Biathlon Workshop

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that biathlon is heavily promoted in the Canadian Cadet Program.  The sport combines skiing with marksmanship, demanding strength and accuracy from participants.  I’m more familiar and experienced in marksmanship than cross country skiing.  I was an alpine skier growing up.  I tried cross country skiing maybe once or twice and all I remember is trying to stop myself from falling asleep.  I have attended cadet biathlon competitions in the past and observed what goes on, but that’s not enough to consider myself qualified.  Ski maintenance and waxing are the main areas I & the cadets struggle, but thankfully, an opportunity came up to correct that.

I communicated with biathlon & ski instructors based in Iqaluit before the end of 2023, asking them about coming up to Arctic Bay in the new year to hold a workshop for the cadets.  The focus would be maintenance, waxing, exercises, and skiing techniques.  Yes, you can download documents & watch YouTube videos on the internet, but they won’t surpass having actual instructors teaching on location & in person.  The people I spoke two agreed to send two instructors in late February.  The former commanding officer of 3045 was able to secure funding from the Arctic Bay Hamlet Office to pay for airfare, accommodations, and salary.  Thank you!

The workshop was scheduled for February 24 & 25.  The instructors arrived on the 23^rd and I drove them to their accommodations.  This was their first time in the community, and they were excited to meet & teach the cadets.  The cadets were also excited for the workshop.

The workshop began in the early morning of Saturday, February 24.  We would be busy all day, but with breaks & lunch included.  I brought the instructors & their equipment to the school gym by truck.  We setup a few tables, chairs, and brought out the equipment we would need for the day.  When the cadets arrived, I instructed them to bring out all the skis, poles, and boots, and place them in neat piles in the gym.  The instructors assisted with the organizing.

The first lesson was ski waxing.  The cadets & I watched intently as one of the instructors went over the basics of preparing and waxing cross country skis.  I won’t bore you with the exact instructions; you can find those online.  I’ll just give you a summary of what I observed and photographed.

The lead instructor started by melting a little bit of Polystick onto a ski explained how it’s used to repair deep scratches and other damages to ski bases.  Polysticks are also known as polyethylene sticks.  He then demonstrated and explained how to properly scrape skis with a scraper.  The cadets were then shown the many different types of wax that are available.  Ski wax comes in a variety of colours, and each kind is designed for a specific temperature.  The colours we had were yellow, pink, and green.  The corps tends to use green wax more often because it’s made for very low temperatures.  Pink wax is for temperatures between 20° and 0°C, and green wax is for temperatures between -12°C and -30°C.  (Temperatures in Arctic Bay regularly drop lower than that during the winter months).

The lead instructor began the waxing demonstration by evenly melting pink wax over the ski using an iron.  Once there was enough wax on the ski, he used the iron to spread it across the bottom side.  He then used a plastic scraper & brush to remove excess wax.  He said the point is to make the bottom part of the ski as smooth as possible.  He repeated the entire process using green wax on the same ski.  He said it’s okay to put pink wax on first followed by green, similar to putting two coats of polish on shoes.

The cadets spent the remainder of the morning practicing waxing their skis under the watchful eyes of the instructors.  The more they practiced, the more confident they got.  The senior cadets boiled water in a large pot using a Coleman stove, about 30 minutes before noon.

Everyone took an hour break for lunch.  The cadets set up a row of tables & chairs in the middle of the gym.  American made Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) were distributed to everyone and the main meals took about 15 – 20 minutes to cook.

The cadets & two instructors spent most of the afternoon outside on the ice in the frozen bay practicing various skiing exercises & drills.  I tagged along to take pictures.  The weather was cold but manageable and the sky was mostly clear.  The Arctic sun shined brightly as the cadets skied back & forth between two predetermined points.  Some cadets fell, but they got back up and kept practicing.  The exercises & drills were done first without ski poles so the cadets could work on strengthening their balance and leg muscles.  The poles were then included to provide additional “push power”.

Everyone returned to the gym to watch a few instructional videos about several skiing techniques.  The final activity for the day was taking a group photo of the cadets with the two instructors.

The workshop continued in the afternoon of February 25.  The instructors took the cadets outside again to review the skiing drills & exercises they practiced the day before.  The weather was bright and sunny.  A short but fun relay race was held to finish off the lesson.  Everyone returned to the gym for a much-needed hot chocolate break.

We spent around 30 minutes putting everything away.  The cadets formed up for a final debriefing.  I thanked the cadets for attending the biathlon workshop and instructed them to remember what they learned.  The corps collectively thanked the two Iqaluit instructors for coming to the community to do the workshop.  The instructors thanked us for hosting them and encouraged us to continue practicing and maintain our equipment.  They also gave me printed and electronic resources to use for the corps biathlon program.  The cadets were dismissed for the remainder of the day.

The instructors returned to Iqaluit the following day.  Thank you once again for coming to Arctic Bay and thank you to the Hamlet Office for providing the necessary funding.

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.