It’s Dark All Winter, But the Pay Is Great, Eh?

Beverly Hills, make room. The list of the world’s richest neighborhoods now includes an Arctic outpost, population 200, that’s just a short hop from the North Pole.

A recent study by Canada’s government statistics agency found that the highest incomes in the country were in a tiny mining settlement called Polaris on Little Cornwallis Island in the High Arctic.

Residents, all of whom work at the Polaris lead and zinc mine, have a median income of $92,800 in Canadian dollars ($66,286 U.S.) compared with a national median of just C$18,600 ($13,286). For men at Polaris, the median was C$98,900 ($70,642).

Incomes in Polaris compare very favorably with those of posh Beverly Hills, where the median household takes home about $76,300, putting it in the 99th percentile in both the country and the state of California.

But money isn’t the only perk in frosty Polaris. Workers also get four months of vacation a year, free housing, meals and flights back to their homes down south.

“You can make quite a nice living up here and save a lot,” Col McBurney, Polaris personnel superintendent, said by telephone from the mine.

Not surprisingly, jobs at the underground mine owned by Canada’s Cominco Ltd. are in high demand. When an opening comes up, it’s not unusual for the mine to receive more than 100 applications.

“I go through hundreds and hundreds of resumes. People are continually looking to come in. Sometimes the phone is ringing off the hook,” McBurney said.

But before you pack your bags, consider this: Polaris doesn’t see the sun for more than three months in the winter, and the temperature routinely falls below minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit).

“Right now we’re in 24-hour darkness. It’s harsh, harsh, harsh,” Roy Flower, an administrator at the mine, said in a telephone interview. “I’m freezing my buns off. With the wind chill, the cold will burn your flesh off in 20 seconds.”

Moreover, unlike glamour capitals elsewhere, Polaris offers no posh boutiques, jet-set parties, stately mansions or exclusive country clubs. In fact, it isn’t even a real town, just a complex of offices, sleeping quarters, dining area and lounges all under one roof.

“This isn’t a town,” Flower said, “It’s a mine site in the middle of nowhere. It’s easy to say we get paid a lot, but you have to recognize what we sacrifice.”

The population consists almost entirely of men. Single women and children are not allowed. Recreation and entertainment options are few, and mine staffers work six days a week, 12 hours a day.

Not to mention that aggressive polar bears roam the area, making it too dangerous to venture outside most of the year.

But Polaris residents say the biggest hardships are psychological. They battle cabin fever, depression and disorders caused by sunlight deprivation.

“People suffer at Polaris,” said Laurie Dexter, an Anglican minister who flies in to hold services at the mine.

“It’s like being in a good-quality hotel and never being able to leave. You’re comfortable, but it’s almost like a prison.”

Yet life isn’t all grim.

The three-story complex contains a complete gym, weight room, swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. Staffers play tennis, badminton and indoor soccer. The compound boasts a three-hole golf course--although play is only possible a few weeks in the summer.

Staffers rave about the food, and pub nights help liven the dreary winters. A library, satellite television and videos offer more opportunity for diversion.

Mail arrives once a week, and the catalogues and circulars that aggravate consumers down south are more than welcome at Polaris.

“We get bags of mail. We even get junk mail here. People read their junk mail with great energy and diligence. It’s wonderful contact with the outside world,” Flower said.

Bankrolled by fat paychecks, Polaris staff members travel the world during the one-month break they get every eight weeks. Stories about trips to Nepal, Thailand, Hawaii and Europe are standard dinner-time conversation.

The High Arctic environment also provides unique opportunities. During the summer when there’s constant daylight, workers go whale watching and fishing and hold a baseball tournament.