Community Feast & Operation Hill Top 17

Community Feast. September 14, 2017.

An evening community feast was held on Thursday, September 14.  The community hall was packed with people, excited and eager to get their hands on freshly caught country foods.  The crew of the Kiviuq I, a fishing vessel, were giving out free char, muskox, halibut, lobster, and narwhal to the people of Arctic Bay.  (The staff of Inuujaq School visited the Kiviuq I in 2015).  Large blue tarps occupied the centre of the hall and the country foods sat on top.  From what I could see, there was enough food to feed the entire town.

            

Lobster

Muskox

Everyone came armed with plastic bags, cardboard boxes, and ulus.  The feast began with the Hunters & Trappers Organization thanking the crew of the Kiviuq I for harvesting and donating all the food.  An elder blessed the food and then everyone charged into the centre.  I didn’t stand back; I joined in the mad dash to get the best pieces.  You’re not allowed to push & shove.  I was able to get: a large piece of muskox, one small lobster, and two small halibut steaks.  All the steaks were vacuum packed.

            

Halibut

Second Bridge (right).

The first Field Training eXercise (FTX) of the 2017-18 training year took place over the weekend of September 15 – 17.  The junior cadets of 3045 Army Cadet Corps were heading out to the Second Bridge to complete a 7km hike and also learn survival skills.  A few senior cadets were tagging along to assist me in keeping the FTX running smoothly.  The FTX is codenamed, Operation Hill Top.  We’ve been staging the FTX at the Second Bridge since 2013 out of convenience.  The bridge is part of the Road to Nanisivik and if an emergency were to occur, anyone can be quickly driven to Arctic Bay in the emergency vehicle. 

            

Following the same preparation procedures as before – because they work – the cadets prepared their sleeping bags, and checked the tents & Coleman stoves a week in advance.  The adult staff also gave the cadets personal kit lists – a piece of paper that stated what they should bring for the weekend.  I borrowed Frank’s truck and drove out to the Second Bridge to check out the conditions of the road and camping area.  Last year, we had to contend with an icy road and an incoming blizzard.  This time, there were no ice patches on the part of the road that descends towards the Second Bridge and there was barely any snow around the camping area.  The temperature was surprisingly cool even though the bridge is many feet above sea level.  These signs reassured me that the weather conditions would be different.

            

Roll Call.

RCMP Trucks.

Everyone assembled in front of Inuujaq School’s gym on Friday, September 15.  The time was 7pm.  Even though the temperature was higher than usual, I still arrived wearing my Canada Goose parka.  I was sweating but I didn’t want to take any chances.  The weather can change at any moment; especially in the mountains.  A senior cadet took roll call.  The cadets then loaded their personal kit in several trucks.  The local RCMP had volunteered to provide transportation to the Second Bridge.  The cadets divided themselves up and found a seat in a truck.  I drove Frank’s truck.  Frank and his grandson had spent much of the day transporting the corps-owned equipment to the Second Bridge and setting up the supply tent.  The drive to the Second Bridge took about 20 minutes.

            

Everyone disembarked from the vehicles and removed their personal items from the trucks.  The RCMP wished everyone a good weekend and returned to Arctic Bay.  The cadets went to work setting up their tents.  The two Canadian Rangers providing predator control brought their own tent and pet dog.  We would have a guard dog for the weekend.  The male cadets pitched a white Fort McPherson tent and the females pitched a green Arctic five-person tent.  The cadets used large flattened cardboard boxes as flooring before setting up their air mattresses & sleeping bags.

            

Cardboard flooring.

Guard dog.

I held a quick briefing with the cadets, once they had their living arrangements in order.  I welcomed them to Operation Hill Top 17 and explained the program and the camp rules.  I also pointed where the boundaries were.  I answered several questions before dismissing the cadets to their tents.  Everyone had an evening snack break before going to bed.

            

Saturday, September 16, 2017.

Frank's Truck.

Reveille was 8:00am the next morning.  I was glad I brought my Canada Goose parka because the weather had changed.  Snow had fallen during the night.  There were low clouds in the valley and the temperature had dropped.  Breakfast consisted of American made Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs).  Each tent was given a garbage bag to collect trash.  We didn’t want any unwanted visitors.  Once breakfast was complete, I taught classes in survival skills, cloud formations, and radio communication procedures.  I had to alter many things in the survival lesson because the content primarily focuses on the southern Canadian landscape.  By lunch time, the clouds had disappeared and the sun came out.

            

Three cadets hiked up a nearby hill before lunchtime.

Arctic Bay in the distance.

The 7km hike began after lunch.  We would walk from the Second Bridge to the First Bridge.  The second-year junior cadets were required to carry packed rucksacks.  The first-year cadets were not.  We packed juice boxes, granola bars, toilet paper, and garbage bags.  One ranger, armed with a .303 rifle, would walk with us.  Civilian Instructor Reid would drive ahead in a pickup truck.  I gave him a walkie-talkie to stay in contact.  Several cadets chose to use walking poles for the duration of the hike.

            

Break Time.

The cadets walked as a platoon and did their best to keep to one side of the road.  I explained to them that when they travel down south for the Silver & Gold Star Expeditions, they would be required to do the same, but for more than 7km.  The ground slowly began to change.  The further we walked, the less snow there was.  We took several snack & bathroom breaks.  Since there are no porta-potties around, you just walk behind a hill and go.  It took us about three hours to reach the First Bridge.  I ran ahead to photograph the cadets crossing the bridge.  Everyone was driven back to the camp site.

            

Building a bonfire.

The cadets were given free time after dinner.  In the evening we had a bonfire.  Two senior cadets brought the wood with the help of their father and his pickup truck.  The Rangers instructed the cadets on how to build the perfect bonfire.  The matches were lit and a small fire was started.  The fire slowly grew in size and by nightfall it was large enough to break out the marshmallows and hot dogs.  We surrounded the fire with our roasting sticks.  We burned as much wood as we could.  When it was time for bed, we dumped a lot of snow on the fire. 

            

Now that's a bonfire!

Cleaning out the Command/Supply Tent.

Garbage Sweep.

Reveille on Sunday, September 17, was 8:00am.  The were clouds in the sky but the weather wasn’t bad.  I taught classes on how to be a good outdoor leader and how to set up a bivouac site after an MRE-filled breakfast.  We tore down the camp in the late morning.  Two pickup trucks had arrived to assist us in the teardown.  The cadets were instructed to pack up their personal belongings and remove them from their tents.  The tents were then taken down and packed.  Corps-owned equipment was collected and placed in one pickup truck while the other was filled with personal belongings.  The cadets did a garbage sweep of the area before piling into the trucks.

            

There used to be tents here.

The debriefing was held at Frank’s shop.  The corps rents out a sea can to store its equipment & supplies.  Frank, (former commanding officer of 3045), led the debriefing.  We both congratulated the junior cadets for completing the 7km hike and for coming back alive.  Their reward was to help the adult staff put all the corps-owned equipment away.  Their homework was to tumble dry their sleeping bags and wash the inner liners.  The cadets were then driven home.  Operation Hilltop 17 was another successful FTX.     

Frank's Debriefing