Around the Cliffs & Easter Monday Feast

I rested an entire day before venturing out on the land on March 28.  This would be a short "Sunday Drive", or, in this case, a short "(Easter) Monday Drive".  I was going to drive around the small peninsula to the west of Arctic Bay.  The southern part of the peninsula is where the famed cliffs are located.  I had previously explored a section of the cliffs in 2013, but not the entire peninsula.  For today, it would just be the perimeter.

            

I refueled my skidoo and attached my 3-gallon reserve gas can.  (Note: Even though Canada has been following the metric system for many decades, the Inuit here still use imperial terms in common speech when it comes to gas.  I think it's because the imperial measurements appear more prominently on the red plastic gas cans that are sold at the Northern & Co-op stores.  I'm not sure if this is the case in the other communities).  I packed lightly for this trip and just took the essentials (shotgun, SPOT, GPS, toilet paper, etc).  As always, the weather was perfect - clear blue & sunny.  I wore my helmet in case the wind picked up or if I fell off my skidoo.            

I drove south towards Uluksan Point, a favourite place for residents to have a picnic and/or bonfire.  There was no human activity when I drove by.  I turned right and headed west, driving along the tall rocky cliffs.  They look really imposing up close.  I don't think they're tall enough for BASE jumping, but they could serve as good launching platforms for hang gliders and paragliders.  The colours of the cliffs are red and brown, and their appearance has barely changed in the last three years. 

            

The height of the cliffs dissipates the further west you drive.  By the time I reached the southwestern tip of the peninsula, the cliffs had turned into hills.  I turned north and drove for a few minutes before stopping to take a photograph.  There are only hills along the northern coast.  I couldn't drive as close as I wanted because the coastline was littered with hard packed ice and those flower-ice formations I encountered on my drive two days before. 

            

I spotted several small black dots in the distance.  Are they seal hunters or large blocks of shaded ice, I wondered.  My question was answered several minutes later when the dots began to move.  Seal hunters.  One of them drove up to greet me as I stopped my skidoo near the northern tip of the peninsula.  The Inuk hunter was one of my former students.  He was out with his father hunting seals for the Easter Monday community feast happening later in the afternoon.  Unfortunately, they had yet to find any.  I wished him & his dad good luck, and that I would see him at the feast.  He drove off in a hurry to join his father.

            

I took a break at the northern tip of the peninsula.  I ate some crackers and granola bars, then explored the frozen ice formations along the coast.  In the distance, I could hear the sounds of skidoos circling around known seal holes.  I stopped what I was doing several times to hear gunshots, but there were none.  I hopped on my skidoo and proceeded to drive south into Victor Bay.

            

The Greater Arctic Bay area is dotted with cabins built by the Inuit.  Many are located in Victor Bay.  I found one such cabin built by Piuyuq and her husband.  She is the Grade 1 teacher at Inuujaq School.  I tried to find the cabin in April 2014 but was unsuccessful.  The cabin is located on the northern tip of the small peninsula, but on the Victor Bay side.  It didn't look like anyone was there so I just snapped a photo and continued driving south.  (The local Inuit have suggested that I build a cabin of my own.  I told them that I would think about it.)

            

Ice Road.

The drive in Victor Bay suddenly became very smooth and fast because there was a plowed ice road leading from Piuyuq's cabin, all the way to the end of the bay.  I was told an ice road to the cabin is plowed every year, enabling vehicles to travel out onto the ice with ease.  I followed the ice road all the way to the end.  I drove off the ice and followed the road to Arctic Bay like I did during the previous outing.  I was only gone for two hours.

            

The Easter Monday community feast began at 6pm at the community hall.  The layout of the feast was done in a traditional manner: three large white sheets in the middle of the floor for country food, lines of tables at both ends for caribou stew & bread, and chairs against the walls for people to sit.  A team of volunteers dumped and spread out the country food on the three white sheets while wearing plastic gloves.  There was raw arctic char, walrus, and narwhal.  The raw seal meat would be served from the main stage.  The community hall was packed with people. 

            

Levi Barnabas speaks.

Several community members spoke before the feast began.  They thanked the organizers and hunters for providing the food.  An elder blessed the food with a short prayer and then everyone charged into the centre, armed with plastic bags and their bare hands.  I stood on a bench at the back and filmed the "rush into the centre".  I didn't take any country food because I still had plenty at home.  I saw my former student somewhere in the crowd but he disappeared before I could ask him if he caught any of the seals that were being served.                   

            

And finally, construction on the new health centre has resumed after several delays.  I'm not sure what was behind the delays but everyone in the community is glad the project is proceeding on schedule.  

Nanisivik & Towards The Floe Edge

My next land trip occurred the very next day: March 26.  My destinations were the Nanisivik port facility and the frozen ice to the north of Victor Bay.  I wanted to explore a portion of the trail the locals take when driving to the floe edge.  I immediately knew this trip would require more gas, so I packed an extra 5-gallon (20-litre) gas can.  I also carried an extra bottle of oil in my backpack.  I followed the same preparations I made the day before.  I double checked to make sure I had my shotgun, and SPOT & GPS devices.  I was packed for adventure.

            

I left in the morning, driving down to the ice, and all the way to the airport.  I passed the iceberg and the beach where the cadets pick up garbage every September.  I followed the Road to Nanisivik after passing the town's water pump station.  I drove alongside the road because it was covered with rocks.  I was surprised to see the road had been plowed up until the liquor restriction signs.  It was easier to drive on the road after passing the signs because the road was covered in snow.

            

The section of the road that slopes down a hill towards the Second Bridge was completely snowed over.  I was forced to drive very carefully and slowly so that my skidoo wouldn't tip over.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I cleared the section.

            

I stopped at Terry Fox Pass to photograph the direction sign and the flag monument.  (There were no flags flying).  There was quite a lot of snow as you can see from the attached photograph.  But, as always, the skies were clear blue.

            

Tailings Pond

I turned left and followed the road down to the tailings pond.  The tailings pond looked pretty much the same when I saw it in August 2014.  The only difference was that it was covered in snow.  The GN garage was still in place and the empty area that housed the town of Nanisivik was still . . . empty.  (Sorry if you were expecting something else).              

My skidoo in front of the GN Garage at Nanisivik.

Nanisivik

The Nanisivik port facility looked a little different than the last time I saw it.  It appeared that the gravel crushers, construction vehicles, and sealift containers were spread out across the facility.  I was expecting to see large gas silos but unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found.  I got the feeling the project might be behind schedule.  (Don't quote me that.  It was just a feeling).  The barracks were still intact with their windows boarded up.  I stopped my skidoo in front of the frozen dock and turned off the engine.  I was enveloped by silence.  I took my helmet off and put on a pair of sunglasses.  I retrieved some snacks from my backpack and ate for several minutes.  I kept my eyes open for curious polar bears.

            

I drove out onto the ice, stopped, and quickly took a picture of the port facility.  I continued driving northwest, carving my own skidoo trail in the snow.  I was hoping to drive at a brisk 50mph (80kmh) like I did the day before, but there were too many small ice formations.  I think they're called flower formations?  I felt like I was navigating through an arctic minefield.

            

Refueling & Cooling.

I finally reached the point across from Victor Bay at 12:15pm.  It was lunch time and I had yet to meet anyone out here.  I stopped and refueled my skidoo with gas & 2-stroke oil.  I photographed the mountain crown in front of me and the entrance to Victor Bay.  I ate some more snacks before continuing my journey north.

            

Skidoo trail/highway to the floe edge.

Helmet selfie!

It didn't take long to find the main skidoo trail people take to reach the floe edge.  The trail looked more like a highway because there were so many skidoo tracks overlapping each other.  The trail stretched across flat ice; an added bonus.  I accelerated my skidoo to 50mph (80kmh).  The wind was also blowing north which was fine for now.  I would have to deal with the cold, arctic wind when I would head back to Arctic Bay.  I thanked myself for choosing to wear my helmet.

            

A line of jagged mountains.

A line of tall, jagged mountains appeared to my right.  I stopped my skidoo and snapped a photograph.  This would be the first of many.  The further I drove north, the more majestic these mountains became.  They reminded me of that large castle in the third Lord of the Rings film, the one that was build into a mountain.  I briefly crossed paths with an elder who was driving back from the floe edge.  He gave me some useful tips on which trails to follow and areas to avoid. 

            

I continued driving close to the mountains, eventually entering a large area of ice that was being shaded by the mountains.  The lack of sunlight made it a challenge to follow the previously made skidoo trails.  I made my own skidoo trail, driving over several snow drifts, and arrived at Ship Point, about 41km to the north of Arctic Bay.  A small inlet snaked its way down to the southeast on my right side.  I took some photos of the point before deciding what to do next.  I could explore the inlet, continue onward to the floe edge, or turn around and head home.  I had the gas to reach the floe edge but I was unsure if I had enough to make it home.  I decided to play it safe and headed home.  Next time I'll bring two 5-gallon gas cans.

            

Entrance to Victor Bay.

The cold wind was still blowing as I drove back the way I came.  I avoided the shaded area and drove in the sun, hoping that would be keep me warm.  The handle bar muffs I bought off the Skidoo website provided extra protection for my gloved hands.  The wind died down when I reached inlet that leads to Nanisivik.  I saw a few people seal hunting in this area.

            

I drove through Victor Bay, got off the ice, and followed the road to Arctic Bay.  I stopped at the top of a hill and photographed the Uptown neighbourhood.  The time was 2:45pm when I arrived home.  I spent the next hour or editing the photos I collected.

Arctic Bay - Uptown neighbourhood.

             

Land Reform Meeting & Exploring the Pond Inlet Shortcut (Part 1)

The high school students filed into the high school science classroom for an afternoon lecture about an upcoming land plebiscite in May.  The lecture was given by three presenters from Iqaluit (2 qallunaaq & 1 Inuk). 

            

On May 9th, municipalities across Nunavut will be voting on whether to allow the sale of municipal lands to private owners, commonly known as fee-simple land ownership.  The last time a plebiscite was held on this issue was on April 10, 1995.  (This was before the creation of the Nunavut territory in 1999).  When that plebiscite was held, every community rejected the idea of fee-simple land ownership.  No one is allowed is privately own land in Nunavut, except the federal government.  You lease plots of land and build your house(s) on top of them.  You have surface rights but not subsurface rights. 

            

Elections Nunavut will be running the plebiscite in May.  The plebiscite is binding to the Nunavut Government. 

            

The presenters explained everything I just wrote in the second paragraph above and also spoke about how the plebiscite follows the guidelines of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA).  Their PowerPoint presentation included a diagram showing how much land comprises the municipality of Arctic Bay.  They concluded their presentation by putting forth several scenarios as to what would happen to the community depending on the plebiscite's outcome.

            

From my point of view, if the municipality votes 'no', then everything stays the same.  If the municipality votes 'yes', then . . . not a lot will change, except the sale of municipal lands to private owners.  I was raised in Ontario where simple-fee land ownership is the norm, so a 'yes' outcome doesn't bother me.  However, judging from the many questions the students asked, I can see this type of land ownership is still new to the Inuit.  The traditional Inuit mentality is that the land belongs to everyone.

            

I could sense a degree of uncertainty among the students at the end of the lecture.  There wasn't a clear swing of opinion towards the 'no' or 'yes' votes.  Well, the students still have over a month to convince the voters of Arctic Bay which choice they should go with.
            

We shall see what the people of Nunavut will decide in early May.

            

Inuujaq School was closed between March 25 and April 3 for Spring/Easter Break.  I would use the time to explore the land.  Many people would be doing the same, as well as, hunting, fishing, and spending time at their cabins. 

            

I bought supplies from the Northern & Co-op stores (food, spark plugs, bungee cords, oil, etc.), and extra litres of gas from the Gas Station.  I turned my home into a "base camp" with all my store bought supplies spread out across my coffee table & couch.  (I kept the gas cans chained outside).  My essential supplies were my GPS, SPOT Device, shotgun, and toilet paper.  (Yes, toilet paper is essential).

            

My first land trip took place on March 25, Good Friday.  (I probably already mentioned in the past that every Friday is a Good Friday in my view).  I had my sights on one of the shortcuts the local Inuit use to travel to Pond Inlet.  This shortcut is an overland route that begins approximately 50km to the southeast of Arctic Bay.  To get there, I had to drive across the frozen southeastern waterway all the way to the end, and then follow a small river between the mountains. 

            

I wasn't planning on exploring the shortcut in detail; just the entrance from the Arctic Bay side.  I was told this trail can be really rocky at the best of times and I didn't want anything bad to happen on my first try.  I was also travelling alone.

            

I left my residence at around 10:15am, fully dressed in heavy winter clothing.  (The weather is still cold in late March).  The sun was shining brightly but there were several large clouds in the sky.  My large backpack was full of snacks, survival gear, oil, and extra spark plugs.  My shotgun, safely tucked inside a carrying case, sat on my knees while I drove down to the ice.  My skidoo tank was full and I had attached a 3 gallon reserve can at the back.  I was also wearing my skidoo helmet for added protection against the wind.  I told several teachers where I was going and asked them to check my progress by accessing my SPOT page on the Internet.

            

I was glad I packed spare batteries because 5 minutes into my trip, the batteries in my GPS went flat.  Once I drove out of the bay and past Holy Cross Point, I turned southeast and followed a set of skidoo tracks.  And so, the long drive began.

            

I kept my speed between 40 - 50mph (64 - 80kmh).  I slowed down when the trail began to get bumpy.  I kept my mind occupied by looking at the mountainous landscape around me and trying to spot any seals.  (There weren't any).  There were several times when I thought I was looking at a qamutik or skidoo in the distance but as I drove closer, the objects turned out to be large blocks of ice.  My mind drowned out the monotonous sound of the skidoo engine pretty quickly.

            

I took a short detour and stopped in front of a tall cliff face, some 20km away from the community.  There was a small rocky hill that led up to the cliff face.  Three years ago, I had tried to climb up to the top of the hill during the school Spring Camp but I ran out of time.  I now had the time to finish what I started.  It took me about 35 minutes to hike up to the top of the hill.  I took several pictures from the top of the hill.  My skidoo looked really tiny at the base of the hill.

            

The wind started to pick up when I was 32 km away from Arctic Bay.  I already knew this area was prone to high winds because the location was the fishing area Qajutinnguat.  I camped here with the cadets of 3045 Army Corps in May 2014 & 2015.  I was glad I was wearing my helmet.  Up until this time, this area was the furthest I have travelled southeast on my skidoo.  I pressed on into undiscovered territory.

            

Mountain with face.

My eyes & mind were fully alert for the next 18km.  There was still wind between the mountains but I could still see a previously made skidoo trail.  I followed it until I came to the end of the frozen waterway.  In the distance, two mountains appeared to converge on a single point.  What I found amusing was the large shadow being cast on the mountain on the left side.  There is a part of the mountain that juts out, and from where the sun was positioned, the shadow appeared to me as a man with a pointed nose, puckering up to kiss someone.  I stopped my skidoo and took several pictures of this funny natural occurrence. 

            

I immediately noticed a lot of small rocks on the ground once I drove off the frozen waterway.  I had to navigate around these large patches of exposed rocks so that my skidoo skis would not get damaged.  I maybe drove a kilometre inland before I had to stop.  I had nearly expended half of the gas in the fuel tank.  With only a three gallon reserve can, I reasoned I didn't have enough gas to drive further inland and back.

            

I took several pictures of the landscape, ate some snacks, and fired off a shotgun slug.  The cold arctic wind continued to blow.  After a quick rest, I hopped on my skidoo, turned around and returned to Arctic Bay.  I arrived home around 3pm.  Unfortunately, I didn't see any animals during my trip.

            

I would return in the very near future to explore more of this shortcut.   

      

Return of the AWG Team

The Arctic Winter Games (AWG) were jointly held in Iqaluit, Canada, and Nuuk, Greenland from March 6 to 11.  Iqaluit hosted the (ice) hockey matches because there are no hockey arenas in Greenland.  (I know.  I was surprised to hear that fact.)  The competing hockey teams stayed at Inuksuk High School.  (I began my Nunavut teaching career at the high school in 2012).  Arctic Bay sent a team of athletes, coaches, and volunteers. 

            

The AWG is "an international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture" that began in 1969.  The slogan for this year's games was "Join - Feel - Jump".  The nine participating teams were: Alaska, Yukon, Alberta North, Greenland, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik Quebec, Sapmi, and Yamal.  All nine teams totaled 2000+ athletes.  The games this year featured 15 events, including: alpine skiing, badminton, Dene Games, futsal, snowboarding, and wrestling.

            

Everyone in Arctic Bay was excited about the AWG because they are the "Olympics of the North" and our community was being represented on the Nunavut team.  Jean-Francois (JF), the high school math & science teacher, kept everyone updated on the games by creating a big display in the high school hallway.

            

"We had several participants and volunteers involved in the games," he explained.  "I thought it would interest our students to see a big display on the Nunavut Team, and especially on our representative from Arctic Bay.  I wanted the display to showcase pictures, results, and the ulu (medal) count of Team Nunavut.  Judging by the number of people who stopped by the display, I would say it was a great success!"

            

When the games came to an end on March 11, Team Nunavut had won 6 gold medals, 18 silver medals, and 25 bronze medals.  Seven of those medals were won by athletes from Arctic Bay.  (Alaska accumulated the most medals: 83 gold, 67 silver, and 66 bronze.)  A welcome back celebration for the Arctic Bay participants was planned for Saturday, March 12, the same day they would be flying back to the community.  (You can read about what took place two years ago here). 

            

JF hard at work on the cake.

JF's cake tools.

I arrived at the community hall several minutes before 5:30pm.  I was expecting the place to be packed with people but instead the building was quiet.  A semicircle of chairs and two loud speakers sat in front of the stage.  A Team Nunavut banner made by the high school students was hung at the back of the hall.  JF was there working on the cake he was asked to make.  All his icing tools were spread out on a table.  After making my presence known, he explained that the ceremony had been postponed by an hour because the flight from Iqaluit left an hour late.  He also mentioned that the plane would be landing at 6pm and several people had gone to the airport to wait for the plane's arrival.  I took several pictures of JF crafting his cake masterpiece before hopping on my skidoo and driving all the way to the airport.

            

The drive was exciting and bumpy.  There were quite a lot of snow drifts all over the frozen ice.  I drove past the iceberg and drove around the runway before pulling into the airport parking lot.  A small crowd was already waiting inside the terminal.  There were family members, friends, and "taxi" drivers, all anxiously waiting for the arrival of the team.  I passed the time taking pictures of the crowd and talking to several community members.

            

The plane has landed!

The Arctic Bay athletes are greeted by family, friends, and fans.

Curtis Willie proudly displays
his medals.

Everyone rushed to the windows to see the First Air turboprop taxi to the terminal.  The plane stopped in front of the building and the propellers stopped spinning.  A line of figures emerged from the back of the plane and began walking towards us.  The people in front of me began waving at the figures as they neared the building.  When the athletes entered the terminal, the people were cheering, clapping, and whistling.  Handshakes, hugs, and photographs followed.   I spoke to several of the athletes about their experiences and congratulated the ones who won medals.  The ones who won medals proudly wore them around their necks.  The medals were in the shape of ulus. 

            

The athletes went outside and collected their luggage.  They were driven to the community hall in trucks and SUVs.  I returned to the hall the same way I came on my skidoo.  A much larger crowd had assembled inside the building.

            

The AWG Team sat on the chairs that had been arranged for them in front of the stage.  Many people, including me, walked up and photographed the smiling athletes and volunteers.  The ceremony began at 6:30pm.

            

Sheena Qaunuk begins the ceremony.

Moses Oyukuluk congratulates the AWG team.

The emcee and organizer of the ceremony was Sheena Qaunuk.  Her daughter participated in the games as a volunteer.  She began the ceremony with a congratulatory speech and how proud she was of the Arctic Bay contingent.  Several other community members made similar speeches before the Hamlet Office awarded the athletes and volunteers with iTunes gift cards. 

            

The Arctic Bay athletes put on a short demonstration for the audience by playing a Dene Hand Game.  "The Hand Game is based on a simple concept of hiding and guessing objects using elaborate hand signals and gestures to both find the object and the hide the object."  In Dene culture, the Hand Game was traditionally used as a form of gambling.  Two large blue mats were placed on the floor and the athletes formed two teams of four.  They knelt on the mats and faced each other.  They would use their jackets to hide the objects.  (I think they used coins as objects).  I walked onto the stage to film the demonstration.

            

A drummer began the game by beating on his Inuit drum.  The athletes moved to the rhythm of the drum, in a dance-like fashion, and began using various hand signals.  Since this was my first time watching a Hand Game being played, I had no idea what was happening or who was winning.  I just watched and recorded the whole game with my camera.  Everyone watched in silence; only the sound of the drum was heard.  The game lasted four minutes.  The athletes shook hands while the audience applauded.

            

2016 Arctic Bay AWG Team.

I could see from the athletes' faces that they were quite tired from the games and the travelling.  Thankfully, they only had one more job to do: pose with the large cake that JF had prepared.  They stood behind JF's masterpiece and smiled as many photographs were taken.  They quickly dispersed after the last photo was taken.  I think they just wanted to retire for the night and sleep. 

            

JF cut the cake as a long line of children formed in front of him.  He cut the cake into enough pieces to feed everyone.  It was quite tasty.  Thank you JF.

            

Congratulations to the Nunavut Team for winning many medals at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games!