Small Craft Harbour Open House

Before I write about the main topic of this post, I would like to take some time to address the 20^th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.  September 11 was on a Saturday this year and I found myself reminiscing about the events of that day and where I was.  I was in high school at the time.  It’s hard to believe that 20 years have already passed since that dreadful day.  The world changed after the attacks.  Fighting terrorism and enhanced security became priorities for all countries.  The mastermind behind the attacks, Osama Bin Laden, was eventually found and killed in 2011.  Commercial flying became more of a hassle due to enhanced security measures & rules.  I remember the time when kids were taken to the cockpit to see the pilots and look at all the buttons & controls.  I doubt those days will ever return.

Despite all the changes, it also feels like we’ve ended up back where we started.

The Taliban managed to reconquer all of Afghanistan last month, thanks to the government being corrupt, unplanned, and downright incompetent in running a resistance.  (The Taliban were overthrown in 2001 because they refused to hand over Bin Laden to America).  The Afghan military crumbled and most of their American-made weapons were seized by Taliban forces.  The last remaining pocket of resistance in the Peshawar Valley didn’t last and rebel leaders have fled to neighbouring countries.  Dark days are ahead for the people of Afghanistan.  Women & girls will suffer the most.  The Taliban say they are different now, but I don’t believe that for a second.  They’re still evil and need to be defeated.  I guess another 20 years will be needed.

The United States decided to withdraw its forces, drawing comparisons to the Vietnam withdrawal of the 1970s.  Despite the best efforts of the USA & its allies, they were unable to quash the Taliban insurgency.  Thankfully, the USA and other foreign powers can hit the Taliban where it hurts the most when it comes to running a country: in the wallet.  Afghanistan’s oversee assets & reserves worth billions are currently frozen. Withholding this money could force the Taliban to not roll back the hard-won rights women & girls enjoyed for the last 20 years.  I think the money should be spent on training an anti-Taliban insurgency.  It would be even better if the insurgency was all-woman.  That would really stick it to the Taliban because they’re scared of women.   

All we can hope for now is that Afghanistan’s women keep fighting for their equal rights.  I know the Taliban will lose in rolling back the clock, because erasing 20 years of progress is next to impossible.

An open house on Arctic Bay’s upcoming small craft harbour project was held at the community hall on September 14. 

The community’s breakwater pier is too small to accommodate & protect all the boats in town.  Owners are forced to use long ropes to secure their boats to two tall metal poles on land.  (Sometimes they tie their ropes around vehicles & large rocks).  There are no wooden docks, so boats need to be pulled ashore first for people to fill them with supplies and then board them to go hunting.  The new craft harbour will solve these issues and more.

The new small craft harbour will add a much larger breakwater pier, creating a big enclosed space.  Docks will be installed in this space, providing over a hundred parking spots for small boats.  The current laydown area will be expanded, a boat launch ramp will be added, and a fixed wharf will be built at the end of the pier for larger fishing boats.  The harbour will be big boost to local infrastructure and the economy. 

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans will own the harbour, but locals will oversee its operation.  Funding was secured from the federal government, Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), and Parks Canada.  I’m not sure what the final cost will be, but I’m guessing at least $40 million.         

I arrived at the community hall at 4:30pm.  Large Inuktitut & English posters lined the walls.  Several representatives were present to answer any questions.  A few posters displayed photos of the small craft harbour currently under construction in Pond Inlet.  Arctic Bay will experience the same amount of construction activity when the project begins in the summer of 2022.  The targeted completion date is October 2025.

I read and photographed each poster.  I would most likely use the pictures for my social studies classes. 

A representative walked up to me and asked if I had a blog about Arctic Bay?  I replied I did, and they added that they read my post about the ice drilling operation in late March.  (The ice drilling relates to the small craft harbour project).  I asked how they found my blog – (this one) – and they said it was through pictures on Google Images.

I asked what would happen to the posters after the open house?  The representative said they would be thrown out, but offered to donate them to me.  I accepted the offer and instructed them to talk to Frank about delivering the posters to my classroom.

I stayed at the open house for 30 minutes.  I couldn’t stay longer because I had to get ready for the following school day.  I looked forward to receiving the posters.  They will be an excellent addition to the posters I already have on the small craft harbour.