Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2019 | 03

The Inflight Magazine for First Air

2019 | 03 Yours to Keep

Arctic Flora radiant and resourceful

Hiking In the Land of the Glaciers

PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

Albedo Autumn project enduring Ice

tuning up in the Arctic rCMp Band tours

Dear Guest ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ,

With summer fast approaching, I’m reminded of what summer means for kids and families across Canada and the North. With camps and family vacations on our minds, I think it is important to remember what Northern communities have to offer in the summer time.

Whether you live in the North, are visiting for the first time or planning to visit more of the North, the North offers one of the best travel destinations possible. Canada has some of the most stunning landscapes on our planet and that’s very true of the Northern Landscapes of Nunavut, Nunavik and the Northwest Territories.

Promoting the North as a travel destination is an important role for us as a Northern Airline. It gives me pride to be able to be part of an airline that highlights the North the way that we can. Every year, we take part in many events and projects that promote the communities we serve. We work with Territorial tourism agencies to attend travel shows in the south such as the Rendezvous Canada travel conference and the Northern Lights show in Ottawa. This year we even incorporated the famous Aurora Borealis in our annual April Fool’s joke to incite people to go experience them in person. We promote the North as a travel destination but we also try to involve local community businesses in our service offering as much as possible to promote the communities. We are excited to collaborate with local companies such as Kaappittiaq Coffee from Cambridge Bay and Big Racks in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

One of the reasons we can showcase these communities and operate year-round is the work and dedication of our staff.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our extremely hardworking staff at every level of the company. I am proud of the work we are doing and I know our guests see the efforts we all put to make sure our airline operates at the highest standard possible.

Thank you for choosing First Air for your flight today. I hope we were able to make your journey a great one and we hope to see you aboard again soon.

Chris Avery First Air President & CEO

Chris Avery fE{ ∑KE

Johnny Adams ÷i ≈bu Executive Chairman of the Board, First Air ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓂ, ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᕐ

ᐊᐅᔭᖖᒍᑲᐅᑎᒋᓂᐊᓕᕐᒥᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐃᖅᑲᐃᖃᑦᑕᓕᕆᕗᖓ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᐅᔭᐅᓂᖓ ᑐᑭᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᒻᒪᖔᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒌᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓂ. ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖃᓕᕐᒥᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᐊᖅᓯᒪᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒌᖑᔪᑦ ᑲᑎᖖᒐᓗᑎᒃ ᓇᒧᖖᒐᐅᓯᒪᕙᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᑕ, ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓗᐊᕋᓱᒋᒐᒃᑯ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑑᑎᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᐅᔭᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᐱᑕᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓐᓂᖏᑕ.

ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑕᐅᒐᓗᐊᕈᕕᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᐹᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᓯᒪᓐᓂᕈᕕᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᓕᐊᕆᐊᒥᒃ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᖃᓕᖅᓯᒪᒍᕕᑦ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᒐᐅᕝᕕᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᐅᕐᒪᑦ. ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᖓᓂ ᑕᑯᕋᓐᓂᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓪᓚᕆᒃᑑᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᓄᓇᖓᑕ ᑕᑯᑦᑐᖃᕐᕕᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᓄᓇᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ.

ᖁᕝᕙᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᖓ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᖓᑕ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᒐᐅᓯᒪᓕᖁᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᕙᒃᑲᑦᑎᒍ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ. ᓴᕆᒪᒋᓪᓚᕆᒃᐸᕋ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᒋᐊᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᐅᑭᐅᑕᒫᑦ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᒍᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᑲᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᖁᕝᕙᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᕈᑎᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ. ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᐸᒍᑎᖃᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᖢᑕ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓐᓂᕐᓄᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᕌᓐᑎᕘ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐅᐊᔭᕐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐅᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐋᑐᕙᒥ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᒻᒪᕆᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐊᕈᐊᕋ ᐳᐊᕆᐋᓕᔅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒥᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᑕᒫᑦ ᐊᐃᐱᕆ 1-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓴᒡᓗᕿᑖᕐᑦᓯᓂᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᑕᑯᓯᒪᓕᕈᒪᑎᑦᓯᓇᓱᐊᖅᖢᑕ. ᖁᕝᕙᖅᑎᑦᓯᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᖅᐸᒃᑲᑦᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᓯᒪᓕᖁᔨᓪᓗᑕ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓗ ᐃᓚᐅᑎᑦᓯᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕈᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᖁᕝᕙᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᖅᐸᒃᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ. ᖁᕕᐊᓱᓪᓚᕆᒃᐳᒍᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᓪᓗᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᑎᖃᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᒥ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓲᕐᓗ ᑳᐱᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᑳᐱ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᒡ ᕌᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

ᑕᑯᔭᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓐᓂᕗᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔪᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒫᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᑦᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᒪᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᑎᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᖏᑕ. ᑕᒪᑐᒪᓂ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᒻᒥᒃ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᕈᒪᕗᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᒃᑲᐅᔪᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᓴᕆᒪᒋᓪᓚᕆᒃᐸᒃᑲ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓪᓗᖓ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᔭᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᑕ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᑦᑕ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᖏᓂᒃ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕙᒻᒪᑕ.

ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᖏᓂ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᑦᓯ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ. ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᑦᓯᓐᓂᓗ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖃᖁᓪᓗᓯ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓚᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᑕᑯᖃᑎᒌᓛᕆᕗᒍᑦ.

ᑯᕆᔅ ᐄᕗᕆ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖅ & ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ

Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga

ᑖᕐᓖᓐ ᒍᐃᓕ | Darlene Willie ᑖᕐᓖᓐ ᒍᐃᓕ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕝᕕᖓᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᐊᕐᔪᒃ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᑐᖃᒥᓂ ᓄᓇᒋᓪᓗᒍᓗ.

17-ᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂ, ᑖᕐᓖᓐ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃ-

Darlene Willie is the First Air Station coordinator in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, her home town and where she lives.

Working with First Air for 17 years, Darlene started in the reservations department in Ottawa in 2002 and then transferred to the Ottawa ticket counter as a ticket agent. When a job opened near her home town, she transferred to Nanisivik, Nunavut.

When the Nanisivik Airport closed, she transferred to Arctic Bay and has been there ever since. She was a station agent and acting coordinator for over a decade until becoming the station coordinator in 2018.

ᑰᕈᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᑮᔨᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᑎᓂ ᐋᑐᕙᒥ 2002-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᖑᓂᐊᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖓ ᓅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑰᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᖖᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂ. ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᑐᖃᖓᑕ ᖃᓂᕆᔭᖓᓄᑦ, ᓄᒃᑎᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒻᒥᔪᖅ ᓇᓂᓯᕕᒃ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒧᑦ. ᓇᓂᓯᕕᖕᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕕᖓᑦ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᖅᑕᐅᒻᒪᑦ, ᓄᒃᑎᓕᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒃᐱᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᑲᓂᕐᒥᐅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᐅᔭᓕᖅᑐᓂ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕝᕕᖓᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᐅᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᐅᑉ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖓᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᐅᑲᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂ Darlene has also received training for cargo, de-icing, first aid, ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ ᖁᓕᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕝᕕᖓᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᖖᒍᓚᐅᖅᑳᕋᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖓ 2018 ᐊᑐᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. security and mobility while on the job. ᑖᕐᓖᓐ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᔭᐅᓯᒪᒻᒥᔪᖅ ᐱᖁᑎᓂᒃ ᐅᓯᓕᖅᑐᐃᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᓯᑯᐃᔭᐃᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐃᓅᓕᓴᐃᔾᔪᑎᓂᒃ Working with First Air has given Darlene the privilege to travel ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᒥᐊᓂᖅᓯᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐊᔭᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓗᓂ. to different communities to help wherever it’s needed. She ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᑖᕐᓖᓐ ᐅᐊᔭᕈᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖖᒋᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᔭᖅᑐᕐᓯᒪᕙᒃᑐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᖃᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᑐᖃᕌᖓᑦ. ᐃᑲᔪᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᒻᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕕᖓᑕ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᑕᐅᒋᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓯᒪᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᐅᓱᐃᑦᑐᒥ, ᓴᓂᕋᔭᒻᒥ, ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᒻᒥ, ᐸᓐᓂᖅᑑᒥ, ᕿᑭᖅᑕᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ, ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ. ᑖᕐᓖᓐ ᐅᐊᔭᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖖᒋᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᖅᑐᕐᓯᒪᕙᒃᓗᓂ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᕐᐳᖅ. “ᓇᒧᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑎᑭᑉᐸᒃᓗᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᕐᑐᒥ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᐱᑦᓯᐊᖅᑑᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᖖᒐᓇᖅᑑᕙᒃᑐᑎᒃ,” ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ.

“ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᕋ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᕆᐊᖅ. ᐊᒥᓱᒻᒪᕆᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᓯᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᑦᑎᐊᓕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᓯᒪᔭᓐᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᓂ ᑲᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔭᒃᑲ. ᓴᕆᒪᒋᕙᕋ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᓇᓄᖅ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᐊᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᕐᓂᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒪᓗ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐹᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᖅᓯᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ.”

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓇᐅᔪᓐᓃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑖᕐᓖᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓪᓚᕆᓲᖅ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᐊᕈᑎᒋᓯᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ. “ᕿᑲᕆᐊᖅᑐᕈᒪᕙᒃᑐᖓ ᑲᕆᐱᐊᓐ ᓄᓇᓕᖃᕐᕕᐊᓐᓂ ᐅᖅᑰᓛᖑᓕᖅᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᑭᐅᑉ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂ; ᔪᓚᐃ ᑕᖅᑭᖓᓂ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ 42 ᓯᐊᓪᓯᐊᔅᒥᒃ ᐅᖅᑰᓇᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖃᖅᐸᒻᒪᑦ, ᐅᖅᑰᓗᐊᒧᑦ ᓯᓚᖓ ᐱᓱᕋᔭᕆᐊᒥᒃ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᑲᓴᓲᖑᖕᒪᑦ! ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᓗᐊᖅᐸᒻᒥᔭᕋ ᓱᒃᑲᔪᒃᑰᕆᐊᒥᒃ, ᓯᑭᑑᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᑕᕆᐅᖓᑕ ᓯᑯᐊᓂ ᓱᒃᑲᓂᖅᐸᐅᓗᖓ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᒐᔭᕆᐊᒥᒃ. ᐃᓱᒪᕗᖓ ᐊᔪᕋᔭᖅᑰᖖᒋᓐᓇᒃᑯ ᑑᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒻᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂᑦ ᑭᒻᒥᕈᕐᒧᑦ ᓱᒃᑲᓴᐅᖃᑕᐅᓇᔭᕈᒪ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᖅᑖᕐᑎᑕᐅᓗᖓ,” ᐃᒡᓚᕐᖢᓂ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ.

helped start the Chesterfield Inlet Station and has also worked in Resolute, Hall Beach, Clyde River, Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq, Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet.

Darlene enjoys travelling to the different communities for work. “Everywhere you go in the North, they’re all so kind and welcoming,” she says.

“I enjoy working for First Air. I have met so many kind people whom I have developed close friendships with over the years.

I’m proud of the First Air Nanuq Award I received with my co-worker for an outstanding job.”

On her down time, Darlene seems to enjoy extremes. “I enjoy vacationing in the Caribbean when it’s the hottest time of the year; only in July when it’s 42 degrees Celsius, so hot you can barely walk from the heat! I also love speed, riding a snowmobile across the frozen Arctic Ocean at full speed. I think I would do well at the Toonik Tyme Iqaluit to Kimmirut race if I got sponsored,” she laughs.

From the Flight Deck Why is the front of the airplane used to carry cargo?

Given the lack of road access to many of the communities we serve, First Air has had to modify a large portion of our fleet to meet the needs of our customers. Unlike most southern carriers, many of our aircraft are equipped to carry both passengers and cargo — a ‘Combi aircraft’. When the aircraft is modified for combi operations, the front section of the aircraft has the seats removed and that area is turned into a large cargo hold.

In the case of our ATR42 combi aircraft, the cargo is loaded as individual pieces into the forward cargo hold and an aisle is left down the side to allow the crew to move from the flight deck to the passenger cabin. For our B737 combi aircraft, the cargo hold is configured to carry large pallets of cargo. This makes the loading process much simpler but also means the flight deck is completely blocked off from the passenger cabin. On that aircraft, the pilots must board the aircraft through the front doors and they can’t get into the passenger cabin in flight. (The pilots have their own galley and washroom up front so they can comfortably complete the flights along our longer routes.)

Since the cargo is loaded in the front of the aircraft, passengers must board through the rear door of the aircraft. This means we can’t use a bridge to board the B737 combi aircraft and everyone is required to walk outside to the aircraft. On a nice, sunny day, this likely isn’t so bad but it certainly isn’t ideal on a rainy or cold and windy day. From a passenger comfort point of view, it would be ideal to carry the cargo in the back of the aircraft and the passengers up front. This would let us use a bridge for boarding and keep passengers from having to walk outside in inclement

© Mark Taylor

weather to get to the aircraft. However, that kind of a design doesn’t really work — the cargo simply needs to be in the front.

One of the many things that we have to consider before we take off is the “weight and balance” of the aircraft. We need to ensure the total weight of the aircraft isn’t too much to allow us to take off. That part is simple. It’s the balance part that forces us to carry the cargo in the front. We need to ask ourselves where the weight is located on the aircraft (the centre of gravity). The location of the centre of gravity is critical to ensuring the pilots can control the aircraft during take off, cruise and landing. If the centre of gravity is outside (either too far forward, or too far back) on the aircraft, the aircraft simply won’t be able to fly safely. Before each take off, detailed calculations are carried out to determine what the fully loaded airplane weighs and to determine where the centre of gravity is located.

Since the cargo is generally more densely packed, the weight in that section of the aircraft is usually higher than we see in the

passenger compartment. As a result, the centre of gravity is generally pulled closer to the cargo area than the passenger compartment. In general, most aircraft allow the centre of gravity to be in front of the wings but they don’t allow it to be too far behind the wings. If we put the passengers up front and the cargo in the back, often we wouldn’t be able to carry everything since it would cause the centre of gravity to be too far behind the wings. The only efficient way to build a combi aircraft that allows us to meet both the travel and cargo needs of our customers, is to put the cargo up front. This also means that everyone must board by the back door after walking across the ramp.

Hopefully your outside walk to the aircraft is always on a fair weather day!

Captain Aaron Speer Vice President, Flight Operations First Air

If you are curious about a specific topic regarding flying and aircraft operations, let us know what you’d like to learn about and we’ll try to include it in a future column.

Email: editor@arcticjournal.ca

The Inflight Magazine for First Air

2019 | 03 YOURS TO KEEP

Arc"c Flora Radiant and Resourceful

Albedo Autumn Project Enduring Ice

Tuning Up in the Arc"c RCMP Band Tours

Contents 11

May | June 2019 Volume 31, No. 3

Hiking In the Land of the Glaciers

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Sirmilik National Park. © Justine Gosling

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23 Features

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Arctic Flora

A whiff of a heather fire, the sight of pussy willows, or the silky white nightshirts of cotton grass are all signs of spring in the Arctic. — Nick Newbery

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Hiking in the Land of the Glaciers

We cross rivers shining like liquid silver, dodge polar bears, examine beached icebergs, explore fairy chimneys, and piece together whale skeletons.

— Text and photos by Justine Gosling

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Albedo Autumn

The beauty and desolation of this area touches one’s soul. Brown hills of the Canadian Shield, pockets of snow releasing rivulets of melt water and cerulean blue waters covered in a chaotic expanse of sea ice. — Michael Dillon

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Tuning Up in the Arctic

By 1966, the RCMP Band had wowed crowds in all major Canadian cities, and many small towns, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But it hadn’t played above the 60th parallel. — Season Osborne 2019 | 03

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A B O V E & B E Y O N D — C A N A D A’ S A R C T I C J O U R N A L

09 Destination Focus 15 Living Above&Beyond 21 Resources 35 Culture Arctic Fibres — Geoffrey Clark 40 Science The Beluga Summit — Lisa Loseto 42 Youth Arctic Ecology Land Camps — The Nunami Sukuijainiq Team 45 Education EntrepreNorth Program — Jimmy Thomson 48 Bookshelf 50 Inuit Forum — Natan Obed President Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami 7

D E S T I N AT I O N F O C U S

69.37723° N, -81.79454° E

IGLOOLIK © Robynn Pavia/Travel Nunavut

Igloolik is a small island (100 km2) located north of Hudson Bay in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut. Centrally located in the territory, the community has a mix of cultural traditions from all three regions and is considered the cultural epicentre of Nunavut.

Igloolik is an Inuktitut word which means, “there is a house here” and refers to the sod houses that were originally in the area. Nearby archeological sites indicate that the area was occupied 4,000 years ago by the Dorset, predecessors to today’s Inuit.

Igloolik has an Arctic coastal climate. Nine months of the year, the average temperature is below 0°C. Sea ice forms and regular snowfall begins in November. Polar night starts in November and ends in January. The snow and ice disappear by July and summer temperatures range from 8°C to 15°C. Igloolik summers have 24-hour daylight from May 18 to July 26, with long days of cool sunny weather lasting to mid-August.

The 1930s saw the establishment of a Roman Catholic Mission and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Igloolik was one of the first communities in the High Arctic to get permanent establishments such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, day schools, and medical facilities.

Igloolik is home to the only Inuit circus, Artcirq, which blends Inuit culture and modern

Things to do: • Travel to the floe edge with a local outfitter for animal viewing, including marine mammals and birds.

• Mark the end of polar night at the Welcome Back the Sun celebration featuring traditional Inuit games and sports, dog team racing, igloo-building contests, and dances, held every January.

• Rock out at the annual Rockin’ Walrus Arts Festival featuring music, dance, acrobatics, and theatrical performances, held every June.

circus techniques. Artcirq is active in video-making, music production, and live circus show performances.

Igloolik is also home of the renowned Isuma Productions, a company noted for its films depicting traditional Inuit lifestyles. Isuma is most well-known for the epic movie, “Atanarjuat — the Fast Runner.”

The area is rich in wildlife including walrus, seals, belugas, and polar bears. Many species of migrating birds make their way to Igloolik during the summer season, including ducks, geese, loons, plovers, snow buntings, and snowy owls. People fish locally for Arctic char and lake trout, and collect bird eggs in the spring. Igloolik is known for its highly prized aged, fermented walrus meat known as igunaq.

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Purple Saxifrage: Being the first plant of spring, the purple saxifrage was chosen as the official flower of Nunavut although it can also be found as far north as northern Greenland. A hardy individual, able to grow in damp, exposed and windy places, purple saxifrage grows close to the ground, its leaves clustering close together, fringed with tiny hairs. Traditionally Inuit used it to make tea and to enjoy the sweet taste of its blossoms when eaten with seal blubber, but if too many of its leaves were eaten at one sitting, diarrhea was the punishment!

Arctic Flora Radiant and resourceful

By Nick Newbery Mountain Avens: Called malikkaat in Inuktitut meaning “the one that follows,” this dwarf shrub, somewhat resembling a small radar dish, turns to face the sun wherever it is in the sky all through the day. In this way it was used by Inuit to determine the season and in midsummer, even the time of day. When the stem is coiled tight, it signifies mid-summer and when it starts to uncoil, it is an indication that fall is approaching.

2019 | 03

One of the wonders of the Arctic is that there are any flowers there at

all, but every May after nine months of incredibly low temperatures, they begin to re-appear, radiant in their various colours, reminding the world

to wake up because spring has arrived! Northern flowers and plants were used by Inuit in pre-contact times over the centuries for medicinal reasons as well as for making tea or simply serving as a change of diet.

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Arctic Poppy: There are several poppy species in Nunavut, usually with yellow or white petals. The leaves of this perennial grow in tufts at the base of the plant while its flower turns and follows the sun during the daytime. The Arctic Poppy can be found growing throughout the territory and not surprisingly was chosen to go on the Nunavut coat-of-arms.

Willow: The willow is the Arctic’s closest thing that Nunavut has to a tree. Yet it grows as close to the ground as possible since in summer the air temperature within a foot of the tundra is 10 degrees warmer than elsewhere. In sheltered areas it can even grow into small man-high bushes, such as in the Soper Valley near Kimmirut. Being a rich source of vitamin C, willow forms an important part of the diet of most Arctic land animals and birds. For centuries Inuit used it for fuel, drum hoops, drying racks, kayak ribs and other items. As its buds swell in springtime, the plant produces fuzzy scales, giving it the nickname of “Pussy Willow of the North”.

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2019 | 03

White Arctic Heather: A faintly scented bell-shaped shrub, white Arctic heather produces petals which provide a sharp contrast to its dark leafage and grows in large clusters all over the tundra. As heather burns easily, Inuit have used it for centuries for camp fires, giving off a mild but pleasant aroma. To suddenly catch a whiff of a heather fire is always a reminder that the snow is starting to melt, that springtime has arrived, and that camping will soon be on many people’s minds.

Cotton Grass: This sedge, growing between 10 and 40 cm high, is always found in marshy areas all over the North.

Arctic Cotton Grass is truly beautiful.

When in fruit it somewhat resembles a dandelion puffball and when the seeds are ready to travel, they take off dressed in their silky white nightshirts. In the past, Inuit used it for a variety of purposes, from treating warts and relieving sore throats to curing ear infections and cleaning umbilical cords. They would collect it in late summer and store it for medicinal use during the winter.

Nick Newbery taught in several communities in Nunavut from 1976-2005. He would like to acknowledge the assistance he received for this article from Bert Rose, northern educator and long-time resident of Nunavut.

The photos in this article are from Nick’s Arctic photo collection that can be found at www.newberyphotoarchives.ca and should be viewed from a historical perspective.

2019 | 03

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2019 | 03

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Record score achieved at ice carving contest A Canadian team of two brothers set a record score to win the seventh annual De Beers Inspired Ice International Ice Carving competition. Ross Baisas of Montreal and Tony Baisas of Ottawa scored 99.1 with their work, “Balance”.

Second place went to Americans Aaron Costic of Ohio and Matt Stoddart of Kentucky, who were just 3.37 points behind the record score.

This is the second year of a five-year, $150,000 commitment by De Beers Canada to the Long John Jamboree as the title sponsor of the Ice Carving Competition.

“Balance,” the winning carving, was a very realistic female figure with flowing hair and gown holding a balance scale in one hand and a sword in the other. It also captured the People’s Choice Award, voted on by spectators attending the Jamboree.

“Balance,” the winning carving at this year’s Ice Carving Competition at the Long John Jamboree in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. © De Beers Group

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Education, food security and artisan programs benefit from Arctic Inspiration Prizes Five teams from across Canada’s North were awarded a share of over $2.5 million for their innovative projects to improve the quality of life in their communities during the Arctic Inspiration Prize awards ceremony held February 12.

2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureate in the $1 Million Category: Pirurvik — A Place to Grow: Early Childhood Education for Nunavummiut.

2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureate in the AIP Category: Nunami Sukuijainiq: A Youth Arctic Ecology Land Camp Program.

© Alistair Maitland/Arctic Inspiration Prize (5)

Pirurvik: A Place to Grow, an innovative and comprehensive early childhood education program rooted in traditional child-rearing practices that aims to change the lives of children throughout Nunavut, received the top prize of $1 million.

In addition to the $1 million prize, three prizes of up to $500,000 were awarded.

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Nunami Sukuijainiq: A Youth Arctic Ecology Land Camp Program was awarded $466,000 for its land-based and hands-on science education program designed for Nunavik youth. (See article in this issue.)

A team from Yukon working to address food insecurity in the North received $500,000 for the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Teaching and Working Farm Extended-Season Greenhouse Construction.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureate in the AIP Category: Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Teaching and Working Farm Extended-Season Greenhouse Construction.

The project partners, the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in and Yukon College, will build an extended season cold-climate greenhouse, the first of its kind in the Yukon, that will transform the existing farm into an operation capable of sustaining local production and providing experiential learning opportunities for up to 10 months of the year.

The third winner in this category is Traditional Techniques Tweaked to Galvanize Indigenous Northern Artisans. The project was awarded $500,000 to create an association of northern Indigenous artists and crafters from across the region to work at developing sustainable business ventures, improving local artisans’ skills and confidence, and ensuring authentic, high quality products.

In the Youth category, this year’s laureate is From Scrap to Art winning the $100,000 prize to develop teaching materials and set up a dedicated welding studio in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, where they can teach young Northerners welding under the guidance of Inuit and Maori mentors and northern educators.

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2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureate in the AIP Category: Traditional Techniques Tweaked to Galvanize Indigenous Northern Artisans.

2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureate in the Youth Category: From Scrap to Art.

The Arctic Inspiration Prize awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the 2019 Arctic Indigenous Investment Conference at the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse and featured the first ever pan-northern performance of Juno award winners Elisapie and Leela Gilday, along with Yukon's Diyet and special guest Wesley Hardisty.

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Mars On Earth: Astronaut Canyon, one of the Mars-like wonders of Devon Island, High Arctic, featured in Google’s new documentary short on the NASA Haughton-Mars Project. The canyon was carved by glaciers and resembles some of the tributary canyons to Ius Chasma on Mars. © HMP/Pascal Lee

Exploring new technology on Devon Island Imagine driving your ATV wearing a space suit! And what are you doing decked out in this outer space garb? Looking for traces of an extra-terrestrial signature.

Every summer Devon Island, Nunavut, turns into a research lab for scientists who study Mars. During the 2018 summer field campaign, Google travelled with members of the Haughton-Mars Project to collect Street View imagery to allow Google Earth and Google Maps users to visit Devon

Island virtually, and to create a Google Earth guided tour illustrating how Devon Island is so similar to Mars. In addition, a 10-minute documentary titled “Mars On Earth: A Visit to Devon Island” was produced.

The NASA Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) is a leading international Mars analog field research project centered on the Haughton meteorite impact crater site and surrounding terrain on Devon Island. As one of the

most Mars-like places on Earth, the site is often referred to as Mars On Earth. Over its 22 years of history, the NASA HMP has made many contributions to the advancement of Mars science and future exploration through research conducted at the site.

Check out the Street View imagery now available on Google, as well as the Documentary, “Mars On Earth: A Visit to Devon Island,” at youtu.be/xzyOdH6OlV0.

Inuit pass Self-Determination resolution Inuit delegates attending the Makivik Corporation Annual General Meeting in Aupaluk, Nunavik, in March, passed a resolution supporting negotiations towards long sought-after Self-Determination for the Nunavik region.

Makivik will establish a “Nunavik Constitutional Task Force” to develop a Nunavik Constitution in consultation with the Nunavik Inuit. Makivik has appointed

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Mary Simon as the Chief Negotiator of Nunavik Self-Determination and Inuit government.

Mary Simon is from Kuujjuaq, and is well known in Nunavik, across the Inuit homeland and the circumpolar world. She is a former President of Makivik Corporation, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Canada’s first Ambassador to the Arctic. Simon contributed to the

drafting of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and was instrumental in the creation of the Arctic Council in 1996.

Since October 2018, the government of Canada began negotiations with Makivik on a draft Memorandum of Understanding that will guide the negotiations. Self-Determination will be based on Inuit values, heritage, identity, culture, and language.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

As per Ivakkak Tradition Team 9 is raised not only in victory, but in congratulations on completing the 700+ kilometre journey between Chisasibi and Inukjuak. It was the second year in a row for these mushers from Tasiujaq to win. © Makivik | Ivakkak 2019

Tasiujaq mushers win annual race again The 18th Annual Ivakkak dog race returned to Nunavik trails February 25, 2019 beginning in the community of Chisasibi, passing through Kuujjuaraapik and Umiujaq, heading north along the coast to the finish line in Inukjuak. It was the first time the Race included Chisasibi, home to an Inuit population registered under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

As of March 5, Ivakkak champions Willie Cain Jr. and Ken Labbe, Team 9, sat in first place, followed by Aisa and Carlos Surusilak, Team 5, from Puvirnituq.

Both Teams held their positions to the end of the Race March 10, with Team 7, Peter Boy and Eric Ittukallak, placing third.

Final times were 57:41:21, 59:43:20, and 63:14:11 consecutively.

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RESOURCES

Building an economy of mining opportunities Mining in Nunavut is clearly gaining strength, with the value of mineral production topping $1 billion in each of the last two years. Consider for a moment that just nine short years ago, Nunavut had no operating mines and the value of Nunavut’s mineral production was zero. You’ve come a long way fast, Nunavut!

According to Nunavut’s Senior Economist, Francois Picotte, overall mineral industry investment — production plus exploration — reached a whopping $1.4 billion in 2018.

While that’s down slightly from 2017, it’s higher than any previous year in Nunavut’s history. According to Picotte, at over 22 per cent of the GDP and growing, mining is the largest private sector contributor to Nunavut’s economy.

While dollars in mineral production are an important measure, it’s especially gratifying to see the ever-increasing numbers of Nunavummiut workers and businesses — and of course governments and Inuit organizations too — benefitting from the mineral industry’s growth.

Data compiled by the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines shows that mining in 2017 generated over 500 person years of employment, about 20 per cent of all mining jobs. To push Nunavut’s share of jobs even higher, mines and their community partners are taking steps to increase this employment, with some ambitiously striving for 50 per cent Inuit employment. The Chamber is helping too, with the launch of a new information site — MiningNorthWorks! — to help people understand how the industry works and the many career opportunities available.

Check it out at miningnorthworks.com.

Business spending is also showing powerful and rapid growth. Latest figures show mining companies spent $850 million with Nunavut companies in 2017. That brings total spending to date to several billion dollars.

This phenomenal growth came through constructing a new mining industry — gold mines at Meadowbank and Hope Bay and an iron mine at Mary River — and of course operating those mines. The future continues to look good, with a fourth mine, Meliadine gold mine, poised to go into commercial production later this year.

What’s driving all this?

Last year was the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Nunavut Land Claim agreement. It made Nunavummiut the largest private land holders in the world, and valuable lands too. A key vision of that agreement 2019 | 03

Nunavut’s mineral production is driven by two gold mines (pictured is a core sample from Hope Bay) and one iron mine. Soon, a fourth project, Meliadine, will join the list of the territory’s producers, bringing the total to four mines. © TMAC Resources

was the selection of high mineral potential lands so as to build an economy of mining opportunities for Nunavut beneficiaries and the territory.

Clearly the vision of the land claim negotiators is paying off today. And paying off royally too — pun intended — with all of Nunavut’s operating mines on Inuit-owned lands and paying royalties to the private landowner, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. In addition to providing local benefits, Nunavut’s mines are responsibly contributing to global needs.

The modern world requires metals and minerals and with its current and future mines, Nunavut’s mineral resources industry is playing a part in meeting global needs. Cell phones, vehicles, materials in our homes, and even items needed to build homes, all require the minerals and metals mines produce.

Nunavut’s a global player Is there any bad news in this rosy picture?

Well, one. That is declining exploration investment. This year marks four years in a row that exploration has fallen, from $215 million in 2015 to $144 million projected for this year.

Why is that worrisome? Exploration is a risky business, and finding a mine can take years, even decades, and costs hundreds

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of millions of dollars. Globally, only one in a thousand advanced exploration projects becomes a mine; the odds of finding a worldclass deposit is even higher at one in 3,333.

We need exploration today to replace the mines that will close 15 to 20 years from now. And, importantly, keep the jobs, business benefits, and taxes and royalties flowing. Kudos to the Nunavut government for having launched an investor confidence initiative, to take actions to turn exploration investment around.

Nunavut has a rich history of mining, beginning with the Rankin Inlet nickel mine, followed by the Nanisivik and Polaris lead-zinc mines and the Lupin gold mine.

Today’s mines are adding to and making their own history, and with rejuvenated exploration investment, Nunavut will be able to find its future mines.

The past decade has generated significant new opportunities and benefits for Nunavut and its residents and beneficiaries.

With community, industry and government partners working together, mining benefits are expected to grow, contributing even more opportunities and a stronger future for Nunavummiut.

Submitted by the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

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HIKING

In the Land of the Glaciers Text and photos by Justine Gosling

It isn’t a regular inflight experience on the flight to Pond Inlet with Canadian Arctic airline First Air. The seats next to me are occupied by a musher and his affectionate husky puppy who likes to chew my finger and roll around in his bag adorably. Announcements are repeated in English, French and Inuktitut. Peering out the window to the water below I see icebergs so big they are easily spotted even from the planes cruising altitude.

As I sip my complimentary Bailey’s coffee, I wonder if we are being pre-warmed for the frigid polar temperatures to come on our hike.

Taking in the glacier before bedtime.

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Following the glacial river valley.

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eep inside the Arctic circle, Bylot Island lies on the 73rd northern parallel. With a surface area of 4,273 square miles, it is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the world, except for the two weeks we hike there.

It is a bumpy half hour journey by boat across the Eclipse Sound from the Inuit hamlet of Pond Inlet to our island. Watched by a couple of inquisitive seals, eight of us plus two guides roll up our trousers and wade through the ice-filled water to reach the beach and throw our backpacks onto the sand. The boat departs and we think we are totally alone, however after walking less than 100 metres, we spot the first of many Polar bear foot prints, larger than the size of my head, reminding us we are never really alone and to remain vigilant for the predator. We clamber two kilometres inland to set up our first camp on a grassy plateau. Tired from travelling, we are soon cozy in our sleeping bags donning wooly hats with our drinking water bottles now comforting hot water bottles and wearing eye masks to block out the 24-hour daylight as we sleep.

The following day under cloudy skies we pack up camp and return to explore the beach. It is a fascinatingly morbid place. Beached icebergs as large as cars and as small as diamonds litter the shoreline, slowly melting into the sand, the last signs of winter disappearing as it is just about to begin again.

Gristly artefacts found just above the tideline tell the story of a population still strongly connected to its history and natural surrounds.

The ground is covered in sun bleached white bones belonging to the unicorned narwhal, birds and seals. Curiously I scour the site, trying to identify bone parts and match them with an animal. We discover whale vertebrae bones the size of car tires and there is much debate among the group about how old the bones are.

Our hike turns northwards up an unnamed river valley to explore the Hoodoos. Much of the coastal areas in northern Canada are mapped by explorers searching for the fabled Northwest Passage. The seamen didn’t bother heading inland beyond the beaches and the island is little visited other than by a handful of Inuit every year, hence the lack of names for most of the geographical locations.

There are no paths or tracks to follow on the island; we have a map and make our own. Throughout the two-week hike, we trundle in and out of Sirmilik National Park. Sirmilik means “Land of the Glaciers” in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit. The glacial and snow melt means finding fresh drinking water from the run-off was easy but also that we can’t avoid multiple toe numbing river crossings.

They may not be cool, but my croc rubber sandals are my prized piece of kit on the trip. They’re cheap, super light-weight, dry instantly and protect my toes from scrapes whilst wading through water. I also proudly wear them around camp with not one but two pairs of socks

A narwhal graveyard.

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One of many daily river crossings.

to keep my feet toasty, happy to relieve my feet of my hiking boots at the end of each day. Bed time always comes early after our wonderful guides cook hearty carb heavy meals of Bolognese pasta or thai rice, ensuring we are warmed from the inside out.

We usually enjoy a long, leisurely breakfast of gallons of coffee, egg frittata and bacon, apple porridge or delicious blueberry pancakes. All are carried in our backpacks in powdered form and rehydrated with each meal’s ingredients bagged together, labelled for a specific day.

We endure another icy river crossing one morning to reach the Hoodoos across the valley from our camp and to enjoy a better view of the Peregrine Falcon nest in one of the tallest spires. Often referred to as a “fairy chimney,” a Hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that grows from the bottom of an arid basin, its haphazard layers and shape defy the usual rules of gravity. Their unbalanced appearance is the result of erosion on alternating hard and softer rock layers, creating perfect nooks for a nest to raise three fat, fluffy, white falcon chicks.

Despite the lack of sunshine and reliably constant chilly temperatures between three to 10 degrees, the group keeps good humour, ‘accidentally’ leaving behind food bags for others to carry and being overly generous with snacks, encouraging each other to eat to relieve backpack weight.

Hiking becomes easier with each passing day as we eat through the contents of our backpacks. I’d estimate my starting pack weight to be about 35 kg. We hike across approximately 10 to 14 km of undulating ground per day, spending two nights at most camps, allowing for longer days of hiking to higher elevations without our heavy backpacks.

As our journey continues, we traverse the moss-covered Polar tundra to reach the next valley with multiple river crossings, including one whose river bank had collapsed within the last 24 hours, exposing a huge slab of permafrost. Stepping across large and small boulders dumped in the river valley by previously higher water levels is tricky with a heavy backpack, requiring careful foot placement to stay on our feet. Most of the time, we are hiking on the tundra, slogging it out across the boot 2019 | 03

stealing bog in what feels like a comically lame military yomp, the ground saturated due to the snow melt and the permafrost below.

On our last day we hike alongside the river valley to explore the glacier, which shares the name of the national park. Light drizzle falls from the low clouds and the temperature drops. For the first time on the trip I keep my down jacket on beneath my rain jacket to keep out the chill. At our lunch spot a fellow hiker, Brendan, a retired Veterinarian, notices something unusual about a prominent rock someone has sat on. It is surrounded by long, lush grass and a closer inspection reveals that half of the rock is bare, its lichen eroded away. He then notices the Owl pellets among the grass and proceeds to break them up between his fingers revealing the tiny bones of the birds the Owl has eaten. The investigation leads him to hypothesize with confidence that the rock is a favoured perch for an Owl and a territory-marking urinating spot for an Arctic fox, hence the erosion of the lichen from the high nitrogen concentration in the fox’s urine, which also fertilizes the grass.

It isn’t overcast for the whole trip. We bask in three hours of sunshine upon reaching our last camp next to the Sirmilik glacier. This is my favourite camp. The glacier is a dull, grey colour, covered in moraine rocks since its winter white snow coat has melted. It separates us from the pyramidal peaks on the other side of the valley facing the sun. Further inland and higher up, the glacier splits off in multiple directions, flowing around four, probably never climbed, sharp peaks before joining again as one big powerful slab of ice that is forcing its way down towards the beach. Under temporary blue skies and zero wind, the arteries of water exiting the glacier shine like liquid silver into the Sound.

As we take down camp for the last time on day 13, I notice the fresh snow that has fallen overnight in the mountains surrounding us, despite it only being mid-August. It is clearly time to leave and once again the island is completely uninhabited.

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Albedo Autumn Project Enduring Ice

By Michael Dillon | Photos by Bryce Dillon

Ellesmere Island is one of the most remote places on Earth. It’s about as North as you can get and still be standing on terra firma. The first time I visited here was as an adventure tourist on a kayaking trip in 2001. While in Alexandra Fjord, near the centre of the Island, I met a scientist who was studying something he referred to as global warming. I’d never heard that term before. Now, 17 years later, I’ve returned with documentary filmmaker Stephen Smith and his wife, Diana Kushner; Chris Horvat, a climate scientist; and my youngest son, Bryce, as part of an expedition called Project Enduring Ice. Our goal is to create a documentary about the impact of rapidly melting sea ice on our warming planet.

Hauling gear laden kayaks through melt pools that dot the sea ice.

Opposite: An iceberg, likely from the glaciers of Greenland, surrounded by an expanse of sea ice.

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nlike glaciers and icebergs, which are composed of fresh water frozen over many centuries, sea ice is the layer of frozen salt water that floats on the Arctic Ocean. It varies in size from 1 to 2 metres thick and its white colour reflects up to 85 per cent of incoming sunlight back into space. Scientists refer to this reflective measure as “albedo.”

You can think of sea ice as our Earth’s sunscreen, protecting the northern hemisphere from summer solar radiation because of its high albedo. But when the ice declines or disappears, the albedo is low and the dark ocean waters absorb as much as 93 per cent of the sun’s rays.

To reach the intended starting point for our expedition, the northern tip of Ellesmere at nearly 82 degrees in latitude, is a three-day journey requiring 10 flights in planes of progressively smaller size. In Resolute, we spend several days assembling our equipment and purchasing final supplies before loading everything into a de Havilland Twin Otter — the winged workhorse of the High Arctic. With five passengers, three kayaks, food, fuel and gear for five weeks all crowded in the fuselage, in-flight service for the long flight to Fort Conger consists of a pair of foam earplugs to dampen the roar of the turbo props. Looking out of the window on our takeoff from Resolute, I am struck by the absence of trees. This far North, the world is elemental – just water, ice, land and sky.

I think all of us are uneasy as we explore Fort Conger and think of the ill-fated Greely Expedition members who built

the Fort in 1881. Those explorers and scientists were eventually forced to abandon it and make their way south along the island to seek rescue after three years alone in the Arctic. Tragically, only six of the 25-man crew survived. Walking through the remains of the Fort — stoves, cans, nails, animal bones, and bits of clothing — it’s eerie to think we will be following the same route in the days ahead.

Our journey from Fort Conger begins with a crossing of frozen Lady Franklin Bay. We had anticipated that the Bay would be covered in a layer of sea ice and prepared for this by carrying harnesses and ropes so we can haul our fully loaded kayaks across the ice. We make it only a few miles the first day before deciding to set up camp on the ice. No matter how prepared you are, there is something disconcerting about sleeping in a tent on sea ice. I sleep fitfully, imagining every sound to be a crack in the ice that would empty us into the freezing waters below.

After another day of hauling kayaks across the ice, we reach the northern most part of Nares Strait. Imagine for a moment an hour glass. The frozen Arctic Ocean is the upper portion. The bottom is Baffin Bay, the Labrador Sea and, eventually, the Atlantic Ocean. The neck of the hour glass is Nares Strait, but instead of sand, large islands or pans of sea ice breaking off from the frozen Arctic Ocean flow through it. Our plan is to study and film these pans as we paddle down the Strait over the course of the month.

At least, that’s what we expected. Instead, all we can see is a jumble of ice, like shards of broken glass jammed into the Strait and covering every inch of the distance to Greenland. It is then we realize our journey is going to be far different than we had thought. What has caused these conditions? Is it the warming of the air and water that reduces the thickness of the summer sea ice, causing it to lose its structural integrity and shatter into smaller pieces? We aren’t certain, but comparisons with past satellite imagery and century old photographs from past expeditions reveal that the depth and

The expedition camped on the frozen waters of Lady Franklin Bay.

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Both land and sea are testament to the dynamic and sculpting nature of water.

size of the sea ice is far different from what we are now witnessing. The conditions are also likely related to the 72 per cent decline in Arctic summer sea ice since 1980, as well as a portent of accelerated warming of the planet.

On a more immediate level, it means our expedition is going to change dramatically.

Instead of paddling with the current for hours each day, we are forced to pull our kayaks along the ice foot — the portion of the shoreline consisting of frozen sea water, gravel, and sand. On some days, eight to 10 hours of effort results in only a bit more than two kilometres in distance. “Arduous” does not begin to describe the pain and exhaustion one experiences while harnessed to a 450-pound kayak wearing a dry suit all day. It’s a succession of slipping, tripping, falling, and pulling that you convince yourself constitutes progress. While the dry suit serves its intended purpose when you unexpectedly lurch into the water, it also traps the heat from your body, making you feel cooked sous-vide style. The beauty and desolation of this area touches one’s soul.

Except for the other members of our team, there is no evidence of current humans.

No trails, no footprints, no trash, no power lines, no ships, not even contrails from jets. Just nature at its purest — brown hills of the Canadian Shield, pockets of snow releasing rivulets of melt water streams and glimmers of cerulean blue waters covered in a chaotic expanse of sea ice.

Yet there are reminders of past inhabitants. Small communities of Dorset, Thule and Independence people lived in this area up to a thousand years ago. On many occasions, we find we have selected a campsite near where a previous culture had also chosen to camp, demonstrated by the remains of a tent ring, a fire pit, or, in one case, a broken soapstone seal oil lamp that had been abandoned by its owner millennia in the past. Our original plan is to conduct our filming and scientific study while paddling more than 500 kilometres through the Strait; however, the challenging conditions limit us to just slightly more than 100 kilometres in total distance. After weeks of sledging, and with little food remaining, we reach Carl Ritter Bay and locate the remains of a dirt runway strip, unused for several decades. We decide to use our emergency satellite phone and call to request pick up there two days later. Then, with our ice axe, paddles and duffle bags, we spend long hours digging and moving rocks and soil to repair the runway strip.

On the morning of our planned extraction, we awake to low clouds and a blanket of snow — conditions that make it dangerous for a plane to land. When we contact our pilots in Resolute with a weather report, they inform us that the plane is booked for many weeks ahead in support of other Arctic operations. If they are to get us, it 2019 | 03

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Taking a rest from the strain of hauling fully-loaded kayaks.

must be that day. With our food running low and our spirits lower, we have no choice but to hope that the weather will improve in the five hours before the plane arrives.

The remainder of the day is spent battling anxiety and monitoring the weather for any positive sign. At last, we hear the plane’s engine, but by that time the clouds have dropped even lower. We listen as it flies repeatedly over our location looking for a break in the clouds as the conditions continue to worsen. Then, in a bit of piloting worthy of Chuck Yeager, we see the Twin Otter’s wing slice through the clouds as it drops onto the gravel runway and comes to an abrupt stop.

Tears blur my vision as I race to the plane with the others.

But, to be honest, I’m not sure whether they reflect my happiness to finally be returning home, regret over leaving such a special place as Ellesmere Island, or relief that I no longer need to wear my dry suit!

To learn more about Project Enduring Ice, visit: enduringice.com.

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Tuning Up in the Arctic RCMP Band Tours

By Season Osborne

The sun was still high at 8 p.m. on May 7, 1967, when the entire community of Cambridge Bay headed out to the hangar at the DEW Line site. People travelled by qamutiq and skidoo over the ice- and snow-covered road to hear the Mounties play.

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t 9 p.m., 42 men in red serge jackets with brass instruments took the stage built on the back of a flat bed truck and wooden pallets beside it. An audience of more than 500 sat on rows of wooden benches in front of the stage, waiting. The conductor lifted his baton, and an enormous sound filled the aircraft hangar. It was live music that had never been heard in the Arctic Islands before.

Canada was celebrating its centennial from coast to coast to coast with a big band sound. Cambridge Bay was the fifth stop on the RCMP Band’s first Arctic tour.

Nuinnaqtun interpreter, Joseph Otokiak, was 12 when the band played Cambridge Bay. He remembered when he arrived at the hangar, being asked to sit with other kids at the front. A few songs into the concert, Conductor Supt. Edwin Lydall invited young Otokiak to come up to conduct the band.

“I remember the song they were playing was ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand,’ by the Beatles. The conductor gave me a stick,” said Otokiak. “I’d had a chance to see the conductor do his stuff first, so then I kind of went along with the music. That was exciting,” he laughed. “I think the band knew what they were doing, and probably didn’t need the conductor.”

The RCMP Band played in arenas, school gymnasiums, and community centres, as well as concert halls like this one in Dawson City built during the Yukon Gold Rush. Courtesy Drummond Hudson

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The band’s singer, Cpl. Garth Hampson, kept a diary on the 1967 tour and wrote, “Ted Lydall got little Joseph Otokiak up in front of the band to conduct. He left the stand and the boy did very well on his own. People really enjoyed this, and he got a good ovation when the number finished.”

After the 90-minute concert, the band posed for pictures with audience members. Then there was a reception at the DEW Line site. The party ended at 2 a.m. in full daylight, and many of the musicians went off on dogsled tours with the locals.

The next morning, the RCMP Band boarded a Hercules military cargo plane, and took off for the next stop on the tour.

Harold Pretty, the tuba, string bass, and bass guitar player, explained that the band used a Hercules because it could take off and land on less than perfect runways. Inside, the band members sat on webbed seating against the walls of the plane.

The instruments and equipment were stowed down the middle between them. Pretty said it was an extremely noisy way to travel.

A full-time national RCMP Band, based in Ottawa, was established in December 1958. Professional musicians were hired from across Canada, and the band began touring the country in 1959. The RCMP Band’s main role was public relations, and its members were considered musical ambassadors.

Insp. W. Bramwell Smith (musical director from 1967 to 1975) stands centre between local RCMP constables and young audience members, 1973. Courtesy Garth Hampson

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Trombonist Jim Gayfer said the RCMP had its own staff arrangers who took popular tunes and arranged them for the band to play. The music was fun and energetic. During the concerts, band members encouraged the audience to sing and clap, and get them up dancing. Half their concerts were performed at schools and geared to the youth.

“We played all the latest pop stuff that the kids would know,” said Drummond Hudson, who joined the band as a trombonist in 1959 and later became the band’s manager. “We wanted to show the other side of policemen — that we were approachable.”

Hudson, Pretty, and other band members were hired as musicians, and then sent to ‘Depot,’ the RCMP Academy outside of Regina, for police training. Garth Hampson was the only one who was an RCMP officer before joining the band. Hampson was at the Vegreville, Alberta, detachment in 1964, before being transferred to Ottawa to be the band’s vocalist.

By 1966, the band had wowed crowds in all major Canadian cities, and many small towns, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But it hadn’t played above the 60th parallel.

For Canada’s Centennial, the RCMP wanted to introduce as many Canadians to the band’s music as possible. So, an Arctic tour was scheduled.

“Music can open so many doors, and this was particularly so wherever the band went,” said Hampson. “All were treated to the very best music.”

The band left Ottawa on May 1, 1967. It played three concerts in Fort Smith, two in Yellowknife, three in Whitehorse, and one in Inuvik before performing in Cambridge Bay. The band then gave two performances in Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), and two more in Goose Bay, Labrador. The last concert, scheduled for Labrador City, was cancelled. When poor weather prevented the plane from landing, it carried on to Ottawa. In 10 days, the RCMP Band had travelled 8,125 kilometres (13,000 miles). Its first Arctic tour was a tremendous success.

“Seeing people, especially children’s, facial reactions to hearing a trumpet played for the first time was wonderful. They’d never seen anything like that,” said Hampson.

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Members of the RCMP Band with children from Inuvik on the 1973 tour. Courtesy Garth Hampson

Travelling with a big band was expensive, though, and so the RCMP didn’t tour the Far North for another five years. In 1973, in honour of the mounted police force’s 100th anniversary, the RCMP Band planned an extensive Canadian tour. Months in advance of the concerts, Hudson flew to different Arctic communities to organize concert dates and times, performance locations, and sleeping accommodations. Sometimes the communities were so small; he arranged for the band to fly in, perform, then fly out afterwards to a town that had a hotel.

In 1977, a 15-piece show band was formed, and later the nine-piece Bison Band was created. These bands used two twin otter airplanes: one to carry the band members, and the other to carry the instruments. This simplified the logistics of northern travel. These planes could more easily get into remote, smaller communities, and accommodations for fewer band members were easier to organize.

Kerry-Anne Kutz was hired as the Bison Band’s vocalist in December 1984. She was the first woman in an RCMP band.

She loved the Arctic tours and said, “The beauty of the communities, the natural beauty, and the experience itself was unforgettable.”

“Our job was to link the very important work of the people on the detachment to the community to enhance that relationship,” said Kutz. “It was also a way to thank the people in the communities for their support.”

After 1973, an RCMP band toured different Arctic communities every four years — 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989, and 1993.

In December 1993, the federal government decided the RCMP bands were too expensive. The millions of dollars spent on travelling across the country and around the world would go instead to “maintaining core police functions.”

Despite a petition with 30,000 supporters’ signatures, the government tuned out, and cut the bands.

The RCMP musicians were stunned by the news, and 25 years later are nostalgic.

“I really enjoyed the performing. I still miss that,” said trombonist Jim Gayfer. “When I get together with guys from the band—25 years later—we’re still talking about it.”

If you recognize people in these photographs, please inform Above & Beyond Magazine.

Season Osborne has a passion for Arctic history and is the author of In the Shadow of the Pole: An Early History of Arctic Expeditions, 1871-1912. She lives and writes in Ottawa, Ontario.

The Bison Band with singer Kerry-Anne Kutz played Pond Inlet in 1985. Program courtesy Philippa Ootoowak 2019 | 03

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C U LT U R E Arctic hare rely on their fluffy soft fur to survive the frigid Arctic winter. © DNV Photo Ltd.

Inuit call the soft and warm fur of Arctic animals such as muskox and Arctic fox “Qiviut”. © DNV Photo Ltd.

In 2016, Nunavut Qiviut produced the world’s first Arctic Fox yarn. © nialat / fotolia.com

Arctic Fibres Supporting Inuit Traditions

By Geoffrey Clark

Arctic animals can stay warm on dark, wintry days on the Canadian tundra because of their soft, fine, fluffy, and dense under-fur. This soft fur is known in Nunavut as “qiviut,” which means “downy”.

Qiviut can be spun into beautiful yarn. A small Nunavut-based company called Nunavut Qiviut in Kugluktuk, started in 2015 as a food security and cultural continuity initiative. Nunavut Qiviut is producing yarn from sustainable Arctic fibres to support Inuit traditions in the modern-day economy.

Muskox qiviut is the best known qiviut fibre.

Muskoxen are hoofed mammals with curved horns, and long shaggy fur with incredibly soft, warm underfur. They survived the mega-fauna extinction at the end of the last ice age. Today, muskox meat is an important staple for many Inuit families, and it forms an important part of the modern economy. Nunavut Qiviut procures hides to offset hunters’ costs of providing food for their families. This helps Nunavut families maintain a healthy, traditional diet.

The hides are processed locally to obtain qiviut fibre. The qiviut is then shipped to small familyowned spinning mills in Canada and the U.S., which focus on spinning small batches of fibre into luxury 2019 | 03

yarn. Ecologically friendly dyes are used to create the palette of jewel tones. The yarn is then returned to Kugluktuk to be marketed to yarn stores and fine art galleries. Some of the yarn is knit into shawls and other apparel, and is sold around the world.

Nunavut Qiviut’s priority is to remain integrated within the economy of Nunavut to ensure that the benefits go to Nunavummiut. Nunavut Qiviut is the only qiviut yarn business in North America situated in a fly-in community on the Arctic tundra, from which the qiviut originates. While there are numerous challenges posed by their location, there are many incredible benefits to residing in the most populous area for muskox in the world.

Muskox qiviut is renowned in the fibre art world, and is on the wish list of countless fibre artists. It is one of the rarest natural fibres, highly prized for its softness and warmth. What is less well known is that there are other high quality Arctic fibres with potential to be spun into yarn.

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C U LT U R E Incredibly soft and warm, Nunavut Qiviut yarn is wonderful to wear (Arctic fox yarn, lace scarf). © DNV Photo Ltd. (2)

The fur of Arctic fox has been used by Inuit for clothing for countless generations.

Arctic Hare, too, is traditionally harvested by Inuit, for food and fur. In 2016, Nunavut Qiviut produced the world’s first Arctic Fox yarn, and a year later produced the world’s first Arctic Hare yarn. Unlike muskox qiviut, Arctic Hare and Arctic Fox fibre are not long enough to spin into pure yarn. They can be blended with premium fibres like silk and superfine merino to make glorious yarn. The yarn made from Arctic Hare is almost a pure white, and that of Arctic Fox is a very light grey-white. In contrast, pure muskox qiviut is a light brown grey.

Qiviut is often given as a special gift to experienced knitters. Nunavut Qiviut lace yarn handles with a sensuous smooth feel, and knits into beautiful knit apparel with a soft halo.

The Arctic culture has maintained a robust capacity for making clothing from natural materials. Nunavut Qiviut provides the opportunity for fiber artists in Nunavut and around the world to create original knit designs produced from sustainable Arctic fibres to support traditional Arctic lifestyles. Learn more about building a sustainable enterprise north of the Arctic Circle by contacting Geoffrey Clark at Nunavut Qiviut at nunavutqiviut@gmail.com or visit nunavutqiviut.com.

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The rich colours of Nunavut Qiviut yarn highlight the luxurious array of fall colours found on the tundra near Kugluktuk (50 per cent muskox qiviut: 50 per cent silk, lace yarn).

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ᐃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱ ᐃᖃᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅᐱᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅᐱ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃᑦᑕ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃᑦ ᖃ ᐃᓅᔾ ᐃ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᕐᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᕐᓄ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᕐ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒃ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎ ᐃᓅᔾᔪ ᓅ ? ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᐳᑎᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᐳᑎᑦᑕᐅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᐳᑎᑦᑕ ᐃᖃᓗᒐ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᐳ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᐳᑎ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᐳᑎᑦ ᐃᖃ ᐃᖃᓗ ᐃ ᐃ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕᕐ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋ ᐃᓅᔾᔪ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎ ᐃᓅᔾ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕᕐᓄ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅ ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕᕐᓄᑦ ᓅ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᕐᑎᑦᑎᕗᒍᑦ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᖢᑕ ᐱᕕᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ

ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᕿ ᕿᑭᖅᑖ ᕿᑭᖅ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗ ᑭ ᑯ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᑯᐊ ᑯᐊᐳ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑯᐊᐳᕆ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖁᑎᒋᔭᔪᖅ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᕕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᕐᕕᐅᔪᖅ, ᓴᕿᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ.ᓴᕿᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ 1983-ᒥ, ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᓴᕿᑦᑎᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᑑᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ.

ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗ ᕿᑭᖅ ᕿᑭᖅᑖ ᑭ ᑯᐊᐳ ᑯᐊᐳᕆ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᑯᐊ ᑯ ᕿ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑐᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂ ᑲᒻᐸᓂ ᓇᑉᐸᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ. ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑎᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ 1.5 ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ 17-ᖑᔪᑦ ᐃᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᑭᖑᒐᓱᒃᑐᑦ ᓚᐃᓴᓯᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒧᖓ ᐊᑦᓛᓐᑎᒃ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓇᐅᑎᑖᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᒐᒥᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒪᕕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ 1987. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᑭᖑᖕᓄᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᓇᑖᕐᓇᑦ ᐅᐊᖕᓇᖓᓂ ᐱᓇᖕᓇᖓᓄ ᐊᒃᓛᓐᑎᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑎᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᖏᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᕕᖓᑦ 0A ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 0B ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᖑᐃᑦ ᑲᓇᖕᓇᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓇᖕᓇᖓᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᓱᒡᕕᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᖅᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᖕᖏᓂᐊᑕ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓂᑦ. ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖ ᕿᑭ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗ ᕿᑭᖅ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᑯᐊᐳ ᑯᐊᐳᕆ ᑯᐊ ᑯ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᖏᓐᓇᕈᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᖕᖏᔪᓂ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᐊᐅᓪᓗᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒥ, ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᓕᕆᓂᖅ, ᐃᒡᓗᓕᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᐅᔪᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᕿᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᓇᓕᖃᕇᓕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᑕᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖓ ᓄᑖᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᒍᑦ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᒍ ᓄᓇ, ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᕗᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᕚᓪᓕᕐᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᕐᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᓂᒃ ᖃᑭᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐅᒡᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓴᕿᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᒥᒍᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᕈᑎᒋᓗᒋᑦ. ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗ ᕿᑭᖅᑖ ᕿᑭ ᕿᑭᖅ ᐃᖃ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯ ᐃᖃᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᓕ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃ ᐃ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆ ᑯ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᑯᐊᐳᕆ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑯᐊ ᑯᐊᐳ ᐅᑯᐊ 100% ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ. ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ 76-ᒦᑕ ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ ᐆᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᖁᐊᖃᐅᑎᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᒥᐊᖅ, ᓴᐳᑎ, ᐅᓇᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐃᖃᓗᒍᓐᓇᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᖏᑕ ᓄᖃᕐᕕᖓ. ᑕᐃᑲᓂ 2005, ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᕗᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᖕᖏᓛᓂᒃ ᓇᒦᓂᖃᖃᑕᐅᔾᔪᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᒥᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 2018-ᒥ 100% ᓇᖕᓂᒥᖅᑖᕆᓪᓗᒍ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᐳᑎ. ᐅᓇ ᐅᒥᐊᖅ ᐱᓯᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ 900 ᑕᓐᔅ ᓇᑖᕐᓇᓂᒃ ᐅᒡᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ 600 ᑕᓐᔅ ᑭᖑᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᐊᖅᑎᓯᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ 50-ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ ᑕᓐᔅ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ, ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒧᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐅᖁᒪᐃᑎᒋᓂᖓ 9,000 ᑕᓐᔅ. ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᐅᓪᓗᑎᔭᖏᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᖏᓐᓇᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓴᐳᑎᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᑐᒍᑦ ᑐᓴᕐᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᕋᑦᑕ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᓂ ᐅᓄᓛᖑᔪᑦ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᓂ ᓴᓇᔪᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂ. ᐅᑯᐊ ᑭᖑᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᑖᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᖓᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᓴᐳᑎᒥ ᐊᖕᖏᓛᖑᕗᖅ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᒪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᓂᕿᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓛᖑᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐋ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌ ᐋᔩᖃ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᒍ ᐋᔩᖃᑎ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎᖏ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎᖏᑦ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎ ᔩ ᑭ ᑭᒡᓕᓯ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐ ᑭᒡᓕ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᕐ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᒡ ᐊᒻ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊ ᖃᐅ ᖃᐅᔨ ᖃᐅᔨᓴ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ ᖃ ᓄᓇᕗ ᓄ ᓄᓇ ᓄᓇᕗᒻ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ: ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ

ᐃᓄᖕ ᐃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᓄ ᐃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦᑎ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦᑎᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᑎ ᐃᖅ ᐃᖅᑲ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭ ᐊ ᐊᒻ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊ ᐃᓕᓐ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ: ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓕ

ᑕᐃᑲᓂ 2005 ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᓴᓇᖃᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᓂᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐋᕿᒃᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᑦᑎᕕᖓᑦ (ᑭᖑᓂᐊᓂ ᐊᑦᑎᖅᑕᐅᑲᓐᓂᖅᖢᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒥ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᑦᑎᕕᐅᔪᖅ). ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᒐᓱᐊᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓕᕐᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᑭᓱᓕᕆᔨᒃᓴᑐᐃᓐᓇᓄᑦ ᒪᑐᐃᖓᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᖅᐸᓯᖕᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ. ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᒪᐅᓐᓇ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓇᑖᕐᓇᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᑎᒍᑦ ᐅᖓᑖᓂ $25 ᒥᓕᐊᓐ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᑦ 2005.

ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒋᓗᒍ: sales@qcorp.ca

ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᖕᓂᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᑕᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᓴᖕᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐅᒃᐱᕈᓱᒃᑐᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᖅ ᐱᑕᖃᓕᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᖑᑦᑐᓐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑑᓗᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᓴᖕᖏᓂᖅᓴᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑯᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᒃᑯᑦ. ᑕᐃᑲᓂ 2010 ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᓴᓇᖃᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓴᕿᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᒃᓴᖓ, ᒫᓐᓇ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂᑦ. ᐅᓇ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᒃᓴᖓ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒫᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓇᑖᕐᓇᕈᓐᓇᖅᑕᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᖑᒍᓐᓇᖅᑕᑎᒃ. ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᒫᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᒫᖏᓪᓗ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ, ᓴᓇᖃᑎᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑎᒥᖕᓂᒃ, ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᓄᖑᐸᓪᓕᐊᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ.

ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓕᖅᓯᒪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓪᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᒋᐊᓂᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑐᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒻᒪᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᓴᕿᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 2012-ᒥ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᒥᒃ.

ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᒥ ᓯᕗ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴ ᓯᕗᓂ ᓯᕗᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎᒋᐊᓕᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎᒋᐊᓕ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎᒋᐊ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎᒋ ᓯᕗ ᓯᕗᓪ ᓯ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗ ᕿᑭᖅᑖ ᕿᑭ ᕿᑭᖅ ᕿ ᑯ ᑯᐊ ᑯᐊᐳ ᑯᐊᐳᕆ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒻ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᖕ ᓇᖕᒥᓕᖁᑎᖏᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓕᖁ ᓇᖕᒥᓕ ᓇᖕᒥᓕᖁᑎ ᓇᖕᒥᓕᖁᑎᖏ ᓇ ᓇᖕᒥ ᕿ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᕿᑭᖅᑖ ᕿᑭ ᕿᑭᖅ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯ ᐃᖃᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᓕ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨ ᐃᖃ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆ ᐃ ᑯ ᑯᐊᐳ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ: ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑯᐊᐳᕆ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊ -ᓴᓇᖃᑎᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᑦ ᓴᕿᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᖅᐸᓯᖕᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᕐᓗᒋᑦ.

- ᑲᔪᓯᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᓄᖅᓯᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᑖᓂ ᐅᒥᐊᑦ; - ᑲᔪᓯᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓗᑎᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᑦ ᓂᕐᔪᑎᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᕕᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ (redfish).

- ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴᓐ ᐊᖕᖏᖅᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᖁᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᖅᐸᓯᖕᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᒍᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎ ᐅᒥᐊᖅ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓕᕐᓗᓂ 2020 ᐊᐅᔭᖓᓂ.

SCIENCE

The Beluga Summit Sharing health, ecology and cultural interactions

By Lisa Loseto

The first Beluga Summit was held in Inuvik in 2016 to review research of the Eastern Beaufort Sea (EBS) beluga, Canada’s largest population of beluga last estimated at 40,000. This three-day summit brought together 80 participants from government, academia, and the Inuvialuit communities to share knowledge, identify information gaps, and build bridges between beluga experts from both scientific and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) bodies. The summit examined topics on beluga health, ecology and cultural interactions, topics identified by Inuvialuit, the Inuit of Canada’s Western Arctic.

Each summer, in Canada’s western Arctic, thousands of beluga whales gather in the Mackenzie Estuary of the Eastern Beaufort Sea, where they are harvested for subsistence, having great economic, dietary, and cultural importance to Inuvialuit. For more than 40 years, a community-based monitoring program led by the Fisheries Joint Management Program (FJMC), in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), has been monitoring the beluga harvest in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR). The strength and quality of the monitoring program has enabled research on the health and ecology of this beluga population to support co-management of the population. The interests and concerns of the ISR communities shape the research directions of the monitoring program.

In the early years, the program was focused on the core beluga harvesting communities: Aklavik, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. However, in recent years, belugas have been accessible and harvested in all six of the ISR communities. As a result, some communities, like Paulatuk, have initiated new research programs to better understand beluga health and the changes being observed. Given the growing body of data captured both by the program’s scientists and the wealth of knowledge held across all ISR communities, the concept of sharing knowledge on beluga whales was proposed.

The research shared at The Beluga Summit was published as 12 papers in September 2018 in the open access journal Arctic Science. The special edition, co-edited by Jen Lam, Joint Secretariat, John Iacozza, University of Manitoba and Lisa Loseto, DFO, featured papers using western science and TEK that provide the state-of-knowledge on EBS beluga health and ecology. The papers highlight that the belugas are in good condition, based on both western science and TEK bodies of knowledge. For example, measurements of

Some of the participants at the Beluga Summit event that occurred February 2016 in Inuvik, NWT, which includes scientists, co-management representatives and community representatives from all six of the ISR communities. © Devon Waugh, University of Guelph

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the stress hormone cortisol suggest that these beluga are under low stress. Knowing this, together with the knowledge communities have about belugas, strengthens the ability to monitor overall health.

The concept of ‘Change’ was a common theme in the special edition papers: for example, environmental changes are resulting in changes in beluga observations, the most significant being the large number of whales observed in Ulukhaktok in 2014 and the associated behaviours (e.g. feeding on sand lance, not typically found in beluga diet). While a lot is known about these belugas, the observed changes in both belugas and their ecosystems highlighted gaps in knowledge and raised new questions.

Knowledge gaps identified at the Beluga Summit and in the special edition resulted in several new research programs.

For example, the need for a new population estimate will be addressed this summer with a new aerial survey program using camera-equipped airplanes and state-of-the-art drones.

Recognizing the ecosystem changes that are occurring, such as changing sea ice conditions and the predicted increase in shipping activity helped identify the need for new knowledge about beluga habitat use of the Beaufort Sea. This, in addition to knowledge gaps around beluga diet and foraging behaviour, pointed to the need for a beluga telemetry program.

2018 was year one of the telemetry program, 13 years after the last one took place in 2005. The telemetry program was codesigned with the DFO, ISR communities and co-management boards (FJMC and the Inuvialuit Game Council) and was a success, tagging 14 belugas with three styles of tags and a E. Way-Nee, Fisheries Joint Management Committee total of 18 tags (some belugas had a second tag for comparison biologist, and Lionel Kikoak from Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, one and helped improve methods). Please visit “Beaufort Sea of the beluga monitors at Hendrickson Island, sample Beluga” on Facebook to see postings of their movements. the liver of a harvested beluga brought to shore at Tags have continued to transmit locations and dive data well Hendrickson Island, NWT. © A. Elliot, DFO into the winter season.

Moving into 2019 and 2020, these programs will connect western science with TEK and local observations to build a holistic understanding of beluga spatial and temporal movement in relation to habitat and prey.

New findings from this program will be shared at the next Beluga Summit planned for 2021 in Inuvik.

Lisa Loseto is a Research Scientist from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, writing on behalf of Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC), Inuvialuit Game Council (IGC) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

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YOUTH

Arctic Ecology land camps promote science for youth

By The Nunami Sukuijainiq Team

Five teams from across Canada’s North were awarded a share of over $2.5 million for their innovative projects to improve the quality of life in their communities during the Arctic Inspiration Prize awards ceremony in Whitehorse, Yukon, on February 22. The Youth Committee from Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, was awarded $466,000 for their project Nunami Sukuijainiq.

Youth learn how to collect and preserve plants for making a local herbarium. © Gwyneth A. MacMillan Sampling lichens as indicators of the air quality to track any change in the future. © José Gérin-Lajoie

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Nunami Sukuijainiq (Science on the Land) is a land-based and hands-on Science Education Program designed for Nunavik Youth. It arises from the Kangiqsualujjuaq Youth Committee’s desire to start a new land-based Science Education Program, in collaboration with Natural Science researchers. This program is based on Arctic Ecology and Environmental Stewardship through science land camps involving Elders and local experts. The youth will learn about water quality, freshwater and marine edible resources, vegetation change, permafrost dynamics, lake and fish ecology, winter ecology, and will practice different sampling techniques. These themes emerged during interactive consultations with the community, which focused on local research interests and issues.

With this multidisciplinary and intergenerational approach, youth from all Inuit communities in Nunavik will have the opportunity to participate in the Arctic Ecology summer and winter land camps. Nunami Sukuijainiq will also provide mentoring opportunities for Inuit youth already engaged in post-secondary Science programs across Inuit Nunangat (e.g. Environmental Technology Program at Arctic College, Nunavut). In addition, short documentary films will be produced from this initiative to inspire other indigenous communities and regions.

The objectives of Nunami Sukuijainiq are to stimulate and nurture the Nunavik youth’s interest in natural sciences and science related careers, to encourage them to pursue secondary education, to reinforce scientific literacy and to enhance their capacities in environmental stewardship. This program can set the foundation to inspire Nunavik youth to become researchers themselves.

The Activity Program offers a good balance between science, tradition and outdoor adventure. The Team hopes to build a sustainable model, based on local entrepreneurship,

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YOUTH Looking at a set of satellite images to track vegetation change over the last 30 years. © Gwyneth A. MacMillan

a growing northern expertise, and job creation. For example, the Nunami Sukuijainiq team could support other indigenous communities to identify their research needs and questions and to develop their own community-tailored environmental stewardship program. Longterm funding opportunities will need to be explored to achieve these goals.

Nunami Sukuijainiq can have multiple impacts: 1) increased capacity in environmental stewardship; 2) improved scientific literacy; 3) promotion of Inuit research; 4) a strengthened link between Elders and youth; 5) a greater motivation for pursuing secondary education; 6) a reinforced cultural connection with the land; 7) enhanced community involvement; 8) an enriched networking with other Nunavik and Nunavut communities; 9) an integrated approach in Arctic Ecology for science education; and 10) better exchanges between scientists and Inuit communities.

The Nunami Sukuijainiq team is very dynamic and committed to organizing activities that will contribute to the well-being of youth and their skill development for a better future. This team has gained experience from previous participatory projects, such as Imalirijiit, which has been going on since 2016. The collaboration with academic partners and science education specialists will guarantee the scientific aspects of this program.

Moreover, the participation of Elders and local experts will allow Inuit Knowledge and Western Science to better connect, in the actual and complex context of global environmental change in the Arctic.

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— The objectives of Nunami Sukuijainiq are to stimulate and nurture the Nunavik youth’s interest in natural sciences and science related careers....

—

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E D U C AT I O N

EntrepreNorth Program Creating business opportunities

By Jimmy Thomson

The middle of the floor is covered with a thick mat of balsam fir boughs, bushy and soft to the touch. Misty Ireland, owner of Dene Roots, is standing on top — and around her, in a circle, entrepreneurs from across the North are holding boughs of their own. They brush her down with the needles, in a ceremony intended to prepare her for the challenges of the coming day. Every member of the cohort takes their turn in the centre of the circle, then the facilitators.

It’s not the beginning one would expect for a business-focused gathering.

The group of nine mostly Indigenous women and men have had personalized coaching and group learning to bring their businesses to the next level — whatever that may mean for them. To help them get there, EntrepreNorth brought in experts in everything from sales and marketing to finance and venture capital.

Throughout the morning, a business coach speaks to the gathered entrepreneurs about silencing their “inner critic,” the little voice inside their heads that tells them they aren’t good enough, that they don’t deserve success. Ireland nods her head knowingly, but there is no shortage of external factors hemming her and the others in as well.

EntrepreNorth brought the entrepreneurs together to help them overcome a set of persistent barriers to building a successful business in the North: costs are high, markets are small, mentors are rare, the digital divide is ever-growing, and most local northern economies are primarily dependent on one or two big sectors like government and mining.

Those factors and others stacked against them haven’t stopped these entrepreneurs from getting started. But they have stopped a larger community of small businesses from flourishing across the region — and for project director Benjamin Scott, that was an intriguing challenge.

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Below left: Aurora Heat Owner Brenda Dragon designs and creates original hand, foot and body warmers,products that promote the use and wearing of fur and supports local harvesters, which enables the continuation of the vibrant tradition of northern fur trapping. © Slave River Journal Below right: Dene Roots Owner Misty Ireland blends cultural teachings and life experiences to create handmade products and wildcrafted goods. The company’s flagship line is a series of essential oil sprays that include “Sweet Grass,” a spray for smudging. © Minke Design

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“Building more local business opportunities and developing a more local economy, I think, is good for the North,” Scott says.

“It's really about supporting people to create opportunity for themselves and for their communities.”

EntrepreNorth wants to empower Indigenous and community-based entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across Northern Canada. The first cohort is themed around early-stage ventures that sell land and marine-based products and incorporate local sustainable resources into their supply chain. It's operating on the theory that this type of business growth will help strengthen northern culture and self-determined ways of life.

When Bernice Clarke started Uasau Soap in Iqaluit, Nunavut, incorporating bowhead whale oil into her soap at an elder's suggestion, she found a way to honour and celebrate Inuit culture using traditional healing for the skin. “I’m falling more and more in love with my culture,” Clarke says.

“Having this business has helped me really focus in on that.”

Brenda Dragon and her son, Joel Dragon Smith, feel the same sense of cultural empowerment through their business, Aurora Heat. When they brought their beaver fur hand warmers to market, they were participating in a long line of sustainable fur harvesting.

But cultural pride alone couldn't provide all the tools she needed to help her company grow in a small northern community.

“Entrepreneurship is a risky business, and we shoulder that privately for the most part,” Dragon says. She found a like-minded community through EntrepreNorth.

“It’s a very safe, free place where everybody is getting the space to not only share their fears but their confidence in what they’re doing.”

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Bernice Clarke introduces herself and Uasau Soap to a business reception and networking event hosted

by EntrepreNorth during the first cohort gathering in Yellowknife, September 19, 2018. © Pat Kane

Aurora Heat is now set to be sold in the Hudson Bay Company’s flagship store in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

EntrepreNorth is engaging the help of the established business community to develop a Northern Impact Fund that could help the entrepreneurs access investment.

And another cohort is already being planned, which will focus on tourism businesses.

Call to Action 92(ii) of the Truth and Reconciliation report put the onus on the corporate sector to bring long-term and sustainable benefits to Indigenous communities, and to make training available to bring Indigenous people into the business world. These entrepreneurs are the first cohort of a program aiming to exceed that call, giving them the skills and networks they need to build their success in any mold they choose.

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Jimmy Thomson is a freelance journalist based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. EntrepreNorth, a Project on Tides Canada's Shared Platform, funded Thomson’s work on this story.

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BOOKSHELF

The Hands' Measure Essays Honouring Leah Aksaajuq Otak’s Contribution to Arctic Science Edited by John MacDonald and Nancy Wachowich Nunavut Arctic College February 2019

Never A Dull Moment Forty Years in Education in Canada’s North (and in a few other places) Nick Newbery April 2019 This autobiography by Nick Newbery provides a unique and interesting perspective on the events he experienced in Canada’s Eastern Arctic starting in 1976. Newbery was the official Nunavut government photographer during the creation of the territory in 1999 and he spent 30 years living in small Inuit communities. His critique of the northern education system makes for original and interesting reading. Now living in Nova Scotia, he has taught courses on Nunavut for many years at Mount St. Vincent University and has developed a successful bursary program to enable southern students interested in teaching in the North to do part of their practicums on Baffin Island.

His conversational, easy-flowing writing style, enhanced by photographs, poetry, anecdotes and humour, makes for thoughtful and entertaining reading, particularly his insights into the rapidly changing world of Inuit and the situation facing its young people today.

The book can be obtained from Arctic Ventures Market Place in Iqaluit, Nunavut. To have a copy shipped, contact nicknewbery@eastlink.ca.

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These essays explore a wide variety of topics broadly related to cultural renewal and representation, oral history, heritage, and social change among the Inuit of Igloolik, in Nunavut’s northern Qikiqtani Region.

This eclectic collection was written and compiled in recognition of Leah Aksaajuq Otak. Leah was a skilled oral historian and linguist from Igloolik, whose essential contribution to scientific research in Nunavut inspired those who knew and worked with her. During the last two decades of her life, Leah worked at the Igloolik Research Centre, where she played a crucial role facilitating the fieldwork of visiting researchers from near and far. Her collaboration with researchers, particularly in the social sciences, together with her extensive work documenting Inuit oral histories, ensured that Inuit traditional knowledge and perspectives informed and were reflected in much of the resulting research.

Spirit of the North Cocktail Recipes and Stories from Scandinavia Selma Slabiak teNeues December 2018 Author Selma Slabiak shares personal stories and anecdotes from growing up in Denmark and relays rich Nordic traditions and mythology that inspire and inform her original recipe creations in this delicious, and original recipe book of Nordic-based cocktails. Spirit of the North includes over 30 recipes for an enticing and creative array of artisanal cocktails, mixed drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and special snacks, utilizing seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients for all seasons and occasions. It Includes instructive and helpful sidebars on foraging and pickling ingredients.

Slabiak celebrates her Danish heritage by incorporating joyous Scandinavian life philosophies such as hygge (‘cozy contentment’), lagom (‘finding balance’), friluftstliv (‘appreciation and engagement of nature and the outdoors’), and fika (‘coffee break’), amongst others in one multifaceted book.

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INUIT FORUM

© Letia Obed

Canada’s budget and Inuit Government policies and programs and the funding attached to them impact our lives. Federal budgets are not only political statements about the vision and values of the government of the day, but can make or break our ability as Inuit to make progress on day-to-day challenges such as housing, food security, and suicide prevention.

Canada’s ignorance about Inuit and the limited visibility we have as a people continue to be the main barriers we face to ensure that these and other priorities even enter the minds of federal cabinet ministers as they identify their federal budget priorities; Inuit leaders work hard to see that regional priorities make it onto their radar.

One of the ways ITK does this is by developing a pre-budget submission that we share with the department of finance, detailing national Inuit priorities for possible federal investment.

Priorities are identified through our Board of Directors, as well as during meetings of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee.

The 2019 federal budget includes an Inuitspecific section that makes it easier to identify Inuit-specific investments in the budget and enables us to more rapidly secure federal budget allocations. Under previous governments, budget allocations impacting Inuit were often grouped in with First Nations and Metis, or larger funding envelopes.

Budget 2019 proposes Inuit-specific investments totalling $395.5 million, including the following: •

• •

$50 million over 10 years for continued implementation of the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy and $5 million per year ongoing; $125.5 million over 10 years for an Inuit-led post-secondary education strategy and $21.8 million per year ongoing; and $220 million over five years to provide important health and social services to Inuit children.

Proposed investments in the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy (NISPS) and Inuitled post-secondary education reflect priorities

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Inuit leaders on budget day (from left): Duane Smith, Chair and CEO of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation; Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami; David Ningeogan, President of Kivalliq Inuit Association; PJ Akeeagok, President of Qikiqtani Inuit Association; Aluki Kotierk, President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated; and Stanley Anablak, President of Kitikmeot Inuit Association. © ITK

identified in ITK’s 2019 pre-budget submission.

However, many of the infrastructure-focused priorities identified in the submission are not included in the budget.

Implementation of the NISPS will continue to be guided by the NISPS working group, a sub-committee of the National Inuit Committee on Health, whose members include representatives from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunatsiavut Government, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Kativik Regional Government, Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada.

ITK’s Board of Directors will determine how NISPS implementation funds are allocated between regions.

Implementation of the proposed allocation for an Inuit-led post-secondary education strategy is being overseen by ITK’s Board of Directors, with guidance from the National Inuit Committee on Education, whose members include representatives from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, Nunatsiavut Government, National Inuit Youth Council, Pauktuutit, and Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada.

The proposed investment in health and social services for Inuit children is a direct outcome of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee decision to include Inuit children within the Child First Initiative (CFI) and develop an Inuit-specific equivalent to Jordan’s Principle. A Child First Initiative sub-committee

making recommendations to the National Inuit Committee on Health will continue to guide the implementation of CFI, with the Board of Directors determining how funds are allocated between regions for this crucial work.

Other proposed investments in the budget, such as $1.7 billion over 13 years to support implementation of high speed internet access throughout the country by 2030, represent opportunities for Inuit to advance our infrastructure priorities.

These are important investments that wouldn’t happen without the collaborative work of Inuit leaders. However, the continued, limited investment in infrastructure throughout Inuit Nunangat shows that we still have a lot of work to do. For too long, Inuit Nunangat has been effectively left out of Canada.

With limited representation in Parliament and far from population centres crowding the Canada-U.S. border, our people and communities are still often out of sight and out of mind for most Members of Parliament and most federal cabinet ministers. This can and must change. As international interest and activity in our homeland surges, Canada must move rapidly to invest in the people — our people — who have called the region home for millennia, not only for our interest, but for the national interest as well.

Nakummek,

Natan Obed

President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

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