This is the aptly named town of Alert in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, in Canada. ‘Town’ is a bit of a stretch, it’s more a series of buildings with a varying population. But with the site continuously inhabited since 1950 and its arctic location just 508 miles from the North Pole, this is the northernmost place on the planet with a permanent human presence.
Wildlife in Alert, Canada, is very limited due to its harsh polar desert environment, with polar bears occasionally visiting the area. While other Arctic mammals like hares, muskox, and arctic wolves have been sighted, the biodiversity is scarce, supporting few other animals besides these occasional visitors.(Photos by Mircea Costina, Xiaoying Shi, Dave, Fitawoman)
“Nonetheless, life has found a way. For nearly 75 years, humans have lived in some shape or form at this most extreme of locations.”