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An Insider's Guide to Inuvik

by

Jennifer Branch

[Jennifer is a resident of Inuvik, and was doing some research in Scotland when she wrote this guide at my request for information on the town. Her current email address is unknown. - Coyote]

Here is my best advice!

If you have any questions please give me a call. Also feel free to include my email address for people to contact me if they want to chat.

Best of luck and best wishes,

Jennifer

Places to Hang Out

1. Cafe Gallery - Mackenzie Street
   • a small cafe with muffins, scones, sandwiches and soup plus great coffee, espresso and cappucino etc.
   • no smoking
   • also a gallery and framing shop

2. The Brass Rail - Mackenzie Hotel
   • bar with big, comfy chairs and big screen tv
   • pub-like atmosphere with bar food

3. Benchs - along Mackenzie Street
   • green painted benches to sit on and watch the tourists go by

4. Chuk Park - outskirts of Inuvik
   • observation tower to see the delta

5. Boot Lake - on the edge of the town (behind the hospital)
   • boat launch
   • playground
   • swimming hole

Places to Shop and Things to Do

1. Originals - Mackenzie Street
   • nice jewelry and gifts
   • some carvings and art as well

2. Arctic Art Gallery - Mackenzie Street
   • Carvings, prints, original art works, picture developing

3. Dinner Theatre
   • I don't know if it is still on but for the last two years the Finto Motor Inn has done a dinner theatre once or twice a week. The history of Inuvik play is quite good fun and the food is fabulous. The same number 403-979-2999 could give you information as well as the Western Arctic Tourist Office which is across from the hospital and beside the Finto Motor Inn.

4. Books - Mackenzie Street
   • There is an interesting bookstore - called Boreal Books in a little collection of stores next to the Mackenzie Hotel. They have a wide selection of Northern literature. Worth a browse.

5. Mac's News Stand - Mackenzie Street
   • a fabulous collection of magazines to look through
   • ice cream stand in the summer

6. The Zoo - Mackenzie Hotel
   • this is the dance bar in Inuvik

Places to Eat

1. The Peppermill Restaurant - The Finto Motor Inn
   • without a doubt the best food in town
   • reservations for lunch and dinner accepted 979-2999
   • lunch menu runs about $10.00 - $12.00 including a soft drink
   • dinner about $25.00 + (caribou, musk ox and arctic char as well as steaks, seafood and pasta)
   • great Sunday brunch 11.00am - 2.00pm
   • dress is casual

2. To Go's - Mackenzie Street
   • famous caribou and musk ox burgers
   • burgers, fries and pizza

3. Cafe Gallery - Mackenzie Street
   • for a light lunch or snack

4. Pizza Hut/KFC - Northern Store
   • between the Grocery side and the Department store side

5. The Green Briar - Mackenzie Hotel
   • I have had both good and bad meals there.

Don't be a Tourist Nerd

1. The weather in July and August can vary between about -5 to 35 degrees celcius (0 and 110 degrees fahrenheit). In other words, be prepared for extremes. Once above about 15 degrees celcius (60 degree fahrenheit) locals will be wearing shorts and t-shirts. The bugs (a.k.a. mosquitos, noceums, black flies etc.) will not be too bad at the end of July. However, not too bad for us may be different from not too bad for you. Don't wear a mosquito suit and bug hat but spray with Off or some other type of bug spray or cream.

2. People in Inuvik wear baseball caps. Dress is very casual.

3. Cameras will give you away. Keep it in a back pack.

4. No matter what you do people will know you are not local. It is a small town and everybody knows everybody.

5. People in Inuvik shake hands when greeting one another.

What to do in Tuk

1. Dip your toes in the Arctic Ocean.

2. Visit local craftspeople.

3. See if you can get someone to take you down into the ice hut deep in the ground that the people use to keep their fish, seals, muktuk etc. frozen during the summer. It was one of the 'coolest' things I saw in Tuk. Actually one of the most interesting places I have been to in the North.

4. See a pingo and find out what it is.

Dangers of the Dempster

1. Tires

   I lost two tires on the trip up but none on the way home. Not much you can do to avoid that. Have spares and a good jack and make sure that you can undo the nuts on the wheel before you leave the Klondike Motor Inn. Sometimes they can be very tight when done by that electric tightener thingee (don't know the technical term for that thing).

2. Big Rigs

   When the road is dry, the big 18 wheel trucks create a dust trail that is hard to see through. Start to slow down when you seen a big truck coming and get over as far as possible to the side of the road. Those big trucks don't slow down for anyone or anything and they throw lots of gravel. Be prepared to get your windshield cracked and chipped.

3. Food

   Buy lots of snack food, drinks etc. in Whitehorse or Dawson because food is really expensive at Eagle Plains. My advice is just to get gas at Eagle Plains and then keep on going. The food is not worth the stop.

4. Animals

   I have seen lots of animals by the side of the road but only the wild horses in the first part of the journey from Dawson City have actually been on the road.

5. The twists and turns

   It is not an freeway or highway. You need to take your time and drive a speeds that you feel comfortable with.

Delights of the Dempster

1. The Mountains

   They are fabulous and varied. Catch a sunrise and a sunset. Enjoy the differences between the Ogilvie, the Tombstone and the Richardson mountains.

2. The Delta

   After the mountains it seems strange to come down into the flat lowland area. It is pretty in a different way.

3. The animals

   I have seen caribou, and bears, and foxes, and dall sheep and wild horses. Enjoy the view from inside your vehicle.

4. The twists and turns

   The road is great fun to drive. It is especially great in the Richardson mountain section between Fort McPherson and Eagle Plains.

5. Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas Shop

   If you have the time stop into McPherson and tour this place. The bags are fantastic and people in Inuvik all have them. I have three and they last forever and are well worth the money. A great souvenir.