Wearing of the "WHITE!"

A Happy St. Patty's Day from the great white north!

It's been a snowy day here in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. No...let me rephrase and tell it honestly.  The past 48 hours and continuing into the night, we have had a blizzard. Snow is something, but couple that with howling 87 km/hr winds gusting well over 100...and continuing the entire two days AND NIGHTS... now that's a blizzard.

The wind has been blowing from the same direction (from the west--the direction of the airport) the entire time. During the daylight hours yesterday the sun was actually poking through and added some extra depth of visibility but that faded fast. According to Environment Canada we ended at times with two tenths of a kilometer of visibility...most of the time the weather has stated zero visibility.

Environment Canada latest weather monday a.m...and the winds INCREASED!

I have been counting visibility by the number of hydro poles I can see from the bay window. During the storm the best visibility has been four poles, the worst...less that one. The difference from this blizzard and my record winning one from January 2008 is that I can seeout a bay window, have a street to watch, and we have had power the entire time. So, we also have heat and water, although a trickle, continues. Internet has been quite good considering the stress everyone in town must be putting on the resources here.

With digital enhancement our road drift being cleared yesterday

Satellite TV has been intermittent at the times of the heaviest snowfall, as is normal with satellites. The sunspots, this time, are not to blame. The difference, here, is that I have nothing pre-recorded to view when its not working. Thankfully, those times have been few and far between.

With my viewing limited somewhat, I have developed an appreciation of the efforts of the Canadian border security people and their counterparts in Australia.  If you have ever watched the program, people are trying all kinds of ways, to bring illicit and illegal weapons and goods into our country. Then there are those, who can only be classified as "you can't cure stupid". 

An Irish Lunch....Chips, Dip and Guinness

But it's St. Patrick's Day. The weather at home may be greening...but that's only a wish for the future here. Spring may be only days on the calendar but it might as well be a Irish pipe dream away. To celebrate the day of the green, I brought up four cans of Guinness. The final one to be devoured with my supper.As I said on Facebook earlier, three are now a memory and last is but, a dream.

This is a dry town. There has been some movement on having beer and wine available in the grocery stores and that may happen soon. At the moment those commodities and hard liquor must be ordered from the capital across the Bay. I have no idea of the process nor the price, but rest assured it will arrive by plane...and the prices will also reflect that.

The road gets scraped on Sunday

The storm continues. So, for the second day in a row, we have been weathered at home. The storm continues with 70 plus km/hr winds and, although visibility is now two poles, darkness will soon arrive. Yesterday, we had the road crews through to handle the drifts that are throughout the hamlet. In this part of the country they know how to handle snow.

 On Sunday, after the freezing rain, a grader came along and scrapped off the ice coating. Actually, what he did was just scrap down to a new layer of snow, which was much less slippery. The application of gravel is much more common, but used sparingly as it tends to blow on the polished streets. Salt is not applied. Gravel is found locally and does not have to be imported.

As the weather continues, it's time for the Guiness and my Irish stew, but the platter looks more like spaghetti and meatballs. Here in the north you accept substitutions, without question.
In Rankin Inlet, we are celebrating spring this friday, but only on the calendar. Currently, we are experiencing winter at its highest level.

The warmest of mitts

In february, Wiarton Willie had predicted six more weeks of winter...but that ended yesterday! The blizzard weather continues with strength and veracity. The people here would love to have some warmer weather arrive soon. You could see that Sunday morning when the temperatures rose to a high of -2C. The Inuit people have a certain way of dealing with the weather. They tolerate and adapt, but at this point the general feeling, in this town, would be that Wiarton Willie would make a fine pair of mitts.

Basket Cases

North West Company's 'The  Northern' grocery, hardware, clothing & Tim's

Life in the north...it goes without saying that, due to transportation and handling, food prices here are

significantly more expensive, than what we are used to at home. I've held back a bit with this tale since it's common to most and I wanted to be able to view it from more of a local perspective.

Before the blizzard hit on sunday night, I decided it would be prudent to make sure I had sufficient supplies for a few extra days..just in case. So late sunday, once the locals had sufficient time to stock their larders, I decided it was time to see what was left. The shelves were becoming bare, not completely but much more than the normal restocking required after a busy weekend.

The Tim's kiosk At the Northern during a slow time...Open since June 2013

There was lots of the staples like milk, eggs, butter, and margarine...but bread was starting to get sparse. Snacks had been cleared...there was lots of meat but vegetables were starting to thin as well. There were a few families just picking last minute things like myself, and the Tim's kiosk in the Northern was empty...save for one table of teens. Spring break for the locals schools was last week so they probably were plotting what they would do on their extended march break if the blizzard did indeed arrive.

Before we get to the prices, an observation of the family ahead of me in line. Cases of pop are expensive. He had two on the bottom shelf of the basket and a number of pre-made sandwiches and lunch treats, apples and snacks for the kids lunches. One full shopping cart....the basket fully loaded...and my mouth dropped as the cash register totalled $499.67. He calmly reached for his debit and loaded the kids, the boxes of groceries into the huge white pickup and drove away.

So lets talk prices. Bread is around $3.45 for a loaf of wonder bread which I bought at 50% reduction since they had lots one day and were probably expecting another shipment...haven't seen that since. The 12 grain loaves, I usually buy, go for $4.19 and they were on sale one week at 30 cents off. Becel Margarine 454 gm $6.35...a dozen large eggs were reasonable at $2.49....a half gallon of Orange juice was $7.95....a gallon of 2% milk was $7.59...while the International Delight Irish Cream coffee creamer was $5.29 for 473 ml.

Condiments are another thing. A 475 ml jar of Miracle Whip was $6.59....French's mustard 225 ml was $3.19 while Bick's relish was $5.49 for 375 ml. Soft drinks are expensive due to weight...I'm paying $2.39 a can for 7-Up....you'd think I was eating at a sports venue.

Brace yourself for the meat department. ..500 grams of no name Bacon is $4.39...A package of Schneiders Red Hots were $7.29....two small boneless pork loin chops were $5.17...and a pound of lean ground beef was $9.50. Chicken, well the chickens here are very small. Pre-cooked meats are available friday and saturday in the heated display, just before the checkouts, but they were $14.99 for a whole chicken. I bought 5 chicken drums, very nicely prepped, for $6.24.

For my lunch, I've been buying apples...the Gala apples are $4.30 a kilo so I'm in for $2.55 for three. The other produce was a small cooking oinion at 1.79 /kg, and mine was a steal at 22 cents. One of the staff told me a story about they had paid $7 for this wonderful looking tomato...put it in their knapsack for the journey home..about three blocks. When putting it into the fridge, she noticed a small blemish on its side. The next day the tomato had completely rotted from the quick freeze on the way home..She now takes a taxi home when she buys produce.

Fresh good looking vegetables are hard to come by. Last week at the flea market the Arctic Buying company had brought in assorted bags of produce from Winnipeg and were selling two reusable grocery bags, like those big green ones at Sobey's, the price was $45 for two and they were flying off the table. They contained celery, asparagus, lettuce, carrots, blueberries, and a myriad of other greens that I couldn't visualize easily.

Of course, the Sushi table there, was also very active.

So, you can see how the price of groceries can add up quite quickly here...add a couple of teenagers, and before you know it, you could be spending $500 very easily. There is a promotion here in Rankin Inlet, since March is Nutrition Month. Banners in the Grocery Store and the Health Centre encourage healthy diets...a mixture of 'store-bought” and 'Country' foods.

The term 'country' food pertains to wild game, fish or beast, taken from the land. They hunt and fish but use what they catch. Their food bank program here involves a freezer bank program, where successful hunters and fishers donate to the freezers so that elders and those without, may not suffer the agony of starvation in this climate. That is a part of the history here, that is still fresh in the minds of the elders, but can't possibly be understood by their grandchildren, and great grandchildren when access to food is so easy. Currently, in Rankin Inlet, food is readily available, just be prepared for the sticker shock.

Half Kilo of lean ground beef, Wonder white bread on sale and Knorr Onion soup 4 pack totalled $17.20

The Beacon Beckons

Over on the hill, as you drive up and just before you get to the gas filling station here in Rankin

The Light Atop the Hill

Inlet sits the remnants of a time when Rankin Inlet was founded. The actual town was based upon the opening of the Rankin Nickel Mine in the mid fifties.  

For the first time in canadian history, native northerners were employed and they came in droves from all across the north. From the various hamlets, trying to improve their lot with a steady paycheck, they arrived and stayed in the various matchbox houses erected to house the miners. 

In the early days of the village, the area where they stayed was named 'eskimo town'. Of course, 'white town' was just the other side of the area. Many things have really changed since those days. The mine closed after only a few short years of production due to increased costs. The price of nickel and copper had fallen making it non-competitive to mine, especially in these harsh conditions.

Abandoned Mining Equipment

The 1,000 foot shaft, all tunnels and below surface accesses were flooded and apparently have since frozen, reducing surface collapse potential. During mining the processed ore was taken away by ship in the warmer months. The mine head was just north of Johnstone Cove and I have already shown some of the equipment that stills remains today.

The roughly 500 miners were left not only unemployed but in an area that was not home and with no hope of re-employment. It was a dark time in the history of this hamlet. Starvation, lack of housing, and unemployment reigned. Many different programs were attempted and one has made it to this day.

There were miners who seemed to possess certain abilities. A fledgling arts program was encouraged. Carvings in stone, caribou antler and walrus tusk began and flourish to this day.
The stone carvings here are quite different from those you will find in 'Baffin'. Drawings are again different here as the Inuks that settled here came from various backgrounds. We'll talk about the actual art in another segment.

Facing the Bay

Their subjects are things the artist knows. The land, their prey, their history and their people can be found, if you look close enough. Some were hunters and nomads and commonly referred to as 'land' people. Their food sources were primarily the caribou, muskox, wolf, and fox. Others from the two other predominate areas were 'coastal' dwellers. They, in turn, naturally hunted whales, seals, walrus and fish.

Early white explorers to the area, as well as the whalers that followed, often referred to the natives as raw meat eaters and it was true. This region is well above the tree line...what would you use to cook with if you had no wood? The answer in summer would be the lichens and moss, when the 'land' is void of snow and ice. The only alternative would be whale oil.

Today Rankin Inlet is a thriving town with closest new mine reaching full production in the next year. The 25 mile road travels across country and even that had a long negotiation in order to be built. The town has grown to about 3500 residents. 

The stories of the mine and the early days of the town are difficult to confirm. The research about the light on the hill has many rumours. One that I heard related to providing a beacon for airplanes landing on a flat section north of town. I dismissed this a it didn't seem possible in the area suggested, but I may be wong.

Snow-Filled Lamp and Gearbox

The story I'm going with pertains to its construction. I'm going to call it a lighthouse, even though it sits lonely on a concrete pillar. It's high on a hill so it could be seen for miles around on a clear day. It has a mechanism at its base that looks like a gear works which makes me lean towards a rotating light much like I can see at night from the airport.

Since shipping was important to the mine, I'm of the opinion, that the light was used for navigating into the docks. I was told that it still functioned to the early 70's, but that is not confirmed either since GPS was not available until much later and compasses here have a big deviation this close to the 'true' north pole.

Light Sitting High Left--Overlooking the Retooled Processing Plant

I went to the gas station the other day with someone who had been coming north for about ten years. He had seen the light but had never considered its history. Today, it hardly draws attention to itself, but years ago everyone was watching the beacon on the hill.

Coffee Treats for All

The tradition of a break during the workday has been raised a bar or two at 62 degrees north of the

March Birthdays celebrated with Cheesecake surprizes and homeade bread

 equator. While employed by the Government of Nunavut, the health centre workers enjoy a cameraderie that is seen in few other places. Being a small town, everyone knows everyone and their business to a large degree, but there is a big family atmosphere here.

I mentioned earlier how on the first or second friday of the month we celebrate staff birthdays for the month. For the month of March Colleen, our 'cook', surprised us with a wonderful cheesecake desserts. These small, melt in your mouth surprizes, are right up my alley as I've always had a sweet tooth. The only problem with a three o'clock official unveiling is that many times I don't make it there in time.

The chocolate dreams of February celebrations

Of course, the reason isn't tardiness by choice, but tardiness by patient. They always seem to arrive about 1445 on a Friday and by the time you complete the exam, finish the cleanup and grab your mug, the goodies have been revealed and many are history.

I remember arriving over four weeks ago, just in time for the 'celebration' in February. A little after three, the two trays of chocholate muffins, with drop dead sour cream icing (decorated in two colours), were already reduced to one. Before much longer, they had evaporated.

Hot off the grill.....The Cardiac Montiors were standing by...but not required.

The friday treats have continued and, yes, the latest was no disappointment. Fresh, still warm from the baking process, homemade doughnuts. Soft, moist with a dripping glaze that looked like it should be too sweet...but it wasn't. Just the right blend. This week, I wasn't late....but there were others that beat me. Success was achieved and as I licked my fingers and tasted the gooey presentation, I thought about how fortunate we were.

It had warmed up to -28C outside. There was cloud cover...not so much sunshine, but here on a friday afternoon we were enjoying each others company with jabs and stories. Everyone had plans...looking forward to:

a) the Bingo on Friday and Saturday

b) the 12 team hockey tournament that had started wednesday night

c) the flea market Saturday at one

d) sleeping in

Of course, the other big event on payday fridays, drawn at 4 p.m.....the 50/50 draw. Here's how this works...tickets are $2 or 3 for $5. Half the money pays for our coffees and this week the winner walked off with well over $120. Not a bad way to start your weekend. After two draws I have yet to win...but I'm still in the hunt for the next one.

So far, my descriptions of these breaks, is pretty mundane and quite usual for many. Some mornings,

MUKTUK frozen delight

you can see staff arrive in the morning with a Tim's in their hand but that's much the same throughout most of Canada. However, what I am about to describe you will only see here.

This past week, when I arrived to our staff lounge, an event occurred that was quite unique from my perspective. Many of the support staff were already present. On the table were several pieces of cardboard box, ripped to various sizes. There were several larger sharp knives, the kind you see of the workbench of a butcher...hard handles, heavy blades.

Why have a timbit when you can have MUKTUK?

On one of the cardboard, someone had shared their prize 'frozen' delaacy. There sitting quietly was a large white slab about three inches thick and roughly the size of 10x12 xray film. The inuits that were gathered were eager to explain and proceed. I had come for coffee. Instead, I was offered Muktuk. The knives were quickly engaged and the frozen mass became the focus. With determination it wasn't long until some was carved with precision into small 'bite size' pieces. I politely replied that it was a bit early for me...and tried repeatedly to repeat Muktuk with the correct inuktitut inflection.

A sharp knife is a start

For the next few minutes, we were privileged to find about more inuit traditions and part of the 'country' food chain. You see, the white mass, as it was being devoured, was beluga whale. Raw foods and meats are not unique to the Inuit, but as a nomadic people their traditions are oft misunderstood. There are no trees here. In fact,there are no trees for several hundreds of miles. So you couldn't just find some wood and start a fire if you wanted to out on 'the land'.

In the summer months, there are mosses and lichens that can burn and boil water. Many months though, the tundra is ice and snow covered, only the caribou and muskox dig through to find these morsels. So the raw foods are still savoured, and enjoyed by many. There was a gleam in the eyes of a couple of the older staff as they wielded their respective knife to achieve success. Obviously enjoying the tasty treat.

The week had started and coffee breaks would never be quite the same for me...Here I was in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut...only 70 kilometers from the actual Whale Cove hamlet, having MUKTUK as an option. I thought back for a moment, to my home in Niagara Falls...to the belugas at Whale Cove in Marineland. Food chain versus attraction...I had come a long way in four weeks.

Whale Cove at Marineland never looked like this!!

Friday the 13th …PARTE DEUX

It’s already the second Friday the thirteenth of 2015…another

The Sun is getting stronger, the days longer, and the roads are showing centre bare...for now!

happens later in the fall. This is my second Friday the thirteenth while here in Rankin Inlet. Hard to believe, it’s also pay day…and the direct deposit actually went in this time…the beauty of online banking inquiries.

There are two big things happening locally…namely Bingo

and Hockey. First, its pay day so all government workers and many others get paid. The local charities are on board and radio bingo “is on the air”…top prize $20,000 on friday...my mother-in-law is happy when she wins $20.00 at her residence in Welland. Now Saturday’s top prize is $18,500. Now those are the top prizes….the other bingo games pay out handsomely as well. Also quick picks when you buy your cards for $30 EACH.

A raven sits atop one of the 'old' poles

Newer infrastructure is visible but hidden

This afternoon, my Colleague Marie, informed me that a group of snow mobilers had just arrived in town to get their bingo cards…from Chesterfield Inlet...a trip in -38 degree weather of over 100 miles one way. Now while they are here they probably will also cheer at the other big event in town. There is another hockey tournament this weekend. Rankin Inlet has five men’s teams of the total 15 registrants. Arviat and Iqualuit are not coming due to financial or other reasons apparently.

So it’s probably a good day to clear up questions and answers that have arisen and give some updates as to other events, here, in the north. For the past 48 hours, the work of Jason and Guy has remained successful as we had water in our apartment building for the past 44 hours already! Thank you both. Camping at -40 degree temps has some benefits but that list does not use a lot of ink!

I haven’t been on call for the past two weeks, so that’s been quite a treat as well. Marie has taken the call during that time, but that will all change Monday at 8 a.m. as she smiles and hands me our new G3 Samsung cell. I’ll be on for the next two weeks thereafter.

The full moon is waning and today was to set around 9:30 a.m. but it hid behind some morning clouds after a cloud streak sunrise over at the other end of town. The plan is to try and see some northern lights after the moon goes dark in the next ten days. The sun itself is much stronger as everyone in Niagara keeps reminding me…thanks.

The weather here has been quite decent for the past two weeks. The roads have become almost centre bare and some pavement is actually showing now. There are multiple rocks showing through on the more popular snowmobiling routes through the various shortcuts in town. I tried to find out how they actually dig through the rocks to lay the sewer pipes necessary only to find out that they have just raised the level of the roadways as needed.

From the hill by the fuelling station over looking the dog pens and the town.

 

The housing and newer Power Lines

There’s definitely more street lighting around town and I’ve noticed an increased number of power lines. Bigger poles, heavier gauge wire and more routes are visible all through the hamlet. Obviously, this is in anticipation of future growth when the nearest gold mine reaches full production only 25 miles away, within the next year. Certainly housing will be expanding as the new building season approaches. Hard to imagine, what those large barges and containers will carry this year. So far they won’t be carrying my new Tim’s Horton Roll –up Toyota…I haven’t won it yet!

This morning, while watching CHCH television, and their live feeds from Port Dover I couldn’t help but think about the difference in temperature from one month ago. When the cyclists gathered last month, the temps in Dover were minus 24 and we were about -45. 

Today, Dover is well above freezing at plus 10 but we are hovering at -24 (-39 with the wind chill)…the closet things to motorcycles that we see here are the quads you see buzzing about town…those and the snow machines scurrying everywhere, even more so, since the weather has warmed slightly. Every Friday the 13^th motorcycle enthusiasts gather in droves to Port Dover to celebrate their sport together. This has been happening for over 33 years.

Have a great weekend. 

Here in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Monday has storm alerts and possible blizzards, after Sunday’s possible freezing rain. I really want to see how arctic freezing rain is any different. Stay warm, stay safe, enjoy your spring-like conditions… especially those in Port Dover. There the crowds are immense and yet I’ve never been there…but then most of them probably haven’t been here, either.

Port Dover crowd on a warmer 13th

Rankin Inlet Walking Tour

The walking tour can start many places but I’d thought we’d start from the Health Centre..the reason

Looking out over the Bay

being it’s of central focus to many of our residents. Going north along the main road through the centre of the hamlet you pass the bay on your left…in the near distance you can see some hills and such and apparently there are islands, just across. Of course, this time of year, it can look pretty barren but wintry beautiful especially on sunrise.

Further up the road and over a block or two past the generating plant are some remnants of the Shaft Head of the original Rankin Mine. Only a few parts remain…some concrete framing and some of the gears and such. Up the hill and over to the left of

town there’s a light that sits atop the hill. This light needs more research before I can bring its story to ‘light’.

The original Rankin Mine left overs

Back in Rankin Inlet town centre, there are new street lights, traffic signs, and street signs. I’ve noticed new electric poles, much taller and stronger than the previous ones. There’s a snow covered stack of them over by the old mine head, so you know that more will be replaced over the next few months/years as the infrastructure continues to be tweaked. The street signs last time were almost non-existant, this time they flourish and a few speed limit signs have been added as
well.

Once past the Northern and towards the firehall on the right you can see our famous 15 foot Inukshuk, through gale and calm, a pillar to the community. Apparently, in early summer, the hill it stands on is exquisitely covered in a blaze of small purple flowers. Just up the hill past my old ‘homestead’ sits the C-Co-op building complete with CIBC bank branch, co-op store and Inns north restaurant and hotel. It’s quite sad to see my place all boarded up and just awaiting the wrecking ball. There’s frost in the windows…where the sun used to stream in.

Across Williamson Lake we trek, past a multitude of houses. Some old “matchbox” style and some, more modern ones, having replaced the others as time moves forward. There are two story and singles, many with quads, snow machine or machines, and / or trucks or SUVs. The mix of colours,

The snow "block" wall wind protector

in the bright sunshine, are quite a contrast to the snow and ice. In front of one house the closest thing to an Igloo was a wall created to prevent snow from blowing up the front porch. It's the closest thing seen to date of an igloo style dwelling.

The housing here are mostly single family style stand alones, but multiple families live inside many. Housing and homelessness are two of the more pressing issues here in Nunavut just like the southern regions. I find it amazing that at these temperatures the word 'homeless' can be used. I know there are community freezers organized that local populations contribute to just like community kitchens in the south. The reality is proper nutrition and diet are a concern like everywhere.

New front windows kept out the cold winds

So by now we've passed the CBC building on the north side of town and stop in at the “matchbox gallery” for a lesson in the artistic history of Rankin and a comparison of the artwork of the other regions of Nunavut and our communities of Kivillaq. After a time to rest and warm, my journey continues to the target of today's tour. The most talked about house in town for the past two weeks.

You see, two weeks ago, there was talked of broken pipes and water damage and blockages. Then the weekend blizzard happened so I couldn't get out to see the attraction then either. At -40 temperatures it was not going away soon. In this part of the country and at this time of the year, frozen water is always an issue. The topic of conversation was the house. The house with the icy windows. The house with the ice spewing out the windows AND the level of frozen water ON THE INSIDE.

The story goes that the owner passed a year or more and family took over and rented it out for a while to the drivers working for the taxi company. From here it gets cloudy but with no one living in it and no one shutting off the water or watching the heat...you guessed it....mother nature took over.

Ice House attraction

The main attraction, this month, on the Rankin Walking Tour has been this house. To my knowledge it hasn't been named and you won't find it anywhere else. In fact, the creative talents at Pixar and Disney, I don't think could have dreamed up this version of “FROZEN”.

Winter Water Land

As of today, it’s been a month since I left the warmer climate of Niagara Falls, and travelled through

Niagara Falls' Bridal Veil dressed in Winter White

Winnipeg (with an overnight stop) and continued on to YTR Rankin (anytime now it will be an International one). Since then, according to CNN, the Falls have froze and cold weather has continued with much more snow than usual. Those lower temps do a number on car batteries but does more of a job on sitting water.

Here in Rankin Inlet, we have had a few blizzards and very cold temps, but the weekend weather is scheduled (as of this afternoon) to be -6 and -3 for Saturday and Sunday… a far cry from the -58 with wind chill of the blizzard two weekends ago.

With cold weather comes water issues. I’ve been told that the ice on Hudson’s Bay can reach 7 feet thick or more (hence the need for auger extensions on the ice drills used for ice fishing). I certainly won’t be ‘dipping my pole’ this weekend, but around town we have really had some interesting events.

'Big Bertha' working hard at our apartment building at noon today

The last time I was here in January 2008, there were some water issues at the Health Centre but that pertained to frozen water in the fire sprinklers that caused some flooding at the time. I can still see us mopping the floors at the health centre, trying to get it opened ASAP. When I left in late January, at the end of our longest recorded blizzard in canadian weather history, the airport had experienced the same type problem...computers were down and liquid water was everywhere. All tickets, and boarding passes were hand logged.

The fire sprinkler issues seem to have been dealt with, but water delivery seems a more pressing problem. One of the apartment blocks in town, located not far from the health centre, is used for staff housing for the GN (Government of Nunavut). This building has had intermittent problems over the

There's a reason these buildings are built on stilts

past two weeks with the main supply pipes freezing and, of course, the result is restricted water or more likely, non-supply. I’ve noticed a large trailer about town parked at various locations, mostly on the street. There’s always steam coming out the chimney on the trailer.

Last weekend, our building started to experience a failing water supply. Saturday we had no water from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., but then supply had returned and we had notes placed under our doors asking us to assist by leaving some water running in our bath tubs. Sunday, I got up early, checked the water supply (it was running) and went to do some laundry. By ten, the pipes were dry. And then the water returned about 2 p.m.

Inside Big Bertha

Monday evening about 8 p.m. after I had finished doing the dishes, the well was dry, so to speak. That continued until noon today (Wednesday). We now have a trickle, which is all you need to fill your toilet tank. Yesterday afternoon the landlord delivered two gallons of bottled water to each apartment. With that and the extra two gallons, of non-drinkable water, we have survived another northern exposure. Dishes were done this morning and showering before work took place at the health centre for many of us both yesterday and today.

It was like camping in a heated 1000 square foot cube van. We had lights and power, heat, and internet connections…we just couldn’t flush our toilet and wash the dishes easily. With the weekend’s warning I had taken the precaution, of filling up a couple of larger pots with water…just in case. Was able to prepare supper each night and do the dishes in the morning. A couple of extra trips back and forth to the health centre meant we had water to wash and flush and continue on.

This noon hour as I walked back to the apartment with my one gallon jug of potable, the famous white trailer named ‘Becky’ was backed in tight to our building…steam belching forth from the stack. A couple of guys were busy adjusting the knobs and checking the dials. My curiosity got the better of me and I stopped back at the trailer after delivering the gallon jug….AND FINDING THAT THE WATER WAS RUNNING AGAIN!!!!!

The hot hose melted the packed ice and snow

On my way back to work I stopped to see how they were handling the frozen pipes. The process is most interesting for sure. Now I don’t know if this is how it is done down south…I hope I never have to learn firsthand. Here in Rankin Inlet, they drill a hole in the supply line to the building. Through this is inserted a long, half-inch heavy duty pressure hose. Similar to a vascular surgeon removing a clot from a major artery, the process unwinds as follows.

Water is heated to approximately 190 degrees and forced down the hose at a PSI of almost 2400. The end of the hose is advance to the clot (oops, ice jam) and the combination of pressure and hot water melts the icy centre and the hose is advanced further as the frozen water liquefies. Eventually the end of the frozen water blockage is cleared and water flows. The 'melting hose' is then removed as quickly as possible and the newly installed access valve is closed…ready for another day!

What is more interesting though...and I’m not sure that I have it 100%...Is that our building has a 6" supply line. In order that the pipes don't freeze normally, there is also a one inch line that acts as a return to the main street supply. A circulating pump keeps water moving in the main building supply and when there is no demand returns water to the street supply forming a complete circuit. This keeps the water moving and (hopefully) not freezing solid.

Guy and Jason inside 'Big Bertha'

When I had returned home at noon and checked the pressure, I found it to be substantially less than normal.The reason being the 'de-icers' had done the return line first and the main 6 inch pipe was being worked on. The building was actually being fed by the 1 inch return line...but we had water.

At this writing, I'd like to thank Guy and his cohort Jason, who explained this whole process in his best St. John's, Newfoundlander speak. Tomorrow, we'll update this and talk about the other Winter Water Wonderland Attractions on the Rankin Route Walking Tour....Hopefully "we be talkin' 'bout the pipes is froze" in the past tense!

Oh, and a Happy 60th Rick!