Counteroffensives, Cleaning, & A Bonfire

“All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The valiant soldiers of Ukraine’s Armed Forces perfectly demonstrated how the above statement still holds true in modern warfare by launching two simultaneous counteroffensives in the Kherson & Kharkiv regions against the occupying Russians.

The Kherson Counteroffensive began on August 29 and is still ongoing.  The end goals are to expel all Russian forces from the region and liberate the occupied city of Kherson.  Right now, it looks like this will be achieved and I hope this will be true.  The Kharkiv Counteroffensive started on September 6 and recently ended on October 2.  Ukrainian forces managed to liberate “over 500 settlements and 12,000 square kilometres” of land.  Deception played a key role in this stunning achievement.

In the weeks leading up to the counteroffensives, Ukraine publicly stated, on many occasions, that they would be launching a counteroffensive in the Kherson region.  Russian responded to these announcements by redeploying thousands of soldiers to that area.  Most of the troops came from the Kharkiv region.  Ukraine went ahead and began attacking on August 29, further keeping the Russians unaware that this was just a ploy. 

To be honest, I think everyone, including me, fell for this, because the Kherson region sits next to the island of Crimea.  Liberating Kherson will enable Ukraine to launch a future attack and sever the land bridge the Russians established between Crimea and the eastern occupied territories.  It only made sense for Ukraine to focus its efforts here.

Just a few days later, on September 6, the Ukrainian military launched its surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv and caught the occupying Russian forces completely off guard.  The element of surprise was so much that Russian soldiers fled in a mass panic, leaving behind much of their equipment and ammunition.  Some Russian units tried to establish defensive lines along natural barriers, but thankfully, these didn’t work.  Ukrainian soldiers were welcomed as liberators by civilians who described abhorrent conditions they endured under Russian occupation.  Torture chambers, execution sites, and mass graves have been discovered and are currently being investigated.  The counteroffensive concluded with the encirclement and liberation of Lyman. 

Ukraine’s government and military humourously thanked Russia for all the “donated ammunition and equipment” they left behind.  I’m sure it’ll all be put to good use in the fight for Ukraine’s freedom.  I also hope the success of this campaign will ensure NATO’s continued efforts in supplying Ukraine with all the resources it needs to liberate its lands from the Russian orcs.

Progress on the Kherson front is slower, but still in Ukraine’s favour.  The stunning success in Kharkiv must have left Russian forces demoralized.  They’re still fighting back, but in an organized withdrawal manner.  This is to prevent Ukraine from capturing more equipment, ammunition, and prisoners.  Even though Russia formally & illegally annexed the provinces of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk on October 2, it’s beginning to appear that Russian forces may fully withdraw from the western side of the Dnipro River and the city of Kherson.  I hope this happens.  It would be even better if Russia withdrew all its forces from Ukraine, including Crimea, and go back to recognizing the 1991 borders, but unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen anytime soon.

Keep fighting Ukraine.  Slava Ukraini!

Professional cleaners came to Inuujaq School on Saturday, October 1 to clean the air ducts.  I can’t remember the last time they were cleaned, so I assumed they were filled with dust.  My assumption was confirmed when I took a closer look at the air duct covers that were removed prior to the cleaning.  Expensive equipment laid all around the school and I saw three contract workers using them.  They managed to finish their work before Monday.  The air inside the school felt cleaner than before.

The cadets of 3045 Army Corps enjoyed an evening bonfire behind the airport on Saturday, October 9.  The corps has been holding bonfires at the woodpile behind the airport since 2013 when we began cleaning the shoreline.  The wood from the pile comes from discarded pieces that float from Arctic Bay to this shoreline during the brief summer months when the waterways are open.

I procured the assistance of the same RCMP officer who help me with the garbage cleanup in September.  We also acquired an ATV, trailer, and a red pickup truck.  Thanks, Frank!  A few cadets assisted me in buying the necessary food from the local Co-op.  Everything was ready to go when the day arrived.

Twelve cadets attended the event.  Attendance was taken and the bonfire supplies were loaded onto the trucks.  The cadets divided themselves between the red & RCMP trucks.  I drove the red truck.  The RCMP officer drove his truck and towed the trailer.  The ATV was attached to the trailer.  We arrived at the airport at 6:45pm.

The ATV was unloaded and the trailer was attached to the ATV.  The cadets transferred the supplies from the red truck over to the trailer.  There was still enough room for the cadets to pile into the trailer.  The senior cadet drove the ATV, trailer, and cadets down to the shoreline.  The RCMP officer & I walked.  The weather was relatively calm but cold.

The cadets built the bonfire while I organized the food on a circular table.  The table has been there for many years and will probably stay there for many, many more.  The food consisted of hot dogs, buns, marshmallows, granola bars, juice boxes, ketchup, and mustard.  Other supplies included flashlights, roasting sticks, paper towels, toilet paper, matches, Firestarter sticks, garbage bags, and two cots for seating.  The cadets got the fire started just after 7pm.

The fire slowly grew to an acceptable size.  The roasting sticks were handed out and everyone began roasting hot dogs & marshmallows over the open flames.  Tragically, some were lost in the fire, but this is to be expected.  I compensated by buying more than enough hot dogs & marshmallows for everyone.

Nighttime arrived and we were surrounded by darkness.  The cadets continued feeding the bonfire with pieces of wood.  The flames bathed us in light and kept us warm.  There was brief break in the clouds and we saw a full moon.      

The bonfire lasted until 8:30pm.  We smothered the fire with snow and loaded the remaining supplies onto the trailer.  The cadets were driven back to the trucks at the airport.  I was the last person to leave the bonfire site.  Leave no cadets behind.  The most senior cadet dropped off the ATV & trailer at an agreed spot while the RCMP officer & I drove the cadets home.  Everyone made it home safely by 9:15pm.  

Arctic Bay On A Sunday

Dead Dog Lake.

On Sunday, September 18, I decided to photograph Arctic Bay and the surrounding area.  It had been some time since I documented the community and the lands around it on camera.  I assumed not much had changed, but it’s always good to take updated photographs.  You never know if they’ll be added/used for official historical purposes.

I originally planned to walk along the Road to Victor Bay, and then hike up a nearby hill, but, as luck would have it, I got a ride.  I thanked the driver for the lift and saving me time.  Large grey clouds hovered above me, but there were large patches of open blue sky.

Backup Water Reservoir.

The first landmark I photographed was Dead Dog Lake.  It’s located next to the Road to Victor Bay and is called that because a dead dog was found floating in the water.  The water looks fresh on the surface but I wouldn’t drink it.  There were plans to use the lake as a backup freshwater supply but those plans were quickly abandoned when the dead dog was found.  Speaking of a backup water supply, I photographed the backup water reservoir further up the road when I was halfway up the hill.

Victor Bay

Iceberg.

I had a clear view of Victor Bay when I got to the top of the hill.  I could see many cabins along the shoreline, endless blue water, and an iceberg near Graveyard Point.  I made a mental note to visit the iceberg next spring if it was still there in the frozen ice.

Uptown Neighbourhood.

New playgrounds on the right.

I turned south and walked towards the edge of the hill to get a better view of Arctic Bay, specifically the Uptown neighbourhood.  This part of Arctic Bay gently slopes up from the shoreline and is designated for residential use.  That and Uptown sounds better than Uphill.  I’ve lived here since 2013.  The latest additions to the neighbourhood are two playgrounds near the far ring road.  One playground is big and the other is small.  The kids in the area now have two new places to play that are close to home.

Uptown Neighbourhood.

I continued my hike and walked over to the top of another hill that overlooked the centre of town.  The top of the hill is a plateau and I wanted to take closer look at a large lake in its centre.  There were noticeable ATV tracks on one side when I arrived.  This area is surprisingly quiet given its close proximity to the community.  There’s also enough dry land to accommodate large groups of people.  If there was a permanent road to this place, large public gatherings, such as, picnics and games could be held.  Maybe that will become a reality one day.

Rocks underwater at the lake on the plateau.

Satisfied with the pictures I took of the lake, I turned my camera towards Arctic Bay and photographed Downtown, East Side, Gas Station, Breakwater Pier, Inuujaq School, and the West Side.

Arctic Bay proper.

Gas Station

Downtown consists of the Northern Store, Co-op Store, Inuujaq School, Old Health Centre, Breakwater Pier, and houses.  The East Side is mostly houses but also includes the local radio station and Heritage Centre.  The Gas Station is on the Road to Nanisivik before the local landfill and King George V Mountain.  The West Side consists of houses, the community hall, and hockey rink.  This area used to be a landing strip for small aircraft.

Breakwater Pier (top).

Inuujaq School (centre).

East Side.

I did take a few short breaks in between photographs to enjoy the scenery.  Taking pictures is fun and all, but it’s always good to see something through your own eyes.  I didn’t encounter anyone or anything during my hike.  It was just me and the land.  I doubt a hungry polar bear would have devoted the necessary time and energy to run up a great distance to devour me.  There are plenty of fish and seals in the sea.

West Side / Coast (centre).

Satisfied that I had taken all the necessary photographs, I returned the way I came and hiked down to the Road to Victor Bay.  I then followed the road back to Arctic Bay.  There was some vehicle traffic on the road because people were travelling between the town and their cabins. 

I safely made it home and immediately began working on editing the pictures I took.  

Operation Hill Top 22

Three CIC officers from Winnipeg came to Arctic Bay to visit the army cadet corps, and speak to me & the cadets.  We weren’t in trouble.  This was their first time travelling to the community and they wanted to see what cadet life is like in the far North.  I had met and worked with the officers before in Winnipeg.  They also assisted me with the weekend field training exercise (FTX) in the middle of September.

This year’s FTX was held on September 17 at Inuujaq School.  The corps usually camps at the Second Bridge, but circumstances beyond our control made that impossible.  Better to have a Plan B activity of some kind rather than nothing.

The FTX began at 9:30am in the gym.  The officers introduced themselves to the cadets and explained why they were in Arctic Bay.  One officer played a few icebreaker games with the cadets.  While this was going on, the other two officers & I discussed my plans for the training year and what resources & supports I needed for success.

The next lesson was on knots and was held in my classroom.  This class was led by a different officer.  He mostly taught basic knots but added a few advanced ones.  Several cadets demonstrated their knot tying skills for me after the lesson.

Lunch consisted of delicious Canadian-made Individual Meal Packages (IMPs).  The IMPs were a few months old but still edible.  The senior cadets fired up the Coleman stoves and boiled water while the junior cadets set up tables and chairs in the gym.  The cadets & visiting officers selected their meals and labelled their main meal pouches with black Sharpie markers.  I picked the Beef Ravioli meal.  The meal packages were boiled for 10 – 15 minutes and then distributed.  Lunch hour lasted for, well, an hour.  The last 10 minutes were spent cleaning up.

The afternoon was all about marksmanship.  The cadets turned the gym into an air rifle range by setting up backboards, targets, flags, tables, mats, spotting scopes, and a few chairs.  The Daisy Air Rifles, lead pellets, and safety glasses were brought out and inspected.  The visiting officers & I took turns running relays.

The first few relays were for familiarization and practice.  The cadets mostly shot grouping targets, but a few senior cadets shot competition targets.  A fun shooting competition was held at the end.  The target was a picture of a narwhal.  On the back of the page was a set of numbers in random places.  The cadets were not told where the highest numbers were located.  They had to guess and then shoot.  This makes the competition not about precision and encourages the lower skilled shooters to participate.  The winner received a small prize from the visiting officers and bragging rights.  The last 15 minutes of the FTX were spent cleaning up the gym again.

The day FTX finished at 3pm.  The visiting officers thanked the cadets for participating and looked forward to seeing them down south for future cadet events.  The cadets & I thanked the officers for their visit and lessons.

I let the cadets play sports for 30 minutes and then sent them home for the remainder of the day.  The visiting officers returned to Winnipeg on Monday.

Beach Cleanup & Another Sealift

September 4 was the perfect day for community service.  Three cadets, an RCMP officer, and I spent a number of hours cleaning the shoreline behind the Arctic Bay Airport.  The army cadet corps has been keeping this area garbage free since 2013!

We drove out to the airport in two pickup trucks and an ATV pulling a trailer.  We left the trucks at the airport and loaded the supplies onto the trailer.  I let the senior cadet drive the ATV down to the shoreline.  The RCMP officer & I walked down to the shoreline.  I chose not to ride in the trailer with the other cadets because of the frequent bumps along the trail.  I’ve done it once in the past and that’s enough for me. 

Each person started with two pairs of rubber gloves and two large garbage bags.  The RCMP officer would drive the ATV like he did last year and fill the trailer with large objects and full garbage bags.  Speaking of large objects, I instructed the cadets to collect large objects into piles.  Discarded pieces of wood would – wow, twice – be added to the large wood pile.  Anything else would go to the dump.

We spread out and began removing items that did not belong on the ground.  Just like the previous years, it’s always amazing to see what we find.  Plastic bottles, toys, chips bags, aluminum cans, plastic bags, sports balls, tires, hula hoops, and much more.  This year the largest item we recovered was a blue boat!  It must have floated here from the community during the summer.  The shoreline looked a lot cleaner by the early afternoon.  The cadets and I posed for several photographs.

The ATV and trailer got stuck in some mud for a period time.  This happens every year, it’s (almost) expected and/or routine.  It’s one of the reasons why I strive to have two ATVs and a towing cable for this event.  Unfortunately, all we had this year was manpower and our wits.  Thankfully, after much pushing and shaking, the cadets & the RCMP officer freed the ATV and trailer. 

The senior cadet drove the ATV & trailer to the landfill.  I followed in Frank’s pickup truck.  The RCMP officer drove his truck behind me.  We dumped all the garbage at the landfill, including the blue boat.  We assumed if it belonged to someone in town, they would eventually come looking for it at the landfill.  I drove the cadets home.  I thanked them and the RCMP officer for doing their part in taking care of the land. 

September 8 was a busy day for Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS).  Their ship, the MV Sinaa, arrived to unload a year’s worth of supplies.  NEAS ships usually arrive before Desgagnes, but I guess this year was an exception.  My cadets & I visited the Sinaa in 2019.

Once again, the people of Arctic Bay were told to stay away from the area in front of the Northern Store.  NEAS crews spent all day bringing wooden crates and metal sea containers ashore and arranging them in piles.  Many sea containers belonged to the Northern Store and the business hired locals to assist in emptying the containers’ contents into their warehouse.  The empty containers were loaded onto barges and returned to the Sinaa. 

I took a few pictures of the entire operation.

The ship left the next day.      

A niksik found by a cadet on the shoreline behind the airport.
They took it home.
September 4, 2022.