Mid-April 2020

Uluksan Point was the focus of my walk on the morning of April 13.  I wanted to walk there on March 30, but instead, I hiked up a rocky hill to take pictures of Arctic Bay.  There would be no detours this time.  Many people go to the point to camp, picnic, and have bonfires.  I was going there to take pictures and see if my sealskin parka would keep me warm.  I already knew the answer was ‘yes’ but I wanted to be sure. 

Uluksan Point is on the side.

I’ve only worn my parka within the community because it’s not designed for out-on-the-land excursions.  Even though the outer layer is sealskin, the inner material is not super thick, so wearing it in extreme cold temperatures wouldn’t be good.  The parka was made for spring weather.  I suppose I could take it with me on a land trip but I would wear it at my destination. 

I picked April 13 for my trek because the skies were clear and the sun was shining brightly.  Arctic Bay gets a lot of sunny weather in the spring.  However, the temperature remains cold.  I kept the spare camera batteries warm by placing them in the inside pocket of my parka.  My body heat would keep them from freezing. 

The distance to Uluksan Point is roughly 2.40km from my place.  I started walking at around 11:25am.  I left my guns at home and carried a machete in case I needed to swing & stab my way out of a deadly encounter with aggressive wildlife.  There was no traffic along the road to Uluksan Point.  I was expecting to see at least one person driving by on an atv but that didn’t happen.

I reached Uluksan at noon.  I had to pull up the hood on my parka because there was a strong wind blowing.  There was no one at the point except me.  There were two large boats and two qamutiks sitting near the shoreline.  I took several pictures of the surrounding area, and a few selfies.  My parka did a good job keeping me warm.  I stayed for about 15 minutes.  I walked home, occasionally looking behind me to make sure I wasn’t being followed by a polar bear.  I made it home.

The Canadian Cadet Program received a big announcement from its Commander-in-Chief, Brigadier General D. Cochrane, & his Adjutant, Chief Warrant Officer W. Crawford.  Their announcement was delivered on April 15 through a pre-recorded 6-minute video uploaded to a few video sites.  I watched it on the Cadets Canada Facebook page.  To make a long story short, the leaders announced the cancellation of all in-person cadet training activities until August 31, 2020.  The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was the primary reason.  All cadet corps in Canada will remain closed and no cadets will attend summer camps.   

I shared the video & written transcripts on the corps Facebook page.  I also added a message, stating that all local cadet activities are cancelled until the end of summer.  No parades, weekend marksmanship & sports, and field training exercises.  Naturally, the cadets were greatly disappointed that it had come to this, but the health & safety of everyone takes precedence.

Speaking of closures & cancellations, Nunavut’s Education Minister, David Joanasie, announced the closure of all schools for the remainder of the school year on April 17.  He based his decision on the advice of the territory’s Chief Public Health Officer.  I also think his decision was influenced by the Northwest Territories & Yukon governments, who closed their schools for the rest of the school year in late March & early April respectively.  A cancellation/closure of this scale is a first for me.  I know I’m still relatively new in my profession but this is a moment in my teaching career I will never forget.

Joanasie continued his press conference by ordering all Nunavut teachers back to work for April 21.  We will be preparing & sending home learning packages for students to complete at home.  Think of them as homework or take-home assignments.  They’re to be based on the units we taught before the school closures.  There will be no high school final exams; final report cards will be based on course work.

The cancellation also means I won’t be making a short film with my Grade 10 English students this semester.  I’ll have to wait until the fall or the new year.

I’ll be honest, I am looking forward to getting back to work after a 3-week hiatus.  I was starting to get bored of being stuck at home all the time.  We’re allowed to work on other things while the learning packages are being completed.  I already have a few ideas in mind.

Continuing the theme of cancellations, the annual Nunavut Quest dog sledding competition & Qamutik Cup hockey tournament have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Nunavut Quest’s cancellation was announced at the end of March and the Qamutik Cup organizers made their announcement early this month.  This is the second time Nunavut Quest has been cancelled.  I’m not sure if the Qamutik Cup has been cancelled in previous years. 

The many cancellations of public events have forced people to find their own means of entertainment.  One huge benefit of living in Nunavut is that you have access to a very large backyard.  Many people in Arctic Bay have spent a lot of time out on the land.  It’s very easy to practice social distancing because the land is far and wide.  Although, I should point out that not everyone in town has the transportation means of travelling far distances.  Those who don’t own skidoos and/or vehicles can still go hiking but not far from the community.  However, there are many cabins in Victor Bay and if you own or know people who own them, you can visit, and stay there for a day or two.

I saw a group of Inuit preparing to go on a hunting/camping trip while I was walking to the Northern Store on April 18.  The convoy contained three skidoos and two qamutiks packed with supplies.  I noticed a 45-gallon gas barrel on each qamutik.  These made me assume the group was going out for an extended period of time.  They could also be travelling to another community.  I didn’t ask.

There was a line outside the Northern Store when I arrived.  I snapped a picture for this blog and as a future memory of the era of social distancing.  I stood in line and chatted with a few people, waiting to be let into the store.  We all find it weird to be practicing social distancing when COVID-19 is not present in the community.  The Northern Store is making everyone do it because of instructions sent from headquarters down in Winnipeg.  I was finally let inside after some time and bought a few things.  The store is really quiet because only 10 customers are allowed inside at a time.

I wonder how long these rules will be in place?