Parent's Night & Halloween

October 31, 2014

The third week of October was centered around midterm exams.  I spent a great deal of time creating review sheets & activities, and writing up the exams & answer keys for my three social studies classes.  My drummers would have a midterm performance test.  Prior to administering the exams, my students and I reviewed all the necessary content they would have to remember.

            

The Grade 10 exam focused on the Staking the Claim module.  The topics in this module include: traditional Inuit way of life, the Transitional Period (1950s-1970s), the four land claims agreements across the territories, and the creation of Nunavut.  The Grade 11 exam centered on the Industrial Revolution in Britain and European Imperialism in Africa & China.  The Grade 12 exam concentrated on the characteristics of a democracy & dictatorship, and how they affect the lives of everyday citizens.

            

I spent the weekend after midterms correcting the exams & class work, and inputting the marks into the school's database.  Once that was completed, I wrote comments for each of my students.  My midterm report cards were done.  Parent-teacher interviews would take place in early November.

                

3045 Army Cadet Corps held a Parent's Night on Wednesday, October 29th at Inuujaq School's gym.  There were promotions, awards, and important announcements to be made.  Parents also saw their children being inspected in their green dress uniforms by the guest reviewing officer and marching on parade.  The guest reviewing officer was the town's mayor, Philip Kalluk.

            

The awards that were presented were the Top Cadet and Most Improved Cadet.  Many cadets received fitness and marksmanship badges.  There are four fitness levels, bronze, silver, gold, and excellence.  Marksmanship also has four levels but they're numbered.  A couple of junior cadets were promoted to the ranks of Lance Corporal and Corporal, and two senior cadets were promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer.

            

The big news of the night was the upcoming 70th Anniversary of Victory in Europe trip being planned by the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 168, Iqaluit) and the Order of St. George.  Next year will be the 70th anniversary of the end of World War 2 and the Legion and Order would like to "entrench that important [piece of] history in the memory of the next generation," by taking selected cadets across Nunavut to Europe in May 2015.  The trip is being planned and organized with Educational Tours.    

            

The cadets will be chosen from the territory's six units: 795 Iqaluit, 3055 Repulse Bay, 3045 Arctic Bay, 3004 Cambridge Bay, 3008 Igloolik, and 3019 Rankin Inlet.  One adult staff member from each unit will also come along for chaperoning and supervision.  Two representatives from the Order of St. George will be leading the excursion.  Each cadet will be paired with a fallen Canadian soldier.  They have to research the soldier's history and visit their grave.  The excursion begins in Amsterdam and ends in Paris. Along the way, cadets will visit many historical sites, such as, the Anne Frank House, Ypres, Flanders Fields, Vimy Ridge, Normandy, and the Juno Beach Centre.           

            

3045 Arctic Bay has been allotted 4 spots (3 cadets & 1 staff).  Civilian Instructor Swoboda is currently fundraising $12K, which will go towards paying for the tour and the plane tickets for two extra cadets.  If you're interested in donating, you can send a money order or cheque to Friends of 3045 Army Cadets, PO Box 31, Arctic Bay, NU, Canada.  Donations in Canadian dollars or Euros are preferred.  Friends of 3045 is a non-profit organization; donors will receive a tax receipt.         

            

The parade ended with a small "embarrassing" moment.  The cadets found out that it was my birthday and decided to put me on the spot and sang Happy Birthday.  I also got a free cupcake with a lit candle.        

            

Grade 9 Classroom Door.

The last day of October is Halloween and the staff & students of Inuujaq School celebrate by dressing up in costumes and participating in a variety of activities.  One of the activities was a door decorating contest.  Winning designs were chosen based on creativity, organization, theme, and scariness.  My students went with a minimalist style this year.  I photographed all the decorated doors on the morning of October 31st and was impressed by the variety of designs.  Personally, my favourite was the elementary school door covered in orange with black bats, white ghosts, and a black zombie.  The scariest looking door was the Grade 9 classroom door because of the hanging spiders, zombie hands, and a possessed baby.

           

The Halloween festivities officially began after an extended lunch.  School was dismissed thirty minutes before noon so that students could eat, change into their costumes, and come back to school.  Last year, I power walked home, but this time, I used my new skidoo.  Yes, I finally made the commitment and purchased my first tracked vehicle. 

            

After researching various models, speaking with Northern Store Management, and much thought, I bought a Skidoo Expedition model.  The Northern Store ships in a set amount of skidoos and atvs on sealift and they sell pretty quickly.  If I had waited too long, I would have been forced to order a skidoo from down south and have it airlifted at a much higher cost.  Or I could have gone to the Co-op and bought one.  When I finally took possession in early October, I got a quick crash course on operation & maintenance from the assistant manager.  It's been a few weeks now and I'm riding comfortably. But I'm still a novice; I won't be taking it out on any land trips anytime soon.  I still need to acquire a qamutik, tent, and camping supplies.

            

I drove back to school with my costume, packed in two boxes, and attached to the back of the skidoo with bungee cords.  I changed into my costume after entering my classroom.  Last year, I wore a black Bone Daddy Skeleton Tuxedo with a matching top hat, but this year, I wanted to wear something that had a face mask.  I searched the Spirit of Halloween website and settled on V, the anarchist freedom fighter from the movie V for Vendetta.  My costume was an immediate hit with everyone.  Many students found it creepy & scary.

            

Everyone, including parents & elders, assembled in the gym to begin the costume contest.  Starting from kindergarten, each grade paraded around the gym, showing off their costumes, and letting the judges decide who had the best costume.  Each winner received a $25 gift certificate from the Co-op.  I won the best dressed teacher category. 

           

The costume contest was followed by my drummers performing several rhythmic cadences.  Unfortunately,  I didn't have all my drummers because several of them were in Cape Dorset, participating in a soccer tournament.  The audience crowded in a semicircle in front of the drumline, holding iPods and cameras, eager to record & hear the crazy beats we would play.  We performed five rhythmic cadences and received loud applauses at the end of each one.  Two of them were aptly named Vampire and Raven.  At the end of the performance, I shook the hands of my drummers and congratulated them for a job well done.  Several parents came up to me and said they really liked the performance and hoped to hear more at the Christmas concert.

            

Haunted House with lights on.

The remaining afternoon was devoted to a round robin of activities planned by the teachers.  There was Pictionary, colouring activities, circle games, and a haunted house made by the high school students.  The haunted house was in the science room and it had been completely turned upside down.  Tables were turned onto their sides and covered by long sheets to form a winding tunnel, and a tent was placed in the middle to form a large opening.  Turn the lights off, add some scary music, and get a few students to scare the brave visitors and you have a star attraction with a very long lineup.                    

            

School was dismissed at 3pm so that everyone could get ready for trick-or-treating from 5-7pm.  I raced home on my skidoo to get the Halloween candy ready.

To Be Continued . . .

Thanksgiving & Graduation

The arctic sun slowly ascended behind the mountains on the morning of October 8, bathing the horizon in purple, pink, peach orange, and white.  As I captured the picturesque moment on camera, I noticed that a large portion of the bay was covered by ice.  Since it was early October, the ice wasn't thick enough to support skidoos, atvs, and trucks.  The required level of thickness would be reached at the end of the month.

            

In just under a month, I thought, the bay will be completely frozen.  And a few weeks after that, the sun will be 'gone'.

            

October 11, 2014

From early November to early February, the sun does not rise above the mountains.  The polar nights are long but there never is constant pitch black darkness.  There is always some light around noon.  From what I've been told, the locals do not mark the departure of the sun; they only celebrate its return in the new year.

            

October 11, 2014

Taking scenic pictures of various landscapes and cloud formations has been a hobby of mine for many years.  I find it strange seeing people walking by such things and not stop to take a picture or at least enjoy the scene for a few seconds.  Even though today's world is pretty fast paced, people should not be oblivious to their surroundings.  There is splendor everywhere, even in the worst places. 

                        

When the dismissal bell rang on October 8th, one of my Grade 10 students came into my classroom to show me the working crossbow he made in shop class.  Impressed by his accomplishment, I took a picture.  I know some of you may be shocked to hear of a student being allowed to make such a device at school, but in the north, a portion of the shop program focuses on making hunting tools and other things for use out on the land.  Hunting & camping are part of Inuit culture.  The students are taught to make items such as ulus, harpoons, hooks, and qamutiks.  The making of rifles and live ammunition is forbidden and the students are heavily instructed on how to properly operate the hunting tools they make.

            

The southern teachers celebrated Thanksgiving by having a potluck dinner on October 11.  The dinner took place at the residence of two southern teachers.  A large bowl of Caesar Salad was my contribution.  Other teachers brought stuffing, rice, mashed potatoes, turkey, steamed vegetables, bread, chicken, and extra chairs.  We talked about many things before grabbing our plates and heading over to the makeshift buffet.  The food was delicious and everyone went home with warm, filled stomachs. 

            

The music program of Inuujaq School.

Thanksgiving Monday was spent correcting class work and preparing lessons for the upcoming week of school.  I took a break in between, by reviewing all the musical instruments and equipment I had available.  My curious mind wanted to see what a $10K MusiCounts Band Aid Grant could buy.  Impressed by the collection of guitars, drums, keyboards, music stands, practice pads, and sticks, I took out my camera and snapped some photographs.  A lot has changed in the last two years.  Before, there was no music program at Inuujaq School.  Now, I have enough resources to instruct 8 guitarists and 8 drummers.  I can only imagine what the music program will look like in a year or two, but it's safe to say that it will be even bigger.

            

High school graduation occurred on the evening of Friday, October 17th, at the local community hall.  There were eight graduates this year; seven women and one man.  Graduation takes place in October because everyone is too busy camping, boating, and hunting in June.  The Graduation Committee was led by the new high school art teacher, Aga.  She was hired to replace Paulette who is on educational leave for the next year.  The committee also included several Inuit teachers and the graduates.  After many meetings and discussions, a date was set, the community hall was booked, a photographer was hired, gowns were ordered, a theme song was chosen, decorations were ordered, the dinner menu was finalized, and a celebratory cake was made.

            

On October 16th, the staff and high school students went over to the community hall to put up the decorations, and set up the tables & chairs for the graduation dinner.  The dinner would take place before the ceremony and we were expecting up to 80 guests.  While I helped with the tables and chairs, others were blowing & tying black & yellow balloons to the walls.  I should have brought my earplugs because a few of the balloons popped.  The best decorations in my view were the posters of the graduates' silhouettes; they were taped to the back wall of the stage.

            

Since Arctic Bay doesn't have a catering business (yet), the staff and graduates assisted in preparing the grad dinner food.  I prepared two big bowls of salad.  One would be Caesar and the other would be plain so that the guests could mix their own dressings and toppings.  Even though there were around nine romaine lettuce heads, I still washed my hands thoroughly and picked the heads by hand.  Using a knife just doesn't feel right to me.  I would add the croutons, bacon bits, and dressing at the community hall.    

            

Graduation Dinner

Greg, the Grade 5/6 teacher,
cuts slices of roast beef.

When the big day finally arrived, everyone hurried home to get ready for the ceremony.  When I arrived at the community hall, there were already several teachers working feverishly in the kitchen.  I took off my parka & heavy boots and put on my dress shoes & an apron to cover my suit.  I joined the teachers in the kitchen and went to work preparing the Caesar Salad bowl.  After that, I helped out with placing the prepared dishes on the assigned tables.  When all the guests had arrived, a prayer was said, and the dinner began.  The buffet consisted of ham, roast beef, turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, bread, vegetables, tea, and coffee.  The food was delicious, I had two servings, and I was glad to see an empty Caesar Salad bowl.

            

When the dinner was completed, the dirty dishes were collected, the tables were cleared & folded up, and the chairs were rearranged to face the stage.  At the back of the hall, a tall golden arch covered in black & yellow balloons was erected for the graduates to walk through.  They would then proceed down a black path covered in golden stars in the middle of the hall.  The graduates changed into their yellow graduation gowns and posed for pictures while the hall slowly filled up with people.  When the clocks struck 7:30pm, it was time for to the ceremony.

            

Piuyuq, the Grade 1 teacher, lit a qulliq to mark the beginning of the ceremony.  Two local throat singers then came on stage and performed a few songs.  The eight graduates were then introduced one-by-one after walking through the golden arch and then proceeded to take their seats on stage.  The audience cheered after every introduction.  Yolanda Adams "I Believe" was played over the hall speakers.  The principal and high school teachers sat behind the graduates.

            

Mayor Philip Kalluk (left) & Inuujaq School Principal Salam (right).
Please excuse the unintentional blurriness.

An elder said an opening prayer after the music was cut and the audience was settled.  The principal then addressed the graduates and the audience in English & Inuktitut.  Then came the most important moment - the graduates were awarded their diplomas.  Judging from the smile on their faces, they were overjoyed and relieved that they had finished high school.  They also received a free laptop from Baffinland.  The high school teachers then presented a variety of awards to the graduates.  I presented the Citizenship & Leadership Award to Cora.

            

The next part of the ceremony was having the graduates say a few words, followed by inviting parents, friends, or elders from the audience to the podium to say something.  The short speeches touched on themes of believing in yourself, never giving up, and finding support from the people you love (ie. parents).  Aga also read a message from Paulette, praising the graduates for completing high school and to follow their dreams.  There was one surprising moment that brought the whole place to a standstill.  The boyfriend of one of the graduates came up on stage, was handed the microphone, but instead, set it aside and got down on one knee.  After composing herself from the shock and surprise, she took the ring and said yes.  There were a lot cheers from the audience.

            

The ceremony ended the same way it began.  While "I Believe" played over the loud speakers, the graduates walked down the black path as the audience clapped and cheered.  They  stopped at the back of the hall so that people could personally congratulate them.  Several minutes later, the cake was brought out, and photos were taken of the graduates cutting off pieces.  The cake was devoured by everyone in a matter of minutes.  The celebrations would continue into the night, starting with the grad dance. 

           

Late September, Early October

OW Atlantic

CCGS Terry Fox

On September 25, the chemical tanker OW Atlantic returned to Arctic Bay to drop off a passenger who needed to catch a flight at the airport.  The CCGS Terry Fox, a heavy gulf and arctic icebreaker, was also in town, most likely acting as the Atlantic's escort.  The Terry Fox is named after the late Canadian cancer research activist, and was acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard in 1992.  The vessel is stationed in St. John's, Newfoundland, and operates in the Arctic during the summer shipping season, providing escort for the many sealift ships that deliver supplies to communities.  She performs these same duties in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the winter months.  From a distance, the Terry Fox appears simple in design; the main structure is a five story block that sits near the front of the ship while the back is flat and used for hauling cargo.  The vessel is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2020. 

            

The large tanker ship, Havelstern arrived in Arctic Bay on September 27 to replenish the town's fuel supply.  The vessel anchored not far from the shoreline and ran a long pipe from the back of the ship to the oil tanks.  The ship is owned and operated by Coastal Shipping Limited, a division of Woodward Group of Companies. 

            

Arctic Bay was treated to several full moons during the first few days of October.  Maybe it's just me, but ever since coming to Canada's north, Earth's moon has been bright and fully visible at night more frequently up here than down south.  I photographed the moon on the evening of October 5th, capturing the light reflecting off the water in the bay.

            

Monday, October 6, began like any other day, but it would end in shock, grief, and heartache for a family of seven.  I was at school working after hours correcting class work when my thoughts were interrupted by a loud siren.  It sounded like an air-raid siren; the tone would crescendo, peak, decrescendo, and then repeat.  I grabbed my binoculars and looked out my window towards the Gas Station.  Maybe they're testing a new fire alarm, I thought.  Upon seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I put my binoculars away and went back to correcting.  After the siren continued wailing for another minute, my mind finally gave me the idea to go out into the hallway and look through the large window nearby.  My eyes locked on black smoke emerging from a small house perched on top of a hill to the left of the school.  The house was on fire!  I quickly grabbed my parka, boots, gloves, hat, and camera and dashed outside.

            

The loud "air-raid" siren was coming from the town fire hall.  It's used to alert firefighters and town residents of a serious emergency.  After taking a few steps outside, I could already smell burning wood.  A crowd was beginning to form around the house as smoke continued to billow.  A fire truck and water truck were already on scene as I neared the house.  Firefighters and volunteers were already breaking down the doors and shouting into the house, thinking there were people inside.  I took a few pictures of the tumultuous scene unfolding in front of me before positioning myself behind the house.  The siren at the fire hall was turned off but no one noticed. 

            

Large flames surged out of the rear window as the second water truck quickly backed up to the burning house.  I filmed a firefighter take the water hose from the truck, aim it towards the burning window and douse it with water.  Apparently, the fire started in the room adjacent to that window.  By this time, the crowd of onlookers was quite large and several of my high school students were standing next to me.  Flames suddenly emerged on the other side of the house, turning dusk into the day, but thankfully, the firefighters were able to beat back the flames and get the fire under control.

            

When the second water truck ran out of water, the driver quickly raced to the water pumping station behind the airport to refill the large tank.  It would take the truck about 15 minutes to get there and back.  When the water truck returned, the fire had been extinguished.  The firefighters doused the house's interior with more water for safe measure before entering the house to conduct an inspection.

            

"Not a good way to start the week," I commented out loud.  "With all that water, the house is now an indoor pool and a complete write-off." 

            

I took pictures of the house the following morning, now a charred wreck.  I would learn later that day that the fire started in a bedroom by a child lighting tissue paper.  The seven occupants lost their home, most of their possessions, and were forced to move in with another large family.  This underscores the well-known problem of overcrowding in northern communities.  The family of seven received many donations from the community.   

              

My Grade 10s were working on the second half of the Staking The Claim Module.  The later units look at how the Inuit across the north united and reasserted control of their lives & the land through the four land claim agreements in Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut.  My students learned about the many Inuit activists who were involved in the land claims negotiations, the reasons behind the land claims, the main points of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, and the Extinguishment Clause.  The students were surprised to learn that only 18% of Nunavut is Inuit Owned Lands; they wanted it to be much more.  However, they liked that the Inuit received $1.14 billion in compensation for giving up 82% of the land.

            

The Grade 10s also learned about the killing of Inuit sled dogs between 1950 & 1975 by the RCMP.  It has been alleged that the RCMP systemically killed 20,000 sled dogs to force the Inuit off the land and into government built communities.  The RCMP has denied this, arguing that only some were lawfully destroyed because they were diseased, starving, or aggressive.  Hopefully, the truth of what really happened will emerge in the near future.  Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths, a documentary made by Nunavut filmmaker Joelie Sanguya, investigates the sled dog killings.

            

Additionally, my Grade 10s, watched the documentary Martha of the North, that looks at the lives and hardships of the "High Arctic Exiles."  In the mid-1950s, hundreds of Inuit families from Nunavik were relocated to the high Arctic (Resolute & Grise Fiord) on the false promise of a better life.  They struggled to survive in a new and harsh climate without government assistance for many years.  Repeated requests to return home were denied.  It wouldn't be until the 1980s that the families would finally be allowed to return to Nunavik, (if they desired), and learn that they were sent to the high Arctic to affirm Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic.  Financial compensation and an apology from the federal government would come many years later. 

            

My Grade 11s finished the Industrialization Module by studying the long lasting political and social effects of imperialism in Africa & China, and the effects of industrialization in the 20th century.  Naturally, they had a review test before moving on to the Nationalism & Conflict module that focuses on the causes and consequences of the First World War.  I would finally have the opportunity to share the vast knowledge and many pictures I accumulated during my summer trip to France with the Juno Beach Centre.  Of course, that part of the module happens after the introduction & background sections.

            

The Grade 12s were hard at work on their projects and learning more about democracies and dictatorships.  All of them had settled on a chosen topic that fits with the social studies curriculum.  The tasks ahead are to write an essay, make a product of some kind, and then present their project to a panel of judges and an audience.

            

And finally, my drummers were getting better at reading percussion notation.  They were hesitant and even resistant at first, but after much explanation, practice, and perseverance, their understanding of how the notes are divided, organized, and written significantly improved.  On the first day of October, I made them all aware of the upcoming Halloween concert at the end of the month, so it was now time to get down to business.  We would practice the selected music more intensively and also look at more complex rhythms & rudiments.  This would ensure a well-crafted and memorable public performance. 

       

Operation Hill Top 14

The staff and cadets of 3045 Army held their first Field Training eXercise (FTX) of the regular training year on the weekend of September 19 - 21.  Dubbed Operation Hill Top 14, (where the 14 stands for 2014), the FTX took place in the same location as last year; next to the Second Bridge on the Road to Nanisivik.  The main objective for the weekend was to complete a 7km hike.  This year, the exercise was geared towards the first & second year cadets; the seniors were not required to participate.  However, two seniors were assigned as platoon leaders.  An FTX is the cadet equivalent of a school field trip.

            

Meetings were held several weeks prior to the FTX to organize a kit list, meals, tents, transportation, cooking equipment, fuel, lessons, and anything else we would need.  The cadets were issued sleeping bags, air mattresses, and duffel bags.  Additionally, the second year cadets were issued rucksacks because they were required to complete the hike by carrying some weight on their shoulders.    

            

I too was issued a sleeping bag and air mattress, but I packed my own rucksack with spare clothes, flashlights, granola bars, and a thermos full of hot chocolate.  I also brought my GPS, SPOT Device, and walkie-talkies.  Due to the sudden arrival of snow, I drove out to the Second Bridge several days before the weekend and surveyed the camping area to make sure the snow wasn't too deep to pitch tents.  And thankfully, it wasn't.

            

On the evening of Friday, September 19, everyone assembled in front of Inuujaq School's gym, fully fed and clothed for the weekend ahead.  I was overdressed; my outer clothing consisted of a Canada Goose Resolute Parka, light wind pants, Baffin Impact Boots, and thick gloves.  I had no intention of repeating last year's infamous episode of developing a serious migraine.  I still think it was because of my light outer clothing not protecting me from the cold weather.  After roll call, the cadets were divided amongst the drivers we recruited to transport everyone to the bivouac site.  Last year, we walked from the First Bridge to the Second Bridge, but this year would be different.  The hikes would begin from the camping site on Saturday.

            

We arrived at the Second Bridge after a 25-minute drive.  The cadets unloaded everything and placed them in designated piles: duffel bags, sleeping bags, food, cardboard boxes, cooking equipment, and tents.  A white Fort McPherson tent had already been pitched prior to our arrival.  The cadets only had to pitch another white tent and the green Arctic 5-man tent designated for Lt. May, the Commanding Officer of 3045, and myself.  Once the tents were pitched, the cardboard boxes were flattened and placed inside the tents as makeshift "floors".  Then the air mattresses and sleeping bags were laid out.  One white tent was for the male cadets and the other was for the females. 

            

Whenever the cadet corps goes camping out in the field we are required to have a few Rangers to protect us from aggressive wildlife (ie. polar bears).  They get paid for their duties and also receive rations.  They just have to bring their own firearms, ammunition, tent(s), and any other equipment they require.                   

            

As night began to settle, the cadets assembled for a quick briefing and hot chocolate.  Lights out was set at 10:30 and reveille would be at 7:30 the following morning.  Everyone was instructed to get a good night's rest because they would need the strength for tomorrow's hike.

We slowly emerged from our tents the following morning, breathing in the fresh Arctic air, and wanting a warm cooked breakfast.  Lt. May & I got the Coleman stoves working, melting snow in two large grey pots.  When the snow turned to boiling water, we tossed in all the main MRE meals for 10-15 minutes.  MRE stands for Meals-Ready-to-Eat and are made in America.  The Canadian equivalent is Individual Meal Packages (IMPs) and personally speaking, they are of much better quality.  Several minutes after breakfast began, Arctic Bay's mental health nurse and social worker arrived with freshly baked muffins to complement our meals.  The muffins were an instant hit and quickly disappeared off the tray.  The two ladies drove back to town for the rest of day but would come back for the evening bonfire.

            

Green Stars begin their 7km hike.

A snow plow on the Road to Nanisivik.

The 7km hikes began at around 11:30am.  The first year cadets, aka the Green Stars, were to hike 3.5km towards Arctic Bay, stopping at the liquor signs, turn around and go back to the camp site.  The second year cadets, aka the Red Stars, were to hike 7km in the opposite direction, towards Nanisivik, and stop at the Terry Fox Monument.  There, they would be picked up by the Rangers and brought back to the camp site.  Lt. May went with the Greens and I went with the Reds.  Since we assumed the hikes would take about 3 hours to complete, we took granola bars and juice boxes to keep the cadets nourished.  I gave Lt. May one of my walkie-talkies so that we could stay in touch. 

            

Camp Site.

The Red Stars and I followed the Road the Nanisivik, slowly trekking up a hill the road curved around.  We briefly stopped at the top to look at the camp site below and the small platoon of Green Stars.  Ahead of them, a large snow plow was clearing the road of heavy wet snow.  Aside from the sounds of our boots and occasional chatter, the area was enveloped by complete silence.  The dark gravel road and surrounding brown landscape had become covered with snow.  It felt like just yesterday, Lt. May & I were driving towards Nanisivik at the end of August.  (The blog posts about my visit to Nanisivik are coming.  All the background research is done.  Now I just have to find the time to put it all on paper).

            

We stopped from time to time to catch our breaths and to rest our legs.  On the Road to Nanisivik, there is a section locally known as "The Stretch".  It's a straightaway about 5km long.  The Red Stars felt a little intimidated, thinking they would never reach the end of it, but I encouraged them along and after some time, we got to the end.  About halfway down The Stretch, the Rangers pulled up in a pickup truck and gave the cadets new trekking poles.  The "gifts" raised morale for the rest of the hike. 

            

"The Stretch"

Surprisingly, my group completed the 7km hike but didn't reach the monument; it was just a kilometre or two further up the road.  By this time, however, it was 2:30pm and our legs were tired.  We were picked up by Lt. May because the Green Stars had completed their hike early.  When we got back to the camp site, we rested for a while.

            

The bonfire began at 7pm.  The firewood was brought in by truck an hour or two before.  The cadets stacked the wood into a large pile, several metres away from the camp site.  The Rangers got a small fire started and slowly fed it pieces of wood before it became a large fire.  The mental health nurse and social worker returned with hot dogs, bread, ketchup, mustard, marshmallows, Hershey's chocolate, and graham crackers.  First, everyone roasted hot dogs over the open fire using long metal rods.  There were enough hot dogs for two rounds.  When they were all gone, Barb, the social worker, taught the cadets how to make smores.  When making smores in the Arctic, you need to wrap everything in tinfoil and roast it over the fire.  Just roasting the marshmallows, as it's normally done down south, is not enough to make all the pieces stick together. 

            

Roasting smores.

The cadets were allowed to play with the fire after finishing their smores, using sticks and large pieces of wood as shields.  I was told it was a common practice whenever the kids go camping with their parents and/or relatives.  Under the watchful eyes of the Rangers and officers, no one got burned.  The Rangers piled more wood onto the fire, letting the flames rise once again to the point where you could call it a controlled inferno.  The intense heat caused everyone to step back a few metres.  When the fire became a collection of smoldering embers, we piled snow on top to fully extinguish them.  The cadets cleaned up all the garbage, collected all the roasting rods, and brought it back to the campsite.  The cadets were dismissed to their tents for the night.  Lights out was at 11pm.

          

Sunday, September 21, was teardown day, where the entire camp would be disassembled and packed onto pickup trucks, and driven back to Arctic Bay.  The teardown began after breakfast.  While the makeshift kitchen was being put away, the tents were cleaned out of sleeping bags, mattresses, duffel bags, and flat cardboard boxes.  The Rangers burned the cardboard boxes, and the cadets disassembled the tents and brought them and their personal belongings to the awaiting pickup trucks.  The cadets did a final garbage sweep of the area before being debriefed by Lt. May and myself.  We congratulated the Green & Red Stars for completing the hikes and for camping out on the land without the assistance of the senior cadets. 

            

Everyone then found a seat on the many trucks that were waiting to drive us home.  When the cadets were dropped off at their homes, they were instructed to wash their sleeping bag liners and throw the sleeping bags in the dryer for 10 minutes.  They were to return them the following Wednesday.

            

Overall, the Operation Hill Top 14 was a success.  We achieved all of our objectives and I didn't get sick.       

Garbage Sweep