Beach Cleanup 2023

The army cadets of 3045 corps began the month of September with community service.  They spent Sunday, September 3, cleaning the shoreline behind the airport, an annual commitment the corps began in 2013.  Community service is an important component of the Citizenship training module in the Canadian Cadet Program.

The day began in the morning with breakfast at school.  A cadet parent prepared and personally delivered egg sandwiches to the school.  I used the ovens in the Home Ec Room to heat them up.  The corps also provided juice boxes for drinks.  I held a quick briefing near the end of breakfast and had a senior cadet take attendance.  The Home Ec Room was cleaned, and the leftover egg sandwiches were given to the cadets.

A local RCMP officer volunteered to assist in the cleanup and provide added transportation.  The cadets were divided into two groups.  Half went with the officer and the other half came with me.  We drove to Frank’s shop to pick up supplies, a trailer, and an ATV.  The cadets loaded the supplies into the truck & trailer.  The most senior cadet was tasked with driving the ATV & trailer to the airport.

The vehicle convoy arrived at the airport at 10am.  The weather was cloudy but not too cold.  The cadets got out and transferred all supplies to the trailer.  Attendance was taken and then everyone proceeded down to the shoreline.  Some cadets hopped on the trailer and ATV, while others walked.  I walked.  Riding in the trailer is too bumpy and uncomfortable for me.  Everyone made it to the woodpile by 10:15am.  The woodpile is a large collection of discarded wood, gathered from the previous shoreline cleanups.

Cadets immediately went to work setting up a white tent next to the woodpile.  The tent would serve as the kitchen and rest area.  Once the tent was up, the cadets moved the food, snacks, tables, chairs, and kitchen supplies inside.  The cadets were formed up and given gloves, walkie-talkies, and garbage bags.  They were divided into two groups and would collect garbage heading north & south.  Large & heavy objects were to be organized into piles which would then be picked up by the senior cadet driving the ATV & trailer.  The cadets were dismissed, and immediately went to work.

Garbage was visible along the shoreline, but not as much as before.  The cadets & I spent a good 90 minutes picking up trash before breaking for lunch.  What did we find?  Anything and everything would be the short answers.  The garbage originates from the town, and when the ice melts in the summer, the water current carries it to the shoreline behind the airport.  I’m always amazed by what we find.  Toys, clothing, tires, wood, food wrappers, qamutiks, wooden pallets, oil drums, and other random stuff.  It would be nice if everyone picked up after themselves, but I guess there’s still more work to be done.

Everyone took a much-needed lunch break at 12:30pm.  Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) were on the menu.  The main meal pouches were cooked in a pot of boiling water that sat on a Coleman stove.  There were also granola bars & juice boxes.  We all ate inside the white tent.

We proceeded towards the southern edge of the shoreline.  A cadet told me there was a lot of garbage this way, so we all went to investigate.  We crossed a riverbed by hopping across exposed rocks.  Turns out the cadet was right. 

This one patch of land looked like the beginning of a make-shift landfill, or the remnants of a camp.  Maybe the first example is exaggerated, but I was shocked by what I saw.  It looked like what the shoreline near the woodpile was 10 years ago.  The cadets & I did our best, filling up a lot of garbage bags and moving the large objects into piles.  It took some time for the ATV & trailer to arrive because the ATV engine needed to cool down.  We managed to reduce the quantity of debris.  I made a mental note to come back to this place next year.

The tide in the river had risen while we were cleaning.  The ATV & trailer got stuck in the water while trying to cross, forcing the cadets to work as a team to get it out.  They were successful.  If we had a second ATV & a chain, the recovery operation would have been easier.

The cadets cleaned out the white tent and packed it up.  Discarded pieces of wood were added to the woodpile, and the filled garbage bags were transported to the parked pickup trucks at the airport.  I took a group photo of the cadets standing on the woodpile, a digital record of their community service.  I congratulated them for taking care of the land.

A senior cadet returned with the ATV and trailer.  The tent, leftover food, and other supplies were loaded onto the trailer.  The cadets then hopped on and were driven back to the airport.  I walked.  We drove to the local landfill in pickup trucks to deposit the garbage bags we filled.  The landfill didn’t smell good.  The trailer and corps supplies were dropped off at Frank’s shop.  Everyone was then driven home.  I thanked the local RCMP officer for helping us out and Frank for letting us borrow his trailer.

Another successful cadet activity. 

School Community Picnic (2023)

Inuujaq School began September with a community picnic.  Last year’s picnic in late August was a success and staff wanted a repeat.  The event would give staff the chance to meet parents & guardians of students and enjoy delicious BBQ food. 

The Events Committee organized the event.  We used last year’s plan, choosing the same location and ordering the same amount of food.  However, we decided to send several staff members ahead of time to set everything up and begin cooking.  Last year was plagued with long food lineups, so we wanted to avoid that this time.  The picnic was set for the afternoon September 1. 

I borrowed a truck from Frank for transportation.  We began packing the truck at 12:30pm.  It only took me a few minutes to see that at least one more trip would be needed to bring everything to Uluksan Point.  The first load contained the most important items: barbecues, tables, garbage cans, food, condiments, juice, and propane.  I also ferried two staff members.  The other members of the Events Committee arrived in another vehicle. 

We unloaded everything and immediately went to work setting up the food station.  It’s a good thing we brought three long tables because there were only a few picnic tables around.  I drove back to school, picked up a few more things, and brought several more staff members.  The cooking was in full swing when I arrived.  The picnic was scheduled to begin at 2pm.

K-3 students & teachers were brought to Uluksan Point by school bus.  Everyone else had to walk to the point.  They started walking at 1:30pm.  Invited parents, guardians, Elders, and community members travelled by car, truck, and ATV.  Some gave lifts to a few students & teachers.

The picnic began as soon as K-3 students stepped off the bus.  Their teachers lined them up and guided them through the food station.  Having ready-to-serve hot dogs, hamburgers, and juice was a great idea.  It substantially reduced waiting times.  More students and teachers joined the line as they arrived.  The weather was holding steady.  There were clouds in the sky, but no rain.  I hiked up a nearby hill and photographed the festivities.   

Students who finished their meals early hung around the point, skipping rocks across the water, picking berries, and waiting to get back into line for seconds.  I waited until half of the student body was fed before getting my food.

A staff member started a bonfire to rid a pile of wooden pallets that had collected at the point.  The fire served as a good distraction and gave everyone a chance to warm up.  Fire brings people together, for better or worse.  This time was better because it was controlled, and no one got hurt.

The last activity we did was get everyone into a large circle.  A staff member used a megaphone to introduce the staff to students, parents, and guardians.  We then wished each other a successful school year.

Students were dismissed from school from the point.  Leftover food was given away.  The school bus picked up the students who lived the furthest from Uluksan Point.  Others were driven home by their parents while others walked.  The BBQ equipment was loaded onto Frank’s truck, and I drove it to school.  A few helpers came with me.  It took us about 15 minutes to unload everything and carry it inside the school.  I thanked the helpers for their assistance.  I returned Frank’s truck and walked home.  Another successful school community barbecue.