The MWO Retires & Skidoo Day Trips

Sorry for the long silence.  There wasn’t much happening during the first half of April.  It’s been pretty much the same routines as vice principal & high school music teacher.  A lot of emails to respond, forms to fill & send out, helping staff, students, & parents, and teaching guitar.  The high school guitarists have improved since the course began in January.  They’ve been learning more chords & songs. 

Another senior cadet retired from 3045 Army Cadets, this time in early April.  They aged out as a Master Warrant Officer (MWO), the second highest rank in the Canadian Army Cadet Program.  At the end of the regular training night, the cadets honoured & thanked the MWO’s time & achievements by doing a March Past.  Another cadet MWO led the parade.  I gave the retiring MWO the opportunity to say a few words.  He dismissed the cadets for the final time.  I shook his hand and congratulated him for making it through the program.

The annual Nunavut Quest dog sledding race, unfortunately, did not stop in Arctic Bay this year.  The race began in Pond Inlet and will conclude in Igloolik.  The Start & Finish lines alternate between the three communities every year.  Arctic Bay being bypassed did not stop a lot of people from the community from participating in the annual race as competitors and support teams.  I still wish to follow, photograph, and document the race up close.  Hopefully, I’ll make that dream come true one day.

Staff & students at Inuujaq School were given six days off for Easter this year.  The break occurred in the middle of April.  I took my skidoo out on the land twice to enjoy the scenery and not stay couped inside.

Pattaataliarusiq.

The first day trip was on April 16.  I didn’t travel far.  I drove about 12 kilometres southeast to Pattaataliarusiq, a well-known camping site the school uses for Spring Camp.  The weeklong field trip is happening early next month, and I wanted to check out the location in advance.  I also wanted to see how far along the construction of the cabin was going.  The school had secured funding to build a wooden cabin that would act as the kitchen during Spring Camp.  Tents were used as kitchens in previous years.  A cabin will provide a functioning, safe, and secure location to store & prepare food.       

It was a sunny blue sky as I drove to Pattaataliarusiq.  I followed a skidoo trail and didn’t encounter any issues.  I drove off the ice and parked close to the cabin.  Dead silence enveloped me right after I turned off the engine.  The cabin sat on wooden stilts and was almost finished.  The main entrance was boarded up so I couldn’t go inside.  I took some photographs, sat at a picnic table, and some snacks.  I stayed for about 30 minutes and then drove home.

Victor Bay.

The second trip was on April 18.  I took advantage of another sunny day to travel to the Nanisivik Port Facility.  I’ve already been there with my Backcountry skidoo, but I wanted to get more experience driving it out on the land.  I also like driving in Strathcona Sound. 

Strathcona Sound looking towards Admiralty Inlet.

Strathcona Sound looking towards Nanisivik.

I drove north, following a skidoo trail diagonally across Victor Bay.  I reached Graveyard Point, turned right, and then stopped to survey Strathcona Sound.  The snow & ice appeared smooth, but experience taught me not to be deceived.  Driving east in Strathcona Sound for the first few kilometres was uneventful and surprisingly fast.  Things got bumpy when I was halfway to Nanisivik.  I navigated around snow drifts that felt like speed bumps and found a skidoo trail to follow.  I expected to see seals sunbathing on ice, but sadly, I didn’t see any. 

The Nanisivik Port Facility slowly came into view after about 30 minutes of driving.  Driving in the Arctic is like flying through space.  You’re covering distance but it looks like you haven’t moved at all.  I stopped near the docks and turned off the engine.  Dead silence replaced the monotonous drone of the engine.  I’m used to the deafening silence; it reminds me I’m in the Arctic.  I stretched my legs and then photographed the port.  There was no human activity.  I fired up my skidoo, drove off the ice, and parked it near the flagpole.

I walked around, noting the absence of the workers’ barracks and many vehicles.  The barracks where contractors lived during the port’s construction phase was torn down months ago and their vehicles, including an ambulance, must have been shipped out by a large sealift vessel.  The federal government is hoping to have the facility operational this summer, but many people are already doubting it.  It’s sad it’s taking so long for the facility to become operational.  It’s just a gas station for Canada’s newest Harry DeWolf class ships.  Plans for the facility were announced back in 2007.  It’s now 2025!  It shouldn’t be taking this long.

I followed the Road to Nanisivik back to Arctic Bay.  The road isn’t maintained during the winter months.  I had to drive carefully because were large patches of exposed rock.  I did my best to keep my skidoo on snow, preventing the skis & tracks from being damaged.  I quietly apologized to my skidoo when I had to drive across rocks.

Second Bridge.

I stopped & photographed the Second Bridge and then continued along the road.  When the road curved around a large hill to the right, I drove off the road, and followed a skidoo trail that took me past the water pumping station, airport, and onto Arctic Bay (the frozen bay, not the community).  I drove towards the community, off the ice near the community centre, and then straight to my residence.  I was glad to be home. 

 

S3M 2025 Part 2

Everyone woke up in the early morning to get ready for breakfast.  The temperature outside was noticeably cold as we walked to the nearby mess hall.  Cold weather is a given in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  It’s the Prairies; the land is very flat.  Breakfast was served at 6:30am.  The cadets & I didn’t have to pay because all meal expenses were covered.  Thank you!  We just had to tell the cashiers we were participating in the cadet marksmanship competition.  I normally don’t eat breakfast, but I decided to take advantage of the “free” military food.  We returned to barracks after finishing our meal to get ready for the day.

I was assigned a military van to ferry cadets between barracks & competition venue.  The venue was a large gym, the same one used in last year’s competition.  I possess a license to drive civilian vehicles owned by the military.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow me to drive tanks.  My cadets & I loaded the van with our air rifles & gear, and headed over to the gym. 

The gym had been turned into an air rifle range for the weekend.  There were 30 shooting lanes.  Each lane had a mat and a SIUS electronic target system.  The systems were connected via wires to a single computer on a table at the back of the gym.  The installed SIUS software tracks, maps, and calculates shooting scores in real time.  It’s an expensive setup.

The competition organizers held a short meeting with all the coaches.  We were given schedules, washrooms locations, reviewed range safety procedures, and selected judges.  We were dismissed to instruct our teams to get ready for rifle & equipment checks.  Air rifles, shooting jackets, and other equipment are inspected to look for defects and/or unauthorized modifications.  No cheating is allowed.  My cadets passed their checks.  (So did the other cadets). 

The first day of the competition focused on shooting prone.  Teams were given time to practice shooting and zero in their rifles.  This was spread across two relays.  Teams were organized into two groups because the gym can only accommodate 30 shooting lanes.  You’re on break & waiting when you’re not shooting.  The real competition began after the practice relays.

Teams shot three 30-minute prone relays.  Cadets are allowed to shoot practice shots but are encouraged not to spend too much time on this because they don’t count.  I stood & observed my cadets while they competed.  I also took photos. 

Lunch was catered by Subway.  Boxes of premade Subway sandwich meals were delivered after 11am.  There were several options to choose.  Each box came with two six-inch sandwiches, bottled water, and cookies.  I selected the cold cuts meal.

Shooting continued in the afternoon and concluded around 4pm.  The cadets assisted the officers in setting up the range for standing shooting the following day.  We returned to barracks and enjoyed dinner at the mess hall.  I drove my cadets to a nearby mall for evening shopping.  We stayed there for an hour and then returned to base.

The second day of the competition began the same way as the first.  Early wake up and early breakfast at the mess hall.  I was put to work ferrying a few cadet teams between the barracks & gym.  It’s expected when you have a military driver’s licence. 

The second day was all about standing shooting.  This is more challenging because you don’t have the floor to rest your arms.  You need to rely on your entire body to aim straight and hit the target with each shot.  Teams were once again given time to practice & zero in their rifles.  Then the real shooting began.

Teams shot three standing relays.  I stood behind my cadets and gave them advice when needed, just like the previous day.  Lunch was catered by Pita Pit.  The competition organizers ordered boxes of pitas in several flavours as well as cookies & bottled water.  All shooting relays were completed by 12:30pm.

Cadets & officers spent the next hour tearing down the air rifle range & cleaning the gym.  The SIUS target systems were taken apart and placed in large metal boxes on wheels.  The gym floor was swept, and the cadets did a garbage sweep to make sure nothing was left behind.  The cadets were formed up on mass, congratulated for competing at Stage 3, and told the final results would be published next month. 

Several teams were dismissed early because they had flights to catch.  My cadets & I weren’t one of them.  An officer took a photo of us before we returned to barracks for the remainder of the day.

We didn’t get much sleep because we had to be at the Winnipeg Airport in the (very) early morning.  I’m not a fan of red eye flights but sometimes you have no choice.  An officer dropped us off and wished us the best.  We checked in our luggage and got through security.  Getting through security was quick because my military ID got us into the priority line.  The flight to Ottawa was uneventful.

We had to wait at the Ottawa Airport for four hours before boarding the Canadian North plane to Iqaluit.  Like the old Tom Petty song goes, “the waiting is the hardest part”.  We enjoyed a dinner meal on the plane.  We landed in Iqaluit in the early evening.  We collected our air rifles & luggage, and took taxis to our hotel.  The military staff who arranged our travel called ahead and ordered dinner meals from Yummy Shawarma.  They were delivered to our hotel.  The cadets & I went to bed with full stomachs.

We returned to the Iqaluit Airport the next morning and boarded a Canadian North turboprop plane.  The plane took off and flew northwest to the top of Baffin Island.  The plane landed in Arctic Bay at 11am.  Parents were waiting inside the terminal to greet their kids and give them rides into town.  My ride into town was Frank.  He helped me move the air rifles back to the locked storage room in the school.  I was then driven home.

Overall, the trip went well, and the marksmanship team had fun.  Now we have to play the waiting game until the final results are announced.    

End of Stage 3 Marksmanship 2025 mini-series.

 

CWO Retires & S3M 2025 Part 1

The day had finally arrived for the cadet Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) of 3045 Army Cadets.  Their last day to be exact.  As I mentioned before, the Canadian Cadet Program is for youth aged 12 – 18.  You retire - “age out” - on your 19^th birthday.  It was time for the CWO to hang up his uniform for the last time.

At the end of the regular training night, the cadets honoured & thanked the CWO’s time & achievements by doing a March Past.  He stood tall & proud as the cadets marched passed him.  The cadet Master Warrant Officer (MWO) led the parade.  I stood on the sidelines taking photographs.  The MWO gave the CWO the opportunity to say a few words to the cadets.  The CWO thanked the cadets for supporting him and encouraged them to keep going in the program.  He dismissed the cadets for the last time.  I shook his hand & congratulated him for making it to the end.        

I received a March Past when I aged out as an MWO many, many years ago.  To be honest, I didn’t expect it, but I was honoured.        

The following day, 3045’s Marksmanship Team departed for Winnipeg to compete in the Stage 3 Regional Marksmanship Competition.  I was granted leave from my civilian job to attend as their escort officer & coach.  We spent the previous weekend packing air rifles, shooting jackets, safety glasses, tools, and our personal kit.  We were excited.

The plane took off from Arctic Bay in the afternoon, and we successfully landed in Iqaluit.  We proceeded through security, waited a few hours, and then boarded the Canadian North plane bound for Ottawa.  I enjoyed the chicken Tuscan dinner meal.  We landed in Ottawa just after midnight, picked up our luggage, and took the free shuttle to the hotel.  We slept well in our hotel rooms.

The cadets enjoyed breakfast on the ground floor of the hotel.  Our flight to Winnipeg wasn’t until the early evening so we had time to spare in Canada’s capital.  I suggested we take the newly built light-rail trainline to a nearby Wal-Mart to shop.  The cadets happily agreed.  The cadets & I spent an hour at Wal-Mart.  We then enjoyed lunch at Montana’s.  I ordered steak.  We then returned to the hotel.

We boarded an Air Canada jet in the late afternoon and flew to Winnipeg.  The flight was uneventful.  We picked up our luggage in the Arrivals Area and were greeted by a former 3045 army cadet who happened to be in Winnipeg on personal business.  He took a group photo of us sitting in front of the large YWG sign.  (YWG is the code for the Winnipeg Airport).  We were picked up by an officer who drove us to CFB Winnipeg.  He dropped us off at a barracks building where all the other out-of-town cadet teams would be staying.  My cadets & I were assigned rooms.  I had a room to myself.  The benefits of being a CIC military officer.

Lights out was at 11:00pm.  Everyone was told to get a good night’s rest because the weekend was going to be busy & competitive.

To Be Continued . . .

Pink Shirt Day 2025 & Parents Night Parade

“Pink Shirt Day [PSD] is an annual event against bullying held in Canada [&] New Zealand.  Participants wear pink shirts […] and raise awareness about bullying, particularly in schools.”  PSD began in 2007 in Canada and is held on the last Wednesday of February.  Bullying is a worldwide problem and not unique to Nunavut.  It would be nice if bullying never existed, but life isn’t fair.  Thankfully, efforts are being made to eliminate it.  It’s alright to have disagreements but resorting to bullying / harassment is taking matters way too far.

PSD fell on February 26 this year.  Ant-bullying activities were held in classes for the day, and everyone was encouraged to wear pink.  The only pink item I own is a tie.  Maybe I should invest in a pink shirt next year?  The day culminated in an afternoon school photo in the gym.  All staff & students assembled in the gym wearing pink clothing.  I recruited a parent to take several photos with my camera.  Unfortunately, I can’t post the best photo here because I don’t have written permission from everyone.  Sorry.  A high school student pointed out that I was wearing the same getup as last year.  I guess I really do need to get more pink clothing for next year.

3045 Army Cadets held a Parents Night Parade on the evening of February 26.  The cadets and I arrived at the school gym an hour early to set everything up.  Doors opened at 6:15pm and the parade began at 6:30pm.  The reviewing officer was the Executive Director of Qikiqtani School Operations (QSO).  QSO is one of three Nunavut school boards, and the Executive Director (ED) is the boss.  He’s higher than the superintendents.  He was visiting Inuujaq School for a week and I managed to convince him to volunteer his time to participate.

I marched into the gym with the ED.  He inspected the cadets on parade after the General Salute & playing of O Canada.  I read his introduction to the audience during the inspection.  The cadets then did a March Past.  The cadet parade commander invited the ED to say a few words and assist in handing out awards.  He thanked the corps for inviting him to the parade and for putting on a good show.  He also thanked the parents & guardians in the audience for supporting their children and the corps.

Marksmanship Team.

The first badge awarded was the Level 4 Marksmanship badge, the highest level in the cadet program.  One junior cadet received the badge.  I then called up the marksmanship team to make an important announcement.  The results of the Stage 2 competition in January had recently been posted and 3045 came in first place in the Arctic Zone!  The team will be advancing to the Stage 3 Regional competition in late March (more on this in future posts).  The audience applauded the achievement and announcement.         

The cadet chief warrant officer (CWO) was called to the front to be publicly recognized for their recent participation in the inaugural Avannaa Arctic Games in Ilulisaat, Greenland.  Around 70 athletes from Greenland, Nunavut, Alaska, and Nunavik, “competed in more than a dozen events between February 8 & 13.”  Nunavut won 26 medals.  The CWO received a military themed t-shirt.

The Canadian Cadet Program is for youth, aged 12 – 18.  You age out or “retire” on your 19^th birthday.  Two of my senior cadets were nearing retirement so I called them to the front to congratulate them for going through the entire program and for all they achievements.  I also gifted them two framed photographs of them as cadets.  They would age out before the Annual Ceremonial Review Parade in May.

The last part of the awards section was promotions.  Three cadets were promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal, and one cadet was promoted to the senior rank of Master Warrant Officer.

The finished the parade by doing an Advance In Review Order and General Salute.  God Save The King was played.  I escorted the ED out of the gym.  The parade came to an end.

The cadets & I had a group photo taken.  The cadets were then dismissed to the reception table.  Reception lasted 30 minutes.  The cadets & I spent about 20 minutes cleaning up & putting everything away.  I held a quick debriefing with the cadets after cleanup to go over upcoming activities on the weekend.  The cadets were then dismissed for the night.