Fishing Derby Awards & Operation Spring Fix 18

Warning: This post contains images that some viewers may find graphic.

I was unable to participate in this year’s Fishing Derby over the Victoria Day Weekend because I had to prepare final exams.  I should have gotten them done ahead of time but I guess procrastination got in the way.  Many people left town on their skidoos & qamutiks, eager & excited to get out on the land and fish for arctic char.  I wished I could have joined them.  The derby officially began on Saturday, May 19, but most people left on the Friday to get good spots at the designated fishing lakes.  You were allowed to fish around town but I didn’t have time to jig either.  There’s always next year. 

            

Arctic Impact players.

ArcThe awards ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 23 at the local community hall.  The place was packed.  The community was also celebrating its local hockey team, Arctic Bay Impact, for winning the Qamutik Cup this year.  This was the second time in a row they won the tournament between Pond Inlet & Igloolik.  The Impact team logo is based on the Edmonton Oilers.  The team was publicly congratulated and given grey hoodies.  I sat at the back of the hall and listened to the organizers announce the winners of the derby.  There were several categories, the most popular being the longest fish caught at Ikpikituarjuk Lake.  All the lucky winners received cash prizes.  Unfortunately, there was no skidoo grand prize like last year.

            

3045 Army Corps held its annual spring Field Training eXercise (FTX) on the last weekend of May.  Operation Spring Fix 18 officially began on the evening of May 25.  Eleven cadets, civilian volunteers, rangers, and I, loaded four qamutiks (sleds) full of supplies & equipment, and left the town of Arctic Bay pulling the sleds with four skidoos.  Our destination was Ijuyuarjuk, a landlocked lake 70km to the south.  We had camped there before in 2016.  Everyone was excited including me.  I hadn’t done any travelling outside the community so I was really looking forward to being out on the land for a weekend.

            

Tea Time

The two Rangers led the way.  We drove at a steady 50km/h, making sure the qamutiks didn’t flip over.  My mind quickly drowned the sound of my loud two-stroke skidoo engine as the convoy snaked its way along the frozen ice.  An overcast of low grey clouds hovered above us for the first leg of the journey.  The halfway mark was a well-known crack in the ice that always forms near Levasseur Inlet.  Everyone from Arctic Bay usually stops there to have tea & go to the washroom.  I stuck to hot chocolate & granola bars while the cadets munched on Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs).  I refueled my skidoo while the cadets played frisbee.  We were back on the main trail after a 45-minute tea break.

            

The clouds began to break apart as the convoy continued driving south.  Even though the sun peeked through the clouds, the weather was still cold.  After a while, I let a senior cadet drive my skidoo the rest of the way because my fingers felt frostbitten underneath my Canada Goose gloves. (They weren’t).  We arrived at Ijuyuarjuk at 10:30pm.

           

We found the old camping spot from 2016 and immediately went to work setting up the tents.  Three tents were set up: one for male cadets, one for female cadets, and the third was the command tent/mess tent.  All the food and emergency supplies went into the command tent.  The cadets took their sleeping bags & personal belongings into their respective tents.  The rangers set up their own tents.  I filled up the gas & oil tanks in my skidoo so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it the next day.  By the time the camp was set up, the time was 11pm.  What was strange was that the sun was still out and shining brightly.  The land of the midnight sun.  The cadets were dismissed to their tents to get much needed rest.  Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

11pm and the sun is still out.

Breakfast consisted of MREs and Canadian-made Individual Meal Packages (IMPs).  Most of the cadets went with the MREs but I felt patriotic and went with the IMPs.  I always liked the Canadian rations better.

            

The seal hunt happened later in the morning.  The convoy consisted of three skidoos and two qamutiks.  The cadets piled into the qamutik that had an iglutak (box hut) on it while I rode solo on my skidoo.  I turned on the Tracker feature on my Garmin GPS to record the route we would create.  The Rangers led the way and watched our backs. 

            

The seal hunt mostly consisted of driving around on the open ice and stopping to look for seal and seal holes.  At first, luck was not on our side.  We spotted several seals but they either escaped down the hole before a shot was taken, or managed to slid down the hole after a shot was fired.  Finally, our luck changed and one of the rangers managed to catch a baby seal.  The cadets tied it to the open qamutik and the hunt continued.  Blood trickled out of the seal, creating a red line along the white ice.

            

Several cadets & I stood guard over a few seal holes, holding niksiks, and waiting for any seals to pop out to breathe.  I pondered what would I do if a seal did surface for air?  Would I immediately hook it or pause to take a photograph?  Unfortunately, no seals surfaced.  We continued driving around for some time before returning to camp for lunch.  The lead ranger cut open the seal while the MREs cooked on the Coleman stoves.  The cadets took turns eating the seal.  I tried some.  I wasn’t a fan of the liver but the “regular” meat was alright.

            

The cadets & I went hiking up the nearby hills after lunch.  A ranger came with us, packing a .303 rifle in case we came across any polar bears.  I had my trusty machete with me in case I had to go down swinging.  The main goals of our hike were: to find the inukshuk we built in 2016, build a new inukshuk, and slide down the same hillside as we did two years prior.

            

Progress was slow but we made our up a rocky hill, retracing our steps of the previous hike.   I made the unfortunate mistake of not marking the 2016 inukshuk on my GPS.  I would mark the spot this time, that is, if we found the rock formation.  I stopped several times during our ascent to take pictures of the distant campsite and surrounding landscape.  The mountains had not changed at all.

            

2018 Inukshuk

Similar to our experience on the seal hunt, we weren’t having any luck finding the old inukshuk.  We decided to take a break from our search and build a new & larger inukshuk.  When it was complete, I set my camera down on a nearby rock and set the 10-second countdown timer.  Then I ran to join the cadets for the group photo.  I marked the location of the 2018 inukshuk on my GPS.

            

2016 Inukshuk.

We continued our ascent up a neighbouring hill and suddenly a cadet yelled out my name.  They had found the 2016 inukshuk!  It was still standing but much shorter.  The top half had fallen over, most likely from wind.  I photographed it and marked the coordinates. 

           

Sliding hill.

Sliding hill.

It took another hour to get to the sliding hill.  The slopes were covered with soft white snow.  The hill would be perfect for alpine skiers.  I filmed several cadets sliding down the hill and even let one of the civilian instructors (CI) hold a GoPro camera while they slid.  From where I was standing, it looked like the CI took a serious tumble but it was not so.  I wondered what my GoPro recorded?  I slid down as well and joined the cadets waiting at the bottom of the hill.  The Ranger-in-Charge & two senior cadets were waiting for us.  They had brought two sleds for us to sit on and ride back to camp.  I filmed the six-minute ride with my GoPro camera.

            

The rest of the day was spent on downtime, dinner, one more class about wilderness survival, and more downtime.

            

The cadets learned how to shoot the .303 Lee-Enfield rifle on Sunday morning after breakfast.  We drove out and set up two naphtha cans filled with snow & rocks.  I stood back and let the rangers do the instruction.  Once all the handling & safety precautions were explained and demonstrated, the cadets took turns shooting the cans.  The sounds of the bullets leaving the rifles echoed off the neighbouring mountains.  I shot a round for the experience but missed my target.

            

The rest of the morning was spent tearing down the camp, packing everything onto the qamutiks, and doing a garbage sweep.  It took us one hour to get it all done.  We drove onto the main skidoo trail at 12:45pm and headed north towards Arctic Bay.

            

We stopped halfway for tea and one of the drivers tried to catch a curious seal but was unsuccessful.  The drive back was mostly monotonous, but I enjoyed looking at the beautiful arctic scenery.  At one point in the return trip, the convoy split into two groups.  The first group drove onwards while the second one broke off to hunt more seals.  These things can happen several times.  If you see sunbathing seals, why not take the chance?  The convoy came together again in Adam’s Sound.  The time was 6:00pm when we arrived in Arctic Bay.

            

I snapped a quick picture of the tired looking cadets before we all went to work unloading the supplies from the qamutiks.  Frank had his two pickup trucks waiting for us.  One was to be loaded with the corps equipment while the other was to be filled with personal belongings.  Frank drove the cadets home while his grandson transported the corps kit to Frank’s shop at the Gas Station.  I hopped on my skidoo and drove over to the community hall but left my skidoo out on the ice.  There was not enough snow on the ground for me to drive it up to my place.  I walked the rest of the way.  A long hot shower was waiting for me at home.

            

Overall, Operation Spring Fix 18 was a success.  Everything worked out well and everyone came back alive.  

Carvings, Hollywood, & Brian Glow

A student of mine had been working on two sets of wood carvings for about a week when he came to my classroom to present the final products.  The carvings were part of a project he had been working on in shop class.  One carving was a double-tusk narwhal and the other depicted an Inuk hunter in a canoe with a harpoon.  The tusks were real and the narwhal had been painted grey.  Both carvings were held up on wooden sticks attached to a wooden base.

            

I congratulated the student for creating one-of-a-kind pieces of art and asked him if I could take several photos from various angles?  He happily agreed.  I used a privacy board as a white background.  When I completed the photoshoot, I suggested he take it to the local Heritage Centre and have it displayed.  He said he would think about it.  I hope he considers selling them because I’m certain he can get a good price.

            

The cadet Marksmanship Team returned from the National Competition in Victoria, BC.  They didn’t bring back medals; only smiles on their faces.  From the stories they shared with the corps, the team had a lot of fun representing Arctic Bay at the competition.  They also explored the town, toured a naval vessel, and enjoyed free time in a park.  We were all glad by their efforts.

            

My Grade 10 English students felt like they were in Hollywood because the first two weeks of May were spent on principal photography of the class film project.  We spent a week and a half in April brainstorming ideas, creating characters, and learning how to operate the school’s expensive Canon camera.  Now came the time to put it all into practice.  The film project fit into the course’s media studies unit. 

            

Since the beginning of the semester, my students have been telling me how much they love the 2007 YouTube series Don’t Call Me Eskimo.  (All my students have been telling me this since I moved here in 2013).  The series was made by local high school students who were part of a video club.  The club no longer exists but my students longed for someone to continue the series or at least make a new updated video about school life.  I suggested that we were the perfect candidates to give it a try. 

            

I filmed & photographed scenery shots of Arctic Bay for the film project.

Inuujaq School

Using our imaginations and the trusted methods of trial & error, we placed ourselves in front of the camera in various humourous scenarios and recorded them.  It took several takes to get the “perfect” shots.  Word quickly spread about our project and soon I had many students & teachers making cameos and directing several scenes.  I greatly appreciated the help.  When principal photography wrapped up, we had recorded 46 minutes of raw footage.  Now all I had to do was review the footage, cut everything down to an acceptable length, and add titles & music.  I stressed to my students that the post-production process would take some time but I promised them that it would get done.

            

The staff and students of Inuujaq School were treated to an afternoon performance of magic and illusion on May 16.  Professional illusionist & comedy magician Brian Glow was touring several northern communities raising awareness on bullying and suicide prevention.  His tour was being sponsored by organizations such as First Air, Calm Air, Arctic Co-op, and the First Nations Bank.

            

Brian Glow was already into his act by the time I arrived at the gym.  I recorded three tricks/illusions with my camera: the moving pencil in a bottle, cutting a ribbon & putting it back together, and the connecting silver rings.  Glow had several students & teachers act as participants.  Messages of anti-bullying and suicide prevention were inserted in between each trick/illusion. 

            

Everyone enjoyed the show, the younger students being the most vocal.  Several high school students jokingly asked me if Brian was a shaman.  I replied that he wasn’t.  I and many others greatly appreciate these kinds of visits because Arctic Bay rarely gets them to begin with.  The high cost of airfare is the main obstacle, but I also think it’s because Iqaluit is more “visible” down south and easier to travel to.  The smaller northern communities don't have the same level of financial resources as the territorial capital to promote their town to tourists.  

Muskox & Silver Star Expedition (2018)

One of the student support assistants (SSAs) acquired a small muskox and had it placed in the Home Ec Room at Inuujaq School.  The muskox was going to be skinned, cut up, and a portion of its meat distributed to several lucky community members.  Thankfully, the SSA allowed teachers to take their students down to the Home Ec Room at designated times to sea the animal before it was “processed”.  I believe the muskox came from Devon Island.

            

The muskox was partially skinned and lying on a blue tarp when I saw it.  It looked big despite being a child.  I took several pictures of the dead animal with my digital camera.  Everyone was mesmerized by the animal and the students were shown & taught the various body parts of the animal.  I’ll figure out a way to travel to Devon Island and take pictures of the muskox herds.

            

Three third year cadets from 3045 Army Cadet Corps were selected to attend the annual Silver Star Expedition in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  I would be joining them as their escort officer and act as an adult staff member during the expedition.  The expedition occurs during the first weekend of May.

            

Flying to Winnipeg from Arctic Bay would be an all-day affair.  The spring weather in Nunavut is relatively good with clear skies and 24-hour sunlight.  The cadets were not required to travel in their uniforms.  I chose to travel in my military CADPAT uniform but packed civilian clothing just in case I was allowed to change.

We were surprised to see the Qamutik Cup on the plane.  The cup was being transported down to Ottawa by an Arctic Bay hockey player to get it engraved.  The Qamutik Cup is an annual hockey tournament where teams from Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet, and Igloolik compete.  The last time the tournament was held in Arctic Bay was in April 2015.  The tournament will be held in the community again in 2019.  In Iqaluit, several people walked up to the hockey player and asked him if he was carrying the Stanley Cup?  He just smiled and explained that no, it was in fact the Qamutik Cup.

The flight down to Ottawa was uneventful.  The cadets & I received a complimentary dinner from Tim Hortons, happily paid for by the Department of National Defence.  We had to wait in Ottawa for a few hours before we could board the plane to Toronto.  By the time we took off, the sun was already setting.

Toronto at night.

I didn’t realize how important it was for me to be escorting the cadets until we stepped off the plane in Toronto.  Toronto Pearson International Airport as it’s officially called is a very large airport with very large terminal buildings.  When we walked out of the gate, I found a tv displaying the connecting flights.  Our flight to Winnipeg was at a gate on the far side of the terminal.  We would have to walk a fair distance.  I’m sure the cadets would have eventually found the gate if I wasn’t with them, but having me there must have lowered their stress level.  We got to the gate in time and boarded the Air Canada flight to Winnipeg.

The plane landed in Winnipeg at 1am on May 4.  Besides passengers, the Arrivals Area was mostly quiet.  We were greeted by a military captain who escorted us to a waiting military van after we collected our luggage.  We were driven to 17 Wing and assigned living quarters.

The remaining cadets from Naujaat, Rankin Inlet, and Cross Lake arrived later in the day.  Everyone stayed on base until the late afternoon when the bus arrived to transport us to Turtle Mountain Provincial Park.  The park is located near the Canada-USA border.  This would be my first time visiting the park.  The bus ride took two hours. 

Light was replaced by darkness when we arrived at the camp site.  Headlamps were handed out and everyone immediately went to work setting up the tents.  I had a tent all to myself.  The real fun would begin the next morning.

The Captain of my group helping the cadets plan their hike.

Breakfast consisted of American-made Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs).  The cadets had the honour of preparing their MREs using portable camping stoves.  After breakfast, the cadets were divided into groups.  The cadets were required to complete two tasks by the end of the day: a 7km hike and a canoeing lesson.  My group began the day with the 7km hike.  The campsite was located near Adam Lake and the trail we followed was the Adam Lake Trail.  The cadets would take turns leading the group, aided by a map & compass.

Adam Lake

Canada Geese

The weather was sunny & clear.  Flocks of Canadian geese flew high above us.  Halfway into the hike we switched over to the canoe lesson.  The cadets were shown how-to put-on life vests, properly remove the canoes from the trailer, and carry the canoes to the launching area.  They were taught the proper paddling strokes and what important equipment needs to go into the canoe before being launched into the water.  And finally, everyone learned, what I think, is the most important lesson: how to get in & out of the canoe without falling into the water.

Once everyone was in their canoes and not “rocking-the-boat” we practiced paddling around Adam Lake, rafting, and forming a flower.  An officer on shore took several pictures.  The lunch MREs were consumed after the canoe lesson.  (When going on hikes, the cadets are given rucksacks and instructed to pack as if they are staying out in the field overnight).

Canoe flower.

My group continued hiking after lunch.  We discovered the Turtle Mountain Fitness Trail, featuring 14 exercise stations.  The short version of the trail has nine stations.  The stations are constructed from wooden logs and iron bars.  The exercises you can do at these stations range from push ups, to balancing on logs, to lifting logs above your head.  They are a nice way to make a hiking trail more interesting.

Everyone made it back to the camp site by the end of the day.

Sunday was about debriefings, tearing down the camp, and putting all the issued equipment away in the trailer.  The cadets were debriefed individually about their performance on Saturday and informed if they successfully completed the expedition or not.  My three cadets passed.  When the debriefings and teardown were completed, all the cadets & officers from Nunavut posed for a group photograph.

Two of my cadets had to leave early because they had to fly to Calgary and then on to Victoria.  They were on the Marksmanship Team competing in the National Marksmanship Competition.  Everyone wished them luck before they departed in a DND van.

The officer-in-charge (OIC) of the expedition held a final debriefing with the cadets and called out a few to be recognized for exemplary performance & attitude. 

The bus arrived at 1:45pm.  We were back in Winnipeg by 4pm.  I only had to escort one cadet back to Arctic Bay.  We said goodbye to everybody and checked in at the airport.  The flight to the Ottawa was mostly uneventful.  The cadet and I overnighted in Ottawa before flying back to Arctic Bay.  We were glad to be home but also wondered what was happening in Victoria.      

Another Silver Star Expedition successfully completed.