Wither the Weather.

Some folks may get tired of the oft reference to weather here. Alas, when living in remote a community with still strong relationships with the land it is just not possible for it not to be at the fore of most conversations and thoughts. Plus the fact of not being connected by road to any other community all ads up to having to take notice of what is being sent your way.

Take this week, please take it. No really, it was not that bad here, but the weather did have an impact never the less. There were two groups of people scheduled to arrive and hold meeting or information sessions of one kind or another. None arrived because weather south of here was fairly bad with wind and snow.
One group was stuck in Makkovik, another in Hopedale. Both returned back to GB yesterday. The one meeting that did get underway the past Monday had people from other coastal communities stuck here in Nain until yesterday.
Over the past few months has seen sevaral other postponements and cancellations of meetings and such, seems higher than usual, but that is just my gut feeling.
It must play havoc with organizers, travel people, accommodations, but one has to take it in stride.
Not so for many from outside who experience Labrador for the first time. It’s hard to convince some that because the weather in fine in such and such a place that the plane can’t fly because it’s down flat in another place. Many from away cant around the fact that we don’t have airport control towers with instrument landing and radar facilities. Just not very observant I guess.


I hear than some people have been going up inside Hebron of late to do some ice fishing and hunting. I’m told the partridge are like clouds of snow birds up there.
It’s quite the trip over bay sea ice, steep climbs and long winding brooks. About 12 hours in good going should get you there.

The map shows Hebron’s location in relation to Nain. None of the travel is outside any of the islands, not very safe around some of those capes.

Traveling that distance is now some what safer with many people having satellite phones and even GPS systems that work off their snow machines. Usually one in a group will have one or both. But there still is people who rely on there instincts and experience only.

It is one magnificent awesome terrain up there in both summer and winter. I just hope that some people don’t become overly complacent because it can turn in an instant into one nightmarish and some times deadly place too.