Nunavut’s 25th Birthday & Games Outside

On April 1, 2024, Nunavut turned 25 years old.  (No joke).  Canada’s third territory officially came into being on April 1, 1999, after decades of negotiations between the Federal Government and Inuit activists.  Nunavut means “our land” in Inuktitut.  The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement was signed in 1993, and a major component of the agreement was the creation of a new territory.  Everyone had six years to get ready for the big day.  I still have some memory of that day in 1999 when Canada’s interior borders changed. 

A lot has happened in the last 25 years.  I’ll give you the very condensed version.  For starters, territorial decision making was transferred to the town of Iqaluit on Baffin Island.  When the eastern Arctic was part of the Northwest Territories, decisions were made in Yellowknife.  Towns and communities have continued to grow in population, resulting in the highest birthrate in Canada.  The high school graduation rate is steadily increasing & a Nunavut-centric education curriculum is expanding & more robust.  (Nunavut borrowed heavily from the Alberta curriculum).  The territory is still finding its place in the world and is more noticeable than before. 

Unfortunately, there are still challenges.  The cost of living remains very high, there’s a severe lack of social & affordable housing, there’s no central road network connecting the communities, unemployment is high in some places, and there are many social issues plaguing the territory.  Despite these challenges, many have high hopes for the future.

Another reason to celebrate was the recent signing of the Nunavut Devolution Agreement on January 18, 2024.  (Sorry for not writing about it in earlier posts).  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was present in Iqaluit to sign the agreement with Nunavut Premier PJ Akeeagok and other Inuit leaders.  Devolution means “the transfer or delegation of authorities […] from the federal government to a local or regional government.”  Nunavut leaders now have more say & control over the territory.  I watched the live signing event on YouTube with my social studies students.  The historic moment is just as important as the signing of land claims agreement in 1993.  The agreement has 13 chapters so if you want to read about them in detail, click here.  The agreement took effect on April 1, 2024.    

Inuujaq School organized a celebratory assembly on April 26 to observe Nunavut’s 25^th birthday.  Decorations were made, food was prepared, and a program was put together by the school’s Events Committee.  Students and staff were encouraged to wear traditional Inuit clothing.

Everyone assembled in the gym.  Prepared posters were taped to the main wall and chairs lined sides.  Several high school students set up the food station at the back of the gym.  The food was prepared by the high school Inuit studies class.  I began the assembly with a short welcome speech.  I kept it short & to the point.  A staff member translated my words into Inuktitut.  Two local throat singers performed several traditional songs to the delight of the audience.  This was followed by a song & drum dance by several high school students and a teacher.

Country food consisting of Bannock, and caribou stew were distributed to everyone in attendance.  The prepared food was delicious.

The assembly concluded with everyone dressed in traditional Inuit clothing to come up to the front for a group photo.  I gave my camera to someone in the audience to take several photos.

The celebrations continued on April 30.  Teachers & students played a round robin of various games out on the playground.  Students played tug of war, dodgeball, jump ropes, bean bag throwing, and the Inuit game Naangijaqataglutik.  Judging from my observations, everyone had fun.

Happy Birthday Nunavut!  Here’s to another 25 years!

Nunavut Quest 2024

The annual Nunavut Quest (NQ) dog sledding race came to Arctic Bay again to serve as the Start Line.  The Finish Line was Pond Inlet.  NQ rotates its Start & Finish Lines every year between Arctic Bay, Igloolik, and Pond Inlet.  Eleven mushers competed in this year’s race.  You can read about them here.  They & their support teams are also from Arctic Bay, Igloolik, and Pond Inlet.  Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) was the race’s main sponsor.

NQ is a timed rally race.  You don’t have to be the first musher across the finish line.  You just have to complete all sections of the race in the shortest time possible.  Mushers don’t compete alone.  They have their trusty sled dogs, and a support team that travels ahead to set up camp at designated stops. 

The mushers, support teams, organizers, QIA representatives, fans, a CBC News North crew, and 6 chosen Igloolik youth arrived several days before the start of the race.  The Igloolik youth would be writing stories & providing photos of the race to Nunatsiaq News.  They were sponsored by QIA.  The population of Arctic Bay increased, and it felt like all of Nunavut was present.  Several pre-race events & activities were held out on the ice and at the community hall. 

The race was originally scheduled to begin on Monday, April 15, but was delayed by a day due to weather.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to attend the opening ceremony at the community hall.  The mushers & their support teams were introduced, competitor bibs were handed out, and I’m certain there were several speeches and music performances.

The weather on Tuesday, April 16, was a little better, but with overcast.  The town assembled out on the ice at 1:30pm.  Students & staff of Inuujaq School went down as well to see the departure of the support teams & mushers.  I drove out on my skidoo.  Many did the same, but there were also many ATVs & 4-wheeled vehicles.  A lot of dogs were barking, excited by the large presence of human activity.  I hopped off my skidoo, walked around, and took pictures.  There were many fully packed qamutiks (sleds), filled with gas cans & supplies. 

The supply teams began to leave at 2pm.  The crowd waved and yelled goodbye as the convoy of skidoos & qamutiks drove south towards Uluksan Point.  I originally thought the convoy would circle around Uluksan Peninsula to the west and then turn north, but instead they would continue south towards Moffet Inlet.  The first rally stop would be set up along the way.  

The racecourse this year headed south, turned east, and then proceed northeast across land towards Pond Inlet.  In 2019, when NQ was from Pond Inlet to Arctic Bay, the support teams and mushers travelled northwest, past Bylot Island, around the top of the Borden Peninsula, and then south towards Arctic Bay.  I thought it would be the reverse this year, but I was wrong.

The mushers left an hour later at 3pm.  Starting the race an hour later gave the supply teams & timekeepers a head start in reaching the first stop and setting up camp.  During that hour, people walked around, mingled, and took more photos of the mushers & their sled dogs.  Large QIA flag banners, planted into the ice, flapped vibrantly in the wind. 

An NQ timekeeper loudly counted down from 15 and then yelled “Go!” to Musher #1 to begin their relay.  People clapped and cheered as the sled dogs ran, pulling the qamutik & the musher.  This process was repeated 30 seconds later for Musher #2.  And again, for Musher #3.  This continued until all 11 mushers were on their way towards the first rest stop.  People started heading back into town when the mushers reached Uluksan Point.  Students and teachers returned to Inuujaq School and were dismissed 10 minutes later. 

The support teams & mushers will arrive in Pond Inlet in 7 days if all goes well.  The weather out on the land can change very quickly and that can cause delays.  Once again, I wish I could follow & document the race like the 6 Igloolik youth.  Maybe there is a way?  I’ll have to find out.

Update: Here’s a link to Nunatsiaq News article about the 6 Igloolik youth.

 

Stage 3 Marksmanship 2024 – Part 3

The second day of the competition began just like the first; waking up early and eating breakfast at the mess hall.  My cadets and I then had to pack everything and move out of accommodations because there wouldn’t be time to come back after the competition.  More on this later.  I drove the van up to the barracks and I help the cadets load everything into the van.  I did one last sweep of the rooms to make sure they were clean, and nothing was left behind.  Everyone jumped inside the van, and I drove to the gym.

The air rifle range was set up for standing shooting.  The electronic targets were raised, the SIUS consoles sat on tables, and chairs had been placed in front of each console.  I took closeup photos of the setup while my cadets sat by their equipment.  I would use these photographs for future marksmanship lessons.

Once again, teams were given time to practice shooting while standing.  My cadets weren’t first, so they waited by playing on their phones and/or catching a quick nap.  They were excited but a little nervous when their turn came to shoot.  I watched as they practiced.  Shooting while standing is more challenging because you aren’t allowed to rest your rifle when shooting.  Resting the rifle before & after is permitted.  This forces you to rely on your muscles & posture to keep the air rifle steady.

The real shooting began after the practice relays.  Each team would shoot 2 standing relays with 30-breaks in between.  My cadets were part of the second group of teams, so their first real relay was during the second relay, if that makes sense.  The cadet coach & I told the team to take their time and to shoot only when they’re ready.  If you hold the rifle too long, your arms begin to shake and/or move.         

Lunch was catered by a local pizza establishment called A Little Pizza Heaven.  The business delivered a lot of pizza boxes and bottled water.  Cadets who weren’t shooting set up the food area and were rewarded by being the first in line for pizza.  My cadets happened to be shooting when the pizza arrived, so they had to wait.  Everyone was reminded to wash their hands before handling food.  The air rifles shoot lead pellets, and you don’t want lead residue on your pizza for added flavour.  The pizza was delicious.

My cadets completed their second standing relay after lunch.  A few of their pellets got really close to the centre of their target papers.  I was impressed and proud of them.  They breathed sighs of relief when the relay was done.

We didn’t have time to take a break or wait for the final shooting results because we needed to be at the airport soon.  We packed our rifles & gear and loaded it into the van.  I quickly thanked the organizers for letting us participate and apologized for not being able to stay and help with the cleanup.  The officers said not to worry.  The same officer who picked us up at the airport when we arrived, drove us back to the airport for our departure.  We thanked them for being our chauffeur.

We checked in and got through security without issues.  We waited for some time and then boarded our WestJet flight to Calgary.  Having a window seat enabled me to get a few good photos of downtown Winnipeg.  We landed in Calgary and then transferred to another plane that flew us to Ottawa.  We arrived in the nation’s capital in the middle of the night.

We stayed at our booked hotel for only a few hours.  There was enough time to shower, change clothes, and have a quick power nap.  We returned to the airport via shuttle, checked in, had a quick breakfast snack, and got through security.  We boarded the Canadian North plane and flew north to Iqaluit.  We landed in the territorial capital 3 hours later.

Our flight to Arctic Bay took off about two hours later.  The flight was uneventful, and we landed in Arctic Bay in the late afternoon.  The land was still covered in snow & ice.  The cadets’ parents were waiting at the airport to pick them up.  Frank gave me a ride into town.

Overall, it was a great trip.  The cadets got to compete in the regional marksmanship competition and see another part of Canada.  Now we have to wait for the final results of the competition to be published.      

                                             End of Stage 3 Marksmanship 2024 Mini-Series. 

Stage 3 Marksmanship 2024 – Part 2

We woke up early on the morning of April 6 and got to the mess hall at 6:30am for breakfast.  We were the first in line.  The frontline chefs came out and started preparing eggs and English muffins.  The heated side dishes were bacon & hashbrowns.  Other available offerings were fruit, bread, muffins, and a variety of beverages.  I chose orange juice.  My cadets & I finished our meals in 30 minutes. 

I drove the cadet team over to the large gym building where the competition would take place.  Being assigned a military van to drive made things easier for us and the organizers.  They didn’t need to hire extra drivers. 

The air rifle range looked the same as it did the day before.  More & more cadet teams arrived over a period of 20 minutes.  Teams were instructed to prepare their air rifles & shooting gear for inspection.  Everything had to be inspected to prevent cheating and/or illegal modifications.  The cadets put on their shooting jackets & safety glass and stood in line holding their air rifles.  It took us about 30 minutes to get through the inspection line.  Once our rifles & gear were cleared, I instructed the cadets to put everything away.  We had another commitment to get to and needed time to get ready.  The competition organizers were aware of this and approved because we weren’t scheduled to begin until after lunch.

I drove my cadets back to accommodations and we changed into our formal dress uniforms.  3045 Army Cadet Corps was invited to participate in a Vimy Ridge Commemoration Parade at Vimy Ridge Park in downtown Winnipeg.  I think this was 3045’s first time participating.  I used Google Maps on my cellphone to guide me to the location.  We safely made it.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge occurred during the First World War, taking place from April 9 – 12, 1917.  It was the first time the Canadian Corps’ four divisions fought together.  Canadian soldiers liberated most of the ridge from German occupation on the first day and then pushed German soldiers further back to the Oppy-Mericourt line by April 12.  Canada regards this battle to be the birth of the nation.

I found one of the officers in charge of the parade and introduced myself and my cadets.  The cadets were led inside a church where cadets from various local corps were getting ready.  I followed but was directed to a room where an officers briefing was being held.  We reviewed the parade program.

Everyone involved in the parade exited the church and assembled in Vimy Park for a parade practice.  There had to be at least 100 - 150 cadets in attendance.  The cadets were organized into four platoons, renamed divisions, in honour of the four Canadian divisions.  The four divisions contained a mixture of cadets from participating corps.  Two cadets stood guard at the cenotaph holding Canadian flags.  There even was a cadet band to provide music.

A short parade practice was held.  The cadets marched in from two directions and halted in front of the cenotaph.  The band played General Salute and O Canada.  A few more parts of the program were reviewed and then the cadets were marched back to their starting positions.  A crowd had begun to form when the cadets were being marched off.  I had to reassure a few onlookers they hadn’t missed the actual parade.

The real parade began at 11am.  The cadets marched in from their starting positions and halted in in front of the cenotaph as an audience of people looked on.  The senior officer presiding over the parade was Lt. Col Diduck.  The cadet band played General Salute and O Canada.  Lt. Col. Diduck gave a speech about the Battle of Vimy Ridge and why Canadians commemorate this battle.  He also thanked the cadets & everyone in the audience for attending the parade.  These comments were echoed by Linda Wall, the president of the Army Cadet League of Canada’s (ACLC) Manitoba Branch.

Diduck placed a wreath in front of the cenotaph and saluted, along with his Chief Warrant Officer, the cadet chief warrant officer parade commander and Ms. Wall.  The trumpeter in the band played Last Post.  This was followed by a Minute of Silence.  The trumpeter then played Reveille.  The cadets were then marched off.  The parade had come to an end.

Unfortunately, my cadets & I couldn’t stay for lunch because we had to get back to the shooting competition.  The parade organizers thanked us for our participation and gave us bagged lunches.  The cadets ate in the van while I drove back to 17 Wing.  We returned to barracks first to change out of our dress uniforms and into civilian clothing.  We hopped back into the van and drove over to the gym. 

The gym was busy with several marksmanship teams shooting and others enjoying lunch catered by the Pita Pit.  The cadets put on their shooting vests and glasses and waited to be called for their practice prone relay.  When the time came, they grabbed their Daisy air rifles and stood in a long line.  The Range Safety Officer (RSO) invited all participating teams to take their positions on the shooting range.  Cadets were given 30 minutes to shoot as many times as they wanted.

The target systems used are made by SIUS.  They’re pretty good at recording where pellets hit the paper targets by using five microphones to triangulate the impacts through soundwaves.  Shooters see where they hit on a small console.  A perfect dead centre shot is 10.9 points.  A no hit is 0 points.

Shooting relays lasted 30 minutes and teams shot every second relay.  It’s good to have breaks in between.  The first day of the competition was all about shooting prone.  Teams shot three prone relays, 20 pellets per relay.  The cadet coach & I encouraged our team to take their time and shoot steady.  The point of the competition is accuracy, not speed.  We were done by 5pm.

For dinner at the mess hall, I had beef roast, some vegetables, and bread.  We spent the remainder of evening in barracks.  I managed to take a good picture of a herd of deer grazing on base.  They may have been the same deer I saw the night before.

                                                                To Be Continued . . .