Nunavut Quest 2015 - Part 1

The last week of April was all about Nunavut Quest, the annual sled dog race that began in 1999 to commemorate the creation of Nunavut.  The last time the race came to Arctic Bay was two years ago when I first arrived in the community.  Arctic Bay was the starting line and the finish line was in Igloolik.  Last year, competitors raced from Igloolik to Pond Inlet, bypassing Arctic Bay altogether.  This year, Arctic Bay would serve as the finish line.  The race would begin in Pond Inlet, 238km to the southeast, but competitors would have to mush across 500km of arctic wilderness. 

            

Competitors are allowed to employ two helpers who transport supplies loaded on qamutiks and skidoos.  Think of it as a mobile pit crew.  What also makes the race a little easier for competitors is that you don't have to cross the finish line first.  Nunavut Quest is a rally race where dog mushers race from point-to-point in the least amount of time.  Their total times are added up and the racer with the least amount of time overall wins.  This format enables teams and their dogs to rest & recuperate.  Teams were required to travel 80km per day

            

The race was scheduled to begin on April 14 but had to be delayed until April 21 because of weather.  When word got out that the race finally began, all of Arctic Bay was feverishly waiting for the arrival of the racers.  Updates were passed along via Facebook and word-of-mouth.  Preparations were made to welcome the competitors, support teams, and race officials.

            

The hamlet plowed a wide clear path out onto the ice as well as a large rectangle at the end.  A large snow bank was built on the far side of the rectangle.  From a distance, the rectangle looks like a very large skating rink but it's actually a makeshift parking lot.  Spectators could safely drive their vehicles onto the ice, park them, and then watch the teams come in.  The community hall was being decorated for the awards ceremony on April 28th. 

            

Support Teams

The arrival of the dog teams was set for Wednesday, April 27th.  Afternoon classes were cancelled, permitting staff & students to head down to the ice.  Several students from Inuujaq School were the support teams and were coming back after being away for two weeks.  I quickly got into my outerwear and grabbed my camera & skidoo keys.  The support teams were already in view when I got my skidoo started.  I whipped out my camera and took pictures of the very long procession of skidoos and qamutiks.  When I reviewed the photos several days later, I counted 26 skidoos & qamutiks in the convoy. 

            

Support Teams driving in an 's' pattern.

I drove down to the ice and parked my skidoo next to the makeshift parking lot.  Large crowds had already formed near and around the snow bank.  It appeared as if the entire town was out in the frozen bay.  The convoy of support teams turned towards Arctic Bay but began driving in a winding 's' pattern.  From the sky, it would have looked like a large snake slithering on ice.  When the convoy got even closer to the crowd, the drivers changed their formation to a large circle.  The convoy completed several rotations before the drivers parked their skidoos and qamutiks in from the cheering people.  I filmed the circular parade with my digital camera.  Everyone was waving and cheering.

           

People swarmed around the support teams, shaking hands, greeting everyone in Inuktitut, taking photographs, and sitting on the skidoos & qamutiks.  I slowly walked around, taking pictures of anything and everything.  Everyone was glad that it was a clear & sunny day.  Two years ago there was overcast and a lot of wind.  There were some impressive looking iglutaks on qamutiks; some that I would consider building myself if I ever got a qamutik.  One qamutik contained two dogs that enjoyed being pet.  I got a few good close up shots of them.  I wished I had a drone copter with a camera so that I could capture amazing pictures and videos from the sky.  Maybe next year.

            

While I walked around looking for more pictures to take, Michel came up to me and asked if I wanted to drive out to Uluksaat Point to see the dog teams come in.  Michel is the high school math & science teacher.  At first I was a little hesitant because I thought the dog mushers would be arriving shortly and I didn't want to be caught on the "racetrack".  But after we heard we had thirty minutes of waiting, I agreed to the idea.

            

Me and the Arctic Bay Flag.

Michel with the two flags in the background.

We hopped on my skidoo and drove out to Uluksaat Point which is to the south of Arctic Bay.  The drive only took a few minutes.  There were already a few spectators waiting at the location.  One man was even standing on top of the cliffs; he must have had the best views.  Two flags had been placed at the point to tell the competitors where to turn.  The flags were of Arctic Bay & Pond Inlet.

            

The real finish line.

At about 2pm we could see the first few dog teams in the distance.  It was easy to spot them since they were collections of black specks moving across white ice.  I still used my binoculars to get a good look at the approaching teams.  The dogs were running with all their strength.  All the spectators at the point were instructed to move away from the flags, otherwise the dogs may get confused.  Michel & I later learned that Uluksaat Point was actually the finish line.  The ride into Arctic Bay was the victory lap.  We headed back to town after watching the first four dog teams race arrive at the flags and then continue on to the community.  Along the way, I took several pictures of the people in the bay.  They looked like a swarm of ants.

            

We arrived several minutes after the first four dog teams.  Michel & I went to see the dog teams up close.  There were many breeds on display but one thing was certain: all the sled dogs were tired.  Many were tanning and sleeping under the bright arctic sun.  I was able to get really close to several dogs and take some pictures.  The dog team that interested me the most was the one that was led by a white man from Clyde River.  Several of his dogs had brown & white fur.  Most sled dogs that I've seen either have black & white fur or just white.  I'm not sure what breed the brown & white dogs are, so if you're a dog expert reading this, feel free to write the correct breed as a comment to this post.            

After taking plenty of pictures, I drove to the Gas Station to refuel my skidoo & extra gas cans.  Michel didn't mind staying behind; he wanted to speak to the dog mushers.  The employee at the Gas Station was jealous of everyone because he had to work during the race.  I reassured him that his friends & family probably took a lot of pictures and videos for him to look at.  And I added that there still was the awards ceremony the following night.  He just smiled and nodded. 

To Be Continued . . .

The Return to Nanisivik

At the beginning of 2015, I published two entries about my visit/tour of Nanisivik in August 2014.  (You can reread Part 1 & Part 2 here).  I visited the former town site, deep sea dock, and airport.  If you remember from Part 2 of the mini-series, I promised myself to return to the airport with my skidoo, and drive up & down the 5,000-foot runway.  The perfect time to fulfill that promise came in the middle of April 2015.

            

In August, it is summer; in April, it is winter.  Wanting to see what Nanisivik looked like during winter was the second reason behind my return trip.  Obviously, I envisioned a lot of snow, but I still wanted to see it for myself.  I recruited Stephen to be my second cameraman.  Stephen is the common-law partner of Kaitlynd, Inuujaq School's Student Support Teacher.  He would film me driving on the Nanisivik runway as a spectator.  I would record the driving from my perspective using my newly purchased GoPro Hero 3 camera. 

            

It was a cloudy morning on April 19th.  Stephen & I did our final checks at my place before we headed off on our adventure.  We were both wearing heavy Canada Goose outer clothing.  We were each packing: an extra 5 gallon tank of gas, extra oil, spare drive belt, spark plugs, and bungie cords.  I was also packing: GPS, SPOT Device, my Maverick 88 shotgun, walkie-talkies, first aid kit, digital camera, GoPro camera, snacks, duct tape, and skidoo helmet.  I had the feeling that I would get the urge to drive really fast on the runway, so it was necessary to wear a helmet.

            

Stephen & I decided to take the scenic route.  We would head north, drive across Victor Bay, and follow the coastline on the eastern side.  We would then drive around Graveyard Point and head east until we reached the deep sea dock.  The next portion of the trip would see us driving alongside the main road, past the former town site, all the way to the Nanisivik Airport.  We would complete the loop by driving back to Arctic Bay following the Road to Nanisivik.       

            

Stephen led the way until Graveyard Point.  He had previously travelled this distance on his skidoo so he would know where the best trails were.  This trip would increase the furthest distance my skidoo has travelled outside Arctic Bay.  The drive to Graveyard Point was a little bumpy but scenic.  I didn't find the driving boring (despite the trail being a straight line) and I had already become accustomed to the monotonous drone of my skidoo engine.

            

I took several pictures of Graveyard Point before we completed our loop around the tall jagged mountain.  The arctic sun hung above its peak.  Since it was mid-April, the sun was barely setting.  In another few days, the sun would always be visible. 

            

After finding our exact position on my Garmin GPS, I plotted the next portion of our trip.  I led the way this time, driving across the thick frozen ice, keeping the coastline to my right, and Stephen in my rearview mirrors.  We couldn't see the Nanisivik dock because of fog.  The more I drove, the more I got the feeling that we were heading in the wrong direction.  However, my GPS reassuringly showed me that we were heading in the right direction.  Along the way, we stopped to look at some polar bear tracks leading towards the coast.  Unfortunately - or thankfully, depending on how you look at it - we couldn't spot the polar bear.  I have been residing in the north for 3 years now and I have yet to capture a polar bear on camera.

            

We finally saw the Nanisivik dock facility after driving for what seemed like a long time.  In my Nanisivik Part 2 blog post, there's a picture of me standing on the dock with Graveyard Point clearly in the background.  The weather was the complete opposite in April.  I should have taken the exact picture again because the point would not be visible at all. 

            

A quick recap: the Conservative federal government announced in 2007 that the old Nanisivik dock would be converted into a naval station for the armed forces.  Several years later, the original plans were scrapped and instead a refueling station would be constructed to service Arctic patrol boats.  (Construction on these boats are to begin soon). 

            

The docking area has changed significantly since August 2014.  Back then, shipping containers, large wooden boxes, and white trailers occupied the docking area.  Eight months later, there were less shipping containers, newly built living quarters, a large shed that I believe houses the heaters and power generators, and big drill machines & gravel crushers sitting next to the DND's Interim Site Office.  When Stephen & I drove off the ice, we were not greeted by anyone.  The place was deserted.  The windows & doors of the living quarters were boarded up to prevent break-ins.  The living quarters would house the many workers who would be labouring on the site during the brief summer months. 

            

Stephen spotted an Arctic hare near the gravel crushers but it ran off before I could get my camera out and take a picture. 

            

We drove up to the former Nanisivik town site and Stephen showed me the directions post with the Pembroke sign on it.  It got me thinking about adding a sign of my own.

            

Nanisivik Airport

Old broken pay phone.

Stephen & I arrived at the abandoned Nanisivik Airport at around 12:30pm.  We parked our skidoos in front of the small brown terminal building.  This was Stephen's first time visiting the airport.  Hungry with curiosity, we gained access to the terminal building by removing the snow blocking the front door with our heavy boots.  I encouraged Stephen to take as many pictures as possible.  The terminal was still a mess with pieces of furniture, old electronics, and papers littered all over the floor.  It was like walking onto a post-apocalyptic film set.

            

We exited the terminal building and walked down the long, dark, and eerie land bridge that leads to the beige maintenance garage.  I didn't explore this building in August.  The garage was frozen in time: figuratively & literally.  Two of the four large garage doors had been left open for who knows how long, causing large amounts of snow to be blown inside.  All the ground floor rooms were covered in snow and ice.  Arctic hare tracks were everywhere.

            

A loader and a very large red bulldozer sat inside the maintenance garage.  I'm not sure how old the bulldozer was but it looked like it was from the 1970s or 1980s.  Naturally, both vehicles were covered in snow & ice.  Stephen & I assumed both vehicles were used to clear snow off the runway & tarmac.

            

We explored all the rooms in the garage, curious to see what hidden treasures we could find.  I felt like an alien archeologist who had come from a faraway planet to explore some long lost forgotten civilization.  All the rooms were littered with junk.  It would probably take an entire blog post to list all the items we found.  I'll let my pictures tell most of the story, but just to give you the tip of the iceberg, Stephen & I unconvered: typewriters, VHS cassettes, maintenance manuals, old maps, printers, fax machines, hard hats, wires, and even two large shelving units that contained hundreds of rusted nuts, bolts, and screws.

            

"It looks like everyone was in such a hurry to leave that they forgot to take anything," I remarked to Stephen.

            

"Yes, it looks that way," he agreed.  "Or they just took whatever they could carry and left everything else behind."

            

Rusted nuts, bolts, and screws lie within.

Me standing on the old bulldozer.

We walked back to our skidoos and had a light snack.  We then drove out to the 5,000-foot runway that happened to be covered by a thick layer of soft snow.  I made my skidoo lighter by removing the extra gas can I brought with me and leaving my backpack & shotgun with Stephen.  I gave him one of the walkie-talkies so that we could communicate.  I instructed him to film me from the middle of the runway with my digital camera.  I attached my GoPro to the side of my skidoo helmet and started the skidoo engine.  I explained to Stephen that I would do a test run to see if it was safe to drive.  He wished me good luck.

            

Me sitting in front of the old bulldozer.

I drove to one end of the runway, turned around, and positioned my skidoo where I believed was the centre line.  After taking a deep breath, I squeezed the throttle.  I drove at a moderate speed, creating my own trail.  When I arrived at the other end, I turned around and repositioned.

            

"Okay, I'm driving to the other end now," I said to Stephen over the radio.  "Start filming. Over."

"Okay.  The camera is rolling," he replied.

            

Stephen standing on the old bulldozer.

I squeezed the throttle and my skidoo quickly accelerated.  My speed peaked and stayed at 60 mph / 96.56 kmh until I neared the end of the runway.  My skidoo is capable of travelling much faster but I decided not to push my luck.  It took me nearly two minutes to drive from one end of the runway to the other.

            

"Okay, I'm coming back Stephen.  Film me again. Over."

"Alright, I'm filming."

            

I drove to the other side of the runway at 60 mph.  I sustained no injuries.

            

Stephen sitting on the ice covered loader.

I thanked Stephen for being my second cameraman.  We refueled our skidoos and drove back to Arctic Bay, following the Road to Nanisivik.  There were less snow drifts on the road this time.  We turned off the main road near the First Bridge and continued across the frozen bay until we reached home.  As always, the adventure was a success and I was glad that we could capture it all on camera.  While I was editing the photos and videos, I wondered where else I could go before the end of the school year. 

Second floor of the maintenance garage.

              

Hockey, Cheque, Hockey

Arctic Bay was swept with hockey fever in the middle of April; the Qamutik Cup tournament had come to town.  The hockey tournament happens every year but the communities involved take turns hosting the event.  This year was Arctic Bay's turn.  Five teams would compete for first place: two teams from Arctic Bay, two teams from Igloolik, and one team from Pond Inlet.  The Igloolik and Pond Inlet teams came to Arctic Bay by skidoo and qamutik.  Igloolik is about 425km to the south of Arctic Bay while Pond Inlet is about 238km to the east.  The visiting hockey teams had to leave their home towns several days in advance so that they would arrive on time.  They didn't drive non-stop; a few days were spent camping out on the land.  That's the way to do it.  Why drive all the way and not stop to enjoy the expansive & endless landscape?

            

Everyone was excited and talking about the hockey tournament.  Many of my students asked me if I was going to attend the games.  I said I would try as best as I could.  It had been a long time since I stepped inside the hockey arena.  The matches would be held in the afternoon. 

            

The tournament officially started on Monday, April 13, the day after I assisted Stephen with recovering his ATV on the road to Nanisivik.  The first part of the tournament was a round robin of nine games spread across three days.  Three of the teams played four of the nine games while the other two just played three.  (I'm not a tournament organizer so I'm not sure how the progressions are determined).  I was unable to attend the first five games, but I did find the time to attend Game 6 on the evening of April 14th.

            

The winners of the first five games were as follows:

Game 1: Igloolik #1

·         Game 2: Igloolik #2

·         Game 3: Igloolik #1

·         Game 4: Pond Inlet

·         Game 5: Arctic Bay #1

            

Both Igloolik teams would face off for Game 6.  I left my skidoo behind and walked down to the hockey arena from my house.  The arena was too close for me to use my skidoo.  The main lobby was packed with people waiting for the next game to begin.  Game 5 had just finished and the ice was being resurfaced.  A lot of my students were there and they greeted me as I entered the building.  I was also greeted by many local Inuit.  Former Member of the (Nunavut) Legislative Assembly (MLA), Ron Elliot, was selling pop, chips, candy, and other goodies at the canteen.  There were also other people selling various items.

            

I paid the $2 admission and entered the arena.  I was glad I was wearing my Canada Goose parka because it was cold inside.  The arena doesn't have a Zamboni machine to resurface the ice so this task done manually by volunteers.  Many Inuit youth grab large brooms and sweep all the chipped ice outside.  Then a small ice resurfacing machine on two wheels is brought out and pulled by one person around the rink.

            

When the stands were filled with spectators, both Igloolik teams skated out onto the ice and took practice shots for five minutes.  Then the first puck was dropped by the referee.  The referee happened to be one of my former students from the previous semester.  As soon as the puck dropped, I began snapping pictures with my digital camera.  Everyone watching the game began to cheer in Inuktitut.

            

"Hey, Adrian!" one of my students shouted, "what team are you cheering for?"

"Igloolik!" I replied over the cheers.

"Yeah, but which one?"

"Not sure.  I'm just keeping it neutral right now!"

            

I watched the first two periods before going home for the night.  It was a school night and I needed my sleep.  I had taken plenty of good pictures of the game and filmed two segments.  I also ended up taking a lot of blurry pictures but those I didn't keep.  There were some pretty intense moments during the game but thankfully no fights.  Although, several players on both teams received penalties.  I learned the next day that Igloolik Team #1 won.

            

On the evening of April 15th, the local Northern Store presented a cheque for $2,947.32 to 3045 Army Cadet Corps.  The brief presentation took place inside the Inuujaq School gym where the cadets regularly parade every Wednesday night.  The money, drawn from the store's Environmental Fund, will go towards assisting the cadets in their cleanup of the area behind the airport.  The cheque was presented by Joy Crawford & Diana Burges, the manager & assistant manager of the Northern Store. 

            

The two semifinal games of the Qamutik Cup occurred on Thursday, April 16th, and the residents of Arctic Bay were excited but also nervous.  Only the Arctic Bay #2 team made it to the semifinals.  And they would be facing off against Pond Inlet.  I could sense the tension in the air when I walked into the arena during the second period of the game.

            

It took some time to find a place to stand because the place was packed with spectators.  Everyone was shouting, "De-fence!", "Atii!", "Let's go Arctic Bay, Let's go!", and "Come on! Shoot!"  Every time the puck missed the net, the arena erupted into a loud, collective groan.  Arctic Bay was in the lead but Pond Inlet was catching up.  There were a lot of intense moments but again, no fights broke out.  By the end of the third period, Pond Inlet & Arctic Bay were tied 10-10.  The game would go into overtime.

            

The overtime was also intense but short-lived.  After about a minute of play, a Pond Inlet hockey player shot the puck between the skates of the Arctic Bay goalie, scoring the winning goal.  The Pond Inlet team charged onto the ice and swarmed their lucky teammate.  The Arctic Bay team collapsed to the ice in disbelief.  The audience was stunned into silence.  I didn't say anything.  I'll be hearing about this tomorrow at school, I thought.

            

People began to file out of the area as both teams shook hands.  I was one of the last people to leave the stands.  The parking lot was completely occupied by trucks, ATVs, and skidoos.  Many people were smoking & talking about the game.  I walked up the hill and snapped a photo before walking back home.

            

It turned out that barely any of my students wanted to talk about the loss the next day.  Most of them still looked dejected.  Only a few people wanted to look at my photos and videos of the games.  "Well, there's always next year," was all I could say. 

               

The final game between Igloolik Team #1 & Pond Inlet was held several days later.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend.  I was told the game was fun to watch and Igloolik Team #1 emerged victorious.  The award ceremony was held in the community hall.  The visiting teams left the following weekend.                            

            

And finally, (and off-topic), I received my brand new sealskin kamiks from Kigutikarjuk, Shappa, a respected elder of Arctic Bay.  She was hired by Kataisee, the high school Inuktitut & Inuit culture teacher, to teach & help students sew parkas, mitts, and kamiks.  This would enable them to pass on this traditional knowledge to their future kids.

            

My brown sealskin kamiik cost $500 to make.  Five hundred dollars sounds expensive but this is actually the cheapest price when living in a northern community.  The usual going rate is $1000 per pair.  The sealskin fur is scraped off, thus making them waterproof.  They are very good at keeping your feet warm but getting a solid grip on the ground is tricky.  I've been told to put hockey tape on the soles for better grip.  If you're not wearing insoles, you feel everything you step on.  I was also instructed to keep them in the freezer so they don't dry up.  Dried kamiks lead to tears and tightness.  I thanked Shappa for her excellent work.  My kamiks complemented the sealskin tie I bought in Iqaluit. 

            

It didn't take long for everyone to notice my newly acquired footwear.  I received many compliments from teachers & staff on how good they looked.  I paid one of my students $25 to install two wooden planks over the metallic footrests on my skidoo.  That way, the metallic "teeth" wouldn't dig in to my kamiks and rip them open.