Biathlon & Parents Night

Three cadets represented Arctic Bay’s 3045 Army Cadet Corps at the Stage 3 Regional Biathlon competition in Winnipeg, Manitoba during the second week of February.  (This was one of several regional competitions organized across Canada).  I was hoping all seven members of the biathlon team would advance to Stage 3 but based on the scores they achieved at Stage 2, only three made the final cut.  I was unable to attend due to my civilian job.  A military officer was hired to escort the cadets down to Winnipeg.  The rest of the corps cheered for them from Arctic Bay.

The competition took place at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg.  The cadets got to meet & compete with cadets from other corps in the Northwest Region.  My cadets were assigned a coach who was also an officer.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough snow on the ground, so the cadets would run instead of ski.  A large building that contained a gym was turned into an air rifle range, featuring mats, backboards, plinker targets, flags, tables, chairs, air rifles, and other necessary equipment.

The assigned officer coach kept me updated with my cadets’ progress via text and even provided photos.  Judging from the pictures, the cadets had fun and did their best to represent the corps, Arctic Bay, & Nunavut.  The cadets returned to Arctic Bay just in time for the Parents Night Parade where I announced their results from the competition.

Parents Night Parade was held on the evening of February 21.  The cadets and I arrived an hour early to set up the gym.  There’s plenty to do.  Tables, chairs, flags, awards, speakers, and refreshments all need to be ready to go before guests arrive.  Thankfully, the cadet program teaches & promotes teamwork.  I made things easier for myself by preparing the program, badges, and awards, two days in advance.  The cadets changed into their uniforms after setup.  Guests began arriving at 6:15pm and the parade began at 6:30pm.

I marched in and received the General Salute & the playing of O Canada.  The cadet sergeant-major escorted me through the ranks and I inspected the cadets on parade.  I returned to the front and permitted the sergeant-major to carry on with a March Past.  The March Past showcases the cadets’ drill to the audience and reviewing officer. 

I welcomed the audience to the parade and thanked them for supporting their local army cadet corps.  I also thanked the cadets for attending and putting on a great show.  I continued the parade with awards and presentations.

I began by awarding Level 2 & 4 marksmanship badges to two cadets.  (Level 1 is the lowest & Level 4 is the highest).  The marksmanship team were then called to the front to be publicly recognized for recently competing in the Stage 2 Postal Shoot.  I informed everyone that we’re waiting for the final results to be announced and hopefully the team will advance to Stage 3.

The three cadets who competed at Stage 3 Biathlon were the next group to be called to the front for public recognition.  I also announced their results.  One cadet achieved 1^st place in the senior category, another cadet achieved 2^nd place in the youth category, and the third cadet achieved 3^rd place in the junior category.  Additionally, the two male cadets earned a 1^st place team finish.  We all applauded their achievements.

The last presentation was promotions.  Two junior cadets were promoted from the rank of Lance Corporal to Corporal.

The cadet sergeant-major continued the parade with the Advance in Review Order and a final General Salute.  I marched out of the gym and the cadets were dismissed.  The parade had come to an end.  The cadets and I moved to the back of the gym and took a group photo under the Royal Regiment of Canada flag.  The cadets were then dismissed to the refreshments table.

Reception lasted around 30 minutes.  The cadets & I spent another 15 minutes cleaning the gym.  Once that was done, I had the sergeant-major form the cadets up for a quick debriefing.  I congratulated them again for a successful parade and dismissed them for the remainder of the night.

 

Return Of The Sun & Marksmanship

The sun returned in early February and Inuujaq School celebrated the occasion with an afternoon assembly on February 6.  Students & staff wore bright colours that resembled the sun.  A few elementary school classes wore yellow & orange ribbon hats.

The assembly began with welcome speeches from the principal and chair of the local of the District Education Authority (DEA).  They mentioned the sombre time in November when the sun disappears, the challenges of living through dark season, and the joys of seeing it again in the new year.  The high school Inuit Culture teacher lit a ceremonial qulliq to mark the return of the sun.  She also explained the purpose & importance of the qulliq, such as, providing light during dark season and keeping families warm.   

With the qulliq fully lit, the teacher sang two Inuit songs while an Inuk drum dancer, dressed in traditional clothing, played the drum.  The next performance was a square dance performed by elementary & middle school students, led by the Grade 2 teacher. 

The assembly concluded with a Parks Canada representative drawing names for prizes.  The prizes included t-shirts, cups, pencils, and stickers.

From now on, the sun’s duration in the sky would increase by 20 minutes after each day.  It felt great to have the sun back!

The marksmanship team of 3045 Army Cadet Corps competed in the Stage 2 competition on February 11.  The competition is a mail-in, meaning the targets are sent to the corps in advance, the cadets shoot them, and then I mail them down south to be scored.  (The other corps in Nunavut do the same).  Teams with the highest scores advance to Stage 3 in the spring.  Stage 3 is the regional competition.

The team arrived excited but a little nervous.  I helped them turn the gym into an air rifle range by setting up backboards, tables, chairs, mats, scopes, and flags.  Safety glasses, shooting vests, pellets, and air rifles, and practice targets were also brought out.  I held two practice relays first to give the cadets time to zero-in their rifles, adjust their sights, and get comfortable shooting.  They took a short break and then shot the real targets.  Each cadet had to shoot two target papers: one prone & one standing.  It was pretty quiet in the gym, aside from the sounds of pellets hitting the target papers & backboards.  The cadets were really focused. 

I was not allowed to score the targets.  I had orders to just place the papers into a large envelope, seal it, and mail it down south.  However, we were allowed to look at the targets and guess the amount of points the cadets got.  We all hoped the total amount would be high enough for the team to advance to Stage 3.  The final results of Stage 2 will be announced next month.

 

Drop The Pop & Attendance Awards

The last week of January was Drop The Pop Week.  Pop is a word commonly used in Canada meaning soft drink or soda.  Pop consumption is high in Nunavut because it’s popular, sugary, and addictive.  The price of a 335ml can is around $2.50 in Arctic Bay.  The price varies from community to community.  Frequent pop consumption leads to health problems relating to teeth, gums, weight, heart, and blood sugar levels.  I’ll admit I drink pop too, but I’ve had to switch to zero sugar because of weight gain.  The day may come where I’ll have to stop drinking pop altogether.  I just have to prepare myself.

A little off topic, but still important, another big seller up here is energy drinks.  I had to give those up several years ago because of bad shakes.  Just like down south, there are young kids here who drink energy drinks.  The two local stores do not sell energy drinks to youth below the age of 16, but that doesn’t stop adults from buying them and then giving them to young kids.

Teachers were encouraged & given resources to teach their students the dangers of drinking pop, energy drinks, and other beverages loaded with sugar.  Informative posters were made and posted around school.  Teachers & students were also encouraged to lower their pop intake.

The school held a Drop The Pop Community Breakfast on February 2.  Staff came to school in the early morning to prepare the food in the Home Ec Room.  The menu consisted of various fruits, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and juice.  Staff also set up tables, chairs, and the portable sound system in the gym.  The food was brought to the gym and plates were prepared.  You don’t want to keep the audience waiting. 

Classes were called down to the gym and the assembly/breakfast began at 9am.  Parents, guardians, Elders, and community members were in attendance.  One class brought a large mural they made and taped it to the far wall of the gym.  The mural became the centrepiece.  The vice principal welcomed everyone to the assembly and gave a brief speech on the importance of eating healthy and not drinking a lot of pop.  A staff member translated the speech into Inuktitut.  An Elder blessed the food and staff began distributing the prepared plates & juice boxes to everyone in the gym.  We had prepared more than enough plates to feed everyone in the gym.

The breakfast lasted about 40 minutes.  Leftovers were given to parents & guardians.  High school & middle school students helped put away tables & chairs.  I tackled the portable sound system.  Everyone returned to their classes and the day continued.

Unfortunately, Groundhog Day isn’t celebrated up here, so sorry groundhog lovers, February 2 is just another day in Arctic Bay.

An Attendance Awards Assembly was held in the afternoon to publicly recognize students who achieved perfect attendance for the month of January.  The lucky students received a certificate and had their pictures taken with their teachers.  Once the all the certificates were handed out, the head of the local District Education Authority (DEA) held a draw for large bags of food.  The lucky recipients were all smiles when their ticket numbers were called.  The high cost of living & food insecurity are serious issues plaguing Nunavut communities so every little bit helps. 

Stage 1 Marksmanship (2024)

The cadets of 3045 Army Cadet Corps competed for five spots on this year’s marksmanship team on January 21.  I held a shooting competition to select the top five shooters & two alternates.  Participating cadets shot three competition target papers: two in the prone position and one standing.  Each paper contained 10 targets, worth 10 points each.  A perfect score was 300 points.

The competition began after lunch.  Cadets arrived to set up the gym for an afternoon of air rifle shooting.  Backboards, tables, chairs, mats, spotting scopes, pellets, air rifles, target papers, flags, and first aid kits were all brought out from storage and placed around the gym.  I gave a short briefing on how the competition was to proceed.  There would be two practice relays for cadets to zero in their rifles and practice shooting.  Cadets would then shoot their “real” target papers in any order they chose.

The cadets took advantage of the practice relays and shot many pellets.  Everyone took a short break thereafter. 

I asked for volunteers to shoot first and five cadets stepped forward.  Four cadets shot prone and one shot standing.  The prone shooting cadets shot their two competition target papers at the same time, so they were given 30 minutes.  The standing shooting cadet was only given 15 minutes because he was shooting one target paper.  There were strong feelings of focus, determination, and seriousness in the cadets.  At the end of the relay, the first five cadets retrieved their target papers and handed them to me.  I immediately placed them inside an envelope.  I had told everyone that I would mark all papers after the competition. 

The next group of volunteers stepped forward and the shooting process repeated.  It took around 2 & a half hours for all participating cadets to shoot their competition target papers.  They were relived when the shooting came to an end, but now had to wait for the final results.  I instructed the cadets to relax and help me clean up the gym.  It took about 20 minutes to put everything away, sweep the gym, and wash our hands.  The pellets are made of lead, so you don’t want that on your food.

I gave a short debriefing, thanking the cadets for participating and assuring them I would have the results ready by the next training night.  The cadets were dismissed for the remainder of the day.

True to my word, I did have the results in hand at the following training night.  I announced the five cadets who made this year’s marksmanship team and the two alternates who would act as backups.  The selected cadets felt excited for making the team.  They now had a month to prepare for Stage 2.  More on this next month.

 

HTO Community Feast

The local Hunters & Trappers Organization (HTO) organized a community feast on January 13 to welcome the new year.  I attended because I hadn’t been to a feast in a while, and I wanted a few pieces of country food to take home.

The entire community hall was booked for the event.  Large clear tarps were taped together and placed on the floor.  Many pieces of frozen country food were placed on the tarps.  In Nunavut, country food means Arctic animals and plants.  The country food on the menu was Arctic char, seal, narwhal, and caribou.  They were available frozen and cooked.  The frozen pieces lay on the tarps while the cooked pieces were in large grey pots on stage.  Also on stage were juice boxes and apples.  To right of the stage were a coffee & tea station, and a few tables offering cookies & Bannock.  A few tables with chairs were set up in front of the stage for Elders.

The feast began at 5:30pm with speeches from the HTO & mayor of Arctic Bay.  The food was blessed by an Elder and then permission was given for everyone to begin eating.  I stood back and watched everyone stand up and jump into the middle of the hall, armed with plastic bags, Ziploc bags, and flattened pieces of cardboard.  They quickly searched & picked the “best” pieces of country food in their eyes and put them in bags.  The people with cardboard immediately began eating their selections, the cardboard functioning as their plates.  Elders cut open a seal on a tarp and shared pieces.  Others lined up for the cooked food on stage.  Several HTO members were on stage for help & direction. 

When the crowd dispersed from the tarps, I stepped up, only looking for small pieces.  I took one piece of char & caribou and placed them in Ziploc bags.  I then got in line, made it onto the stage, grabbed a paper plate, and placed piece of cooked seal & caribou, and some vegetables on it.  I walked off the stage and went over to the Bannock table and took two pieces.  No cookies were left.  I returned to my seat at the back of the hall and ate my dinner.  It was delicious. 

There was very little food left on stage & on the tarps when I left.  That’s good to see because the cost of living is a lot higher than before, so any free food is welcome.  A lot of people went home with warm full stomachs.  Big thanks to HTO for putting on the feast! 

 

The New Year Is Here

I spent Christmas down south with family and friends.  I returned to Arctic Bay early because I didn’t want to miss the first day of school of 2024.  Air travel in Nunavut is difficult during the winter months because there’s always the possibility of things going wrong . . . and they do.  It’s mostly weather related but sometimes planes “go mechanical”.  I figured if such a problem were to occur, best to have an extra day to get back home instead of missing a school day.  Thankfully, nothing went wrong. 

My early return meant I would spend New Years in Arctic Bay, giving me the opportunity to document the celebrations like last year.

Following the same plan, I put on many layers of warm clothing, packed a camera & flashlight, and fired up my skidoo at 11pm.  I was dressed like I was going on an Arctic expedition because the temperature is cold at the end of December, and I would be sitting/standing at the top of a hill for an hour taking pictures and video.  I drove to the local Co-op store, and then continued up a hill behind it.  Several people were doing the same but driving ATVs.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough snow to go up the entire way, so I had to park my skidoo about halfway up like last year.  I hiked the rest of the way.  I didn’t use the flashlight because there was a full moon in the sky.  I reached the same spot I used before at about 5 minutes to midnight.

The clock struck midnight as I was still catching my breath from the hike.  Maybe I’m getting too old for hikes?  People started honking their car horns a few seconds after midnight.  And then the fireworks came.  There wasn’t a coordinated display.  People just started launching fireworks into the cold night sky wherever they could.  Some were even launched from the hill I was standing on and from another nearby hill.  I did my best to photograph the fireworks at the right time.  I think I got a few good shots.

People poured out of the community hall to watch fireworks and get ready for the vehicle parade.  Even though I was far away, I could still hear people talking loudly in the community hall parking lot.  Sound carries well in the cold.  Cars, skidoos, and ATVs started making their way to Uluksan Point at 12:15am.  They drove on the frozen ice in the bay.  The ice is thick enough to support a heavy plane.  I photographed the vehicles making their way to the point, turning around the corner, and then disappearing from view.  The drivers turned around and were organized into a parade line.

The long procession of vehicles began at 12:30am.  Judging from the sounds I heard, skidoos came first, then ATVs, followed by large 4-wheeled vehicles.  I couldn’t count how many vehicles were in the parade, so I’ll just say there were a lot.  There were even some vehicles that joined late.  The leader(s) led the convoy to the centre of the frozen bay and then drove in a winding S pattern.  This continued until they got closer to the shoreline.  I was only able to film a short clip of this because the cold was draining the battery. 

The skidoo drivers drove off the ice and continued through the town while the remaining vehicles parked in a long line in front of the community.  I did my very best to recreate my iconic photo from last year, but I was unsuccessful.  There’s always next year.  The 4-wheeled vehicles drove off the ice and continued through town, honking their horns, celebrating the arrival of the new year.  The skidoo drivers returned to the ice and parked in the same place the 4-wheeled vehicles did earlier.  The drivers revved their engines because skidoos don’t come with horns.  They drove off the ice after 10 minutes. 

I returned to my skidoo at 1am.  It was easier to hike down the hill, but I still had to watch out for large rocks.  I was glad the engine started because I didn’t want to walk home.  I drove down to the Co-op, got on the main road and followed it home.  Fireworks continued to be launched into the sky at random intervals.  I was happy to be back inside my warm place.  I believe the New Years celebrations continued for a few more hours.

Happy New Year everyone from Arctic Bay!