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True North Calling

7 myths about living in Canada's North

“The life that I like to live can only be lived up here," says Franco in True North Calling, a series that debunks more than a few myths about life in Canada's North.
True North Calling ·

In True North Calling we meet people living Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories who have built rich lives and who wouldn't live anywhere else. There are so many ideas about what it's like to live in these remote regions, but so few of them are true. Here are some myths about the living in Canada's North debunked:

1. It's cheap to live up there because it's so remote

Iqaluit native Franco Buscemi prefers hunting over grocery shopping. (True North Calling / CBC)

Unfortunately the remoteness also makes the North one of the most expensive places to live. From housing shortages to high heating bills, most grocery staples will will set you back a pretty penny (think $20 orange juice).

2. There's no good music up North

The Jerry Cans perform at Iqaluit's Legion (True North Calling)

Don't tell that to a Jerry Cans fan. Just head down to Iqaluit's legion to see a community rock out. The music scene is growing so much, Nunavut even has its own record label, Aakuluk Music.

3. There's no fresh food in the North

(Organic farming near Whitehorse | True North Calling)

Whitehorse-area organic farmers Bart and Kate are working to make sustainable food a reality with their farm near Whitehorse, where they supply their community with fresh produce in the warmer months.

And while seagull eggs might not sound like a delicacy, Iqaluit's Franco Buscemi says they're rich and flavourful, especially when served over a campfire lunch with whitefish and caribou meat. Parents like Shawn Buckley, who takes his young son Kijel ice fishing, are teaching a new generation to live off the land.

4. You'll need to sink a lot of money into an expedition parka so you don't freeze

Not so, says northern blogger Anubha Momin, who made her own three-layered custom parka based on Inuit innovation and design.

5. You can't get a job in media

There might not be a lot of media jobs, but that doesn't say you can't make your own. "We Googled a lot 'how to make a TV show,'" say Stacey Aglok Macdonald, who launched Qanurl, a comedy show shot in Inuktitut (with English subtitles)

Be sure to check out one also several films that were shot in the North, many of them winners of prestigious awards.

6. You can't be an entrepreneur in the North

(Reindeer herd near Inuvik | True North Calling)

With the right business idea, the North is the perfect location, especially for tourism. Kylik Kisoun Taylor has an Inuvik-based business that takes tourists to herd of reindeer, showing them northern life. Shawn Buckley takes tourist boats on Great Slave Lake to experience northern fishing culture, and to amplify his own commercial fishing business.

7. The Arctic landscape is all snow

Check out these stunning aerial views from Iqaluit to Yukon to Inuvik: the landscape is rich, diverse and beautiful (and so much more than snow).

(Yukon from above | True North Calling)

And if you're looking for a day-to-day view of life in Nunavut, follow these Instagrammers who capture their daily life and epic nature of their surroundings.