Far North Friday: Up Late
Summer evenings in the far north were memorable.
As a child, I loved to stay up late (meaning 9 PM), mostly because that was like the forbidden fruit. Normally, children went to bed early. I am humoured now because as an adult, I still go to be early, but I love mornings and am working on the computer by 6:30 AM. Early to seep - early to rise.
Summer evenings in the Far North were memorable because many adults and kids were out on the community streets until close to midnight. Why were so many people up late? The farther north you go, the longer is the twilight. I recall playing baseball in a northern British Columbia town called Cassiar at 11 PM. There was lots of light and we never had artificial lights on the baseball field (I was a terrible player, by the way). It was as though you had 3 months to enjoy and store up the light before winter darkness set in.
Back in Ontario, we found the best way to meet community people was to walk around the community after dinner. We could walk, play, or just talk with people up to midnight. But it is the kids I remember so fondly. The streets were full of kids out playing. Usually, several kids would walk around with us around the community. Some were kids we met while visiting classrooms in the school. Others kids were friendly and wanted to walk and talk. It was a great way to spend the evening and meet new people.
It there was one bad side of summer evenings, it was the calm air filled with hordes of thirsty mosquitoes!
But, regardless, summer evenings in the far north were memorable.
Children (left: Katy Sugarhead; right: Kris Sugarhead) just being themselves at the playground, in Fort Hope (Eabametoong First Nation), Ontario, Canada. They were baking a pie, as I recall. Photo composed by Andy Fyon, July 22, 2002.
Derek Armstrong, (retired now, Ontario Geological Survey) with a group of excited kids, in the evening, on the streets of Marten Falls (Marten Falls First Nation), Ontario, Canada, looking at digital photos in the days when digital cameras were still a novelty. Photo composed July 24/02.
Two children (left: Chrystyna Atlookan-Spence; right: Irene Boyce), Eabametoong First Nation, Fort Hope, Ontario, Canada, who joined us at the lake, playing with rocks in the evening light. Photo composed by Andy Fyon, Aug. 25/03.
(Note, I am always uncertain when I post photos of children, but I selected these old photos and share with respect to show the innocence of of the next generation and their contagious joy.)
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Feb. 5, 2021 (Facebook Jan. 15/21)