Teacher reveals what life is like after moving to a VERY remote town in Canada

Sky-high grocery prices, temperatures below minus 40 degrees and no restaurants or bars.

These are just some of the things 28 year old Mary Pilon took some getting used to after moving to a very remote part of Canada for work as an education specialist.

The Canadian accepted a job in the summer of 2021, after which she moved to the wilderness of Akulivik in Nunavik, northern Quebec.

This remote coastal community only has a population of about 700, and Maryse said the sparse population made dating a bit tricky, “but there were still people on Tinder.”

The Canadian, who moved to a slightly larger community called Kuujjuaq in April, told DailyMail.com: “In Akulivik, dating life was tough.

“There are not many people so far. In Kuujjuaq there are definitely more options as the population is around 4,000.

‘Although choice is limited, you tend to meet people who have similar interests, such as nature and exploring the great outdoors.

‘Compared to cities like Montreal, where I studied, it’s also a place where you can easily hold organic meetings. There it is almost 100 percent online.

“When it comes to making friends, I also think you build stronger bonds in remote communities like this.”

Maryse started posting on TikTok about her remote lifestyle and now has over 24,000 followers.

One of her videos, titled “Typical Day of a Northern Teacher,” describes what her working day looks like in the depths of winter.

She explains that she walks to school through the snow at 8:00 AM, there is a morning break at 10:15 AM, there is a one-hour lunch break at 12:00 PM, and she goes home at 3:00 PM to do some planning.

In another TikTok, she reveals what she wore when she was a teacher in southern Quebec.

At the beginning of the clip, she can be seen in a stylish outfit consisting of a fitted long dress and a leather jacket.

In the next part of the TikTok, captioned “how I’m getting ready for school now,” Maryse wears a parka with a fur-trimmed hood, large gloves, ski goggles and a scarf.

The overlay caption then reads “feeling a little less cute.”

Maryse found that the hardest part of moving initially was learning to live among the Inuit community.

She explains: ‘You realize that life here is very different from what you are used to and learning to live among the Inuit world is a journey.

“You learn to adopt a shift in perspective and adapt to ways that may challenge your values ​​and beliefs.”

Along with the culture shock, Maryse had to learn to live without conveniences like bars and restaurants, and a sense of loneliness overtook her.

However, she said she gradually formed a social circle and met other employees who had made a similar move to her.

Her husky dog, Loki, also provides some form of companionship.

Although it was hard living somewhere so different, Maryse says she learned a lot about herself.

She muses, “I used to be a people pleaser, but now I think I take much better care of myself.

“I’m more aware of having healthy boundaries and I spend time doing meaningful activities like hiking or kayaking.”

“I also think I’m more aware of what people might be dealing with behind the scenes — we don’t know everyone’s backstories or the trauma they went through — and I take things a lot less personally.”

In terms of her earnings, Maryse reveals in a clip how she earns around $60,000.

The government then offers financial incentives to live in remote communities, with these rising to more than $15,000.

While her monthly rent is relatively cheap — about $228 — Maryse says the cost of groceries can be up to three times what it would be in Montreal because all the goods have to be flown in.

In one of her TikToks, the teacher shows some of the products for sale at a store in Akulivik.

A four-liter bottle of water costs $15.99, an avocado retails for $6.75, and four nectarines are priced at $11.96, while a large container of Sunny D orange juice sells for $30.19.

When it comes to alcohol, Maryse explains in another video that Akulivik is a “dry community” and alcohol must be ordered online and approved by an official agent.

The beer and wine orders need to be flown in. It may take a few days for them to arrive.

Travel is another major expense, but luckily Maryse’s work pays for her flights home.

Flights from Montreal to Akulivik cost about $2,500, she says, and took nearly a day to make the trip.

Now the journey is a bit easier as there are direct flights to Kuujjuaq.

Looking ahead, Maryse says she’s happy in the North, but she hopes to start a family “in five years’ time,” so the search for love could influence a return to the South.

She concludes, “I’m loving life here for now. I’m an authentic girl and I think I’m going to live a pretty authentic life up north. I also like being close to nature and so does my dog.’