Late October (2015)

Source: Globalresearch.ca

On October 19th, Canadians went to the polls to elect a new federal government.  Twenty-three political parties competed to have the most candidates elected to the House of Commons in Ottawa.  The five most popular parties were the Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats (NDP), the Bloc Quebecois, and the Greens.  Thirty new seats were added to Canada's "chamber of democracy," bringing the total to 338.  The preceding federal election was held in 2011.  (I was surprised there was still room for more seats in the chamber.  I can only imagine what will happen when it becomes too crowded). 

            

The federal election was called on August 2 by Prime Minster Stephen Harper.  His Conservative Party had been ruling the country for ten years and was hoping to get reelected.  The campaign would last 11 weeks, the longest in Canadian history.  (Our American neighbours to the south mocked us for making "a big deal" about the length of the campaign because their presidential campaigns go on for two years). 

            

The Liberal Party had been reduced to third-party status in the previous election and was hoping to reclaim its rightful place as Canada's "natural governing party".  The New Democrats had been the Official Opposition for four years and were eager to become Canada's first federal New Democratic government.  The Bloc Quebecois lost most of its seats in 2011 and was hoping to win them back and add more in the province of Quebec.  The Green Party had succeeded in getting its leader elected in the last election and wanted to win more seats this time. 

            

I periodically followed the highlights of the campaign on the Internet but I couldn't watch the debates because I would use up all my bandwidth.  I notified Elections Canada of my change of address and had them move my name over to the Arctic Bay voting list.  This would be my first time voting as a Nunavut citizen in a federal election.

            

Source: Wikipedia.ca

The Hamlet Office served as the community's polling station.  Several teachers & I drove over to the building after school to cast our ballots.  It was as easy as marking an X on a piece of paper, folding it up, and placing it inside a box.  Democracy in action.  I eagerly followed the live election results online later that evening.  The voter turnout was surprisingly high at 69.1%.  In the end, the final results were: Liberals - 184 seats, Conservatives - 99 seats, NDP - 44 seats, Bloc Quebecois - 10 seats, and Greens - 1 seat.  The Liberals would form a majority government with Justin Trudeau as the new Prime Minister.  The Conservatives would form the Official Opposition and the NDP were reduced to third party status.  It looks like the majority of Canadians wanted change.  We shall see what Trudeau's Liberals will do for the next four years.

            

Speaking of change, the federal Nunavut riding has a new MP - Hunter Tootoo.  He campaigned as a Liberal and unseated Conservative MP Leona Aglukkaq.  He previously visited Arctic Bay in 2013 when he was a Nunavut MLA.  Spencer Rocchi, a former teacher at Inuujaq School, ended in last place behind the Conservatives & New Democrats.  He ran for the Green Party.   

            

From a distance, the iceberg looks small,
but it's really big up close.

The iceberg I photographed two weeks ago has drifted across the bay and become stuck near the airport.  The water in Adam's Sound has begun to freeze for the winter and the resulting surface ice has trapped the iceberg for the winter.  (The freezing of Adam's Sound usually begins in mid-October but this year, the natural process began later in the month).  As I mentioned in my post on October 14, 2015, this is the first time an iceberg has drifted this close to Arctic Bay since I moved here in 2013.  The community now has a natural attraction until next summer.  When the bay fully freezes and the ice is thick enough, locals will travel to the iceberg on their skidoos and break off pieces of ice with chisels.  I've been told that tea made with water from an iceberg tastes very good.  Since I don't drink tea, I'll stick to my original plan: extreme ironing in the spring!

            

Arctic Bay: October 24, 2015

Arctic Bay: October 24, 2015

I started driving my skidoo not too long ago.  It was a great feeling to finally be able to get back behind the . . . steering handlebars?  Everything appeared to be in working order.  I still had to keep an eye out for rocks on the skidoo trails and exposed gravel on the roads.  I would wait until early to mid-November before driving out on the frozen ice in the bay.                     

            

Halloween decorations began to appear in the main hallway and on classroom doors during the last week of October.  It was time for the annual Halloween door decorating contest.  Classes were encouraged to come up with creative & scary ideas to decorate their classroom doors for a chance to win cash prizes.  Some doors were scary while others were just colourful.  The winners would be announced at the Halloween Assembly on October 30th. (More on that in a future post).

              

The administrative staff of 3045 Army Cadets received an anonymous tip that my birthday would be occurring around late October and that something special should be done.  Two large birthday cakes were prepared behind-the-scenes.  Everyone in the corps was sworn to secrecy.  I didn't know of the plan until the night of the 28th when the cake was presented to me in full view of the cadets.  While everyone sang Happy Birthday, I did my best to keep a straight face.  I blew out most of the candles in one breath.  Everyone posed for a memorable photograph after the cakes were consumed.  Deep down, I was impressed by the amount of effort that everyone put in to "make my day".  Thank you everyone.  It was very touching.   

   

3045 Army Cadets

The birthday festivities continued on the evening of Friday, October 30th, when several teachers & I drove out to Uluksat Point to celebrate the occasion.  (Aside from Victor Bay, Uluksat Point is the closest camping area).  We chose Friday because it was the end of the school week and we could stay up much later.  We brought hot dogs, marshmallows, and beans for food. We also brought large pieces of wood to make a bonfire. 

            

The area was in complete darkness.  We used flashlights and the high beams of the vehicles to locate the fire pit and picnic tables.  A cold arctic wind began to blow as we assembled the large pieces of wood.  Once we got the fire going, we roasted the hot dogs & marshmallows over the open flames.  As for the beans . . . they were cooked using a frying pan.

            

The highlight of the bonfire was when Jean-Francois (JF), the high school science & math teacher set off the fireworks.  The fireworks were bought at the Northern Store.  Most of them ignited in the cold weather and exploded high in the night sky.  We all agreed to buy two box sets next time because one wasn't enough.  Come to think about it, you can never have enough fireworks.

            

We retreated to JF's house for an after bonfire party.  I was presented with a large lit birthday cake made by JF.  I blew out the crackling candles and did my best to cut the cake into equal pieces.  The cake was delicious.  Thanks JF!     

            

Sunrise. October 27, 2015.

And finally, my drummers & I are getting ready for our first performance gig: Halloween.  The school organizes a Halloween Assembly every year and for the third time in a row, my drummers are the opening act.  Naturally, my drummers are nervous because this will be their first time performing in front of a large audience but I've been constantly reassuring them that everything will be fine.  I have also been suggesting that they should wear Halloween masks to combat stage fright.  That's what I will be doing.    

Happy Halloween Everyone!

High School Graduation

It was the middle of October and three senior high school students were excited.  Their special day - graduation - was just around the corner.  Years of hard work led to this momentous occasion.  High school would soon be behind them and "doors" to new opportunities would be open to them.  They were already thinking about Arctic College, universities/trade schools down south,  and Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa.

          

On October 15th, the three graduates, and teachers of Inuujaq School decorated the local community hall.  The decorations included: hundreds of balloons, a purple archway, white snowflakes, golden stars, and a blue star-filled walkway.  Paulette, the high school art teacher, made a large graduation mural and had it hung on the back wall of the stage.  Paulette was also the head of the Graduation Committee.  As the decorations went up, she and the grads talked about the program.  All the decorations were up after several hours.    

            

A banquet was held before the ceremony on the evening of October 16th.  Rows of tables and chairs were set up in front of the stage.  The tables were decorated with candles and lights.  Paulette recruited the teachers to prepare the food.  The main courses included ham, turkey, chicken, and caribou.  I prepared the salads again this year: garden salad & Caesar salad.  Other side dishes included stuffing and potato salad.

            

The banquet began at 6pm.  Everyone was dressed in formal attire.  I was wearing a black suit with a sealskin tie.  Paulette welcomed everyone to the graduation banquet and asked an elder to bless the food.  The graduates had the honour of going to the buffet tables first.  Everyone else followed, filling their plates with delicious food.

            

The graduation cake was prepared by Jean-Francois (JF), the high school science & math teacher.  Last year, he made the graduation cake for the high school graduates in Arviat.  He combined three small cakes into one mega-cake.  He used red, white, and yellow icing to complement the red graduation gowns.

            

The graduates stood behind the cake after the banquet to have their pictures taken.  Paulette hired local Arctic Bay resident, Clare Kines, to take professional photographs.  Of course, people had brought their own cameras & iPods to take pictures.  The cake was cut up into equal pieces and offered to everyone in attendance.  The cake was devoured in several minutes.  JF received many positive reviews for the grad cake and even received offers to make cakes for future birthday parties.

            

2015 Graduates

The tables were folded up and put away.  The leftovers and empty plates were placed in the kitchen.  The table decorations were placed in boxes and the chairs were rearranged to face the stage.  While this was happening the three graduates put on their graduation gowns and posed for more photographs.  I let one of my students take pictures with my camera.  Slowly, the hall began to fill with people and by 8pm, there was quite an audience.  The principal and high school teachers sat on stage while the rest of the staff sat with the audience.  The ceremony began at 8pm.

            

The procession begins.

Qaapiq Attagutsiak.

The emcee was Kataisee Attagutsiak.  She translated the programs into Inuktitut.  The English programs were prepared by Ryan, the media teacher.  Kataisee's mother, Qaapiq Attagutsiak, lit a qulliq to signal the start of the ceremony.  (Qaapiq is Arctic Bay's most prominent elder).  The audience stood up and waited for the three graduates to be escorted down the blue star-filled walkway by the local RCMP.  The crowd cheered over the music as the graduates began their celebratory walk to the stage.  The graduates chose the song "Renegades" by X Ambassadors as their procession song.

            

Leah May performed the opening prayer in Inuktitut.  Everyone took their seats when she was finished.  The three graduates sat centre stage. 

            

Principal Salam addressed the graduates and congratulated them for completing high school.  He also thanked the parents for supporting them through "the best of times and the worst of times".  He then called on each graduate to receive their diploma.  They all raised their diplomas high towards the audience.  The audience responded with cheers of delight.

            

Me announcing the winner of the
Citizenship & Leadership Award.

The next part of the program called for the presentation of awards.  There were five awards to give out: the Governor General Award, Hamlet Award, Baffinland Iron Ore Corporation Award, Citizenship & Leadership Award, and English & Art Award.  I was tasked with presenting the Citizenship & Leadership Award to Roxanne Kigutak.  Emily Kalluk won the Governor General Award. 

            

The three graduates were given the opportunity to say a "few words of wisdom" after having just completed high school.  Their short speeches touched on believing in yourself, never give up, and thanking their family & friends for support. 

            

Parents & members of the audience were also invited to the stage to say a few words.  Their short speeches focused on encouraging parents to keep sending their young children to school so that they too can graduate and move on to post-secondary education.

            

One of the graduates approached me several weeks before the ceremony to ask me if she could borrow the EASY Button I bought from Staples.  The graduates wanted to use it during the ceremony when they finished their speeches.  They wanted to inject some humour by saying that finishing high school was easy.  I happily obliged.  (I bought a Staples EASY Button a year ago for motivational purposes.  I let my students push the button whenever they complete an activity they feel is "too difficult").  The graduates almost forgot about the button but just remembered right after the last parent spoke on stage.  Everyone had a good laugh when the button was pressed.

            

Paulette was the last person to give a speech to the audience and graduates.  She acknowledged the help of all the volunteers and the donations givens by various organizations.  She then called on Leah May one last time to say a closing prayer.

            

The graduates were led off the stage by the RCMP as the song "Renegades" played over loud speakers.  The three (former) high school students held their heads high as the audience cheered and snapped photos.  They stood at the back of the hall and shook the hands of well-wishers.  I shook their hands again and had them press the EASY button one last time.

            

An evening celebratory dance was held after the ceremony.  I chose to go home and rest for the night. 

            

3045 Parents Night (2015)

3045 Army Cadet Corps held its annual fall Parent's Night on the evening of October 14th.  The purpose of the event was to showcase what the cadets have learned since August, and hand out awards for marksmanship, physical fitness, and Operation Hill Top 15.  This year's program also included a presentation on the European trip in May.

            

To prepare for the evening parade, the cadets cleaned their uniforms, ironed their pants & shirts, and polished their parade boots.  (The officers did the same).  The cadets arrived at Inuujaq School's gym an hour early to set up chairs & tables.  Posters of the European trip - maps of France, brochures, donors - were taped on the back wall.  The flags of Canada & the cadet movement were brought down from the cadet office and placed on opposite sides of the Dias. 

            

The parade began at 6:30pm.  Most of the chairs in the audience were filled by excited parents, children, and community members.  The cadets were commanded by cadet corporal Colin Tilley.  The guest reviewing officer (GRO) was Levi Barnabas, a local resident who works for the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.  He inspected every cadet on parade and asked several of them what it was like being a cadet.  Following the inspection, the cadets did a March Past for the GRO and the audience.

            

Mr. Barnabas spoke to the cadets & attending parents about how he was impressed by the turnout and the importance of the cadet program.  The local program keeps Inuit children active and teaches them leadership, discipline, citizenship, and marksmanship.  Personally, I think the cadet program also teaches youth how to adapt & follow certain routines.  This is important because life revolves around routines that need to be followed.

           

The marksmanship and physical fitness badges were handed out by civilian instructor Andrew Reid and myself.  Reid is a former cadet who recently aged out over the summer.  The cadets who were called out marched up to the Dias to receive their badges & certificates.  Many photographs were taken by excited parents. 

            

The commanding officer of 3045, Lt. May, made an excellent suggestion to give out certificates of completion to the first & second year cadets who participated in the fall field training exercise (FTX).  I had the honour of handing out the certificates.  The four second year cadets who walked 8km instead of 7km were called out separately from the rest to be congratulated for going "beyond the call of duty".  I could see from the grins on their faces that they were proud of their accomplishment and happy by the extended applause.

            

Lt. May & D. Kigutikakjuk

October 14th happened to be the last parade night for cadet master warrant officer Donathan Kigutikakjuk.  He was turning 19 and when that happens, you age out of cadets.  (This is the nice way of saying you are "too old to be a cadet").  I too aged out as a master warrant officer when I was a cadet, but that was many, many years ago.

            

Lt. May gave a short speech about Kigutikakjuk's time as a cadet, noting that he joined when he was 12 years old and stayed all the way until the end.  He also listed the qualifications he achieved and the expeditions & camps he attended down south.  Lt. May handed Kigutikakjuk his cadet file to make it official that he was now "aged out". 

            

A surprise birthday cake was brought out by Kigutikakjuk's father.  Everyone sang Happy Birthday and Kigutikakjuk blew out the candles in one breath.

            

Audience

Geela Arnauyumayuq and the European
trip cadets.

The parade concluded with an Advance in Review Order and a General Salute.  The cadets were dismissed and instructed to sit in the audience.  The five cadets who attended the European Trip in May were asked to remain standing.  They planned a short presentation about their exciting trip to the Netherlands & France.  Civilian Instructor Andrew Reid was still a cadet at the time.  Each cadet shared one thing they liked about the trip.  (Six cadets from our corps flew to France to participate in celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War 2).  Local Arctic Bay resident Geela Arnauyumayuq provided the Inuktitut translations.  Photos from the trip were displayed on a wall via a laptop & projector.  The photo collage was prepared by the cadets.  Ryan, Inuujaq School's media teacher, provided assistance.       

            

The presentation was well received by the audience.  Everyone was interested in the stories that were shared and the photos that were displayed.  All in all, it was a trip well-spent.  There are already rumours that a large Canada-wide cadet trip is being planned for 2017: the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.  If the rumours are true, I hope I get selected to go as an escort officer. 

            

A lot of fundraising was done to get the six cadets to Europe.  There were also many people and organizations that donated money for the trip.  To show the corps's appreciation for the generosity, Lt. May handed out thank you cards, small gifts, and plaques to the donors.  I received a thank you card and a t-shirt.

            

The cadets cleaned the gym after the reception.  The place looked cleaner than before. 

The Iceberg & Thanksgiving

First Air was able to place all my baggage on the flight to Arctic Bay.  The check in clerks had prioritized each item because they thought my boxes would have to be delivered on the following flight.  First Air is the only airline that regularly services Arctic Bay, delivering food, mail, and medical supplies, and transporting passengers.  This good fortune allowed me to quickly restock my refrigerator with frozen foods, and bring all the school supplies to my classroom.

            

My students asked me if I enjoyed my time in Iqaluit and I replied that I did in fact have a good time at the training conference.  They were surprised to hear that even teachers still go to school to upgrade their skills & abilities.  I explained that this kind of learning/training is called professional development.  I added that my time in Iqaluit was not all-work-and-no-play.  I did explore the town where I used to live, photographed the landmarks, and shopped for groceries & school supplies.    

            

I showed several clips of the soccer game I filmed in Iqaluit.  The clip they enjoyed the most was the two girls from Arctic Bay scoring the winning goal.  I think we watched that clip at least 10 times.               

   

In Grade 10 Social Studies, we were nearing the completion of our study of the four Inuit land claims agreements.  The agreements were signed between 1975 & 2005 and contain detailed rules & regulations that govern the lands from the Yukon to Labrador.  They also include concessions to the Inuit people in exchange for giving up their title to the land.  Resource exploration in the north led to the creation of the agreements because the Inuit felt they were losing control of their lands to the white men.  We focused on the nine major concessions the Inuit of the Northwest Territories received.  The most visible concession is the creation of a separate territory called Nunavut.

            

One concession that was controversial for my students was the federal government's payment of $1.14 billion dollars for 82% of the lands that would make up the Nunavut territory.  Only 18% would left as Inuit Owned Lands.  My students felt that it should have been 50% or higher.  I agreed with my students but added that it was the best offer at the time and the Inuit received other concessions for giving up control of so much land.  For example, 85% of all government jobs go to the Inuit, the territorial government receives a share of royalties from mineral & resource development, and Inuit have the right to hunt & harvest wildlife throughout Nunavut. 

            

My Grade 11 Social Studies students finished the European imperialism unit and moved on to Nationalism & the First World War.  We looked at the unification of Germany, how nationalism plagued the Austrian-Hungarian empire, and the root causes of the First World War.

            

I gave my drummers a short break from the regular routine of practicing rudiments by showing them the 1997 musical STOMP Out Loud.  The DVD features the dance troupe Stomp performing live in front of a studio audience using a variety of objects, such as, broomsticks, basketballs, and trash cans.  I used the film to show that percussion music can be made with everyday objects.  The film got me thinking about starting a bucket drumming club one day.

            

I began counting down the school days we still had before the Halloween concert.  My drummers thought I had begun the countdown too early but I argued that the days would go by quickly and there wasn't any time to spare.  Since they were a beginner drum class, they needed as much time as possible to get ready.  I also introduced my drummers to the basics of playing/writing a drum solo.  In short, a solo should have: a beginning, middle, and end; dynamics; and showmanship.

            

It's been a year since the infamous house fire of October 6, 2014.  Even though the interior was destroyed by fire and water, the house was not torn down.  It remained boarded up for several months and then the house was slowly repaired and renovated.  The interior was completely redone, the exterior walls were repainted, the windows were replaced, and electricity was reconnected.  I'm sure the original owners were delighted to have their house back.        

            

I accompanied three teachers on an evening excursion to Uluksat Point on Thursday, October 8th.  We heard that a large iceberg had floated into that area and we wanted to take some pictures of this frozen wonder of the arctic.  If the rumour was true then this would be the first time an iceberg has drifted so close to town since I moved to the community in 2013.  In the past, I only saw icebergs in Victor Bay.

            

Teachers excited to see the iceberg.

We were driven to the point by Kaitlynd, the school's student support teacher.  Uluksat Point is located south of the local cemetery, on the western side of the bay.  The iceberg came into view when Kaitlynd drove over a small hill.  A collective gasp of amazement followed.  We all underestimated the size of the iceberg.  Jean-Francois (JF) also happened to be there with his pet dog.  He teaches high school math & science.

            

Block of ice.

We spent about thirty minutes taking pictures of the iceberg from various angles.  We would have stayed longer but there was a strong cold wind blowing.  I also took pictures of large blocks of ice that had fallen off the iceberg and floated ashore. 

            

"I can't wait until the water freezes," I commented to everyone.  "Then I'll be able to do extreme ironing on top of the iceberg!"

            

"I can already picture you doing that," added JF.  He biked back to town with his dog running beside him.

            

The rest of us got a ride with Kaitlynd.  I hoped the iceberg would stay for the winter.

            

Thanksgiving potluck.

Several teachers got together at JF's house for a Thanksgiving pot luck on Sunday, October 11th.  He prepared the turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and loaves of bread.  I volunteered to prepare my favourite green salad, Caesar Salad.  You can't go wrong with that!  Other teachers brought mashed potatoes, stuffing, shrimp, salmon, broccoli/potato salad, and pumpkin pie.  We dined like royalty that night.     

            

The construction of the new health centre is coming along very well.  The building is quickly taking shape with every passing day.  Construction workers are now working in three shifts spread across 24 hours per day.  They are trying to get as much done as possible before December, when the temperature plummets to freezing and blizzards are more common.  Tall & bright floodlights assist the night workers by illuminating the entire construction zone.  The people who live next to the construction area have to keep their blinds closed in order to sleep.    

  

Arctic Bay's new health centre. October 12, 2015

Some people have already started driving their skidoos in town but I'm still waiting for more snow.  My skidoo was kept in storage at the Gas Station over the summer.  It was dropped off at my place by Frank.