are furnished. If you get a government job, that's more likely, but make sure you ask first, but that's not guaranteed. Also, government furniture tends to have a bit of wear and tear on it.<br /><br />There is a furniture store in town, but it is a bit pricey. And yes, you can pick stuff up at garage sales, but it depends on the time of the year. Right now, they're a bit scarce. Come June, there'll be a half dozen every weekend.<br /><br />You can ship up furniture, but I suspect your window for doing it this year is closed if you want to use the sealift. You can fly it up, but I would think that would be excessively expensive. 100kg of cargo will cost you about $400.<br /><br />Hope that helps.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-80401062885587821152009-09-04T20:32:09.993-04:002009-09-04T20:32:09.993-04:00Hi There,
I would like to move up there within th...Hi There,<br /><br />I would like to move up there within the next year and I'm trying to get as much information as possible. Your blog has been very helpful. <br /><br />For the apartment rentals, are those all inclusive? If not, how much extra would you say bills were? and also, did you get furniture shipped up there or just get them from yard sales? Do any apartments come furnished?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-91274909601136858752009-08-30T12:06:03.853-04:002009-08-30T12:06:03.853-04:00Thank you, Alana. I'll add that Aerogold Visa ...Thank you, Alana. I'll add that Aerogold Visa is essentially the unofficial current of Iqaluit. It's actually strange when you go to the cash at a store in town and people don't take out an Aerogold or Avion Visa card.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-78668892377347120232009-08-30T11:54:59.969-04:002009-08-30T11:54:59.969-04:00My husband and I are planning to move to Iqaluit t...My husband and I are planning to move to Iqaluit this Fall so the info you have provided here is timely and very valuable. <br /><br />I thought I would contribute as I am a big on-line shopper (we live in Northern BC) and think I may be able to contribute some more good info. <br /><br />If you collect Airmiles, there is a link on their site that allows you to shop at MANY online stores and collect Airmiles at the same time. <br /><br />Even if you don't collect Airmiles, it is a great place to go for an extensive list of all the popular on-line stores that Canadians can go to shop at. <br /><br />Go to www.airmiles.ca and then click the "shop online and earn" link in the top right hand corner of their website.Alananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-83425586129468596422009-08-29T12:06:39.210-04:002009-08-29T12:06:39.210-04:00Futureshop now has free shipping on orders over $3...Futureshop now has free shipping on orders over $39Ronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14401558992050889178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-34437462233074549632009-08-28T14:44:28.797-04:002009-08-28T14:44:28.797-04:00First, and I guess I should put this is in the FAQ...First, and I guess I should put this is in the FAQ at some point - Inuit is plural, Inuk is singular.<br /><br />As for how much interaction between the Inuit and southerners, well, it depends. Sucky answer, but there you go.<br /><br />In smaller communities, where there is only a couple of hundred people, I think there's a lot more interaction. But in places like Iqaluit, which has more than 7,000 people, it's certainly pretty easy to keep to yourself and other people from down south if you choose.<br /><br />Then again, some Inuit prefer to keep to themselves and not deal much with southerners. It works both ways.<br /><br />We have friends who are Inuit, although more would always be nice. But that's just because we're a bit insular sometimes. Hell, I'm not sure how many close southern friends we have in town, a situation we're trying to resolve.<br /><br />As for blogging, there are some Inuit bloggers, but they tend to put up a few posts and then vanish. Not unusual...many southern bloggers do the same thing. But I suspect more southern bloggers do this because it's such a unique experience for them that they want to tell friends and family. The Inuit, perhaps, don't see the same thrill with relating their experience to the world that we do.<br /><br />Of course, I could be full of shit. Any Inuit readers who would like to tell me so should feel free to chip in.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-88270161496370788282009-08-28T13:54:42.978-04:002009-08-28T13:54:42.978-04:00great post
but here's another question or two:...great post<br />but here's another question or two:<br /><br />do you make actual friends with the inuit people and do you know any inuits who blog lol because so far i have spent an hour blog hopping from link to link looking with no such luckZoƫhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01301493964981073311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-55996278559297349842009-08-28T10:15:43.736-04:002009-08-28T10:15:43.736-04:00Than you, Morena. Do you have the contact informat...Than you, Morena. Do you have the contact information for Marche Daoust, both for the blog and for our own personal use? We wouldn't mind trying someone other than IGA for a change.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-42924775930051483862009-08-27T22:25:29.145-04:002009-08-27T22:25:29.145-04:00Great info. One note on foodmail... I found IGA mu...Great info. One note on foodmail... I found IGA much more expensive than Marche Daoust that we deal with. I've heard IGA can get you M&M meats which is nice but the shipping, in my opinion, makes it very much not worth it. I can't say about the other companies.Morenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10308554786875845271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-70413881404580257912009-08-27T18:26:42.571-04:002009-08-27T18:26:42.571-04:00Wow, tons of info, great job on your FAQ...wish I ...Wow, tons of info, great job on your FAQ...wish I had so much information before we moved up!!!Lindsay Niedzielskihttp://www.niedzielskifamily.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com