Rankin Inlet Skills Competition - Part 2

Reveille was at 0700 hours.  My male cadets got up early to shower and get dressed before everyone else.  I assumed the females downstairs did the same.  Breakfast, consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, bread, and juice, was waiting for everyone in the mess hall.  From where I was sitting with the adult staff, I could see there was a lot of excitement and possible tension among the cadets.  Competitions usually spawn rivalries.

            

After breakfast, everyone walked over to the Forward Operating Location (FOL) for the beginning of the competition.  There wasn't any wind blowing but the cold temperature was still present.  From a distance, the FOL hangars look small, but up close, they're really big.  What's interesting is that the doors open up by being lifted, like a regular garage door.  I thought they slid open.  Large lights hang from the ceiling, illuminating the interior with orange/yellow light.  Each hangar has a large (and loud) heater and two large grey tanks designed to douse a burning plane with foam.  The special foam, stored in large red cylinders is designed to suck the air out of the fire.  I was told that you do not want to be around when that happens because you could suffocate.  So far, the tanks have yet to be deployed in a real fire.  

            

3045 Skills Team

3045 Army began the competition by completing the marksmanship component.  Handling the Daisy 853C air rifles, the cadets were required to shoot two relays and score the most bulls eyes.  3019 Corps uses one of the FOL hangars as an air rifle range.  In Arctic Bay, 3045 Army uses Inuujaq School's gym.  I stood back and took pictures of my cadets firing their rifles in the prone position.  In the adjacent hangar, the other two teams were practicing their drill routines.  Once the relays were done, 3045 packed their rifles into protective cases.

            

3045 Army

We moved over to the first hangar and watched 3055 Army practice drill for a few minutes.  When they took a break, my cadets took over and practiced the required drill routine.  The drill routine was designed to test a team's coordination and discipline when executing movements at the halt and on the march.  While 3045 practiced on the parade square, I got a tour of the FOL facilities from the adult staff of 3019.  Though the layout was different, the classrooms, offices, kitchen, and other rooms reminded me of the cadet building of 795 Iqaluit Air Squadron.  One day, I thought, 3045 will have a place of its own to call home.

            

Heater (top), Foam Tank (bottom)

Before lunchtime, the teams from Repulse Bay & Arctic Bay were given the opportunity to shop at the local Northern Store.  Rankin Inlet also has a Co-op but there was only enough time to visit one store.  The Northern Store here is big and sells many more products; it also contains a true Canadian treasure: Tim Hortons.  I browsed through all the aisles before buying a few movies and some other things.  My cadets went to town; they were like kids at a candy store.  While sipping an Iced Capp and eating a Tim Hortons donut, a few shoppers asked me if we were visiting from another community.  After explaining that we were from Arctic Bay, they wanted to know if we liked Rankin Inlet and if it was any different.  "More people and more wind," I replied.  "And it reminds me of Iqaluit."  We were driven back to the FOL where we feasted on sandwiches, fruit, and juice for lunch.

            

Cylinder tanks containing foam.

The afternoon saw all three teams complete the leadership tasking - move to a designated area, set up a five-person tent, and boil a cup of hot water on a Coleman stove in the least amount of time.  When it was Arctic Bay's turn, I reminded my cadets that once the "Go!" command was given, they were on their own.  I could only observe and not intervene . . . unless someone got seriously hurt. 

            

3045 Army raced to the other end of the FOL, pulling a sled carrying the tent, Coleman stove, tea kettle, metal cup, shovel, hammer, and a fire extinguisher.  They halted in front of Hangar 5 and unloaded the contents on the sled.  Following the team leader's instructions, one cadet worked on the Coleman stove while the other seven put up the tent.  It didn't take long to boil the cup of hot water but putting up the tent took some time.  I hoped the added time wouldn't greatly impact the overall score.  When time was called, the officer-in-charge inspected the tent with the team leader while the other cadets breathed sighs of relief.  When the inspection was completed, the team received a debriefing on what they did correctly, what improvements could be done next time, and what they learned.   

            

Dinner was held at the Personnel Accommodation Barracks (PAB) because thereafter, the cadets needed to shower, polish their parade boots, and change into their green dress uniforms.  Everyone walked back to the FOL to partake & observe the drill component of the competition.  The cadets had been instructed to wear sports shoes so as not to get dust and gravel on their polished parade boots.  Once everyone was inside, the 3019 Skills Team went first.  The audience was quiet as the platoon commander shouted commands and the team reacted instantly, moving their feet and bodies in synchronized movements.  They always ended with a loud stomp.  I glanced at the faces of 3045 Army and noticed expressions of worry.  Were they feeling intimidated or just shy?  3055 Repulse Bay probably felt the same way.

            

3045 Army cadets get debriefed after
completing the leadership tasking.

As 3019 took their seats, the officer-in-charge called on 3045 Army.  I took out my digital camera, ready to film the entire 9 minute routine.  Despite hesitating for a few seconds, my cadets formed up and marched on the parade square.  I watched the entire routine with my own eyes but routinely checked to see that my camera didn't miss a frame.  We would review the footage back in Arctic Bay and look at what worked and what could be improved upon.  After 3055 Repulse completed their drill routine, all three teams were applauded for their hard work.  We all headed back to the PAB to watch a movie, (Catching Fire), followed by lights out. 

To Be Continued . . .

Rankin Inlet Skills Competition - Part 1

First Air chartered plane.

A skills competition is a northern cadet event where teams from participating corps/squadrons come together and compete in four areas: drill, leadership/teamwork, marksmanship, and sports.  Originally, the competition this year was supposed to happen in Iqaluit, but the necessary facilities were unavailable.  Thus, the organizers turned to Plan B: Rankin Inlet, from April 25 to 27.  The three participating corps would be: 3045 Army of Arctic Bay, 3055 Army of Repulse Bay, and 3019 Army of Rankin Inlet.  Corps from other communities were invited but, unfortunately, they were unable to commit. 

            

Organizing a territory-wide cadet event is a financial & logistical challenge in Nunavut.  A huge chunk of the budget immediately goes to ferrying everyone to and from the event by plane.  Air travel is the best mode of transportation if you want to save time, but it'll cost you.  As I have already mentioned in previous blog posts, plane tickets are very expensive in the north.  After that comes rations, accommodations, equipment, vehicles, and salaries.  The costs skyrocket if the unpredictable weather comes into play.  I have heard stories of people being stranded in communities for days because of fierce winds and fog.  Not all communities have a hotel and if they do, the prices are not cheap.  Rankin Inlet has a reputation of being one of those communities with unpredictable weather, particularly fierce winds, because the town is situated on flat land.  I could only hope that the weather would be kind because I was only granted Civilian Leave for April 25.  I made sure to prepare lessons for the supply teacher on that day.

            

Repulse Bay

My team of eight cadets had been preparing for the competition for several months.  Many Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays were spent on perfecting the required drill routine, improving marksmanship scores, assigning tasks for the leadership tasking, and playing volleyball as a team.  I instructed, assisted, and delegated wherever I could.  The Skills Team and I also received assistance and helpful advice from Jerome, a civilian volunteer who used to be in the Rank Force.  When the time came to fly down to Rankin Inlet, the team & I were feeling pretty confident.  A few days prior to April 25, everyone was issued sleeping bags, duffel bags, green coats, mitts, and white mukluks.  We also securely packed eight Daisy air rifles, safety goggles, and repair tools.  Since the Daisies are not firearms (they fire below 500fps), we were not required to complete any extensive paperwork.  The cadets were responsible for packing warm civilian clothing, toiletries, boot polishing kit, pillow, and anything else they would need.

            

On the morning of April 25th, I got up at around 8am, two hours later than I normally do on a school day.  The First Air charter plane was not leaving until 11:30am so there was time to sleep in.  Everyone had been instructed to be packed and ready to be driven to the airport at 10am. The charter plane was flying directly to Rankin Inlet with a brief stop in Repulse Bay.  It was nice having an entire plane to ourselves.  The flight down to the Repulse Bay took around 3 hours and was mostly uneventful.  However, the cabin was full of excitement.  I was excited to be seeing and visiting the Nunavut mainland for the first time.  Up until then, my travels had been confined to "The Island".

            

Repulse Bay Airport Terminal.

I managed to get a good picture of Repulse Bay before the plane landed at the airport.  Unlike Arctic Bay, the airport sits right next to the town proper.  After landing on the gravel runway, the plane taxied to the small terminal and stopped to be refueled, and restocked with food.  The propellers were halted to allow the 3055 Army Skills Team to board the aircraft.  The cadets exchanged greetings in Inuktitut and I introduced myself to the escorting Captain who also was the Commanding Officer of the corps. 

            

Rankin Inlet

Rankin Inlet Airport Terminal

The flight to Rankin Inlet (RI) took about two and half hours.  From the air, the town had a similar layout to Repulse Bay but with more buildings and people.  Rankin Inlet is the "Iqaluit" of the mainland.  When Nunavut was created in 1999, a vote was held to choose a territorial capital.  Rankin Inlet was one of the two choices, the other being Iqaluit.  (Iqaluit won the vote).  RI's airport is the second busiest in Nunavut and was recently upgraded with an expanded apron to accommodate more aircraft.  Everyone disembarked the plane after it halted in front of the green terminal.  I paused for a second before placing my right foot on the Nunavut mainland for the first time.  Inside, we were met by the officers in charge of the competition.  We collected all our belongings and were driven to the Personnel Accommodation Barracks (PAB), located on the other side of the airport.                     

PAB hallway.

The PAB was built during the Cold War to accommodate an air squadron in the event of a Soviet attack through the Arctic.  Fighter aircraft would be housed & serviced at the nearby Forward Operating Location (FOL), a collection of five large hangars.  The PAB & FOL are owned and operated by NORAD.  3019 Army Cadet Corps is very fortunate to be granted access to two of the FOL hangars for training, parading, and shooting because the facilities can be commandeered by the military at any time.  Such was the case in February when the Canadian Forces held Exercise Trillium Response, using the FOL as their staging area, barracks, and mess hall.

            

Rankin Inlet Airport tarmac

Rankin Inlet Gas Tank farm

The cadets and officers from all three corps moved their belongings into the PAB.  The males were assigned rooms on the second floor and females were assigned rooms on the first floor.  Each room was designed to accommodate two occupants.  CIC officers, such as myself, had rooms all to themselves.  Once everyone had changed into civilian attire, a welcome briefing was held in the mess hall (cafeteria).  The officer in charge welcomed everyone to the 2014 Skills Competition and explained the rules and schedule.  He concluded his speech by wishing all the teams good luck.  Dinner was served after the briefing and was provided by a local caterer.  Over dinner I met and spoke with the officers & civilian staff of 3019 Army.

            

After dinner, everyone headed over to the FOL for an evening dance.  As we were walking over, a strong cold wind was blowing.  It reminded me of the cold windy days in Iqaluit.  The dance was organized by the cadets of 3019 as a fun way to welcome the visiting army corps.  I was glad that I was not required to dance; anarchy would have ensued.  Instead, I sat down with the other adult staff and supervised.  When the dance was finished, everyone retired to the PAB for some much needed rest.  Tomorrow, the competition would begin. 

  

To Be Continued . . .

3045 ACR 14

April 21, 2014

I spent the remaining days of Spring Break cleaning out my classroom and preparing lessons.  I was not surprised by the amount of stuff I threw out.  For a while, old resources, and class work & notebooks from previous students were collecting dust on my shelves.  Spring Break finally gave me the time to get rid of them.  After throwing out a large and full garbage bag, the cupboards and shelves were now clean and organized.  My Grade 10 English students would begin the week by studying the feature film Stand & Deliver.  My Grade 10 Social Studies students would start studying the Residential Schools module.  And my guitarists would review basic theory before moving on to more blues melodies and open chords.

            

The last day of Spring Break was April 21st - Easter Monday.  One of the local churches organized an afternoon of activities out on the ice.  A lot of people came out to play games and watch igloos being built.  The ice was still thick enough to support the weight of pickup trucks and skidoos.  I took several pictures of the crowd while walking to and from school. 

            

When school reconvened the next day, my students shared stories of going out on the land, travelling to Pond Inlet, hanging out with friends, and just staying home.  I showed the students some of the pictures I took during my long hike.  I'll show them the extreme ironing photos another time. 

            

Lance Corporal Lavallee

Wednesday, April 23, was a big day for the cadets of 3045 Army.  It was that time of the year again - the Annual Ceremonial Review (ACR).  An ACR is a formal parade at the end of the regular training year that gives cadets the opportunity to show off what they have learned to their families and friends.  Hardworking cadets also receive awards and promotions.  The parade also  gives corps administrators a platform to promote the cadet program to the general public and recruit members for the next training year.  ACRs down south are usually held in late May or early June.  In the Arctic, ACRs are held much earlier because by late May, most Inuit families are out camping.  This would be my second ACR with 3045.  (Click here to read about last year's parade).   

            

The parade began at 1900hrs (7pm) in Inuujaq School's gym.  The cadets came an hour early to set up chairs, tables, and change into their dress uniforms.  I wanted to wear my CIC uniform for the first time except the dress shirts & tunic were too small.  There's always next year.  For the parade, I wore formal civilian clothing.  Once everyone was seated, the flag party marched on parade and planted the flags of Canada and the Cadet Movement on both side of the Dias.  Then they took their positions as left markers.  After the command was given, the remaining cadets marched on and took their positions next to the markers.

            

The Honourable Eva Aariak speaks with Lance Corporal Reid, J.

The Reviewing Party was led by the Commanding Officer (CO) of 3045, Lt. Frank May.  He escorted the Guest Reviewing Officer, the Honourable Eva Aariak, to the Dias.  Miss Aariak is the former Premier of Nunavut.  An RCMP Officer and I followed closely behind.  The parade officially began with an opening prayer.  Aariak inspected the cadets on parade while being escorted by cadet Sergeant (Sgt) Reid, Andrew.  While this was happening, members of the audience took pictures with their cameras, iPods, and iPads.  The Sgt led the corps in a march past for the Reviewing Officer.  Thereafter, Aariak was given the opportunity to speak to the cadets and the audience.  She spoke in English and Inuktitut.  She thanked everyone for welcoming her back to her hometown and for supporting the cadet movement.  She also thanked the cadets for looking good in their uniforms and being involved in the cadet program.

            

Corporal Akikulu, D. receives a promotion
to Master Corporal from Eva Aariak.

The parade continued with promotions and presentations.  There were promotions to Lance Corporal, Corporal, Master Corporal, and Sergeant.  The presentations consisted of introducing all the various teams to the audience.  The corps has teams for biathlon, marksmanship, Army Cadet Challenge, and skills.  As head coach, I introduced the skills team and informed everyone that we would be travelling to Rankin Inlet on the weekend to participate in a Skills Competition (more on this in a future post).

            

The ACR moved on to something new - a short drill competition between two teams.  Sgt. Reid, A. commanded both teams, issuing commands at the halt and on the march.  Jerome, a civilian volunteer, and I acted as judges.  After watching both teams, we debated and decided that the second team was more focused.  Nevertheless, both teams received an applause from the audience for their performances.

            

Sgt. Reid, A. receiving the Long Service Award.

Sgt. Allurut-Reid receiving the Best
Boots and Deportment Trophy.

With the corps back on parade as one large platoon, the ACR continued with the presentation of five awards.  They were: the Long Service Medal, Best Boots & Deportment, Top Male/Female Athletes, Most Improved Cadet, and Top Cadet.  The Long Service Medal is awarded to cadets who have been in the cadet program for 4+ years.  I announced the winner of the Best Boots & Deportment award and Miss Aariak presented it to Sgt. Allurut-Reid.  The RCMP officer presented the Most Improved Cadet award to Lance Corporal Tunraluk, Tara.  Aariak presented all the awards and had her picture taken with the winning cadets.    

            

Lance Corporal Tunraluk receiving the award for Most Improved Cadet.

I had the honour of delivering the closing remarks near the end of the parade.  There were a lot of people & sponsors to thank.  These included the civilian instructors, volunteers, parents, the Hamlet Office, and the District Education Authority (DEA).  Of course, I couldn't forget thanking Geela, the former deputy mayor who acted as the parade's official translator.  Naturally, Eva Aariak was the first on the list.  To show our gratitude, Lt. May presented her with a 3045 hoodie on behalf of the corps.             

At the conclusion of my closing remarks, everyone stood for the playing of O Canada and the General Salute.  The Reviewing Party then departed from the gym.  The flag party retrieved their flags from the Dias and marched them off.  The remaining cadets were dismissed for the night.  Everyone headed to the reception area for coffee, tea, cookies, and cupcakes.  I spoke with Aariak after the parade and even had my picture taken with her.  This was my first time meeting her in person.  Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to meet her when she was the premier, which was around the same time I was teaching in Iqaluit.

           

Lance Corporal Olayuk is presented with the Biathlon medal he won a few weeks before.

As families and friends slowly trickled out of the gym, the cadets stayed behind to clean the gym and reception area.  It was a good parade, but a little long compared to previous years.  With the ACR out of the way, I could now concentrate on the upcoming Skills Competition.

    

Posted photos of the ACR were taken by civilian volunteer, Jerome.   

Extreme Ironing

Arctic Bay - April 16, 2014

Wikipedia defines Extreme Ironing (EI) as "an extreme sport and a performance art in which people take ironing boards to remote locations and iron items of clothing."  The sport was created by Phil Shaw of Leicester, England in 1997.  In June 1999, he went on an international tour to promote the activity.  The sport gained popularity and in 2002, the 1st Extreme Ironing World Championships were held in Germany. 

            

I was introduced to EI in 2011 while watching a news clip from the BBC.  It showed CCTV footage of Jason Blair, a British citizen, sneaking onto an open stretch of the M1 motorway in London and ironing a dress shirt in the centre lane.  He was able to do this because that portion of the motorway was closed to traffic because of a fire somewhere.  In the following days and months, I googled many images of extreme ironers and considered doing some extreme ironing of my own.  I just had to find the right time and place.

            

When I began teaching in the north, my priorities changed and I had to put EI on the backburner.  When I moved to Arctic Bay and hiked up King George for the second time in August of last year, the idea resurfaced as I was standing on a ledge next to a tall inukshuk.  This would be a good place to do some extreme ironing, I thought to myself.  Since school was starting in a few days, I assumed that I would have to wait until the winter/spring months to set aside the necessary time.  All I needed was someone with a skidoo to bring me up with all the necessary equipment and also double as a photographer.

            

Sean - Driver, Photographer

In March of this year, I spoke to Sean, the Grade 6 teacher and my next door neighbour, about assisting me in my endeavour during the Spring Break in April.  Though surprised to hear the existence of the sport (and laughing about it too), he happily agreed to be my driver and photographer. 

            

"Pyramid Mountain" - the name I've
given to the mountain
opposite of King George.

The "adventure of a lifetime" began on April 16th, two days after my long hike beyond Victor Bay.  We originally planned the excursion for the 15th but my legs were still aching at the time.  While Sean got his skidoo started, I packed all the necessary items into my backpack: dress shirt, dress pants, iron, a cloth, digital camera, and two Uniden walkie-talkies.  I assumed Sean would have to stand some distance away from me to get the shots I wanted, so I ordered the walkie-talkies for better communication. 

            

Today is a good day to iron hard.

Setting up the ironing board.

When I was fully dressed, I brought everything out, including my ironing board.  We attached the back of the ironing board to the rear of the skidoo using bungee cords.  Our feet would keep the rest of the board in place.  Once I checked that we had everything, Sean revved his skidoo and we were on our way.  It was a fun but bumpy ride across the frozen bay.  Many sled dogs stopped what they were doing and watched us zoom past.  I held on tightly, having no desire to fall off.  The crossing took less than five minutes.  We rode past the garbage dump and followed the skidoo path on the left side of King George.  As we neared the base of the mountain, I noticed snow being blown off the top.  That could only mean that it was windy up there.  I was glad I was wearing my Canada Goose clothing and had a pair of ski goggles to protect my eyes.

           

Let's get ironing!

The skidoo path ascended up a snow covered slope, the same one I used to climb KGVM in May of last year.  Sean was unsure if his skidoo could take both of us up, so I decided to get off and hike up the slope while he brought the ironing board to the top.  It took me around 10 minutes to hike up to the top.  We rode down the skidoo trail, turned right and then drove back up to the top of the mountain.  When we got to the top, I needed a minute to get my bearings.  Up until that point, I had never used the skidoo trail to climb up to the top.  Strong winds blew snow across the rocks as Sean & I walked to the face of the mountain on the Arctic Bay side.  A spectacular view of the town and surrounding landscape greeted us.

            

With my ironing board in hand, I slowly walked down to the ledge that had a tall sandy brown inukshuk sitting in the centre.  Sean went to the ledge on the left to set up his Nikon camera.  I gave him mine as a backup.  The wind did not dissipate as I set the ironing board and my backpack against the inukshuk.  I needed rocks to hold the board in place or else it would disappear over the ledge.  I found several rocks heavy enough to hold down the board and a few smaller ones to hold down the shirt & pants I would be "ironing".  When everything was in place, I contacted Sean via walkie-talkie to ask if he was ready.  He responded that he was and gave me a thumbs up.

            

Ignoring the cold winds, I stood behind the ironing board with an iron in my right and dress pants in my left.  This one is for the history books, I said to myself.  I began "ironing" my dress pants while Sean took pictures for a good 2 minutes.  I then switched over to the dress shirt and repeated the same gimmick for the camera.  I pulled my hood down a few times so that my face would turn up on some of the pictures.  Following Sean's suggestion, once the first set was completed, I moved the ironing board closer to the edge of the ledge.  I took my time, making sure the ironing board and I would not fall over the side.  It's a long way down, I thought as I peeked over the ledge.

            

The second set followed the same routine.  Sean did his best to capture the steepness of the cliffs and the vast Arctic landscape in the background.  There were sporadic moments when the wind died down but I still held on to everything with a closed fist.

            

The third and last set had me facing the mountain so that Arctic Bay and/or Victor Bay would be in the background.  Sean took plenty of wide angle and close up shots as I happily "ironed" for the camera.  After that, we called it quits, convinced that the photo-op was a success.  I folded the ironing board and packed up everything into my backpack.  I threw away the rocks I used for weights, except for one which I placed on the inukshuk.  Sean also placed a rock on the inukshuk.  We headed back the way we came, following the skidoo trail that many before us have used to drive up to the top of the mountain.  The ride across the bay was again bumpy but I didn't mind.  I thanked Sean for his assistance and borrowed his camera to copy the 175 raw pictures he took.  I spent a little over an hour editing the photos on my laptop  The entire excursion took two hours and definitely was a success.

Arctic Bay/KGVM is now on the extreme ironing map!  I think I'm the first person in Arctic Bay to do EI.  As for the most northern location in Canada, I'm not sure.  There are still the communities of Resolute and Grise Fiord, followed by the research station Eureka, and Canadian Forces Base Alert.  It's possible they have extreme ironers as well.  This won't be the end of my extreme ironing adventures.  There are still plenty of locations all around the world for me to iron on.  For those of you looking for a thrillseeking activity to be a part of, try extreme ironing.  Just be careful and play it safe.  

 In Nunavut Quest news, the annual dog sledding race finished in Pond Inlet over the May 3 - 4 weekend.  For the third time in a row, Andy Attagutalukutuk of Igloolik came in first place, winning $15,000.  He and his dogs completed the 395km journey from Igloolik in just 39 hours and 54 minutes.  Peter Siakuluk of Hall Beach came in second place, with a time of 44 hours and 15 minutes.  He was awarded $7,000.  And in third place came Michael Inuarak of Pond Inlet, with a time of 46 hours and 36 minutes.  He was awarded $4,000. 

Name	Time
Andy Attagutalukutuk	39 hours and 54 minutes
Peter Siakuluk	44 hours and 15 minutes
Michael Inuarak	46 hours and 36 minutes
Lee Inuaraq	47 hours, 6 minutes, and 30 seconds
Joey Aqiaruq	47 hours and 49 minutes
Moses Oyukuluk	49 hours and 31 minutes
Panuilie Okango	50 hours and 1 minute
Isaac Irngaut	63 hours, 27 minutes, and 30 seconds
Maren Vstula	Did not complete the race.