Just thought I'd add that the key here is flexibility - there may be entire weeks where this may not work (I remember wanting to book travel at end of October but first open slot was beginning of November). In addition, you should book it as far out as possible, in my case I made the booking at the end of September for travel in November. The only reason I managed to make the booking was due to my flexibility and the use of ExpertFlyer. Also of note, ExpertFlyer won't list availability for First Air (one of the two airlines that flies to Iqaluit), just Canadian North so you're still kind of shooting in the dark.

One thing to keep in mind when travelling to the North is that things are expensive, really expensive. A basic lunch (hamburger and fries) can easily cost you $20 CAD. The cheapest hotel in Iqaluit is around $200 CAD/night (Airbnb is your friend in this case). I would recommend stopping at the restaurant at the Granite Inn restaurant at the Discovery Inn and trying caribou and arctic char meal (cost around $70 CAD but totally worth it). Cell phone service sort of works (you can place calls and use data but if people try to call you it is hit or miss, mainly miss that they'll be able to reach you). Taxis cost a flat $7 regardless of where you are going (if staying at an Airbnb you just tell them the house number and they'll know where it is). Iqaluit's airport is brand new (opened last year I believe) and has many of the creature comforts of a southern airport. If you're chasing the Northern Lights as I was, Iqaluit may not be the best option - it's too far north to get a good sighting (better bets would be Yellowknife or Whitehorse).

Iqaluit is a strange city. On the one hand it's a small city (population of around 8,000) so it won't have the same level of creature comforts you'd find in a large city (i.e. there are only 2 Timmies in all of Iqaluit). On the other hand, as the capital of Nunavut it has a lot of things you'd expect to find in a capital city (i.e. there's a CBC studio, several TV stations, government offices scattered about, etc.)

Depending on the time you go there are a variety of activities possible from Igloo building, northern lights viewing to exploring distant islands. There are a couple of outfitters in Iqaluit (I can't recommend any as I didn't use them given the time I was going didn't have many activities). Parks Canada also maintains a national park in the area Auyuittuq National Park. What's different about this park from most other national parks is that careful planning must be done (including informing the RCMP and Parks Canada of when you want to use it). The risks are obvious, you are in an area with no cell (and extremely limited satellite) phone service, in an unfriendly climate and with the risk of getting attack by polar bears or worse. That being said, I plan on hiking that park sometime in the future when I manage to get all my ducks in a row.

Another top tip about travelling here is to make sure that you dress in layers - don't pack a massive jacket since it won't provide adequate thermal protection,especially if you're like me and go out on 5 hour hikes. It's not the cold temperature that will get you in Iqaluit but the 30-40 km/h winds they constantly get which effectively blow the heat off your body at all times. In my case I took a light down jacket, a merino wool core layer, sweater, pants, and a decent pair of boots with good insulation. Good gloves are a must (you need thermal protection of at least -20). A bottle of coke literally freezes in 5 minutes outside in Iqaluit. It takes time to adjust to the weather, when I returned from my hike on my first day in Iqaluit I hopped into bed right away and curled into the fetal position for several hours. However, by the 3rd day I was completely used to it and now have gained a new level of appreciation for cold weather. If you don't like cold weather, I'd recommend going during the summer.

That being said, travelling to the north was totally worth it. There are things you'll see there that you'll never see anywhere else. I'd recommend going to the Sylvia Grinell Territorial park and to hike the arctic tundra pass between Iqaluit and Apex.

Safe Travels,

James