Several military personnel arrived in Arctic Bay to
participate in an Arctic Operations Advisor Course (AOAC). The course is based in Resolute but participants
travel to several places in the high arctic to complete the training. I haven’t attended the course myself but
based on research, the course teaches soldiers how to survive & operate in
extreme cold environments. The Rangers
play a key role in delivering the training because their ranks are filled by
Inuit, and Inuit have survived in the high arctic for millennia. I believe the course lasts for several weeks.
One
of the soldiers was a Sergeant (Sgt) from the Royal Regiment of Canada. 3045 Army Cadet Corps is affiliated with the Royal
Regiment. We communicated through
electronic correspondence and organized a meet & greet with the cadets. He also stated that the military wanted to
prepare breakfast for the school. I spoke
with the Breakfast Coordinator and Principal, and got their approvals for March
8.
I
woke up really, really early on Thursday, March 8 and drove to Inuujaq School
to let the soldiers in at 6am. They drove
in a convoy of 4 Arctic Cat skidoos and sleds.
I helped them carry everything down to the Home Ec room. The Sgt said they had brought enough food to
feed the school twice. He added that
anything that wasn’t used would be donated to the school.
The
four soldiers immediately went to work preparing a large pancake breakfast for
235 students. They also prepared orange
juice and set out bottles of 100% Pure Maple Syrup. They had one large box full of wrapped butter. The blocks of butter looked like gold. By the time the bell rang at 8:40am, breakfast
was ready. The students were surprised
to see soldiers in the Home Ec Room but were excited to see pancakes for
breakfast. The soldiers were thanked for
their hospitality during morning announcements.
The Breakfast Coordinator personally thanked them for the leftover
pancake supplies.
The
Sgt and a captain from the AOAC visited the cadet corps on the afternoon of Saturday,
March 10. We were in the school’s gym
playing sports. The cadets were called
to the centre of the gym and instructed to take a seat and listen to the Sgt
and Captain explain why they were in Arctic Bay. The Sgt & Captain gave a brief overview
of the AOAC and answered questions from the cadets. After the short presentation the cadets
convinced the two visitors to play some sports with them.
The
Sgt gave out Royal Regiment coins to all the cadets. We all posed for a group photograph. There is a game associated with the coins. The game works as a challenge. You show your coin and then demand that the
person you’re challenging show you their coin.
If they can’t produce it, they owe you a can of pop (soft drink). If they do show you their coin, you owe them
a can of pop. I should point out that
you can only challenge those who possess the same coins.
And
finally, Big Brother has come to Inuujaq School! I walked into the school’s library one afternoon
and saw 38 new security cameras spread across three tables. There were also six loudspeakers and two
large coils of white wires nearby. The
school’s security system was getting a major upgrade. I assumed this was brought on by the recent
losses of schools in Cape Dorset & Kugaaruk due to arson. Once the cameras are up and running, the
school will feel safer and more secure.
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