World's most northern settlement: Alert, Nunavut aka "The top of the world"
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- Have you heard of Alert, Nunavut? The northernmost continuously inhabited settlement in the world located in Nunavut, Canada. Alert is in the Canadian arctic and runs all year round.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Flying to the arctic
01:14 Welcome to Alert!
01:48 First sunrise of the year
02:57 All about Alert
03:42 Habitation tour
05:52 "Embrace the peace"
06:51 How Alert runs all year-round
08:23 Arctic animals
08:45 Fuel in Alert
14:08 Thank you
📍 Locations and links
Alert, Nunavut
Filmed Nov 2021 & Feb 2022
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Hi there, we're Tom and Angel!
An adventurous couple from Canada who’ve always had a love for travel and the outdoors. So far, we’ve have travelled to 35 countries together!
Since moving from our hometown of Toronto to the beautiful west coast of British Columbia, we’ve been able to experience more of the outdoors than we ever have before. In October 2022, we decided to take the leap. We got on a one-way flight and started slow travelling full time while working our remote jobs.
Join us in our adventures as we live in different countries, seek authentic experiences, try new foods, and learn everything we can about this beautiful world we live in!
How long do you think you could live in Alert for?
I’d like to try a year. 😊
6-12mths if I worked.
I live in Northern Greenland but Alert? MUCH MUCH further north, is colder than here, pitch black in winter (we don't see sun but there is 'light'). Alert seems to have what we dont have in our town- an awesom cinema- it looks so cozy there.
That said, the daily change of icebergs outside & the tundra is entertaining & beautiful enough to satisfy. Unfortunately the coffee sucks in GL. Besides some cafes in Nuuk, most serve coffee coloured water. They have yet to understand that an espresso needs espresso beans. :P But I love it here anyway.
I'd like to try maybe 3 or so months. Maybe longer if I like it
I have a friend who spent 14 months there. I only spent the mandated 6
A week
I found this place while bored and trying to find the most remote villages in Canada. Stumbled across and then found your video. Incredible, id love to go there
Awesome, thank you!
My dad used to have to travel to Alert a couple of times a year for a safety inspection. He used to be amazed at the amounts of fossilized wood he found, so high above the tree line, and laying on the surface of the ground. I remember the T-shirt he brought me from Alert that said 'Alert Airways, we only fly south'.
It's amazing what you can find in such remote places. And that's an amazing shirt idea! I wish they had those when I was there!
We only fly south.... Lol
Imagine not finding a single photo in Google map but an entire video.
👍🏼Keep it up sir.
Thanks a ton
Hello from Verkhoyansk, Russia. In 2013 there was a truck expedition from Russia to Canada. They drove over the North Pole and passed by Alert up to Resolute Bay.
So cool! I will be looking that up!
I just looked up your town, you're way out there!
Right! You can drive there! I've been trying to figure out how to go, I have questions about that area ;) Look it up on google earth and explore the coastline north and you'll see what I mean. Why do they call it 'Alert', for example ;)
They named it after the HMS Alert that spent a winter there way back in the day, long before the station was built.
Nice :) Have you ever looked on Google Earth at the area just north of it? Please do. Follow the coastline and fjords all the way around to the north coast too, and inland. Notice that at Alert, you can even zoom in on the buildings. then.. well, go see for yourself.@@AnywhereGoes
Thanks for the memories. I have had 5 trips to ALERT through the 1990s. I built the hose hut you work in at the tarmac in 1991. If you search up in the purloins you will find my name written on them. I also had much work constructing the two power plants. Your video brought back many fond memories. Thanks CF ( my initials.
That's so cool! Thanks for building that stuff. I wouldn't have gotten to go without them.
I did a six month tour of duty in the late sixties. At the time there was a mountain of empty oil drums as all fuel was transported to Alert in 45 gallon drums. 😊Also the bay was the dumping ground for anything and everything as all material was on a one way trip to the station. Nice to see they’re more environmentally friendly these days.
Ahhh the millionaires' dump. I've heard legends of Alert from back in the day. It's come a long way.
That's a beautiful shot of seeing the sun rise between Mount Crystal and Mount Pollen. I remember it setting this past October, and it was just as breathtaking.
Love the Arctic animal break!
Haha thanks, that was fun!
I have always had curiosity about remote places. This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for watching!
As someone who’s not only lived in Iqaluit for a year but worked at the FBO that handles the military aircraft that pass through on their way up and down from Alert, I’ve always wondered what it’s like up there. I’d love to go someday if that’s even a possibility. I’m so grateful that you’ve shared this experience with us!
The FBO was a LIFE-SAVER on my way up! They hooked me up with my first real coffee after two weeks of quarantine and getting on that plane at 3am. Thank you!
@@AnywhereGoes 🫡 At your service, rain, snow or shine! I wasn’t there when you went up, my contract was up by then but I had some early flights! And it was always a pleasure working with the RCAF and their clients. It was always funny picking up the crews from the barracks and bringing them for shawarma on the way into the airport haha
this is way more interesting than you think it would be
Thanks for that! I thought so too.
I had a buddy do a rotation up there in the late 80's, as radar repair tech for the CAF, and the way he explained the place it has definitely improved since he was up there. He described it as a couple buildings where you played cards for a few months.
I've heard the stories. It's definitely come a long way.
my dad held a maintenance contract with alert for years, i grew up with stories of the landscape and dreamed of going myself one day, but dont think ill ever get there. it was nice to finally see it like this
Glad I was able to give you a glimpse. There's so much out there to explore that I wasn't able to get to. Hopefully one day you do get to go.
I love seeing the behind-the-scenes operations of remote places like this. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for tour
Thanks for visiting!
Watching from New Haven, Connecticut! I can’t imagine how cold it is during the heart of winter
I'd say it's really not that bad, but it kind of is... Lol
Great video would love to visit it the future.
Great video. I've worked the ice roads out of Yellowknife a couple winters, while the days were short there was daylight for a few hours. I started at an iron mine on Baffin Island this summer, got to see 24 hour daylight, this will be my first winter above the Arctic Circle and in 24 hour dark. Kudoos on ya for getting up to Alert for work. Feather in the cap man! Cheers
The 24 hour night thing really messed me up the first time I went! Ice roads are no joke, you've got a tough job. Stay safe out there!
Very cool to learn about Alert's infrastructure
I was in Alert in 1977 helped the engineers to replace the water line 😊.
Thank you so much for these videos. It's incredible to see the day to day in these places you visit.
Watched a few of your videos now, always wondered why you were visiting all of these northern places. Figured there was a motif beyond making videos. It's neat to see what you do for a living and where it takes you. Pretty neat job.
Can’t believe this video doesn’t have more views. Such a pleasant, polished, and educational video with a delightful host. Thank you for making my day! Subscribe ⭐️
As the host, thank you. All the rest was what Angel was able to put together. She really is incredible. Glad you enjoyed!
Gained my view today!
I’ve always been curious to learn more about this place and this video came up at the right time! Very well done 🙌
Awesome! Thank you!
This seems even more remote then the town in the '30 Days of Night' movie!
That's incredible! Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for the video! I used it to study about the innuitian mountains region, and it's living conditions.
As someone who worked there but never could get video quality like this, I'm very thankful I can show them how my stay was like!
I miss it, thank you very much for sharing this video!
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing all that interesting info on how you handle the fuel to keep the place running. What an amazing opportunity to be able to say « made it ma, top of the world!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the video, I really enjoyed seeing up north.
Our pleasure!
Great video, thanks for sharing
Love the whole of your vids! Instant fan!
We're so happy you like them! Welcome, glad you're here!
Thank you for the great videos. It's a good chance I may never get to these places but seeing your videos, feels like I'm there.
Glad I could take you along 😀
Great video. Loved the sunrise and selected music.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this video! Always been fascinated by life way up north, especially Alert! I had no idea it was so big, although it makes sense considering the conditions.
It's somehow bigger and smaller than you'd expect it to be at the same time.
Thanks for the video! I now definitely want to explore Nunavut!
You should!
so beautiful sunrise!!!
I absolutely love this video! Especially because I spent about 3 weeks at Alert in 2016. It's a really amazing and special place. There was also a special trip out to the Ice caves when I was there, We took this. Really cool vehicles with the tracks on both sides with the trailer. Alert also has the best water in the world, pump from deep down in a lake nearby and it's pretty much completely pure. I really wanted to bring a bunch of bottles back but since I flew on commercial airlines after getting off the flight from Alert I couldn't bring bottled water.
I was supposed to go to the ice caves but a really nasty storm rolled in so I didn't get the chance :(
Thanks for the video!
Thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks...
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for your work.
My pleasure!
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure!
This video made my night it is so cool watching videos about places I don't know much about.
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for sharing. So interesting to see!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for making the video
My pleasure!
Loved this thank you
I know that feeling of “embracing the peace” cause two years I got to visit Iceland and I remember moments driving on route one to other towns and just being in awe with such incredible sights and no one around me at all. It felt like being in a different planet and I was all for it lol
Great Video!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Would love to visit someday. Thanks for sharing!
You should!
What an awesome 'flashback' to find!! I served as the Zippo at CFS Alert in 1998 when it was still done by those of us in the Canadian military (I'm still serving 36+ years). Back then the role also included managing all the station's hazmat - is it still that way? My morning routine began with ensuring the Day Tank was topped up .... followed by a hot coffee on the beach! Thank you for the memories!! If you're on station for the wet Boxtop ... I'd love to see a flashback then too!!
That's amazing! The role has changed a bit since then. They have a role for Hazmat that handles all the waste. My day started with filling the powerplant, followed by coffee at the beach or in the powerplant. So, similar.
I was there for a boxtop and I tried to film but had too many issues. Turns out batteries don't like being cold haha.
Thanks for watching!
I liked the video, it is nice to see the care and forethought given to prevent stills and accidents. Thanks for showing us the sunrise and also the wildlife. Stay toasty my friend!🔥
Thanks friend 🍞🔥
Greetings from the US! I'm glad I came across your channel.
Hello there! Happy to have you! Where in the US are you from?
@@AnywhereGoes I am from Pittsburgh
Nice! We've actually been to Pittsburgh, I thought it was a really cool city.
Huge thanks from all the way down in Australia. I just saw Alert on Google Map and was hoping to find a few photos but was lucky enough to stumble upon this.
I was there for 1 day in early 70's. Amazing place. Spent 9 days in Thule.
I didn't get to visit Thule but I heard it's really cool!
Props to you, Sir :)
Greetings from Hong Kong! Thank you for satisfying my curiosity about this remote place. Last snow in HK is decades ago🤣
Thanks for watching! We tried to make it to HK this year but sadly we couldn't. We're glad you're curious about our country because we're curious about yours too!
Wow what a fascinating video! This video was suggested after watching your video on Iqaluit. I was surprised to see that Iqaluit is such a large city, I assumed Iqaluit was a few dozen buildings like I see in some of the high Arctic outposts. I have followed the temperatures in Pond Island, Grise Ford and Alert every morning for about 15 years and read the Nunatsiaq News each night so I have a fair bit of knowledge about the High Arctic I live in Southern New England USA BTW. I thought Alert was nothing more than an airport and weather station with less than a dozen people stationed there. Such an extreme place, so interesting, you are so lucky to be able to spent some time there. It's approximately 500 miles from the North Pole and other than Greenland there are very few places farther north.
It truly was an incredible opportunity!
Unreal that such places exist, nice video:)
It really is!
Thank you for helping to maintain Canadian sovereignty over this precious territory.
I can't do much, but I tried to do something.
Thank-you, very informative 👌 video 🎥, makes Svalbard seem quite tropical 🥶 happy trails 👣
Been there 5 times ('79, '83, '87, '91/92, '96) for two years in total. Saw lots of changes over the years!
I could only imagine!
Thank you for the wonderful video, it was super fun to learn about life in remote places near the north pole!
Great video, 💯
Thanks 💯
Guys - just discovered your channel today and I absolutely love it... you're going to so many of the places that are on my list. So number 1 on my lifelong bucket list is Alert! Is it possible that a civilian without work in Alert can visit? I need to stand in Alert!
I don't think civilians can just visit, but I'm sure if you reached out to the CAF they'd be better equipped to answer you.
I actually live not too far from Alert, and it's quite the experience!
Where's that?
Fantastic video! :D
Glad you liked it!
Sometimes, i wonder i can go to the remote place . Thanks for the video
That was really educational 👍
Thanks!
Awesome video man. My dad was up there for 6 months with the Navy in the late 70s, he ran a radio station up there. I joined the Army at 17 and was lucky enough to go to Nunavut in 2003 for a training exercise for a few weeks. We were in Pang and Iqaluit during September so we had some sun. Ate so much Arctic Char and rice.
They got a nice setup there.
Safe Travels ✌️.
That place in the 70s was a different world by the stories I've heard. That's cool that you got to spend some time in Nunavut too.
@@AnywhereGoes gonna show him this video when I go home to Nova Scotia for the holidays, see what he thinks of how it's changed.
Can you let me know how he reacts? Or if he has any good stories? I had a blast up there and hearing the stories from some of the older guys was awesome.
@@AnywhereGoes yes sir.
Did you get the chance to talk to him?
Greetings from New Hampshire!
would love to go there or even live there for a bit, al though its small its got everything you need. A place for gamers (pc or board), a place for your hobbies, a place to connect, a place to enjoy. Also the night and day cycles are gorgeous.
It really is pretty sweet
Interesting video
Glad you think so!
looks nice
very interesting video of Nunavut from a smart person like you.I wonder if any one or some groups had experienced camping there?thank you
Two things on this.
1. I know that in the "summer" they do group trips from the station and I think in the past they've camped.
2. It's actually at the very top of Quttinirpaaq National Park, where people definitely camp
I read a short book titled "The Fox, The Wolf, and the Zoo" by Karl Plesz. It's about his personal tour at CFS Alert. I emailed the author for a while, asking him questions about this amazing place that so few people on this earth will ever be able to see in person.
Very cool
@@AnywhereGoes So how long were you in Alert for, and what time of year was it?
I went up twice for 8 weeks each. Once in the winter and once in the spring.
How do you only have 2.6K subscribers!?
Thanks for visiting, please spread the word!
Why did I not find this channel earlier!
You found us! Yay! Welcome! :)
I went up in 2004/5, great experience, wouldn't go back :) Love the video reminder. #TheZoo
It's so cool how many people have visited.
#Monsters #TheZoo #Chimo #HoC - a bar in every one of them in '98.
Was the same when I was there.@@golanvern
Nunavut and North West Territories are the final places I need to visit to say I've been to every Canadian province and territory.
I find Alert so intriguing, I'd love to visit! Thank you for your videos 😊
They're definitely worth the time
@@AnywhereGoes Maybe one day Alert will allow tourists to visit. I saw your Iqaluit video first and definitely looks like a unique and fun place to check out.
@@x0x0lishx0x0 Hey I've been all over the 3 territories, been to almost every village in Nunavut. If I had to choose one? Pangnirtung. Hands down, nothing else comes even close. Trust me. Second place is Pond Inlet. Have fun!
I think I may have just stumbled across the answer to my question on your previous Iqaluit video.
Haha you did indeed!
I always thought this place was off limits. So, it is neat to see it. When Buffalo Airways landed there a few years ago during their 'Ice Pilots' TV show, the plane was ringed by armed military guards and the crew was only allowed out to inspect the airplane.
Yeah, it's not for the general public.
The principle reason it is there is because it's closer to Moscow than anywhere else in North America. It's primary mission is as a listening post, secondarily it does the weather monitoring.
I did four tours between 1977-1989...
lets hope that 1 day alert (canada) will be like a city/town for people to go to for tourism, to live, to accommadate, to go for trips and breaks, adventures, expiditions, to have fun!!! e.t.c, get the right constructions, foundations e.t.c, everything is possible when you put your mind to it!!!, alert (canada) is a wonderful inspiring place!!!😁👍👍👌👌😁😎😎😉
That would be cool!
It looks so interesting, just a weird little facility, but like many Canadians, I've often stared at that map point and thought "I wonder if I could ever visit there, what would it be like?" Well, now I know a bit more.
My uncle was such a gung-ho world traveller, he went to every place he could manage (every continent, even Antarctica). He wanted to go to Alert, but being neither a military guy nor a scientist, nor a specialist technician like our videographer here, they flat-out told him no.
I have to wonder though: if the facility is so dependent on fuel, I wonder if wind turbines could survive the cold and supply some additional power.
The obvious issue of the sun either being out or not, for months, precludes solar PV, but what about wind? How windy is it up there ?
(I know some have proposed using Small Modular [nuclear] reactors in the far north as well.)
Not sure about the wind idea. But they do have some solar. It helps a lot in the sunny season
you should have did a cold start video of the machines up there !!!
Honestly, I kind of want to go back just to film all the great ideas in the comments that I didn't think of at the time.
Very intriquing, very cold, what's it like in "summer" there? Does anything grow there? Nice job
It's average high is 10°C and there are grasses and flowers and lichens
Very interesting, hopefully one day I will get to visit. Is it not a risk showing this though given that this is a military base and the fuel systems would be a target in the unlikely event someone invades?
Certain areas are off limits. But the station itself we're allowed to share. And it's so small that the fuel system is pretty obvious to spot
I was there for about a year total. By the looks of it, I’m assuming you were a zippo or worked in the power plant.
Zippo 2! :)
God, this is so different from where I live. Right now, the absolute coldest it gets is like 3°C, and that's only in the early morning. Right now it's 16°C, and I consider that chilly! Guess I shouldn't complain about the weather here in Guadalajara.
Guadalajara sounds like a dream! We so want to visit one day.
So cool! How often do you go up there Tommy?
Got to go up twice for work. 8 weeks apart. Unfortunately, I had to leave that job, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
@@AnywhereGoes nice!!! Was so cool to see a place I’ll prob never get the chance to go. Looks like you two are on quite an adventure. Ever coming back to toronto?
im from ky usa and it rlly is crazy to me having snow on the ground almost year round... like i only had snow for 2 days last winter ;-;
Looks like fallout in a way
This is crazy though. Id love to go here!
Breathtaking video! It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to visit Alert. I’d be happy to pitch in however I can! How did you find that opportunity? Do you know where I might be able to find something?
I was lucky enough that someone found my resume online. There are lots of civilian jobs up there!
They hire cooks and cleaners if you can't operate heavy machinery. Environment Canada always has a few up there. There's also the extremely rare opportunity if you are a performer to go for special occasions. @@AnywhereGoes
So they do need people for employment then.. non military or people in the science field I mean. @@AnywhereGoes
I believe most of the science jobs would be through Environment Canada.
Gossip level = 1000
So much gossip!
Was reading about the base. In the hay day there was a curling rink and many other buildings. Are they still there? Are all the habitation building still used. I read there used to be alot more people there when base was fully active
There are a bunch of buildings. Everything is still used, although not always for their original purpose. The curling rink is now a cold storage building, and the bowling alley is an archery range and part of the main gym.
They still use all the Habs buildings, in the winter it's pretty quiet but in the summer they max out the space.
@@AnywhereGoes thank you
You should have toured the Tauntaun stables! I hear they smell bad but they'll keep you warm.
Love that! Hoth never seemed so habitable.
I would seriously love to be there for some months. Any idea about job prospects up there or what should I pursue? Or is it solely military site?
I was up there as a civilian tradesperson.
Do you think Alert would convert to solar panels for some of it's power at some point? I know someone who flies into northern communities to build them.
I get asked this a lot. They don't get much sun and when they do it stays pretty low in the sky. But! They do have a couple of rigs testing the potential of switching over.
Cool job. How long were you there? Beard got long!
It was helpful with the cold lol.