Ice picking

The water in the Igloolik reservoir has run dry so the town has been pumping water directly from a lake. The result: the water is a little brown and tastes a lot like a glass of dirt. People have been going to get ice from fresh water lakes and melting it for drinking water. Most houses in town have huge chunks of ice in front and you just melt is as you need it.


This picture was taken at about 9:30 at night. The sun is still up for another 2 hours but it looks a little like it is setting because it is going behind a hill.


Myself, Larissa, Patricia, Matt and Dan (taking the picture) went to get the ice.


A qamuti full of ice. You have to tow this load about 15 kilometres back into town.


Myself, Matt and Dan chipping out the ice. It's easier if you find a crack in the ice and then break the ice along the crack. If you get lucky, it comes out in big pieces.