Another Friday...another Tourney...

Spring has been here for a week...the winds this morning are blowing from the SW at about 10-15 km/hr and it's a warm wind. The snow still crunches underfoot but it's softer today. A few minutes ago I looked out and the skies had grown cloudy and huge big flakes of snow were falling....Niagara Falls kind of flakes...the flakes, I'm more familiar with. They are easy to sweep away, are soft underfoot and build quickly...so we'll see what happens as today and tomorrow the weather indicates LIGHT SNOW.

When I pointed it out to the staff in the Medical Travel office here in the Health Centre, they told me they get this kind of snow in the spring. Yes, you heard correctly...we have a Medical Travel Department here at the Kivalliq Heath Centre based in Rankin Inlet. Tonight in fact, I'll be waiting around for one of my patients to arrive for their xray examination. They will be flying in for their xrays and then have a return flight pre-booked.

The Medical Travel office here at Kivalliq Health Centre, Rankin Inlet

The medical travel office arranges flights for people requiring medical services in other communities. Since I arrived, I've had patients fly in for their xrays and then fly back home....sometimes the same day and sometimes a few days later. I have also had patients fly out to Winnipeg, sometimes with escort and sometimes without, for treatment based upon their xray findings.When in Winnipeg, accommodations are arranged at the Inuit Centre, for food and lodging.

I will be staying late tonight. The reason is that the patient is arriving after 5. They have a flight out from Baker Lake in the afternoon, but it stops in Arviat before arriving here at 1720 this afternoon. The early flight today is a direct one from Baker Lake to Rankin. That would allow me to take her films during regular hours, but it was all booked up...no seats were available. The reason, I believe, is that here in Rankin Inlet this weekend...another hockey tournament is about to begin...also sponsored in part by Calm Air.

The Rankin Rock have two 2 teams this time!

This time, it's the Arctic Atoms hockey tournament and the gold medal game is on Sunday at 3:15 with awards and a pizza supper to follow in the community centre. It's a six team tourney with 2 teams from here in Rankin Inlet. The Rankin Rock 1 and the Rankin Rock 2 will square off against Coral Harbour and Arviat respectively starting at 6 p.m. tonight. Saturday, a full slate of games begin after breakfast at 10 a.m.

Baker Lake is the other community represented. However, there are some of the smaller hamlets that do not have enough players to field a full team. The group is known as TEAM KIVALLIQ after the region of Nunavut that we are located within. They represent the communities of Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet and Repulse Bay. I'm looking forward to seeing these 8-10 year olds playing at the hockey rink this weekend... probably because my skill level might match theirs...but that may be wishful thinking.

At coffee this morning the discussion was not just about the tournament but the exciting news that there may have been approval for a new expanded arena, to be built just in behind the health centre here.  Like communities everywhere, ice time is sacred. Even at -28 degrees, there is not enough of it available and this is especially true during some of the bigger tournaments we have seen during the past few weeks.

Of course, the changes that have happened since my last visit, are unbelievable, yet there is still room to improve the well-being of the residents. Currently, a survey is being circulated to try and determine need and assess what changes and recreation facilities should be considered for the future. The growth in population, especially the younger age groups, means change and diversification. Hockey is not the only sport in town...it just SEEMS like the only sport in town.

Soccer and Baseball are still activities that include many youth, but hockey tends to lead the way with both adults and kids alike. The swimming pool here was condemned a few years ago and needs to be replaced. If it happens, and there is competitive swimming against the other communities, I wouldn't bet against the team being a strong competitor....But, I just can't imagine a swim team known as the "Rankin Rock"s...That name....just wouldn't float!

Gearing Up...Winding Down

The main means of 'travel' freedom across the north

With only a few working days remaining in the xray department here in Rankin Inlet, its definitely time to start putting things in order to reduce those inevitable last minute challenges that we all face. While spring has been here on the calendar for almost a week and....
while our daylight now extends from well before 6:30 in the morning and...
while the sun is now setting at almost 8:00 p.m. in the evening...and...
while my return ticket says tuesday... it's probably a great time to put to rest some of the stories that may not have been completed in my journal.

First, I have not really commented on the weather of late. It's still winter outside in my mind.Yesterday the winds were blowing from the NNW at between 50-65 km/hr...When it's at your back, it moves you...yes, moves you along at a fairly quick pace. When it's in your face you actually struggle with each and every step to move forward, so you angle the direction you are walking, cut down on the direct force...and walk a little farther but with less effort overall. Oh, and the temps...they were -28C yesterday but with the wind chill, the estimate went to -46C. Another heatwave is scheduled here for for friday with temps suggested between -7 and -14..The winds are less strong this morning at 6 a.m. at 28kn/hr and and swung so they are from the WNW.

Two languages on most signs

Last saturday, while on my tour of Area 6, the newest housing development in Rankin Inlet, I was passed by a man on a snow machine. It was an older model, ran well, but had seen brighter days. The seat was torn and broken, the skis were a close match, but not exact. He stopped up ahead at the stop sign. Got off...and looked around. By this time my legs had caught up to him and I smiled and thought he was going to offer me a ride.

Instead, he explained his journey. He was on a search mission...looking for his new snow machine. He explained the colour, and that he had recently paid $11,700 for it and...less than 48 hours later, it had been stolen out of his backyard. Since there is no access to the south, the trucks, cars and SUV's  are safe and can be driven only on the roads in and around the hamlet. The snow chariots are a different matter.

This machine, given the current snow and ice conditions, could be easily ridden out of town....I expected he figured it was already in another community and he would never see it again. Except for the fact, that in this part of the country, there are more cousins, relatives and close friends separated only by the miles and the weather. Now picture...modern cell phones and internet. It's quite possible that his "inuit" network is already on the case and my hope, and his as well, is that it will be found.

Lots of new machines in town...this wasn't the object of his interest

The weather ahead is encouraging. Next week looks like sunny and bright the whole week...so barring equipment failures, it looks like we will be able to take off...but you'll be kept posted. Another weather related story concerns the major three-day blizzard from what seems like so long ago. On the friday before the storm hit on sunday, a 19 year old left Rankin Inlet and was to arrive the same night in Chesterfield Inlet. He left town alone...on a snow machine...and late on Monday, early tuesday, at the height of gale force winds and blowing snow, he was found.

In the middle of the storm, a group of elders had left town to search for him. They do that here. When someone is missing in these temperatures...your skills and some luck has to be with you or the results can be fatal. The group left town in an enclosed bombadier snow blowing all around. They travelled towards the route people here take when going to "Chester". Behind them they dragged a qamutik, the famous inuit sled....loaded with extra snow machines, gas, and equipment aboard. Hours later, with the storm still continuing, he was found...a few days late, but alive. His safe return, a tribute to the community, is a tradition of the Inuit in these climates.

Many of the people here have cabins, out on the land. These vary in size and shape, and the amenities therein. A common trait in these parts is the sharing as required. I remember on my adventure seven years ago, hearing that town people did not lock their doors. It happened to me when I went to visit someone I had met and ended up in the wrong kitchen...after my directions were written down backwards.  The reason the doors remain unlocked is to allow anyone needing shelter from weather or animals to get out of the situation and get inside to safety.

 So when this "old" teenager lost his way, he was smart enough to get "inside" the unlocked cabins. This is stressed on any of the published blizzard alerts and taught to the children at an early age. He followed some of the rules of the north, got out of the wind....which reduced his loss of body heat. His safe return, depended upon his knowledge, skill and experience. He was a survivor in a situation that sometimes has a more negative outcome.

People here don't lock their cabins...out on the land. The tradition is that if someone needs your assistance, you offer it. The same holds true for your possessions. They will take care of them and return them when finished. The tenant's responsibility is that the user keeps the place neat and leaves it safe for the next visitor, should it be necessary...and keeps it available in the event of an emergency shelter requirement.

Trust....it's something that still occurs here in the north....sometimes it works out and sometimes you just hope it will.

The Power Struggle

The adventure continues with another twist. I've put some other stories on hold for this one. While in the transient apartment of the past month, we had several days without running water. Many towns and villages have suffered with this problem, more so this winter than past years. The hamlet of Rankin Inlet, here in Nunavut, is not unique. On my sunday stroll out to Lake Williamson, I happened to be heading past the Northern and noticed Big Bertha once again working her magic trying to free up some of the frozen water supply in that area of town.

The  NORTH star

I stopped to talk with the man on duty at the trailer, and to thank him for their hard work and efforts to help the town become free flowing again. It was -26C, sunny but with a strong wind. Our conversation continued and he said they were getting good support from the town people...doing the same thing..stopping by and expressing their gratitude, which surprised me for a moment. These were people who couldn't wash clothes, shower or even flush without effort. On reflection, it's what the people in this place would really do. I think it must be a characteristic of the Inuit people...working together through adversity for a common good. It happens elsewhere, but is very common in life here.

In Niagara, there has been talk of some 65 homes and business affected in one of our cities  and solutions are slow at best and tapping into a neighbours supply seemed the ready answer when other fixes were not available. Here, in the far north, the cold temperatures can create havoc with deep frost getting into the ground before the successive layers of snow start the insulation process.

The solution to a frozen water supply is something I had not come across in my previous travels. At the least, if so, I have not been aware. The solution for this town (and I would imagine is very common  in the north), is to keep the water moving. Coming here from Niagara Falls, I understand the concept. Despite reports of the great cataract 'freezing' this year, it did not. The surface and mist formed beautiful facades, but the flow underneath continued unrestricted.

It's a similar situation here in Rankin Inlet. Any commercial building or large apartment must have sprinkler systems. These buildings have a supply line usually 4-6 inches and a return of around 2 inches. Circulation pumps keep the water flowing in those pipes, which is extremely helpful when there is no internal demand (at night). With the return lines active, this flow helps in keeping movement within the main town line running under the street.

But this beautiful clear sky morning we face another challenge. During the night my power went off. The smoke detector beeped twice just to let me know. It was around one in the the morning. I confirmed this by looking over at the clock radio, expecting it to be blinking...but got a blank stare instead...probably no battery backup. My wrist watch finally put the issue to rest. Looking north out the window, the north end of area 6 was dark. No TV images were dancing in windows, no street lights, and only the occasional vehicle was moving during the blackout.

The reward was looking and watching the most incredible display of galaxies and star systems, I have ever seen. While we were in the midst of our blizzard last week with overcast skies and blowing winds, 'southerners' had the ability to view one of the best displays of the northern lights in recent history. WE could not see a thing. One of my goals this trip, was to see the northern lights. Last night, while they weren't the cloud burst of colour that I was hoping for, the display was most beautiful and thoroughly breathtaking.

Immediately, I grabbed my miniature Maglite, from my shaving kit. Ever present, but seldom used, this is a great piece to carry and while I've used it sparingly over the years, it was most handy this time again. The camera, the tripod..then set them up. I covered the door frame so the light would not come under the door from the emergency lighting in the hallway and reflect off the glass. I took my time to try various settings...took a few photos for about an hour. I had scouted to see what areas were affected by this blackout and found it to be localized just outside my window and north towards the edge of town. This being the case, I fully expected the phone to ring, to call me back to the health centre.

A localized blackout usually means equipment failure...sometimes caused by someone running their vehicle into a power pole. The phone never rang and the power came back in about 45 minutes. As quickly as it had arrived to my retina, then my Nikon, the starry scene was invisible...lost amid the sodium vapor street lighting. A big screen flickered nearby. Wisps of steam could be seen, as furnaces and the heating of the local houses began again.

Mother nature had showered me with a personal light show. It made me think about the distances that light had travelled, the millions of years to reach my camera and my eyes. A vision that I could only see here in Nunavut, when the lights went out. A power struggle of epic proportions. Man versus nature. Don't ever bet against nature!

A dazzling display last night

Update: On entering the Health centre this a.m., I was informed that we were on rotating blackouts as one of the 3 generators in town was not operating. Hopefully, man wins out soon here!

  

Spring is here...can't you tell?

The sun is stronger when it sets, these days

There are signs of Spring everywhere in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut....you just have to look a little harder at -20C degrees, our high for today. The days are getting longer, with these amazing sunrises just before 7 in the morning. As well, the sun seems stronger, could just be the winds are tamer or not quite as cold. When I arrived, I wore a face mask for added protection. After the second week, as I seemed to get more accustomed to the weather here, it has remained in my coat pocket.

The kids here play outdoors...even at these temps

I still carry it...plus the extra hood, just in case the wind is in the wrong direction and I have to do a long walk. I've been surprized how far I'm able to walk...the snow has always been firm as it blows together and you can actually walk on these amazingly high drifts that I posted about yesterday. The only danger has been that before the last blizzard we had freezing rain and it has made the under crust a little more slippery.

There is a trick I've learned from the others. Here, one learns by adapting and observing. I noticed that it is much easier to walk in the paths of others...especially if the 'other' happened to be about ten or twenty runs of a snow machine that has broken the snow's crust and made your footing much softer. The drive tread chews up the crust and smooths the surface...and you just have to follow in between the lines...of the runners.

The Rankin Stars Women's team

Before the blizzard, a few large rocks were starting to show through the snow. Warmed by the increasing sun exposure, the snow had partially evaporated and melted...revealing the rocks and boulders below. The photos of the landscape here without snow are quite a different scenario. Summer in Rankin is unlike anything I think I could imagine. I may never see it, but that's OK. I never ever thought I would ever return in Winter, so who knows what the future brings.

The frost INSIDE the Arena

The windy side of the Arena

The next few days are starting to show a trend of warmth...still below freezing but definite change. The hockey season has started to wind down. Last weekend's AVATAQ CUP, followed the previous four weekends of tournaments...with many teams and supporters from our other communities. This tournament was sponsored by First Air and the finals were delayed last Sunday night after the blizzard had officially landed. 

Once both semis were completed, the officials delayed the final so that everyone could get safely back to their homes, billets, hotels. Their planes wouldn't be flying so 's there was no rush to make their seats and safety was paramount. Rankin Inlet Miners eventually won the silver, while Repulse Bay won the Gold for Men's...duplicating the feat of the Repulse Bay Women the weekend before. The Polar Plate, sponsored by competing Calm Air, for midget hockey went to Iqaluit's team in a final against Rankin...and before that there were younger teams playing that respective tournament.

The rinks are ready for the Zamboni

Inside the Door of the Arena, the exit the Zamboni takes to Williamson Lake Outdoor skating rinks

At the end of March, each year, the community benefits from an outdoor rink on Lake Williamson in the centre of town. The rinks have been cleared, another snow job this week, and I hope to find out what time the Zamboni leaves the arena and travels across the road to flood both rinks. I would like to snap a photo. One resident told me today the weather is not quite as bad (meaning the temp and the winds) so its time for the outdoor rink.  I thought this funny, remembering the icy coatings on the inside of the arena on my last visit.

One of the multiple displays in the Northern

 While there may be no tulips or daffodils trying to break through the snow here, there is definitely spring in the air...How can I tell with all these snow drifts so striking? All you have to do is visit the Northern store. Atop the freezers and coolers, above the meat counters and over the dairy shelves. The latest load of two wheelers have arrived and are displayed...in time for Easter and just in time for Spring.

It's Spring...Catch my Drift?

On Friday, Spring arrived. I wore a Baseball cap into the Kivalliq Health Centre and told eveyone on the way in....Spring has arrived..time to throw out your winter hats..The outside temp was -28C...the winds were steady about 20 km/hr. They wanted to call the Mental Health Nurse or thought perhaps I had slipped on the ice and hit my head.

The Cats are busy trying to restore  access and roads

Neither...you see, spring was in the air. On the calendar it said spring. Problem is...it won't get here for a while. The reality is that we have a few more weeks of cold weather. It has gotten warmer since I've been here. This week the forecast shows mid to high teens during the day. The sun is much stronger and the days are longer....but the snow after last weeks blizzard is also much deeper.

For many days we have had single lanes cut through the drifts.

Snow Steps

Please use the Back Door!

The quad is out, the SUV later this spring! Snow steps to the front door.

The Green Airport Terminal at CYRT

Last sunday, after the winds had been blowing for about 4 hours. The arena announcer, between periods of the final game of the last hockey tournament of the winter declared.."will someone go next door to the school and tell the kids to stop playing on the roof?"

I wandered around Area 6 this morning. It's the newest serviced area in the hamlet and thought I would let the photos and their captions try to tell the real tale. If a picture is worth a thousand words...not another be needed. Enjoy!

Between the two red triangles there is a fire hydrant

The Coldest Spot in Nunavut

There has been a bit of a warming trend since the storm ended early Wednesday morning, here in Rankin Inlet. Not quite the plus temps of Niagara, by any means, but not the -55 wind chills of the past few weeks either. The trend for the next few days continues to warm...today is -19...and is sunny and bright. Since my arrival on February 12, the daylight hours have increased and so have the temperatures.

The view across 'Old Town' from atop the hill

Last evening, as the sun had just set there were five kids having a snowball fight outside my window...local time 7:30 p.m. The sun rises just around 7 in the morning and feels stronger every day. Just because it's cold out, that doesn't seem to stop the kids here from playing outside all the time. Extreme winds seem to be the only restriction.

A little frost

 With our weather shortened work week ended, it was a great day to go out and get some photos. The only problem I've found, is that after you are outside in these temperatures for extended periods, the cameras seem to seize up temporarily, until they are thawed or defrosted or whatever term you would like to use. They bounce back.

More frost on a cold saturday morning

Two weeks ago before one of the short weekend blizzards hit, I happened to visit the Matchbox Gallery. As I walked past the CBC building, I remembered being in the same area on a Saturday afternoon around 2, back in January 2008. This time, instead of heading directly back to the apartment, I turned right at the CBC building and climbed the incline, up the hill a few hundred meters and paused. There is a great view of Rankin Inlet from this lookout spot.

The weathered crosses of a wind swept area

The top of the hill is also a special spot in Rankin Inlet. It's the local cemetery. At -40C with another 10-12 degrees of wind chill as the winds here blow 25 km/hr or more, it has to be one of the coldest spots in Nunavut. The changes in 7 years are that the number of graves has increased and there is evidence that they are expanding it. The fence has been moved at the one end and it looks like work was underway to make it larger before the winter set in.

My visit here in 2008 was by mistake. I was following a road and trying to get some great overhead views of the town. That Saturday, there had been a funeral for a teenager in our hamlet. The young lad had hanged himself Tuesday after school. He had arrived by ambulance at the Health Centre and we tried our best..but failed him. I had stumbled upon the graveyard after family and friends had left. The wind was blowing the snow and the sun barley broke through the cloud cover. It was a cold place.

This year, when I visited the graves, I made a small wish. I, sincerely, hoped that we would not experience another situation like that one. I knew that mental health is a concern of many. There is much more conversation about it than there has ever been. Suicides of younger people here in the Arctic are too common. This trip, I had been here 5 weeks, when tragedy struck again. Another suicide.

The pickets of the fence are intricate

Thankfully, for this community here, it was not a local person. This time, the location was in Saskatchewan. That community is grieving their loss. His family has lost a son. A talented young photographer, and former associate of mine at the camera store was the victim.  He was a competent paramedic. Compassionate. Energetic. Trusting.  A guy who loved to climb, had a great girlfriend, Jill. They had stopped in at the store the last time they were in St. Catharines and I was fortunate enough to have a great conversation with them both. The seemed made for each other. There was talk of marriage.

There are few flowers, but many graves are surrounded by rocks

Jill and Jack left the store that afternoon and I said to myself what a nice couple. I only wished them well in their life together. Yesterday after lunch, I received an email...the kind no one likes to get. I'm sure that Jill is heartbroken in her grief. Jack's family...the same. There is no way that they'll ever know the real reason...just lot's more questions than answers. Rest in peace, Jack Spyker, rest in peace.     
 

The coldest spot in Rankin Inlet

Winter's Last Day

There's always been an anticipation of the onset of spring. The end of the few cold months,

Sunday Morning's Window Covering

the strength of the sun against your face, the renewal of nature...the cycles begins once again.

Here in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, we have had the weather of Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and New Brunswick all rolled into three days. You may have wondered why no updates at this web address in the past couple of days. Explanation....digging out as you will see illustrated here.

Monday Afternoon only 50 yards away

Figuratively...not actually. You may have noticed my facebook revelation about the blizzard and how it was affecting us. Well, now that the storm is past. It wound down around midnight Tuesday. It's time to update and tell a few tales of the blizzard that we can label 'The Spring Break Extension'. Last week, both elementary and the high school students had their March Break and classes were set to resume on monday.

The blizzard had been promised to start sunday evening by Environment Canada on Friday, so we had plenty of warning. Sunday was a glorious day with the highest temperatures since last fall. It got up to -2  and the stairs out of the wind and in the sun were actually melting !  Of course, this was after the freezing rain overnight, so it may have been the application of some salt rather than just the temperature difference.
 

A times it clears a bit then strengthens once again

During a last minute trip to stock up should it actually hit, I met a local who told me he hadn't seen freezing rain in March since the mid seventies. The low pressure area to our northwest meant it was coming and by six the clouds had gathered and the winds began to howl. With all the ice coated snow from the freezing rain, I didn't expect to see much blowing snow as I felt it would be well anchored.

Breaking through the drifts again! Wednesday morning early....the 50 yard hydro pole much clearer now!

  

Wrong. As the darkness fell and the winds now reached 70 km/hr, there was much blowing snow! ...And the snow continued most of Monday, through Tuesday until late Tuesday night as the winds diminished.  Gusts above 140km/hr, steady winds at 100 km/hr...the windows and siding vibrated with the steady pounding. From our second story blizzard observatory, you could judge the visibility by the number of poles visible, one two, three and four...many times more, mostly none.

Engine compartments are jammed with drifted, packed snow

The number of people walking were sparse as was the number of snow machines. There were no quads, cars, or trucks...only large cats with buckets, or bulldozers with blades. Most of the time these were barely visible as they used or cleared the road. Everyone had hunkered down. The nurse on call, their second on call, and the doc on call had all taken refuge at the Kivalliq Health Centre. Hot food, few calls and little sleep on makeshift mattresses til Wednesday morning was their reward.

We'll come back with heavier equipment

Due to the drifting snow throughout the hamlet, the schools, government offices and most businesses were closed. Our water had stopped flowing during  Monday, so we had ventured out to the health centre to shower and check in Tuesday. While we waited our turn, I warmed the processor in case we would get called back. Never happened, till the next day. The main road was plowed but not much else as the storm was continuing. 

Fourteen to sixteen foot drifts carved at the airport parking lot.

We picked up our drinkable water jugs, I had stored in xray and we were set for the rest of the storm. The rising and falling winds, the hourly updates on the airport website indicating increasing, decreasing wind speeds, visibility and temps and wind chills during the entire storm. While our water taps were not flowing, the two remaining Guinness were appreciated. I can always remember, a good friend and colleague, Terry Collins, with whom I would agree when he would say...we always get some snow during St. Patty's Day...more often than not we did..even if it was only a few flakes.

Walking on the hard packed drifts

By the time the storm subsided during Tuesday night, we knew there was lots of snow around. You had an appreciation from our observatory, but full appreciation occurred before eight on Wednesday morning as we headed into work. The sun was bright, the sky...a clear blue and remnants of the storm were easily recognizable. Arriving at the Health Centre, we found it closed due to road closures caused by drifting. After our shower, and refill of our jugs, we traversed a bit to get an idea of the extent of the storm. Let's just say that after 48 hours, many residents have not been able to extract their vehicles and many houses are using alternative entrances.

Two Pickups buried deep

Today is Thursday and this was our first day back at the health centre this week...and Spring break was over for the schools. Cars are still buried tonight. Complete engine compartments are packed with snow. Houses and businesses have huge drifts to contend with. The clearing will continue yet for a few days. 

In Rankin Inlet, the residents are glad winter is almost over...so the Spring storms...can soon begin.