The Day is Finally Here!

I have made a handful of trips to Labrador over the course of my career, and each one has been very special.  You simply cannot visit "The Big Land", as Labrador is affectionately known, and not leave with an imprint on your psyche.

This particular trip has long been anticipated.  Why?  Because its purpose was to share in the celebration around the opening of Illusuak, Nain's breath-taking, jaw-dropping new cultural centre.

So what exactly is "Illusuak" all about?  It is an Inuttitut word referring to the summertime sod dwellings built in centuries past by the Labrador Inuit.  Nain's cultural centre was destroyed by fire over a decade ago.  Nanatsiavut, which is the Labrador Inuit self-governing region formed after a successful land claims agreement in 2005, conceived the reconstruction of this centre in 2010 and decided to create something to celebrate the culture of all Labrador Inuit.  Todd Saunders, who designed the now-iconic Fogo Island Inn, came up with the design.  It has been a long road to today's opening, but through the process, Nunatsiavut has created a cultural heartbeat for all Inuit communities in Labrador and has also created a gem on the architectural map.

Canadian Heritage is a proud funder of this project, through its Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.  And that is my linkage to today's visit.

Below is a series of pics that tells the story of my journey to and from Nain, as well as a view of the opening ceremony from my own eyes:  the scenes and images that caught my attention.

Join me on this journey to northern Labrador, and the opening of what will long be a special place on the Indigenous landscape of this country.

This is the early rendition of Illusuak, which was originally called Torngasok, from the creative genius of architect Todd Saunders.


Unfortunately, no, I did not get to behold this scene of Saglek Fjord in Torngat Mountains National Park, which rivals the most decadent fjord that Norway could muster.  This is a pic of a wall-size photo in the Goose Bay Airport.  It is a reminder of the majesty of Labrador.  And it holds a linkage to Nain and Illusuak:  Illusuak is not only Nunatsiavut's cultural centre, it is also Parks Canada's gateway to Torngat Mountains National Park, which was created as part of the Land Claims Settlement that created Nunatsiavut in 2005.


There are two words which cause a traveler at Goose Bay Airport who is headed to a northern coastal community to do a deep sigh, at best, and a frustrated grumbling at worst:  "WEATHER HOLD."  When I checked in at 6:20AM, the Air Borealis counter agent told me the coastal flights were all on a weather hold, due to the fog that had socked in the Airport overnight.  That started a series of announcements every 30 minutes for the next four hours, indicating that all coastal flights were grounded until the fog lifted.  I was supposed to leave at 7AM, but didn't take off until 11:05AM.  At least the airline provided good coffee and airplane-shaped shortbread to take the sting off the delay.

And voila!  At 10:40AM, the Air Borealis deHavilland Twin Otter (registration C-GIZF) arrived that would take me to Nain.


Prior to leaving for Labrador, some of my colleagues and friends had to endure the story of my 2004 trip to Natuashish, when I worked for Health Canada.  On that five-stop puddle-hop flight, the pilots fueled up the Twin Otter in Makkovik.  When we took off from there, I started to hear a bang! bang! bang!  I was seated by the window looking down on the fuel tank opening and saw that the fuel cap was dangling by a chain, knocking against the side of the aircraft, and jet fuel was spewing out along the side of the fuselage.  It seeped in around the passenger door and continued on to the small baggage compartment in the very back, where it soaked my computer bag.  For those who have heard my tale and think, "Hmmm, I just can't picture that...", I took this photo to show how, logistically, my tale is indeed true.


I love taking pictures of topography from the air...  The colours and variations of plain, mountain, river, ocean.  The wilds of Labrador provide the perfect palette!




Just one of what seemed from the air to be a million lakes.  Notice how the winter freeze is slowly starting to overtake the lake .


Like a giant anaconda slithering through the Amazon, this river winds its way to the coast of Labrador.




Nain is actually a good distance from the open Labrador Sea.  A labyrinth of islands inserts itself between the wild ocean and Nain's protected bay.


As you approach Nain, the topography becomes noticeably more mountainous.



And suddenly, just when one has given up all hope of ever seeing a sign of civilization again, Nain appears in the distance.  Notice the long skinny strip to the right of the photo, next to the bay:  that's the dirt airstrip.


The Twin Otter was one of three sitting on Nain's airport apron.  Notice the unpaved surface.


An archaeologist with Nunatsiavut kindly told me I could jump in with her passengers for a ride to the head office of Nunatsiavut, where the invitees for the opening ceremony were waiting.  When I walked into the office lobby, this not-so-threatening polar bear greeted me.


Walking with invitees from the Nunatsiavut head office towards Illusuak, for the opening ceremony.


Nain is a town of just 1400.  A large crowd seemed to gather out of nowhere, right at 1PM.  The ceremony had been scheduled for 11AM, but due to the weather hold on flights, it was delayed until 1PM.


That is Johannes Lampe, President of Nunatsiavut, giving his speech.

Speech by Jim Lyall.


Speech by (?)


The Moravian Missionaries instilled an appreciation for, and knowledge of, brass bands in the fabric of Nain.  It is a tradition that continues to this day.  On my 2015 trip to Nain, I was taken to the gallery in the back of the Moravian church in Nain, where I saw the setup for the church's brass band.  Hand-written transpositions were all over the place -- evidence of just how deeply ingrained the musical knowledge had been passed down.  These four players did two numbers for us -- in the -2C cold, I might add!  At that temperature, you're lucky if your trumpet mouthpiece doesn't adhere to your lips.


The ribbon-cutting by President Johannes Lampe:  a long strip of sealskin was cut, using a traditional tool for skinning animal pelts.


And with that, the doors were flung open for the first time!  The contents had been kept under wraps by the Nunatsiavut Government, until today.  And the level of excitement and enthusiasm as palpable.


Photos of Labrador Inuit greet visitors.  Many were trying to find friends and relatives among the photos.


The exhibits.  With the establishment of Illusuak, many artifacts were returned to the Labrador Inuit from The Rooms in St. John's.


An original Inuit kayak.

One of my favourite things about the design is the integration of many long, narrow windows.  As you read the panels, a view of the bay is never out of sight.


It was really moving to see the youth of Nain interacting with the exhibits with great interest.




This igloo proved very popular - especially with the kids!


Notice how the mountains and ice were incorporated into the exhibit design.


This map of Nunatsiavut seemed to grab the interest of many.




Exhibit stools rimmed with sealskin.

And, of course, no opening would be complete without cake and food!



Partridge soup and bannock were available for everyone.


The crowd gathering for the cutting of the cake by President Lampe.


I asked for an end piece!  Yes, I admit it.

To end this section of the blog related to the facility, here are a few photos that show some of the structural features.


The comfortable and very well-equipped theatre.


The stunning gathering space, with its view of the bay.


Come summer, this will undoubtedly be THE place to be on the northern Labrador coast:  the terrace overlooking the bay.  An upscale coffee shop is soon to open just inside.


One of the reasons the facility's opening was delayed was the requirement for a special chemical-based fire suppression system.  I have never seen anything like this:  ceiling mounted boxes that will basically spew a chemical in the event of fire, that will still protect the artifacts.


I was quite taken with the efforts of the exhibit designers to represent four languages in the exhibits.


I noticed that "Canadian Heritage" is listed under the organizations thanked on this sign.


Having been connected to this file almost since its inception, having chatted with the exhibit consultant over coffee, having visited Nain in 2015 to see the initial steps in construction, and today having seen the finished product:  if I could summarize Illusuak with one comment, it would be that it is truly a place where everyone from Nunatsiavut can find themselves.

And that was my experience at the opening!

After such a high point, the reality of getting home hit me.  I was sitting in the theatre watching a video when the Nunatsiavut archaeologist who had kindly driven me from the airport into town came to ask if I needed a ride back to the airstrip.  I had been booked on a flight back tomorrow, but when I heard that a snowy weather system was set to hit Nain tomorrow morning, I decided to accept her offer of a drive and to see if I could be accommodated on the last Air Borealis flight of the day.  Fortunately, there was a seat, so I headed off to Goose Bay at 4PM.

Two Twin Otters waiting to take the invitees back to Goose Bay and the coastal Inuit communities.


I was astounded to see all this cargo come off the inbound plane that was taking me back to Goose.  The Twin Otter is truly the work-horse that provides a life-line to the northern coastal communities.  Without the link they provide to both passengers and freight, one would have to question whether these communities would be sustainable in today's world.

Darkness was starting to descend on Nain as we took off over the mountains surrounding the town.  What an amazing day it has been!