Agritourism Destination

Northwest Territories

3 reviews • Updated 10 days ago

It is our mission to provide visitors from all over the world with an authentic experience of the unique atmosphere and culture of our home in Canada’s North. As a well-established tourism company, we are diversifying our impacts and create a more resilient business. Doing this is not only fulfilling our long term mission of developing a self-sustaining Arctic Eco-Village but also investigating innovative solutions to major obstacles facing communities in the North: food and housing insecurity, decolonizing our economy, capacity development, and cultural revitalization. Sustainable farming is not the only focus we have here, but we are continuously developing ideas and trying new farming methods. We are happy to find people from all over the world who are as motivated as we are to make living in the Arctic more sustainable. Organic methods: In the summer time, when we enjoy 24 hour sunshine, we grow our plants in greenhouses without the use of any chemical/artificial fertilizers. We reuse our compost and fish compost and our farming equipment is on its way to being 100 % solar powered soon. Since the community of Inuvik is located so far north, it is dependent on regular shipments from the South and not self-sustainable which has a huge impact on the environment and food prices. Our approach is contributing to a more sustainable life in Canada's Arctic. Certifications: The Okpik Arctic Village is still in the stage of development. We are going to apply for an official certification once we are set up properly. We welcome anyone who is legally allowed to work in Canada and understands the following: - We are an off-grid bush camp which means we do not have running water and no consistent power supply - Nothing is automatic – everything has to be done manually, including chopping wood, hauling water, shovelling snow, building and maintaining cabins/tents, cleaning the dog yard ... etc. - Farming is only possible in summer. If you stay with us in winter, there will be plenty of other exciting activities for you to join such as dog sledding, igloo building, ice fishing and much more – but NO farming. - The sun is always up in summer and always down in winter which can make it difficult for some people to sleep at night or to stay up during the day. Please make sure you feel comfortable with these unique conditions before you reach out. We recommend you do not visit us during 24 hour sunshine or darkness season if you struggle with your mental health (e.g. winter depression). - Temperatures can be very low here in winter – down to -50 C. We rent out proper winter gear to all wwoofers (depending on availabklity, no guarantee, please ask in advance!), but please understand that it is still colder than what most people have ever experienced before. - Due to the cold temperatures and the physical work you will burn more energy here than in the South. You will therefore need to eat more than you are used to (about 5,000 kcal more) including meat that is hunted locally. We cannot accept vegan or vegetarian wwoofers due to this. - As mentioned above, our work is very physical. We can therefore unfortunately not host wwoofers with physical disabilities and/or challenges. If you are elderly, please make sure you are comfortable with lifting heavy weights/handling excited sled dogs/chopping wood ... etc. before you reach out. - We currently have 24 sled dogs that we work with every day. We can therefore not accept any wwoofers who are allergic to dogs. Please understand that our dogs are work dogs who actively contribute to our safety and the success of the tour company and are therefore on a strict daily training schedule (including cuddles and massages of course, but it is still different from having pet dogs). - Our dogs live outside, but in order to keep them house-trained, you will have a different dog in your cabin every night to take care of. If you are not okay with having a dog in your cabin, please understand that we cannot consider your application. - Our camp language is English. You need to be proficient in speaking and understanding it. We understand that it is most likely not your native language, but please note that due to safety reasons it is necessary that you understand all instructions we give you to ensure a safe work and living environment. - Due to our very different life style (which it takes a while to get used to) our minimum length of stay is 4 weeks. Please do not reach out if you cannot stay for at least 4 weeks. (We highly recommend you stay longer because there is so much to learn and to experience here that 4 weeks is actually not enough time either.) - Life in the North is very costly. You do not have to pay for your stay with us of course, but please be prepared for costly flights and overnight stays on your way to/from Inuvik. If you are traveling on a very tight budget, maybe consider staying in the South. - Due to unpredictable weather conditions we ask you to head back to Inuvik the day before your scheduled departure to make sure you don't miss your flight. - We won't always be able to meet you at the airport. Depending on the season we meet you at the Inuvik boat launch, at the Tuk Highway or you can take a cab right to our bush camp in winter. Please note that cabs in Inuvik can be very costly as well. - If you have any health concerns, please let us know in advance (e.g. any allergies). If you wear glasses, please bring a replacement pair and contact lenses. You won't be able to replace your glasses here in the North if their break and they will constantly freeze/fog up in winter which will make it difficult to see. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WON'T BE ALLOWED TO MUSH (DRIVE A DOGSLED) IF YOU WEAR GLASSES. THE ICE UP AND YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE. - We cannot help with your immigration process. Please note that we do not provide invitation letters of any kind. (We can provide you with a reference after your stay with us though if you like.) If you are comfortable with off-grid life north of the Arctic Circle, please reach out to discuss the details. We will schedule a call (e.g. Google Meet, Zoom, WhatsApp or whatever works best for you) with all applicants to discuss details and answer all your questions. We might also be able to help you with your travel organization to/from Inuvik. When you reach out, please let us know which time zone you are currently in and when would be a good time for you to talk. We are looking forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to the North soon. :)

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Forestry

Wild foraging

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Meat processing

Bakery

Traditional crafts

Renewable energy production

Food justice / sovereignty

Methods or systems

Permaculture

Host type

Production farm

1.6 Hectares | 4 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Camper / RV

Campsite

Yurt / Tipi

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

Over a month

Kylik

Member since 2022

Languages spoken: English, German Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 6 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

Northwest Territories

Inuvik Airport (YEV)

Reviews

Claudia

Germany • August 2025

We had a fantastic time with Sofie and Kylik at their Arctic Camp in August 2025! We learned a lot about useful wild plants: We collected Labrador tea & different berries. The Arctic cuisine was also very interesting for us: We helped to process a whale, went fishing with the canoe & plucked a duck for the first time. Everything Sofie prepared tasted delicious: beaver, swan, snow hare, pike etc. We also learned a lot about dog keeping: All 24 dogs love to be cuddled, but at the same time we have to be very strict with them. They protected us from bears and wolves. Apart from the flora & fauna, it was very enriching for us to get to know the people of the Arctic. We learned a lot about their way of life and their history from Kylik. He once took us to Tuktoyatuk, where we had contact with some of the locals. Driving around with Kylik is great because together with him we got to know more than just the facades of the houses; he told us about how people live behind them. It's amazing to see how people have made themselves at home in this inhospitable region & how they manage their lives. It was a great surprise for us that we could be at the Arctic Ocean Music Festival in Tuk. That was really great fun! Our tasks were very varied, interesting & not too difficult. The work-life balance was absolutely fine. We are very grateful to Sofie & Kylik that they let us stay with them & let us learn so much. Not only did we work together, but we also had a lot of fun together!

Ivo

Canada • December 2023

Amazing. No other words. Kylik and Sophie are very friendly, helpful and do everything to make u a nice stay. The huskys are lovely and the puppies even more. The dog-sledding is just amazing.

Estelle

France • November 2023

Big thanks to everyone for the experience of a lifetime I was the only guest in October, what I did : -Fishing activities: collecting, transporting, filleting, cleaning, very cool, but quite hard when it's cold. -Dog farming: 16 dogs and 6 puppies that you have to feed, walk, train, clean after, and pet <3. When the lake froze, the sledding training became a real thing. Amazing. -Winterized the camp -Surviving: filling water, firewood, cleaning -Sidework in town Outside of work, I'm very grateful that Kylik and his family always let me tag along during all their adventures: hunting, hiking, ice skating, watching movies, playing music etc.I didn't feel like an employee but like a contributing part of the family. The Not-so-great : -Came for construction work, based on the documentary about the village, I asked if it was a good time, answer was yes, and I did almost none. -Messy cooking schedule: I had to cook for myself at 22H because nobody told me I was on my own or sometimes ate twice because I had already cooked something not knowing what to expect. -Lake of commons: people not cooking or eating together, stuff and ingredients scattered, therefore hard to cook, hard to clean, hard to socialize. BUT things got more organized when 3 new woofers arrived. -a bit gloomy and lonely but I had a cabin for myself and northern light! I would add more positives but 1500 keys max hey! Overall a very special place where you will make a lot of great unique memories. I recommand