“Tunngasugit.” This means “welcome” in Inuktitut. We can’t wait to introduce you to the Inuit community in the imaginary hamlet of Ice Cove, which is the setting for Netflix’s first Canadian series, North of North.

North of North, which was co-produced with CBC in collaboration with APTN, marks a major turning point for both Netflix and the broader Canadian entertainment sector.

It highlights the cultural and geographical diversity of Canada’s northernmost region and is the first production of its size to be shot in the Arctic Canadian territory of Nunavut.

The program, which was created by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald, is on a young Inuk lady who wants to start over after leaving her husband in her small Arctic community in a highly public way.

Despite being a comedy, the show’s creators, cast, and crew had many difficulties when filming in the far north.

These difficulties ranged from dealing with the logistics of transporting materials over thousands of kilometres to dealing with extreme weather and figuring out how to control fly-away hair in temperatures so low that hairspray was useless.

The majority of North of North was shot in Iqaluit, the capital and most populated city of Nunavut in real life.

The sets for the show were constructed on the local curling rink. In addition to the series’ 45 Canadian cast members, 500 locals, including the mayor, assisted in making the program come to life as background actors.

The production, which took place over 61 days at 20 filming locations in Toronto and Nunavut, had over 300 Canadian crew members and over 225 Canadian merchants, including over 60 from Nunavut. In total, North of North’s Gross Value Added Impact was above $23M1.

Community members also took part in the series’ mentorship program, which gave residents the opportunity to learn the filming process by alternating between departments and positions and obtaining experience in everything from visual artistry and set decoration to directing.

In addition to having a significant influence on the areas in which it was shot, North of North is introducing our members worldwide to real-life Inuit storytelling. So grab a blanket and some blankets, curl up on the couch, and enjoy this endearing Canadian tale. Netflix is currently streaming North of North.