The Grid’s resident Brit discovers Toronto, one lunch hour at a time.
The National Film Board’s Mediatheque at John and Richmond is popular with the lunchtime crowd, mostly for the 6,000 films in its free digital library. But I went for another reason: to build an igloo.
To mark the release of the NFB’s Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories DVD, about Inuit life in the Arctic, the Mediatheque has created a life-sized replica igloo, made in its “interactive lounge,” out of about 100 Styrofoam blocks. Anyone can drop in and have a go at assembling it.
Though the NFB folks have built the baseand part of the wall for you, it’s still a tricky two-person job. One person must scout for the right-shaped block from the dozens on the floor, while the other sits inside the igloo trying to prevent the half-built wall from collapsing. It’s hilarious and a lot of fun, but a bit of Sellotape* wouldn’t have been amiss.
After about 20 minutes, having recruited NFB igloo-designer-in-chief Dan Thornhill to help, I completed my Styrofoam shelter. Apparently, building your first igloo is a rite of passage among the Inuit, so I think it’s fair to say I left the Mediatheque more of a man.
Time taken: 30 minutes.
Best fact: Experienced Inuit can carve the ice blocks and build a real igloo in a little over a lunch hour—about 90 minutes.
Rating (out of 5): 4
* Scotch tape
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