3045 Beach Cleanup of 2019

Labour Day occurred on Monday, September 2 this year.  The annual holiday celebrates the achievements of workers and has been celebrated in Canada since the 1880s.  The day is observed by many countries around the world, but some countries observe it in May while others in September.   

Growing up, Labour Day was actually a day of dread for me and (possibly) all kids in North America.  The day signalled the end of summer vacation and the beginning of school.  For kids above the 60^th parallel (north), the day is just an extra day off school.  (The school year in Nunavut begins in early to mid-August, except for schools in Iqaluit).  To celebrate Labour Day, I put the army cadets of 3045 Corps to work.

Scheduling & logistics placed the corps’ annual community garbage cleanup on Labour Day.  The outdoor community service activity fits into the citizenship curriculum of the Canadian cadet program and is a required part of training.  Also, taking care of the land is one of the eight components of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.  The component is called Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq (Environmental Stewardship).

            

The cadets, civilian volunteers, and myself met at the Anglican Church for breakfast.  Participants were told to dress warmly and wear rubber boots.  A cadet parent made egg & ham sandwiches.  The corps provided the juice boxes.  I had the most senior cadet take attendance.  The sandwiches were delicious; everyone had seconds.  The cadets cleaned the eating area after breakfast.  It was time to head to the airport.

            

The cadets were driven to the airport in a small convoy of vehicles.  I drove one of Frank’s pickup trucks and stopped by his shop at the Gas Station to pick up equipment and supplies.  The activity was an all-day affair, meaning the corps had to provide food.  The food would be American made Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs).  I had the cadets with me load the truck with MREs, Coleman stoves, pots, foldout tables, a white Fort McPherson tent, garbage bags, rubber gloves, toilet paper, scissors, Styrofoam cups, and paper towels.  By the time I arrived, the other cadets and civilian volunteers were waiting for me.

            

The cadets were going to clean the shoreline behind the airport.  The corps has been the environmental stewards of this area since 2013.  There’s a lot less garbage thanks to our yearly efforts, but every year, “new” garbage arrives from Arctic Bay by water.  Garbage left on the ice ends up floating in the bay when the ice melts at the end of June.  The garbage is carried by the current 5 – 6km southeast of the community where the airport and shoreline are located.

            

I made sure to get access to two ATVs and trailers for the cleanup.  There are no roads down to the shoreline so using pickup trucks to take the garbage out is not an option.  ATVs are the only choice.  The ATVs would be driven by former & senior cadets.  I’m envious of Inuit youth.  They get to learn & drive life size ATVs.  When I was their age, I was only allowed to drive ATVs in video games.

            

The cadets unloaded the pickup truck and placed all the equipment & supplies on the trailers.  Several cadets managed to find seats on the ATVs.  The drivers headed down to the shoreline while the rest of us walked.  I was not hitching a ride on a trailer; the ride is too bumpy.  We passed the large rusted oil drums & half-a-boat pile of 2013.  I don’t think the land underneath the pile is contaminated but I’ll admit it may be time to move these discarded items to the town’s landfill.

            

The white Fort McPherson tent needed to be set up first.  The tent would be used as a makeshift kitchen and shelter.  Once the tent was up, the foldout tables, Coleman stoves, pots, and MREs were moved inside.  I had the cadets formed up for a quick briefing.  The cadets would be split into two groups and move in opposite directions, picking up garbage and placing them in bags.  Large items would be collected into large piles for the ATV drivers to come by and pick them up.  Each cadet was given rubber gloves and two garbage bags. I would also be picking up garbage.  Lead by example.

            

We spent a good two hours of the morning combing the shoreline and removing trash.  The stuff we mostly found were: wooden boards, small toys, clothing, candy wrappers, cans & bottles, and plastic bags.  I found a large black plastic toy truck with a handle.  It looked designed to store smaller Hot Wheels cars and be carried like a briefcase.  The ATV drivers drove up and down the shoreline, picking up large wooden boards and the garbage bags that were full.  They also gave out new bags to be filled.

It seems the corps has established a tradition-of-sorts for the annual clean up.  At every cleanup I’ve attended since 2013, at least one ATV gets stuck in the mud.  The vehicle needs to be pulled out by the other ATV using a towing cable and the pushing power of cadets.  It’s the reason why the corps always tries to get at least two ATVs for the cleanup.  Getting stuck is not done on purpose, but it seems to happen every year.  The “veterans” of the corps, cadet & adult, come to expect this spectacle. 

Chasing a lemming.

This year was slightly different.  An ATV & trailer got stuck on some rocks while crossing a shallow river.  I filmed the cadets and an adult volunteer working together to free vehicle & trailer.  Their efforts were a success.

Lunch time lasted an hour.  The cadets also used the time to relax and chase a lemming on the ground.  Lemmings are small rodents and the Arctic’s version of gerbils.  They’re fun to catch & hold.

The cleanup continued after lunch but this time, many of us moved further south along the shoreline, past the shallow river.  This area has been previously avoided because of the river and how long it takes to get there on foot.  This time, we decided to check the area out.  Crossing the river was the only major hurdle because, even though it’s shallow, the water level goes just below your knees, which is higher than the tops of most rubber boots.  We had to walk further up the river to find dry rocks to cross over to the other side.  Other cadets weren’t afraid of getting their feet wet and crossed the deeper parts of the river.  One cadet used garbage bags to protect his feet from getting wet.

We quickly discovered the shoreline to be littered with trash.  Everything I mentioned before was here.  There were even three rusted oil drums & a discarded skidoo seat.  It appears this area is used as a camping site.  We picked up the smaller pieces of garbage and placed them in bags.  We arranged the large items into piles.  We would have spent more time here but it was already the mid-afternoon and time had run out.  We could always come back next year.

I took a photograph of the cadets on top of the wood pile (est. 2013) and the garbage bags we filled.  I would post the photograph on the community’s Facebook page to show everyone in town what the cadets did.  I congratulated the cadets for doing their part in taking care of the land.  They were then tasked in cleaning out the white tent, taking down the tent, and packing the trailers with garbage bags and corps equipment.  Everyone headed to the airport after I deemed the area was clean.  We would come back in October to burn a portion of the wood pile.

The corps equipment was transferred over to Frank’s pickup truck.  The ATV drivers would transport all the garbage bags and large collected items to the town’s landfill.  I would take Frank’s truck and a couple of cadets to help me return all the corps equipment to his shop.  A few parents/guardians had arrived at the airport and agreed to drive the remaining cadets home.  I drove the cadets who were with me home after we were finished with the corps equipment.  I parked the truck at Frank’s house and walked home.  The shoreline behind the airport was now cleaner than before.   

            

The PM, Sealift, & Visiting The MV Sinaa

I forgot to mention a big event that occurred in Arctic Bay at the beginning of August.  I should have written about it in my previous post but it slipped my mind because I wasn’t in Arctic Bay when it happened, much time has passed since the event occurred, and I’ve been focused on my work.  And maybe I was jealous of the people who were in attendance. 

            

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, visited the community on August 1, part of a two-day visit to Nunavut.  (His first stop was Iqaluit).  Also in attendance were: PJ Akeeagok, President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA); Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, Fisheries Minister Johnathan Wilkinson, bodyguards, and members of the media.  The Prime Minister was in town to promote two new marine conservation areas, reconciliation, and Arctic development.  This year is an election year, so any support helps.  I previously wrote about the new conservation area near Arctic Bay in November 2018.  The area is called the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area.  The second area is the Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area, located on the northwest coast of Ellesmere Island.

            

Trudeau visited Qaapik Attagutsiak, Arctic Bay’s oldest elder, in her traditional residence.  He listened to her stories about growing up & living in the Arctic.  She also talked about the changes she’s witnessed over the course of her long life.  PJ Akeeagok acted as translator.  You can view the video of the exchange here.

            

A large meet & greet and feast was held at the community hall.  I was told the place was packed with people.  Trudeau took selfies, shook hands, personally spoke to people, and did a speech.  The speech included several campaign promises. 

            

You can read more about Trudeau’s visit on CBC News, Global News, and Nunatsiaq News.  I know all the people in the photographs.      

            

I really wish I was in town.  If I had known, I would have flown back earlier, or written a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, asking them to delay the trip by a week.  They’ll be a next time for me to meet Justin Trudeau.  I hope.

Sealift season began in Arctic Bay at the end of August with the arrival of the MV Sinaa.  The vessel is operated by NEAS.  Many people were excited about their orders coming ashore.  I and several others would have to wait a few more days because our sealift orders were on the NSSI ship.  Since the community doesn’t have a deep sea port, the crew has to use the shoreline in front of the Northern Store to offload everything.  They prepare the area by moving loaders, metal ramps, and a makeshift office inside a sea can ashore.  The crucial links between the vessel and the shoreline are tugboats and barges.  Once the Shore Captain is satisfied with the setup, he informs the Captain of the Sinaa that the round the clock loading-transporting-unloading process can begin. 

            

The noise level around the shoreline sharply increases.  Large loaders drive around unloading sea cans and wooden crates off barges and placing them on the ground.  The ground quickly becomes muddy so you have to wear rubber boots.  The shore crew does its best to direct the drivers where to go but you still have to watch where you step.  It’s best to avoid the area unless you have to see the Shore Captain and sign paperwork.

            

NEAS is one of several sponsors of 3045 Army Cadet Corps.  In 2017, the company & I organized a tour of the MV Avataq for two groups of chosen cadets.  This year, I was able to arrange a tour of the MV Sinaa while it was anchored in the community.  Their schedule only allowed me to take 9 cadets. The tour was arranged for the late afternoon of August 30.

            

The chosen cadets & I arrived at the shoreline at 5pm.  The shoreline was abuzz with activity.  I introduced myself to the Shore Captain and he gave me a quick lesson on the rules my group had to follow.  He then gave me life vests and hard helmets to distribute to the cadets.  Safety first.  We waited until a barge was unloaded and the Shore Captain gave us permission to board.  The cadets were excited.  A tugboat began pushing the barge towards the ship at 5:30pm.  We were on our way.

            

It took 15 minutes for the tugboat to push us to the Sinaa.  In that time, the community appeared smaller and the vessel appeared larger.  It’s difficult to measure distances and sizes in the north due to the lack of point-of-references.  There’s so much open space and everything is spread out that the only way to know the true size of a something is to get really close to it.  From the shoreline, the Sinaa looks small but in reality, it’s a big ship that’s 137.16m long, 18.90m wide, and displaces 8,448 metric tonnes when full of cargo. 

            

The tugboat pushed us around the stern (rear) of the ship.  We were then pushed up against the starboard (right-side) where there was a rope ladder waiting for us.  The rope ladder was hooked to the barge and we were given clearance to climb aboard.  I watched my cadets slowly climbing up the ladder.  They were a little nervous but they safely made it onboard.  I was the last one to climb aboard.  We were met by two crewmembers who escorted us to the bow (front) of the ship.  We had to watch our heads because the passageways are low & narrow.

            

One of the crewmembers with us was an Inuk man from Nunavik (Northern Quebec).  The second crewmember was a French Quebecer.  They explained how the anchors worked and the type of strong chains & ropes they use to keep the anchors attached to the ship.  The anchoring systems on deck are made of metal & steel and look complicated.  They both led us down to the deck below to get a closer look at the anchor ropes and the emergency quick release system.

            

We moved towards the stern, using a narrow walkway on the port side (left side) of the ship.  I reminded the cadets who brought their phones to take pictures to hold them like their lives depended on it.  One wrong move and the phone will fall overboard and disappear into the depths of the sea.  I’m glad my camera comes with a wrist strap.  We passed several stacked sea containers and stopped in the middle to look at cranes lifting wooden crates from the lower decks.  The thick metal deck floors in middle of the ship can be moved and lifted to reveal the lower decks.  We could see the ship was packed with wooden crates, vehicles, and sea cans.  We were told that packing a ship of this size is not easy.  Everything has to be loaded according to the travel schedule.  (Ex: Cargo destined to the first community cannot be buried at the bottom of the ship).

            

Much of the emergency evacuation equipment is located at the stern.  Here, one can find large white cylinder cases that contain inflatable life rafts and large orange rescue craft that carry 22 passengers.  The crewmembers told us everyone is trained to use the rescue craft and the scariest part of training is experiencing the “drop into the sea”.  You can sustain serious injuries if you’re not tightly secured into your seat.

            

The Chief Officer showing the cadets some
of the complex equipment on the brdige.

The next stop on the tour was the bridge.  Captain Lizotte & his senior staff were there to greet us.  The Captain & his staff were the same crew who operated the MV Avataq in 2017.  There were only a few crew changes.  Greetings and handshakes were exchanged.  The Captain and his staff showed the cadets all the equipment, its importance to the operation of the ship, and even let them try out the steering wheel.  I stood back and took pictures for Facebook.

            

The cadets listen as Captain Lizotte explains how the steering controls work.

What interested me were the maps the Captain was using to navigate the northern waterways.  What I discovered was that the maps are dated and only a small portion of Admiralty Inlet include depth markings.  Arctic Bay and Victory Bay are fully marked while Strathcona Sound and Adams Sound are half marked.  Captain Lizotte explained these maps are all that are available and the sealift vessels only sail where there are depth markings.  If I ever become Prime Minister of Canada, I’m going to fund many northern expeditions to record & catalogue the depths of Canada’s Arctic waters.  Climate change is opening up the Northwest Passage to more ship traffic so the information is needed for expanded shipping lanes and to prevent disasters. 

            

NEAS gave us a large flag of theirs two years ago when they announced their sponsorship of the corps.  I brought it with me so that a group photo could be taken of us with the bridge crew.  I also brought the Royal Regiment of Canada flag.  (The corps is affiliated with the Regiment).  NEAS could use the photo for advertising purposes.  I thanked the Captain and his senior staff for letting us tour the Sinaa.

            

We were given earplugs and led down to the engine room.  The layout is similar to the MV Avataq.  All you hear is a loud continuous drone of the diesel engines.  I should have brought my cellphone; it contains an application that measures sound in decibels.  The smell of oil is present throughout the compartments.  We walked around, looking at the all complex machinery, and trying to listen to a crewmember explain what they all do.  He had to shout so that we could hear him.  We were then led into a monitoring room where we could safely remove our earplugs.  The Chief Engineer was there to meet us.  He introduced himself and explained how the monitoring equipment worked.  At the end of his short speech he had one of the crewmembers take a group photo of us with his camera.     

            

Mitsubishi Generator.

Chief Engineer (left).

Cadets in the mess hall.

The last place we visited was the mess hall (cafeteria).  The crew had prepared snacks & juice for us.  It was nice to sit after standing & walking for nearly three hours.  The crewmembers concluded the tour by describing life onboard the ship, the food they eat, and how to pass the time while off duty.  They also answered any questions we had about working for NEAS.  We thanked them for the tour and their hospitality.  They escorted us down to the same rope ladder we used to climb aboard.  I descended the ladder first, stepping onto a barge packed with wooden crates & sea containers.  Once everyone was onboard, we walked around the edge of the barge and stepped onto the tugboat.  The driver then began pushing the barge towards Arctic Bay.

           

It took 15 minutes for us to get to the shoreline.  It took another 20 minutes for the loaders to remove enough crates & sea cans off the barge to let us step onto the shore.  We could have jumped into the shallow water but none of us wanted to get our clothes wet.  We returned the life vests and hard helmets to the Shore Captain.  I thanked him again for helping us with the tour.  The cadets were then dismissed for the day.  The entire experience took 3 & a half hours.

            

Overall, the tour was excellent!  I would like to thank Captain Lizotte, his crew, and NEAS Management for helping me organize the tour of the MV Sinaa.  I would spend the next several days reviewing and editing all the photographs I took for the cadet Facebook page and this blog.