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 TIPS FOR LIVING IN YELLOWKNIFE
Welcome to Yellowknife! You are now living north of 60, only 512 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle. What follows is not an exhaustive list of tips on life up here, but a little something to help you find your feet. I hope it will be especially useful to those who, like us, come here with little experience of living in a cold climate. Winter Clothing Key to enjoying Yellowknife is the celebration of winter. And to fully enjoy winter, one has to be warmly dressed. It is a good idea to wear thermal under wear and dress in layers, which can be removed once you are indoors. Well-fitting jeans are not a good idea in winter. The lack of a layer of air around your leg will result in the cold being transferred directly onto your skin. Also, because they’re too tight, you won’t have the option of wearing thermal underwear underneath. You will need warm gloves, a toque, winter boots, wind pants, and a parka. For example, the “Snow Goose Mantra” funnels body heat up from one’s torso onto one’s face. The fur-lined, funnel-shape of the hood protects one’s face from the wind. On days when a lighter jacket is preferable, you might still need to cover your face from the wind chill. In this case a good balaclava or neck roll is advisable. When choosing gloves, remember that mitts are warmer because separated fingers cool quicker. After a few years in the North, you may find that you have an assortment of jackets and gloves that you select according to conditions outside. It’s sensible to have a fall jacket, a mid-winter down jacket, and a parka; as well as a range of hand coverings that range from light Gortex gloves to substantial down-filled mitts, including thinner gloves that can be worn inside mitts (for instance, if one is a photographer and needs nimble fingers outdoors). For children, we have found Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) snowsuits and jackets to be really good gear for winter conditions. In addition to decent gloves and polar fleece hats, pay special attention to children's feet. Like adults, they need properly insulated boots if they are to enjoy winter (brands such as “Acton”). Some of this attire is available down south at retailers such as MEC, but it is often better to buy what you need up here. In Yellowknife, two good stores for winter clothing are Weaver and Devore in Old Town, or Overlander Sports, downtown. Your Car Winter puts a lot of strain on vehicles. For example, in the extreme cold it is possible to drive out of one’s tyre. This is caused by a combination of the rubber freezing as well as a low air pressure inside the tyre. The latter is caused when the air inside the tyre contracts in the cold. It is advisable to put more air in your tyres during winter. And if the motion of your car seems bumpy after take off, this is likely because a tyre has developed a flat spot. It will disappear once the tyre warms and the rubber regains its flexibility. In the North, with winter approaching, the first thing you will need to do is “winterize” your car, either by doing it yourself or having a certified mechanic do it. It entails checking the battery, brakes, wipers and windshield washer fluid, ignition system, lights (including flashing hazard lights), heater, oil level, defroster, hoses, belts, exhaust system, thermostat and tyres, adding antifreeze to the water system, and filling the engine with high viscosity oil. (Incidentally, you will also have to winterize items that you plan to store for the winter months. These include equipment with gasoline-powered engines, such as chain saws, lawn mowers, motorcycles, RVs and powerboats. The Internet is a good resource for how to do this). To prevent condensation freezing inside your car’s fuel tank and consequently water getting into the engine, you should keep your fuel tank filled to at least halfway during winter. Most people keep their vehicles plugged into a “block heater” throughout the coldest months. This is to keep the engine oil fluid enough for the pistons to move. And, because batteries (of all types) are very susceptible to the cold, a lot of people use battery blankets in their cars, which act much like electric blankets on beds. If you are going to be driving even a short distance out of town, you should stock your vehicle with an emergency kit that consists of items such as: extra clothing, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit, a pocket knife, a blanket (or sleeping bag), newspapers (for insulation and/or as fire starter), waterproof matches, candles (and a tin can on which to set the candle), a collapsible shovel, tools, booster cables, safety flares, a bag of sand or kitty litter (for traction), bottled water and some snacks. (Incidentally, the candles have a two-fold purpose: They not only give light but also warm the car by a few degrees. A cell phone would be nice but don’t rely on there being satellite reception wherever you break down). While SUVs are not necessary, a four-wheel drive vehicle does perform better on icy roads than an ordinary two-wheel drive vehicle. Subaru and Toyota make smaller SUVs known for fuel efficiency and low emissions. Having said that, because of the cold it’s often easier to walk rather than drive. You may be convinced of this when you hear the ghastly sound even a new car makes while it warms up. When it is really cold (-30s and colder), you have to warm up your car for about 5 minutes before driving off (not forgetting to unplug your block heater before doing so). Another advantage to walking is that there might not be an electricity source where you are going, in which case you’ll be lucky if your car starts after having stood for even a few hours in extreme cold. Private parking lots are fitted with electrical outlets but there is generally a cost involved for renting such a space. In extreme cold (-40s) some people believe you should leave your car idling in the parking lot while you are, for example, out buying groceries. This is neither necessary nor good for the environment. If you are not gone long, although your car will be cold when you get into it, it will start just fine. A “command start” is handy for warming up a car a few minutes before one wishes to drive. Prior to putting on all your outdoor clothing, you can just walk over to a window and point your remote control starting device at your vehicle and, with the push of a button, your vehicle will start. Given the hard work that running a car can be in the north, some people prefer to find accommodation close to their place of work and forego the car. Walking can be one way of staying healthy both physically and emotionally. For the parents of young children who’d like to protect them from the cold while enjoying the outdoors, a three-wheel stroller made by Chariot Carriers Inc could be the answer. It is winter that proves this stroller’s worth (as opposed to summer, where one might be disappointed by its inefficient bug netting). Inside the synthetic shell of the stroller, children are protected from the wind chill, which is the biggest worry as exposed skin can freeze in minutes. On very cold days the stroller’s plastic cover freezes stiff and the slightest manipulation or finger pressure can put a hole in it, so remember to be gentle with it. However, should it get damaged, replacement covers are (in our experience) available at cost through Overlander Sports; apparently the manufacturers recognise this northern hazard. A tip for those very cold days: If you need to fold up the stroller and bring it inside after your walk, apply Vaseline to the metal “securing pins” inside the stroller. If you don’t they will freeze in place. If you are getting about on foot with a young baby, wear the baby in a front-carrying baby pouch under a large parka. The idea, of using one’s body warmth to keep the baby warm, is similar to the traditional way in which Inuit women have long carried their babies in large hoods on the back of their parkas (known as an “amauti”). Household When it is very cold, it is possible for the pipes in your house or apartment to freeze if they are exposed to cold. This can be costly as frozen pipes often burst and cause water damage. To avoid this happening, never leave doors or windows open. You can always open them for short periods of say 5 minutes, to get fresh air into your home. Or, you can leave a single window open by 1cm, for temperatures not colder than –25. However, if your pipes do freeze (and you live in a rental property) contact your building management immediately. They will send a maintenance person around with what’s called a “buzz box”. This machine is then attached to the pipes, with clamps, and sends an electric current through them to heat them and break down accumulated ice. If you live in a trailer home, of which there are many in Yellowknife, a good way to avoid frozen pipes is to put the plug in the bath whenever anyone showers. Removing the plug afterward will then release a substantial volume of hot water to flush out any ice that may be accumulating in the pipes. Another system of thawing pipes is provided by contractors in town. Steam is used to melt the frozen section of pipe. In poorly insulated, older homes, you can keep your winter heating costs down by insulating the windows with plastic. This insulating method is made easy by insulating kits available from most hardware stores. Each kit contains a thin, clear plastic sheet and double-sided tape. You stick the tape to the wall around the window and cut the plastic to overlap the tape by an inch or two. Then you peel back the paper from the double-sided tape and stick the plastic to the tape. Once the plastic is in place, you begin at one corner and sweep a hair dryer, on a medium setting, back and forth about an inch away from the plastic. The plastic will tighten up and become tight as a drum. A sealed air space is created which increases the insulation at the window, reducing the ice crystal build-up that can detract from a view out the window and reducing drafts. If you live in a home heated with propane, you should be aware that propane freezes at –42 degrees C. When the temperature starts to drop to this level, this’ll be your cue to dash outside and drape blanket heaters over that outdoor tank. Children In winter, teach your children not to pet foxes, to look out for snowmobiles, not to lick metal surfaces, and not to walk on the ice until you give the all clear. Northern winters can be long. In Yellowknife, November and December are known for being the darkest months, and at its worst, the sun just peeps above the horizon from 11am to 3:00pm. January and February, although dazzlingly bright, are the coldest months and young children tend to spend a lot of time indoors during this period. So be prepared to work hard at keeping their world interesting if you wish to avoid resorting to TV. You could show them what happens to bubble blow at -30 degrees (the bubbles freeze solid then shatter, rather than burst). Or you could wait for a day of -40, and show them what happens to boiling water when it is tossed into the air outside (I’m told it makes a cracking sound and forms ice crystals as it falls to the ground). Or you could demonstrate to your children how the colder it is, the farther sound travels. To do this, stand about 500 metres from them and watch them marvel at how clearly they can hear you. And, of course, you could help them build a snow person, to hold their yearning gazes from indoors. Incidentally, in dry places such as Yellowknife, it is impossible to build a snow person in the conventional way because the snow is too dry to compact. Instead, try filling a few Rubbermaid containers with snow, stamp it down, then fill some more, followed with more stamping. Leave it outside for a few nights to set and bring the containers inside for about 5-10 minutes to loosen from the box. Lastly, take the containers outside, and empty them so that they stack on top of each other, leave for a day to “set”, and carve into a snow person. For winter birthday parties, add a festive touch by lighting the way up your driveway or outside stairs with ice candles. These you make by filling old yoghurt containers (or anything else) with water and leave to freeze until only a shallow central core is unfrozen. For special effects you could even tint the water with food colour (before freezing). Then you pour the excess water out and drop in a tea candle. If you have very young children, you’ll soon become aware of their penchant for eating snow. This is hard to discourage but not a good idea. Canadian Arctic snow tested in the 1990s was found to contain hydrocarbons and pesticides from Eurasia. Yellowknife snow is therefore unlikely to be pristine either. Winter Blues Seven months of winter, a considerable period of which is spent indoors, coupled with little sunlight can give rise to the winter blues; or even the more serious affliction of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). One way to counteract this is to use some full-spectrum fluorescent lighting in your home. This light mimics natural daylight and is good for growing plants under. Watching things grow in winter has great emotional value too. The Other Seasons In spring, the stronger daylight reflected on the snow will mean that the whole family (including babies), will need sunglasses with UV protection. Although one can buy cheaper sunglasses that also claim 100% UV protection, this is only a coating and tends to wear off quickly. Proper UV protection is ground into the lens. Spring is also time to unpack those gumboots because of the melt. And, if you like hiking and don’t like wearing pesticide, this is the time to be out and about before the bugs arrive. In summer, you will soon realise that you’re in the “land of the midnight sun”. The sun doesn’t go down until after midnight and then we have a few hours of uneasy twilight before it rises up doggedly again. These long daylight hours make sleep especially difficult for children. Some people put tinfoil up on the windows to keep the sun out and make the rooms dark enough to sleep in. Doing this destroys the argon gas inside some insulated windows. If you don’t want to hang dark curtains, you can alternatively, just buy an extendable shower rail for each window, put them up and hang dark bed sheets from each in the evening. And if the light really bothers anyone, some companies do sell blinds that are guaranteed to keep the light out. In summertime, teach your children not to wander off into the bush on their own, and avoid letting them swim in lakes where there is a lot of wood floating about. Leeches are commonly found in those lakes. If, however, a leech does attach itself, a dose of salt will encourage it to let go. The summer season is also bug season. Mosquitoes and black flies are numerous. Usually Yellowknife itself is not too bad because there is often a breeze off Great Slave Lake. Bug jackets (jackets with netting over the area of the face and elastic at the wrists and waist) can be worn, if one wishes to avoid bug spray. These jackets are available in stores around town. Using unscented soaps helps to keep insects at bay and mosquitoes are attracted by dark clothes, so wear light-coloured clothing. In fall, familiarise yourself with local mushrooms. There are quite a few that grow in the north, some are tasty and some are nasty. If you have children who are apt to put things in their mouths, at the very least, learn to identify poisonous mushrooms such as Fly Agaric; Destroying Angel; Sweat-Producer; Bearded Milk Cap; False Morel; Deadly Galerina; Poison Paxillus; and the Felt Ringed Meadow Mushroom. And again, if you like hiking and don’t like wearing pesticide, autumn is the best time to be out and about after the bugs die down (normally by about mid-August). Pets The only animals that can handle living outdoors are husky dogs. All other pets should be allowed inside during the extreme cold. Cats are particularly susceptible to the cold and during extreme cold should be trained to use a litter box rather than go outside. Cats are at risk to foxes, regardless of the season. Like people, pets can also suffer frostbite if exposed to cold and ice for an extended period. If your animal has difficulty walking after having been outside, check it’s paws for frostbite. Cats’ ears are also particularly susceptible. The skin could blister or it could change from pink to a whitish colour. If you suspect this is the case contact your vet immediately. Miscellaneous Avoid moisturisers and creams that contain glycerine. Glycerine relies on moisture in the atmosphere to keep the skin hydrated. When there is little moisture in the air, the glycerine draws on the moisture in the skin and dehydrates it. A friend of mine, who has a Ph.D. in Chemistry, suggested that vaseline is actually the best 'moisturiser' as it acts as a barrier to the loss of moisture from surface skin. In her view, this is all these ointments do anyway as very little penetrates beyond the outer layer of the skin (which is largely dead). Got a caribou hide that you want to look after? Either keep it outside in an unheated garage or store it in your freezer. This is because caribou hide sheds its hair if kept in an ambient temperature. In a dry climate like Yellowknife, wooden furniture needs to be oiled or it will split. Suggested further reading:
Contact me by clicking here. My thanks to our dear friend, Pattie Beales, for her contributions and edits. |
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