Even though this winter wonderland has many amenities at our disposal there are just some items that are unavailable up here. Below is a wish list of products that we’ll probably be asking our southern compatriots to ship up to us. Bear in mind we’re not asking for charity. Enough of that has been shown to us already. What we’re asking is for a select few to serve as the “middle man” (or woman) in the ordering process. We’ll provide the cost of the product and shipping. All you need to do is get it, pack it and send it up. Arrangements can and will be made via email or phone call prior to any purchase.
Etheridge (Ian or Suzanne)
PO Box 1045
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
| Legend | W – Walmart | L – Loblaws | S – Sobeys |
- (W L) Land O Lakes Cocoa Classics Hot Chocolate – AC sent us several of these in one of our first care packages and they were awesome. So much so that we ran through them during those really cold days. We want more. ;p
- (W L S ) Nabob Coffee (930g can) – This brand of coffee is up here but only in the small can variety. For the cost of shipping it up here it’d be a worthwhile investment. I got one prior to coming up here in November and opened it up our second week here. I still have a bit left in the canister so to say one can will last a while is an understatement.
- (W L S ) Energizer Lithium AA Batteries – Must be Lithium otherwise they won’t work on Suzanne’s pump. Please bear in mind I believe there are limitations on how many can be shipped so this will definitely have to be talked about prior to purchase.
- (W L S ) Crystal Light Singles – Any flavors. Mix it up. Can never have too many.
| Buk Barn Bonanza |
This is a special section for those brave souls willing to make a Bulk Barn run. We kept our local BB in business with the amount of visits we paid to them. Now that we’re up here we find ourselves feeling the sting of not having that convenience so close. Therefore if you’re heading there anytime in your immediate future and want to help out some desperate arctic folk, drop us a line and we’ll discuss quantities and prices. Below are some of the products we’ll be requesting:
- Y&Y Brand Chow Mein Noodles – This is typically found at any given Bulk Barn pre-packaged.
- Vegetarian Chicken Soup Base (#466) – Usually found in their soup mixes area.
- Assorted Hard, Soft and Chocolate Candies & Treats – Yeah yeah yeah. We know. The candy sucks up here though. It’s hard to find anything fresh and the Bulk Barn is ripe with goodies. Swedish Berries and Hot Lips are Suzanne’s preferred stock while I lean towards the Chocolate covered Peanuts and/or Raisins (basically chocolate covered anything is fine with me… or just plain ole chocolate itself). The Oriental Rice Cracker mix, Wasabi Peas, and Kickin Hot Crunch are also on the wanted list.
- Cocoa Powder – Cheaper than buying it up here.
- Salted Dry Roasted Peanuts -Mmmmmmmm… forbidden peanuts.
- Garlic & Onion Powder
- Sugar Twin / Sweet & Low
- Couscous
- Sea Salt (course)
- Milk Chocolate Chips – For baking… yeah. For baking. Really.
I'll Have Nunavut 
Hello there, I am a vegan and hoping to move to Nunavut in the next 12 months. I read on your blog that it may be difficult up there, just wondering if you can give me some insights on this topic? Thanks in advance! Ps – we are even considering moving as far North as Grise Fiord, and my husband thinks you can be vegan up there, with purchasing sea lift dry goods and getting frozen veggies via food mail. Is this true???
Hi Nadine…thanks for visiting! I’m not a vegan and I live in one of the cities where it’s a bit easier to be veg, but I can certainly give you some advice. The first part is that whatever your reasons for being vegan are, there are a LOT of people up here who are not. It’s definitely been interesting to meet people who become visibly excited at the mention of a seal dinner – but it’s something I’ve quickly adjusted to. Regardless, people eat what they eat, and if you have a veg agenda, sometimes it’s best checked at the door. People have generally respected the fact that I don’t eat meat, just as I respect the fact that they do.
Having said all that, the Northmart up here (and Ventures) have been fairly veg friendly. It’s fairly easy to find certain soy based products, though as you’re vegan, I’m not certain if you’d eat them all. I’m certain at least a few of them have egg or dairy products. However, sea lift is fantastic for purchasing a whole load of dry products (beans, grains, etc.) and stockpiling as long as you have the room to store them. The foodmail program is no longer…it’s been replaced by Nutrition North Canada…which is a similar program, but you definitely need to read up on it. The program doesn’t send through Canada Post anymore, instead it relies on the airlines. There are places like Marche (a supermarket chain in Quebec), or Country Grocer (we link to it on the blog) who are Nutrition North suppliers. You can order your food all through the year and get the subsidized prices for anything on the “healthy” foods list. Being vegan or veg up here is definitely possible…but it will be slightly more expensive, and can require some extensive planning at times. Keep in touch, especially if you have any other questions. We’d love to hear about your journey to Nunavut as well!
Hi Suzanne,
I am moving to Iqaluit by first week of September. I am a vegetarian like you. Looking at your blogs, I am confident that I may be able to survive. How Nutrition North assists to order the food items? Besides, I am a trained Canadian Red Cross emergency response team member. Would I get opportunities to volunteer? Also, what about the social life and entertainment facilities? Please advise whether I need to pack anything special?