QIA Meeting & Ransomware Update

Sorry about the two-week delay.  I’ve decided to summarize all that's transpired during the second half of November.

           

Since moving to Arctic Bay in 2013, I have learned when to expect the freezing of the large bodies of water around the community.  I don’t get out on the ice with my skidoo until November and even then, it’s only within the bay.  The more experienced hunters & fishers travel beyond the confines of Arctic Bay before the end of the year.  They’ve described what the conditions are but I’ve never seen them with my own eyes.  I got my chance in the middle of the month.

            

Arctic Bay. November 13, 2019.

I was flying south on personal business.  The plane took off in the direction of the town, north, then turned around and flew south towards Iqaluit.  I had a window seat and happened to be sitting on the left side of the plane.  My camera was at the ready and I snapped several photographs of the area below, hoping I had at least one good picture.  Thankfully, I did.  Turns out the ice is more visible beyond the bay.  You can still see the cracks.  The ice is thick enough to support skidoos but be careful nonetheless.  In sharp contrast, the ice within the bay is covered with snow.

            

The plane flew with Adams Sounds on the left side.  I took a photograph of the spot where I saw open water in late April.  (I was on my way to revisit the rocky Pond Inlet Shortcut).  I knew it was the same spot because there was still open water.  The ice hadn’t completely formed.  Forms late, melts early, I thought.

            

Aqsarniit Hotel & Conference Centre under construction.

While I was passing through Iqaluit in both directions, I photographed a new hotel being constructed near the airport, Big Racks Restaurant, and the Iqaluit deep sea port from a distance.  The territorial capital has been suffering a shortage of hotel rooms but thankfully, two new hotels are currently under construction.  I only had time to see the Aqsarniit Hotel & Conference Centre.  Big Racks suffered a fire at the beginning of the month.  The cause it still under investigation.  The building is still standing but the windows and doors are boarded up.  I’ve never been inside the restaurant but I have eaten their food.  Big Racks provided food to First Air flights.  The deep sea port is slowly taking shape.  Construction appears to be halted for the winter.

            

Iqaluit's deep-sea port under construction.

Representatives from the Qikiqtani Inuit Assocation (QIA) visited Arctic Bay on November 19 to give a presentation titled, “Highlights of the Tallurutiup Imanga and Tuvaijuittuq Agreements.”  QIA was touring five communities directly affected by these agreements.  Arctic Bay was the third community on the tour.  QIA was here around the same time last year to talk about the progress being done on these agreements between the Inuit & Federal Government.  A lot of work has been done in the last year.  In April, QIA, Government of Nunavut, and Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding.  Then on August 1, interim protection for Tuvaijuittuq was announced.  Tuvaijuittuq means “the place where the ice never melts.”  The whole document was also signed by all parties involved.

            

Paper copies of the slides, information cards, and pamphlets were available to attendees.  I got copies of each because I teach social studies and I’ll most likely be reviewing these agreements with my future students.  They affect the community and surrounding areas.

            

The presentation was a standard affair.  The presenters showed 14 slides, read them in both languages, and explained how the initiatives within the agreement would be implemented.  The most important components were the financial investments: “$54.8 million in Inuit Stewards Program investments” and “over $190 million in infrastructure investments.”  I was glad to see a lot of money was set aside for infrastructure.  I’ve reported before that Nunavut’s infrastructure is severely behind the rest of Canada.  I think the main reason behind this is the lack of understanding from the Federal Government, past & present, that anything & everything costs way more up North to build and operate.        

It appears Arctic Bay & Clyde River will be getting a small craft harbour some time in the future.  Those projects alone will probably cost between $30 – 40 million dollars each.  The one in Pangnirtung cost $40.5 million to complete.  Regardless, small craft & deep-sea harbours are needed in all northern communities. 

The following links better explain the Tallurutiup Imanga and Tuvaijuittuq Agreements:

1. Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area Inuit Impact & Benefit Agreement

2. Messagefrom Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – August 1, 2019

3. Tallurutiup Imanga & Tuvaijuittuq Agreements – QIA – August 6, 2019

I left before the presentation ended.  There was no feast but QIA did offer snacks, tea, and coffee to attendees.   

It’s been two weeks since the ransomware attack on the Government of Nunavut’s computer system and things are slowly getting back to normal.  Computer technicians did come to Arctic Bay and rebooted all the computers in the school, health centre, and Hamlet Office.  The working atmosphere in the school felt like the 1980s before the reboot.  Staff had to rely on fax machines, paper, and phone calls to keep “the system” working.  I ended up buying a Wingle stick from Qiniq to be able use my own internet at school.  I’ll admit having the portable stick makes internet access much easier & faster.  Unfortunately, the Wingle only works in Nunavut.  In the past, before Qiniq upgraded to 4G, if you were travelling to another community and wanted to use your own internet, you had to bring your large black Motorola router with you.     

Microsoft Corp. recently announced they’re helping the Government of Nunavut with the recovery of its computer systems by sending its Detect and Response Team (DART).  The team “arrived with tools specifically designed for them to bring the GN’s systems back online.  The network will also be upgraded, featuring “Microsoft’s latest software[,] cloud data storage[,] and advanced cybersecurity.”  If all goes well, the new system will be robust, reliable, and secure for many years.  Hopefully hackers won’t figure out how to bypass everything before the next upgrade.  It’s a never-ending war in cyberspace.

Remembrance Day 2019

Remembrance Day was on a Monday this year.  The date, November 11, doesn’t change, but the day of the week changes every year.  Schools & government offices in Nunavut are closed.  Students & teachers enjoyed a three-day weekend but many of them, as well as community members, set aside time to attend the Remembrance Day ceremony at the community hall, organized by 3045 Army Cadet Corps.

            

As I have previously written, on many occasions, planning for the ceremony begins weeks in advance.  Canada’s most northern cadet corps prides itself on planning ahead.  There are many components that need to come together to make the 60-minute event enjoyable, respectful, and memorable.  Thankfully, the program stays the same, so all you need to do is find and assign people to do specific tasks.  The tasks set aside for cadets are assigned first and then corps staff seek volunteers from the community.  Many local Canadian Rangers would be present this year.   

            

I made an announcement at Inuujaq School the week before the ceremony, asking for donations of Remembrance Day decorations.  Classes donated enough decorations to fill two Bankers boxes.  Thank you. 

            

The cadets are not required to do much drill for the ceremony.  Most of the movements are done at the halt but there is some marching at the beginning & end.  The most challenging part is standing at attention for six minutes in the middle of the ceremony.  Music is played three times and there is a Minute of Silence.  I practiced these parts with the cadets. 

            

The corps held its dress rehearsal at the community hall on Wednesday, November 6.  We went over the entire program twice.  The cadets with special tasks – parade commander, flag party, laying the corps wreath, reciting In Flanders Fields – received extra attention so they wouldn’t feel overwhelmed on the day of the ceremony.  I reminded the cadets at the end of the practice to make sure their green dress uniforms were ready for Monday.  I made a mental note to work on my uniform over the weekend.

            

Flag Party.

The cadets & I arrived at the community hall at 9:30am for setup.  We put up chairs, tables, decorations, and a podium.  Frank & his wife printed the programs and placed them on a table in the lobby.  Thank you.  I set up a piano keyboard brought from the school because I would be providing instrumental accompaniment for two hymns.  (Third time).  I made sure there were separate rows of chairs for the cadets & Rangers, and a nearby table with cups filled with water.  I didn’t want anyone passing out from standing too long.  Doors opened at 10:30am.  By 10:44am we had a sizeable audience.  I did my final checks and ushered the VIPs to their seats at the front of the hall.  I signaled the flag party at 10:45am to begin their drill routine.

           

Audience.

Cadet Platoon Commander.

The two cadets, carrying the flags of Canada and the Cadet Program, marched around the audience and planted the flags on the left side of the hall.  (The Canadian Rangers flag had already been placed).  They took their positions as left markers.  Everyone stood as the cadet platoon commander brought the cadets to attention and marched them into the hall.  The Canadian Rangers and RCMP marched behind them.  Reverend Leah May led everyone in an opening prayer.  Cadets & military personnel are required to remove their berets for prayer and replace them after. 

            

Me doing the Welcome Address.
Kataisee A. translates.

I continued the ceremony with my Welcome Address.  The speech was short and mostly the same as the one I used last year.  The only change I made was mentioning this year as the 100^th anniversary of the signing of The Treaty of Versailles.  I briefly explained the treaty was thought to ensure everlasting peace but instead led to the Second World War twenty years later.  I ended my address by requesting everyone to stand for the playing of O Canada.

            

Me playing the piano.

The first Bible reading, Micah 4: verses 3 & 4, was read in English & Inuktitut.  I then moved over to the piano and played the song Abide With Me.  The audience sang the verses in both languages.  The next part of the ceremony was the toughest for the cadets.  It’s the part where they stand at attention for six minutes because the sequence is: Last Post, Minute of Silence, Piper’s Lament, and Reveille.  The cadet platoon commander, Rangers, RCMP, myself, and any other military personnel, are required to salute for Last Post & Reveille.  The cadets made it through without fainting.

Cadet reading the Act of Remembrance.

The Act of Remembrance was read in English, French, and Inuktitut.  A cadet read the English text, the head chef of the Tangmaarvik Inn read the French text, and Inuk Elder Martha Q. read the Inuktitut text.  

            

The second Bible reading was Psalm 121 and it was also read in both languages.  An Inuk Elder talked about his Thoughts On Remembrance Day.  During this section, I quietly handed out cups of water to the cadets, Rangers, and RCMP on parade.  I also handed out cups of water to a few elders in the audience. 

           

Canadian Rangers.

Canadian Rangers.

Two cadets came up to the podium to briefly talk about the life of Lt. Colonel John McCrae and how the poppy became the symbol of remembrance of soldiers who have died in war.  Three more cadets then took over and recited his most famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

            

Two cadets continued the ceremony by placing the corps wreathe in front of the podium.  Rangers and audience members then came up and placed five pictures of veterans of both world wars.  I think they were past friends & relatives.  I then sat at the piano again and played the song O God Our Help In Ages Past.  The verses were sung in English & Inuktitut.  Everyone remained standing for the playing of God Save the Queen and the closing prayer.  The Closing Remarks were done by Lt. Frank May, CD, (ret.), and Kataisee Attagutsiak.  The RCMP, Rangers, and cadets marched off, signalling the end of the ceremony.  The audience applauded.

            

Closing Remarks.

The cadets and Rangers came together after the parade for a quick group photograph with the decorated wreathe.  The cadets were then allowed to change out of their uniforms to help with the clean up.  This gave the community hall staff a break from cleaning.  When everything was done, the cadets were dismissed for the remainder of the day.  Frank helped me transport the keyboard, flags, wreathe, and leftover poppies to Inuujaq School.  The decorations would remain at the hall.  Before leaving the school, I quickly wrote a Thank-you-for-the-decorations message in the announcements binder for Tuesday.    

Cadets putting chairs away.

Cadet Dance & Ransomware Attack

Friday, November 1 was a very long day for me.  It happened to be a school day right after Halloween so I was expecting to see many students on sugar rushes from the candy they collected & consumed the previous night.  Thankfully, there weren’t that many sugar-rich filled students running around during recess.  (Fridays are my recess duty days).  I think a few adult staff also had the shakes from having eaten a lot of candy.  Or was it just me?   

My drummers & I reviewed the film footage of us playing in the gym at the Halloween Assembly and agreed our performance was mostly good.  We did make a few mistakes but no one noticed because we didn’t “make a scene”.  The school’s Christmas concert in mid-December will be our next performance.  Until then, we have new rudiments, techniques, visuals, warmups, tricks, and cadences to learn.

The day wasn’t over when the bell rang at 3:35pm.  I would have the afternoon to relax at home but my presence was required at the community hall in the evening.  3045 Army Cadet Corps was hosting an evening dance to fundraise money for custom clothing and operational expenses.  Cadet corps receive fixed amounts of money from the Department of National Defence for their operating budgets, but they’re not enough.  All corps fundraise for various activities, field trips, and other things. 

Admissions & Snacks Tables

Snacks for sale.

I arrived at the community hall at 9pm.  Cadets were not required to wear uniforms.  We set up tables in the lobby for admission and snacks.  Admission was set at $2.  Selling snacks and soft drinks are the primary money makers at these dances.  Cotton candy was a big draw in the past but we no longer have access to a cotton candy machine.  The dance was split into two parts: 12 & under from 9:30pm – 11pm; and 13 & older from 11pm to 1am.  The cadets would handle mostly everything and I would be their supervisor.  My other duties included collecting large money bills and checking the noise level of the music.  The music would be provided by DJ iPod – (Not an actual person. Only a mechanical device).

There were more than enough cadets to help with the running of the dance.  The event began on schedule and many kids lined up to pay admission and gain entry.  Some immediately went to the snack tables before entering the dance hall.  Cadets also sold glow sticks because kids love playing with glow sticks in the dark. 

At 10:30pm, the music was turned off and the lights were turned on.  The cadets played games with the kids for the last 30 minutes of the first dance.  The various games had kids competing individually and in groups.  Winners were rewarded with prizes.

          

At 11pm, the younger kids left and the older kids came inside.  Music would continue to play until 1am.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you are, no games are played with the older kids & adults.  I dismissed the first-year cadets for the night.  The remaining cadets continued collecting admission and selling snacks.  Admission was free after midnight.  We stopped selling snacks at 12:45am and began counting all the money we collected.  The corps would turn a good profit.

            

The cleanup began at 1am.  The cadets helped the community hall staff sweep, mop, put away the tables, and empty the garbage bins.  When I got home at 1:45am, I immediately went to bed and woke up at 11am on Saturday.  The money was deposited at the Co-op in the afternoon.

            

Ransomware in a nutshell.
Source: Vade Secure

The month of November began well for 3045 Army Cadet Corps.  The same could not be said for the Government of Nunavut.  Government computer systems fell victim to a ransomware attack on November 2.  I believe most of the servers are located in Iqaluit but this attack affected the entire territory.  The invasive virus encrypted important documents & files, and crippled government services, such as, income-support payments, internet access, and mailing printed copies of pay stubs to employees.  All the affected systems could be decrypted with a key-code if the government paid the hackers a specified amount of currency.  The territorial government has decided not to pay and will instead reformat all government computers.  I’m not sure how much that will cost.  The cost of airfare alone will be substantial because technicians will be travelling to all communities to manually reformat everything.  The government is also getting help from various professional organizations. 

            

A message you never want to see on
your computer. Source: Secure Ops.

The ransomware attack caused “serious headaches” for everyone involved in education.  For starters, we were instructed not to use the new Dell computers installed in the classrooms over the summer.  We also could not use the government approved online database program for attendance, inputting grades, and producing report cards.  We’re now using more paper to keep track of everything until the systems are rebooted.  There are rumours swirling that it’ll be at least two weeks before things get back to normal.  

The school’s internet speed is dreadfully slow.  If I want to show educational videos or pictures to my students, I have to download them at home using my own internet.  I’m thankful I use my personal tablet computer for teaching.  All my lessons & resources are there.  I also have everything backed up.  I’m considering buying a Wingle stick from Qiniq so that I can access my internet at school.  I’m not keen on bringing my large router from home every school day.  This attack shows just how dependent we all are on the internet and the vulnerability of government computer systems. 

Rough Cut & Halloween 2019

I followed through on my promise to present a rough cut of the media film project my Grade 10 English students had worked on earlier in the year in October.  The only things that were missing were music, sound effects, and a title.  I assembled the students involved in my classroom one afternoon and we watched the 9 & a half minute film.  The short film is not a sequel to last year’s film project.  The students approved of the rough cut and looked forward to seeing the final cut in December.  I told them to see me beforehand if they came up with a good movie title.  Otherwise, I would have to think of something. 

            

As much as I enjoy the post-production process (editing, music mixing, and adding subtitles), my goal is to have that responsibility taken over by students.  The reason why I haven’t done this earlier is because the school only has basic movie editing software.  Letting students create the soundtrack is possible because we have laptops equipped with music mixing/recording/editing software.  I will keep this in mind when I propose doing a film project with my English students in 2020.

            

The last day of October is a day of fun and excitement in Arctic Bay.  October 31 is, of course, Halloween, and community members enjoy wearing costumes and trick-or-treating.  The weather is not cold enough to deter kids & adults from collecting candy and we haven’t had to worry about polar bears disrupting the festivities.  (Polar bears may have been a concern prior to my arrival in 2013 but I haven’t investigated).  Adults are able to get away with trick-or-treating if they’re with their kids.  Frankly, I don’t mind.  I just make sure to have more than enough candy to give out.

            

Preparations for Halloween began a week in advance at Inuujaq School.  Classes were given a week to decorate their doors.  The best decorated doors would be announced at the Halloween Assembly and the lucky classes would be awarded pizza parties.  There would also be a best dressed costume contest.  Of course, the assembly would open with the High School Drumline.  We started preparing in mid-August and by October 31, we had three cadences ready to go.  A few of my students & I would finish the performance with solos.  We practiced a few times in the gym to get comfortable with playing in large open spaces.  The biggest challenge would be playing in the dark.  The only light we would see would be from the drum sticks and camera flashes.    

            

October 31 began like any other school day.  Morning classes still went ahead but I doubt any teaching was done.  Most classes were busy putting the finishing touches on their door decorations.  My door wasn’t decorated this year but that’s okay.  A group of high school students turned the science room into a haunted house.  The elementary & middle school classes came to visit after morning recess.  From what I was told, the haunted house proved to be too scary for some.

Lunch was extended by 30 minutes to give everyone time to change into their costumes.  I drove home to pick up my costume and bring all my previously worn costumes to school.  My drummers expressed interest in wearing them.  I drove slowly, making sure the large Rubbermaid container did not fall off the skidoo.

            

This year I dressed as Pinhead, the antagonist from the Hellraiser franchise.  I haven’t watched the movies nor read the comic books but the mask on the Spirit Halloween website is what got my attention.  The character has hundreds of pin needles sticking out of his head.  The needles on the mask are plastic.  To be fair, the mask is the only Pinhead attire I wore.  The vest, pants, and skeleton arms were from other costumes.  Unfortunately, it’s a challenge to see out of the mask because of the small slits near the eyes.  You may need to use scissors to make the openings larger.

            

I instructed my drummers to come to school at 1:15pm to set up the drums & equipment in the gym.  They were impressed by my costume.  I opened the Rubbermaid container and left it in my classroom for students to look through and try the costumes.  It took us about 15 minutes to set everything up.

            

Everyone was called down to the gym at 1:40pm.  My drummers & I were already standing outside the entrance, holding our sticks and waiting for the assembly to begin.  I got many curious & surprised looks from students, teachers, and parents when they saw my mask.  I think many did not know who I was.  The gym quickly filled with people.  The assembly began at 1:50pm. 

            

The principal welcomed everyone to the assembly and called on the High School Drumline to begin the program.  My drummers & I did our final stretches and walked into the gym in single file.  Once everyone was standing behind their drums, I signalled a teacher at the back of the gym to turn off the gym lights.  I raised my sticks in the air and clicked them 4 times.  (The lights inside the sticks only turn on when they hit something).  The concert began.

            

Next year's plan is to have lights on all the drums.

We played three pieces written by Cassidy Byars.  The sheet music can be found on the Free Drumline Music website.  Each piece was between 45 seconds to a minute in length.  The audience really liked the drum light effects.  The solos were also well received.  Our concert lasted six minutes.

            

The assembly continued with the costume contest.  Each class paraded around the gym, showing off their costumes, while the judges quietly chose and wrote down the best costume in the groups.  There were 15 groups: from pre-school all the way to teachers.  Winners received gift certificates to the local Co-op store.

            

School was dismissed early at 3pm so that everyone could get home and ready for trick-or-treating at 5pm.  My old costumes had been worn by high school students and I was glad my Pinhead outfit was warmly received.  I packed all my costumes in the Rubbermaid and drove home.

            

Empty boxes.

I assembled all the candy boxes I bought into the living room and retrieved three large bowls from a kitchen cupboard.  I dumped candy into the bowls until they were full.  I changed into my Pinhead costume at 4:45pm and unlocked my front door.  I sat near the front door and waited.  The trick-or-treating did begin at 5pm.  I gave four pieces of candy to each person.  Some kids were too scared to approach me and I had to give the candy to their parents/guardians.  A lot of people came to my door.  I had to refill the bowls several times.  Despite giving out a lot of candy, I still had plenty left over when everything was done at 7pm.  I would save some for myself and give out the rest at a later date.  I quickly put away the candy, changed out of my costume, and walked down to the community hall for the worst costume contest.

            

12 & Younger Group.

The contest began at 7:15pm and featured two groups of participants: 12 & younger, and 13 & older.  All the contestants arrived in costume and walked to the stage to get a number.  They then took a seat in front of the stage.  It’s always fascinating to see the wild combinations that people come up with.  Most of the contestants hid their faces behind masks & helmets.  The true identities of the people in costume are revealed at the end.  I stood at the back of the hall and filmed the contestants walking around the hall, showing off their costumes.  They went back to their seats after the music stopped.  It took a few minutes for the judges to agree on the winners.  All the prizes this year were monetary.  Many people, mostly kids, crowded near the stage to see the winners remove their masks and reveal their true identities.  Once all the prizes were given out, the contest was over. 

13 & Older Group.