Boats & The Terry Fox Run

My sealift order arrived on September 9 on an NSSI ship.  All my stuff had been tightly packed into a large wooden crate that occupied almost two cubic metres of space.  I met the Shore Captain and signed some documents to claim the crate.  I made arrangements with a local to move it to my place.  I spent an afternoon opening the crate with a heavy crowbar, hammer, and screwdriver.  Wooden crates are sealed with nails and heavy staples; strong enough to withstand a journey at sea but not too strong to make it impossible to open.  Trial & error has taught me that the best way to “attack” a wooden crate is from the corners.  You just have to be careful not to damage the goods inside.

            

It took me about three hours to move everything inside my residence and find places to put them away.  A portion of the items would be moved to the school for my classroom and cadets.  The rest, which happened to be the majority, would stay because it was non-perishable food and other things I needed at home.  The mass influx of stuff forced me to restock my cupboards and storage room.  By the end of the day, I was glad I had enough supplies for the next 10 months.  I felt prepared to survive a major crisis, like a zombie apocalypse.

           

The NSSI vessel stayed in Arctic Bay for a day & a half and then continued sailing to the next community.

            

The Ocean Adventurer, owned and operated by Quark Expeditions, arrived in Arctic Bay on September 14.  The company was established in 1991 and operates numerous expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic.  You can check out their website for more details.  According to its website, the Ocean Adventurer accommodates 128 guests.  The large vessel anchored in the bay and its crew began bringing the tourists to shore on Zodiac boats.  All the tourists were wearing yellow jackets.  The tourists were given a few hours to explore the town, take pictures, visit the stores, and speak to any locals.  The tourists were ferried in groups.  The Ocean Adventurer would leave the next day. 

            

The red and white French boat Vagabond also arrived in Arctic Bay and would be wintering in the community.  The boat is run by a French family who have been travelling & living all over the high Arctic since 2000, conducting expeditions for scientific projects, climate research, and circumnavigation.  You can check out their blog here for more information.

            

Smaller boats owned by local Inuit were coming and going.  September is the last month of the year to hunt by boat so many hunters were not letting the good weather go to waste.  I managed to take a good photo of two boats coming back from a hunt. 

            

The Hamlet Office of Arctic Bay organized a Terry Fox Run (TFR) event on Sunday, September 15.  The TFR is “an annual non-competitive charity event held in numerous regions around the world in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, his Marathon of Hope, and to raise money for cancer research.”  I’m not sure what the cancer rate is in Nunavut but it is high due to the high number of smokers in the territory.  Countless lives have been lost to the deadly disease but many have recovered and continue to fight for a cure.

           

The event began at 2:15pm behind Inuujaq School.  The community’s firetruck was borrowed to act as the Starting Point of the Run.  Participants slowly began assembling around the firetruck waiting for the directions from the organizer.  Several minutes later, a registration table was setup behind the school’s gym.  People lined up to have their names recorded on a list.  They would receive a congratulatory certificate for completing the TFR after they crossed the Finish Line. 

            

Participants were free to run or walk the designated route.  The route was from the school to the Gas Station and then back, totaling a distance of 3km.  There would be bottles of water waiting for participants at the Gas Station. 

A makeshift Start Line was created by placing CAUTION tape across the road a few feet in front of the firetruck.  Everyone lined up along the Start Line.  The Event Organizer welcomed everyone to the TFR, briefly explained its purpose, and described the route participants were to take.  He counted down to zero and the Run officially began at 3pm.

Inuit youth took off at various running speeds while the adults, elders, and little children walked.  I could have joined the youth and ran the distance but I chose to walk and take pictures.  I think a lot of youth underestimated the distance of the route because when I got to the straight gravel road that links Arctic Bay with the Gas Station, I saw many of them walking.  They must have used up all their energy in the opening sprint.  I already saw several high school students jogging back while holding water bottles in their hands.  I took several pictures of the students as they jogged by me.   

The only traffic participants had to avoid were the large Caterpillar trucks carrying dirt away from the construction site of the new fire hall.

           

Arctic Bay Mayor Frank May walks
with a young participant.

I did reach the Gas Station and was given a water bottle by a volunteer.  I walked back to Inuujaq School.  The Event Organizer was still handing out certificates when I walked across the Start/Finish Line.  I was one of the last participants to cross.  The event was over by 4pm.

            

Many cadets participated in the TFR.  They participation would be counted towards their community service obligations.

            

I would say the event was a success.  Many people came out to participate and show their support for cancer research.  I think the Hamlet Office collected donations but I don’t know how much money they raised. 

Participants receiving their certificates.