Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2019 | 05

The Inflight Magazine for First Air

2019 | 05 Yours to KeeP

Qaummaarviit territorial Park ‘the Place that shines’

A Quttinirpaaq Dictionary A Hiker’s survival Guide

Arctic return ski expedition Following John rae’s Path

Laura Adams Painter of Wild Places

PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

Dear Guest ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ,

What an exciting past few months it has been. I would like to officially welcome our customers from both Canadian North and First Air as this message is being published for the first time in both official inflight magazines. This is just one of many significant milestones we will achieve as we work to integrate our people and resources into a stronger, more sustainable, 100% Inuit-owned airline — your new Canadian North.

As I mentioned in recent open house presentations we hosted in Iqaluit and Yellowknife, this merger allows us to build a sustainable airline that can provide a customer experience that is second to none and further invest in our airline and the communities we serve across the North. We have a clear vision — to build an airline that’s loved and admired. We will accomplish this by maintaining safe and reliable operations regardless of the challenging conditions we face and providing better customer service than anyone else. We will develop industry and world-leading Inuit recruitment and development programs, with our goal to be recognized as a top place to work and one of the best-managed companies in Canada. We will also help to showcase the vast and beautiful landscape and unique cultures found within Canada’s North, encouraging more people to experience the wonderful destinations we serve.

The merger process will take time to complete — in fact, we expect it will take between 18 and 24 months to fully integrate both airlines. We have a lot of work ahead of us, with high expectations to meet. I have full confidence that our team members will get us to that finish line while surpassing those expectations.

I sincerely thank you for being our guest on our flight today.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our service and Northern hospitality; I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Chris Avery President and CEO First Air & Canadian North

Chris Avery fE{ ∑KE

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

ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᑕᖅᑮᑦ ᑭᖑᓂᐊᓂ. ᑐᙵᓱᒃᑎᑦᑎᔪᒪᔪᖓ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ

ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ (Canadian North) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊ (First Air) ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑐᓴᒐᔅᓴᐃᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᑎᒍᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐊᔾᔪᑎᔅᓴᐃᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᑉ

ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᔅᓴᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᑐᐊᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᖕᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᑲᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔪᑦ ᓴᙱᓂᖅᓴᒧᑦ, ᐊᑲᐅᓈᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ

ᑲᔪᓯᓂᖅ, 100% ᐃᓄᐃᑦ

ᑎᒻᒥᓲᒃᑯᕝᕕᒃ — ᐱᒋᔭᑦ ᓄᑖᖅ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ.

ᐅᖃᖅᑲᐅᔪᖓ

ᒫᓐᓇᓵᖅ

ᒪᑐᐃᖓᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑕ

ᐃᒡᓗᒥ

ᓇᒻᒥᓂᕆᔭᖓᑦ

ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ

ᑲᒪᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒥ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ

ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᓂᐊᕐᓗᑕ ᐊᑲᐅᓈᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᓕ-

ᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐹᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎ-

ᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᓲᖑᔭᕗᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅ-

ᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᑕᐅᑦᑐᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒍᑦ — ᓴᓇᓂᐊᕐᓗᑕ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓇᓪᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᒃᑯᑦ

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᒃᑕᐅᔪᒧᑦ. ᐱᐊᓂᖕᓂᐊᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑲᐅᓈᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᓗᑕ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕋᓗᐊᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᑐᓂᓯᓗᑕ ᐊᑲᐅᓈᕐᓂᖅᓴᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᑦ. ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᓴᓇᕝᕕᐅᔪᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒥ-ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑎᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᔅᓴᓂᒃ, ᑐᕌᒋᔭᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓗᓂ ᖁᑦᑎᓐ-

ᓂᖅᐹᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᒋᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐹᖅ-ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᒐᓐᓈᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑕ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᐹᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᐱᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᒋᔭᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ

ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓂ, ᐊᔭᐅᖅᑐᐃᓂᖅ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑎᑭᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ

ᑎᒻᒥᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ.

ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᖃᑯᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᑎᒋᓂᐊᕐᓗᒍ ᐱᐊᓂᖕᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ —

ᑕᐃᒫᒃ, ᓂᕆᐅᒃᑐᒍᑦ 18-24 ᑕᖅᑭᓄᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᖕᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ

ᑕᒪᒃᑮᖕᓄᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᔅᓴᖃᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᒥ, ᖁᑦᑎᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ

ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᖃᖅᑐᑕ. ᓱᓕᔪᕆᔪᖓ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᕗᑦ

ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐹᒃᑯᑦ ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓐᓄᑦ.

ᐱᐊᓂᒋᐊᖃᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ

ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖓ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᕋᑦᑎᒋᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ. ᓂᕆᐅᒃᑐᖓ

ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᕕᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᑲᐅᓈᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ

ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᓂᕆᐅᒃᐳᖓ ᑕᑯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᓵᖅ.

ᑯᕆᔅ ᐄᕗᕆ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ

Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga

ᐳᓚ ᔨᓐᑎ | Bola Gendy ᐳᓚ ᔨᓐᑎ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑖᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎ ᑐᙵᕝᕕᖓ ᐊᓪᓚᕕᒃ ᑲᓇᑕ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᔫ, ᔪᓂ 2019-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐱᒻᒪᕆᔨ ᐸᕐᓇᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐃᒻᒥᒃᑯᑦᐊᐅᓚᔪᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᖅᑎ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨ ᐃᓕᓯᒪᔪᖅ 12 ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ, ᐃᓚᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᖁᓕᑦ ᐅᖓᑖᓂ ᐃᓕᓯᒪᓂᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ, ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᑭᓯᐊᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ (ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓈᓴᐃᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᑎᑦᑎᒐᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᐃᑦ, ᐊᑭᓕᖅᑕᐅᔪᔅᓴᑦ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᐃᑦ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᔪᑦ, ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᐃᓂᖅ, ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᖁᑎᓄᑦ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓈᓴᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ) ᑎᒻᒥᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᓇᕝᕕᐊᓂ.

ᐳᓚ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᑲᓪᓚᓂ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᕝᕕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᓂᑦ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᐊ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᔩᒻᔅ ᐲᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᕕᒃ ᓄᓇᖏᓐᓂ.

ᐳᓚ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᓕᒃ ᐃᓕᓯᕚᓪᓕᖅᓯᒪᓂᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᔅᓴᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᒥᒍᑦ ᓴᙱᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᔅᓴᓄᑦ, ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔪᙱᔾᔪᑎᖃᕐᓂᖅ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᓈᓴᐅᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐸᐃᑉᐹᓂᒃ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᔾᔪᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ, ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ−ᐱᓕᕆᐊᔅᓴᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ (E-PMP), ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐸᐃᑉᐹᓂᒃ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑭᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕌᓂᒐᓱᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ (MBA).

ᐳᓚ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᔅᓴᖓ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊᒥ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᓕᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᖅ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᖅᑯᑎᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓈᓴᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓄᑦ; ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓃᑦ ᑐᕌᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᑲᐅᓈᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒋᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᒧᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᙱᑦᑐᓄᑦ; ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᓗᐊᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒋᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᒃᑐᓄᑦ; ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᓴᙱᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓈᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ; ᐅᓂᒃᑳᒐᔅᓴᓕᐅᕐᓗᓂ ᓂᐅᕕᐊᔅᓴᕆᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓄᑦ; ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓗᓂ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᔅᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᒧᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖁᑎᓄᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᑐᕌᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ.

ᐳᓚ ᐆᑦᑐᕋᓱᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒧᑦ ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᓱᐊᓈᕈᑎᔅᓴᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᓪᓗᓂ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒡᓴᖅ ᑐᓂᓯᓇᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᒐᔅᓴᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓗᓂ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᒥ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᖕᓂᐊᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓱᐊᓈᕈᑎᔅᓴᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓗᒍ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓯᓚᖓ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ, ᐱᔪᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑖᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

Bola Gendy was hired at First Air as a Network and Revenue Analyst based at the head office in Kanata, Ontario, in June 2019.

He is a strategic, self-driven and innovative leader with 12 years of experience, including over 10 years of combined experience in operations, account management, logistics, contract management and a solid understanding of the Financial Cycles (financial close and balance sheet analysis, revenue, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, fixed assets, financial reporting and cash flow management) in the aviation industry.

Bola has worked for several international companies. He also worked for Air Inuit in the James Bay and Nunavik regions.

Bola has assumed increased levels of responsibility through the practical application of a strong set of analytical, creative and critical thinking skills. He has a background in actuarial sciences, certificate in transport fundamentals, e-project management professional (E-PMP), certificate in air cargo management and he is currently in the process of obtaining his master’s degree business administration (MBA).

Bola’s role at First Air is in conjunction with the manager of revenue management to optimize the routes through revenue management and inventory control strategies; monitoring market performance to ensure that revenue objectives are achieved and implementing appropriate revenue growth strategies to correct performance shortfalls; assisting with short-term planning of operating schedule including allocation; ensuring strong coordination between inventory optimization and revenue management systems; producing reports for the commercial management team; and participating in ad-hoc projects related to passengers and cargo’s strategic goals.

Bola originally applied for this position because he thought it would be a great opportunity to expand and learn more. This position would give him the option to work in a company that would have an even greater potential since Canadian North and First Air were commencing to merge. This was a bigger opportunity to serve the North on a broader horizon, which he has taken a great interest in since he was hired.

From the Flight Deck Why does it sound like an engine is running while we board the aircraft?

Many electrical systems are installed on all our aircraft from safety systems to lights to navigation systems to galley equipment. This generates a very large electrical demand. During flight, all these systems are powered by a series of electrical generators powered by the aircraft engines. In flight, the engines also generate the compressed air that is required to operate the heating/air condition systems as well as allowing us to pressurize the aircraft cabin.

Once the aircraft is on the ground, at the gate, there clearly isn’t a need to operate the pressurization system any longer, but we still need to power most of the electrical systems. We also need a way to cool or heat the aircraft cabin. On our B737 aircraft, a third jet engine is installed in the tail of the aircraft. This third engine — the Auxiliary Power Unit, or APU — isn’t designed to propel the aircraft in flight but it does power electrical generators and produces the required compressed air to heat or cool the cabin. If it is running during boarding, you will hear it as you enter the back door of the aircraft.

The manufacturer of our ATR aircraft opted for a more creative solution. They installed a brake on the right-hand propeller that will lock the propeller in place but still allows that engine to operate. When we engage that brake, the propeller stops turning and the engine effectively now becomes an APU.

On the B737, the APU also plays another key role — assisting with starting the aircraft engines. Like in your car, engines on the ATR are started with an electric starter motor.

The B737, however, has much larger engines

An engine from one of our Boeing 737 aircraft.

that need more power than the electric motors will provide. Those engines rely on an air-powered starter motor. That starter motor is powered by compressed air that is generated by the APU. Even if the APU wasn’t running when you boarded the aircraft, you may have heard it start up shortly before the aircraft pushes back. (After the engines are started, all the systems will be transferred from the APU to the engines. You might notice the lights flicker briefly while that transfer happens.)

The APU isn’t essential to ground operations though. All our aircraft can be connected to

an external electrical power source. They also can be connected to an external source of heated or cooled air. There are also provisions for connecting either a large air compressor, or even a bottle of compressed air, to assist with engine starts when the APU isn’t working. Of course, having the APU do all three of those things makes it much easier.

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

Contents

The Inflight Magazine for First Air

2019 | 05 YOURS TO KEEP

Qaummaarviit Territorial Park ‘The Place That Shines’

A Qu&nirpaaq Dic%onary A Hiker’s Survival Guide

September | October 2019 Volume 31, No. 5

Arc%c Return Ski Expedi%on Following John Rae’s Path

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Laura Adams Painter of Wild Places

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o www.arcticjournal.ca

Walker Citadels. Baffin Island’s awe-inspiring Mahayana Wall and Walker Citadel rise 1386 m into golden skies at dusk. © Mike Beedell

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Publisher: above&beyond ltd.

Managing Editor: Doris Ohlmann doris@arcticjournal.ca Advertising: 613-257-4999 Toll Free: 1-877-2ARCTIC 1-877-227-2842 (Canada only) advertising@arcticjournal.ca Design: Robert Hoselton, Beat Studios

above&beyond ltd., (aka above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal) is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Air, and a media instrument intended solely to entertain and provide general information about the North.

The views and opinions expressed in editorial content, advertisements, or by contributors, do not necessarily reflect the views, official positions or policies of First Air, its agents, or those of above&beyond magazine unless expressly stated. above&beyond ltd. does not assume any responsibility for any errors and/or omissions of any content in the publication. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

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Features

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Qaummaarviit Territorial Park

‘The Place That Shines,’ was a traditional campsite for northern peoples.

— Text and photos by Nick Newbery

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A Quttinirpaaq Dictionary

Gobsmacked — an overwhelming feeling of awe when encountering ever-changing displays of stunning glaciers, snow-topped mountains, tundra, valleys, streams, etc. while on a High Arctic hike.

— Text and photos by Yvonne Kyle

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Laura Adams

The landscapes of Baffin, Devon and Ellesmere have captivated painter Laura Adams.

— Mike Beedell

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Arctic Return Ski Expedition

An expedition ski team re-traces explorer John Rae’s 1854 journey from Naujaat to Point De La Guiche. — David Reid 2019 | 05

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32 09 Destination Focus 13 Living Above&Beyond 21 Resources 37 Youth Entrepreneurial Learning — Kativik Ilisarniliriniq & Small Economy Works

41 Profile Supporting Biodiversity in the North — Leighann Chalykoff

44 Arts From Scrap to Art — Marla Limousin and Angela Gerbrandt

46 Education Elevate Aviation — Kendra Kincade

48 Bookshelf 50 Inuit Forum — Natan Obed President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

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

67.82515°N, -115.09517°E

KUGLUKTUK © Tessa Macintosh

Kugluktuk, formerly known as Coppermine, is located at the mouth of the Coppermine River where it feeds into Coronation Gulf. Kugluktuk, the most westerly community in the territory, is in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut and has a population of approximately 1,400 people.

Kugluktuk has a unique microclimate that extends a narrow band of stunted boreal forest trees northwards towards the Arctic Ocean. Because the tundra is close to the treeline, a variety of wildlife can be viewed in the area, including grizzly bears, wolverines, and moose, as well as tundra wildlife such as muskoxen, caribou, foxes, and wolves.

The language most often in use is Inuinnaqtun, which is a dialect of Inuktitut. In Inuinnaqtun, Qurluktuk (Kugluktuk) means, “place of moving water”. Upriver from the hamlet is the beautiful Kugluk cascade, also known as Bloody Falls, an ancient fishing and hunting location that is now a territorial park of historic cultural importance.

The Inuit of Kugluktuk are Copper Inuit, descendants of the Thule. The Copper Inuit were so named because they sourced copper from the Coppermine River, an important resource for everyday life and trade. Kugluktuk copper was found throughout the Arctic, traded from group to group. This valuable resource, plus the local climate and abundance

Quintessential Kugluktuk experiences: • Stop by the Kugluktuk Heritage Visitor Centre and Museum, featuring an exhibition of Copper Inuit history and a gallery of contemporary art works and unique local crafts • Celebrate the return of spring at the annual Nattiq Frolics with traditional Inuit games, dancing, feasting, seal hunting contests, and snowmobile races • Explore the Coppermine River from Kugluktuk to Bloody Falls and back by canoe, kayak, boat, or raft

of hunting and fishing were the same historical reasons why the Dene First Nations lived in the area.

The Hudson’s Bay Company established a post in 1927. With the provision of electric power, formal schooling, and nursing services in the 1960s, Kugluktuk became a modern settlement with a significant permanent resident population. Kugluktuk was incorporated as a hamlet in 1981. The hamlet has since grown into a creative and cultural hub that continues to celebrate its unique language, Inuinnaqtun, of which it boasts the largest population of native speakers in Nunavut.

The people of Kugluktuk rely heavily on their traditional economy of hunting and fishing to feed and clothe their families for cultural and nutritional well-being.

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Qaummaarviit Territorial Park

By Nick Newbery

Qaummaarviit, ‘The Place That Shines,’ was a traditional campsite for northern peoples over many centuries due to the presence at one time or other of animals such as whales, seals, caribou, fish, foxes and Arctic hares. It is one of many such sites situated on the numerous points of land that form part of the northern end of Frobisher Bay. Qaummaarviit still contains inuksuit, 11 semi-buried winter qarmait (sodhouse) remains and summer tent rings (dating back to the Thule people of the 1200s), as well as surface mica which was mined in the early 20th century. Nowadays, due to its proximity to Iqaluit, the Park is still a popular destination for hunters as well as for visitors and students who want to learn how earlier Arctic people used to live.

An aerial view of the Park. © Nick Newbery/ Government of Nunavut (5)

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Nick Newbery taught in several communities in Nunavut from 1976-2005.

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

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2019 | 05

Top left: A student group reads the official government plaque.

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Middle left: Students work on a science project in the Park.

Top right: The remains of a Thule qarmaq.

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Bottom: High school students on a Park study project.

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2019 | 05

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Dignitaries and special guests pose for a photo following the signing of Canadian Heritage Rivers Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, July 9, 2019. L to R: Gerry Atatahak, Kitikmeot Regional Coordinator, Parks Planning and Operations; Aluki Kotierk, President, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated; Alice Hitkoak Ayalik, Kugluktuk Elder; Jeannie Ehaloak, Nunavut Minister of Justice; Allen MacDonald, Director General, Indigenous and Northern Affairs; Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Stanley Anablak, President, Kitikmeot Inuit Association; and Fred Pedersen, Director of Planning and Communications, Kitikmeot Inuit Association. © NTI, DnV photography

IIBA protects important transportation routes To mark Nunavut Day this year, CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett travelled to Kugluktuk to meet with Nunavut officials and sign the Canadian Heritage Rivers Inuit Impacts and Benefits Agreement (IBBA).

The IIBA covers four Nunavut rivers: the Kazan River (Sarvaqtuuq), the Soper River

2019 | 04 5

(Kuujuaq), the Thelon River (Akillinik) and the Coppermine River (Qurluktuk).

The agreement fulfills obligations set out in the Nunavut Agreement that require parties to negotiate an IIBA for any national park or conservation area established in the territory. Under the newly signed IIBA, the federal government will pay Nunavut

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Tunngavik Incorporated and each of the three regional Inuit associations $6.7 million to perform water quality monitoring, build Inuit cultural camps along the designated rivers and create a fund for business opportunities in those regions.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Nunavut celebrates 20th The territory of Nunavut turned 20 on April 1 this year. July 9 marked 26 years since Nunavut’s land claims agreement went into effect. Here, some photos of Nunavut Day activities in Iqaluit, hosted by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND 1. Some friendly dinosaurs attended the down-town Nunavut Day festivities.

5. A youngster watches closely as a golfer takes as shot.

2. The bouncy castle was a big hit with the young at heart.

6. Decked out in Nunavut colours of red, white and yellow, a young golfer watches to see if her golf ball meets its mark at the Habitat for Humanity Annual Putting Challenge to raise funds for the organization.

3. Northern Haze performed in the afternoon in downtown Iqaluit and in the evening at the Storehouse Bar. 4. These two took part in the kids face painting on Nunavut Day.

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7. The Habitat for Humanity Golf Ball Drop.

8. Nunavut Day revellers join the continual long line-up for Beavertails, compliments of First Air.

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9. Reach for the sky: Nunavut Day attendees prepare to try and catch candy and small prizes, including airline vouchers, tossed out to the crowd.

10. Crock pots full of tasty morsels were quickly consumed during the Habitat for Humanity Chili Cook Off at the Legislative Assembly parking lot. © Doris Ohlmann (10)

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Mount D'Iberville (Mount Kauvvik) and its glacier, Kuururjuaq National Park. © KRG

Nunavik Parks celebrates its 15th Anniversary In January 2004, the Québec government created the Parc national Pinqualuit, the first national park in Nunavik, marking the creation of Nunavik Parks. Since then the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) has continued to play a major role in ensuring the growth and prosperity of what has become one of the most important institutions for the protection of the land and environment in Nunavik.

Today Nunavik Parks oversees the operations of four national parks that are now at the forefront of the KRG’s commitment to environmental protection and sound economic development. This includes protecting the land against unrestricted industrial development, the creation of more than 30 full-time employees, the injection of $5-million annually in the Nunavik economy, a window for the outside world to discover the Inuit way of life and an important opportunity for youth, elders and park staff to share and preserve traditional skills and stories.

2019 marks the 15th anniversary of Nunavik Parks. Opening celebrations of the anniversary were launched in Kuujjuaq in February. The importance of the Kuururjuaq and Ulittanulujalik Parks were highlighted.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND 15th Anniversary reunion in Kuujjuaq with KRG Executive Jennifer Munick, Quebec Minister of Forest, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) Pierre Dufour, MFWP representatives, Pingualuit, Kuururjuaq and Tursujuq Parks teams and Kuujjuaq Nunavik Parks head office team. © KRG

Below: Kuururjuaq National Park new exhibit room in Kangiqsujuaq. © KRG

Various public presentations were held during the two-day event, including speeches from Pierre Dufour, Quebec Minister of Forest, Wildlife and Parks and Jennifer Munick, KRG Chairperson. All Nunavik Parks staff was reunited this week for conferences, training and workshops.

Celebrations continued June 6 in Kangiqsualujjuaq where the new Parks Exhibit room at the Interpretation Centre was inaugurated. Visitors and dignitaries were taken on panoramic flight tours of the Kuururjuaq and Ulittaniujalik Parks for breathtaking views of some of the most beautiful landscapes in Nunavik.

On July 11, residents of Kangiqsujuaq were given the opportunity to visit the Pingualuit National Park for its 15th anniversary. They were given a guided tour by plane of the Pingualuit Park to view the world-renowned crater, considered by many as an incredible site.

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In August, events were held to mark the beauty of the Tursujuq Park and its impact on the four neighbouring communities of Umiujaq, Kuujjuaraapik, Whapmagoostui and Inukjuak.

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For more information on Nunavik Parks, visit www.nunavikparks.ca.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

New face of the Franklin Expedition reconstructed Diana Trepkov reconstructs the new face from the Franklin Expedition. © Marty J. Brown

By Forensic Artist Diana Trepkov Sir John Franklin’s expedition sailed to the Arctic in 1845, and tragically, the entire 130 expeditionary crew lost their lives in the attempt to navigate the fabled Northwest Passage.

The grave of the Franklin expedition officer was discovered in July 1879 by the Franklin search expedition led by U.S. Army Lt. Frederick Schwatka, who was assisted by several Inuit families who played an instrumental role in the success of the expedition.

Dr. Douglas Stenton led the investigation of Franklin’s archaeological sites on King William Island and Adelaide Peninsula on behalf of the Government of Nunavut.

Dr. Stenton played a key role in the discovery of the 169-year-old mystery of HMS Erebus.

The rediscovery of the gravesite in 2018 was part of the Government of Nunavut's continuing investigations of the archaeology of the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition.

A plastic, 3D print of the human skull from the site was sent to me by Dr. Stenton to examine and continue the forensic aspect of the investigation. Anthropologist Dr. Anne Keenleyside, who analyzes skeletal remains from historic archaeological sites, also

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provided input on the skull before I started the skull facial reconstruction.

This unknown human skull appears to be American European derived and I used a medium build to match the material. I added oil base clay because it does not dry. I use prosthetic eyes, as they are lifelike. I sculpted his face with a closed smile, which was measured in distance six teeth across the mouth.

Three-dimensional clay facial reconstructions can eventually be bronzed for the purpose of permanent display in museums.

Who is this new face from the Sir John Franklin Expedition? I believe we will soon discover his identity.

Dedicated to all the members of the Lost Franklin Expedition who tragically lost their lives.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Madeleine Isserkut Kringayark.

Canadian (Naujaat), 1928-1986.

Sculpture, 1970. Stone, Ivory, Sinew.

Government of Nunavut Fine Art Collection.

On long-term loan to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, 984.90.112 a-d

Small detailed sculptures open new exhibit Small Worlds: Inuit Miniature Carving is a new exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG). On view until winter 2020, Small Worlds brings together more than 100 miniature carvings by Inuit artists from 19 communities across Nunavut, including Kinngait, Kugaaruk, and Rankin Inlet. Most of the works were created between 1950 and 1970 and drawn from the Government of Nunavut Fine Arts Collection, on longterm loan to the WAG. Modest in size, these carvings nonetheless symbolically embody entire worlds of belief and ways of life. Many of the miniatures include men hunting seals, fish or whales or women scraping sealskins or tending to the qulliq (oil lamp).

It is Jocelyn Piirainen’s first exhibition in her new role as Assistant Curator of Inuit Art at the WAG. 2019 | 05

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RESOURCES

Territorial outlook positive for two territories According to the latest forecast from the Conference Board of Canada, Nunavut is expected to have the strongest growth rate at 10.3 per cent this year, along with a steady average into the near future. The positive outlook is driven by high gold prices and new and existing gold mining projects, such as Meliadine, Meadowbank and Hope Bay. New projects including the Amaruq satellite deposit and Back River are expected to come online in the next few years, further contributing to the territory’s economic growth.

Growth in the Yukon is expected to increase from 2.2 per cent this year to 10 per cent next year due to the opening of the Eagle gold mine in September. Construction on the Coffee gold mine will begin as well, with the mine expected to begin producing in 2022.

The copper-producing Casino mine, if approved, would also provide a significant boost to Yukon’s economy within 10 years.

However, to develop the mine, they may have to use cyanide at the NICO mine site to leech gold from the ore. Fortune already has a land and water licence to operate the NICO Mine, but the use of cyanide would require a “small amendment” to the company’s water licence.

Fortune Minerals is working on an updated technical report on NICO Mine which the company will use to make a financial case for the mine. After that, it would be a two- to three-year construction period.

Exploratory mineral drilling continues Second quarter exploration results from TMAC Resources Inc. include underground drilling to grow the high-grade Doris North BTD Extension as well as surface results from the winter programs at Doris and Madrid North. Suluk is one of the core zones at the Madrid North deposit and the company is currently evaluating collaring the portal and driving an underground advanced exploration decline to Suluk, and to Madrid North Naartok, for collection of a bulk sample ahead of a production

NWT New pipe could extend mine life The discovery of a new kimberlite pipe at the Gahcho Kué diamond mine could be good news for Mountain Province Diamonds and De Beers Canada, co-owners of the mine. The diamond bearing, underground rock is named the Wilson kimberlite, after Alice Evelyn Wilson, Canada's first female geologist.

Preliminary results indicate the Wilson pipe has a “potential range from 1.5 - 3.0 million tonnes” of ore. More core sampling and assessment is underway, with new results expected later this year. If the deposit proves viable, the mine could potentially have a longer life than its currently anticipated date of 2030.

decision.

For the third quarter, underground drilling at Doris North BTD Extension continues, regional exploration programs ramp up, and the Boston Camp has been opened with drilling to begin soon.

Carbon-neutral diamond mining focus of program De Beers Group’s carbon-capture research at the Gahcho Kué mine has received a $675,000 grant from Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program towards pioneering research on delivering carbonneutral diamond mining.

De Beers Group has been working with leading academics from The University of British Columbia, Trent University, University

Potential mine looking at options

of Alberta and Institut national de la recherche

Fortune Minerals is planning to construct the NICO Mine, which will produce cobalt, gold, bismuth and copper. The bismuth reserve at the NICO mine site constitutes about 12 per cent of total known global reserves.

potential to store large volumes of carbon

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scientifique (INRS) on researching the

YUKON Infrastructure improvements continue for silver project Alexco has commenced a surface exploration drilling program in the Keno Hill Silver District, focusing exploration in the vicinity of its Bermingham deposit where an indicated resource (including reserves) totalling 32.9 million ounces of silver at an average grade of 930 grams per tonne has been defined.

Alexco has also begun surface capital construction activities, focusing on installation of the underground production-related portal infrastructure at the Bermingham decline, as well as installation of surface facilities, services and infrastructure to support future production, such as the high priority exploration target area on the northern slopes of Galena Hill.

Civil excavation of the Bermingham maintenance shop base, completion of the haul road from the Bermingham portal to the Keno District mill and establishing additional camp bunkhouse facilities are also in the works. Completion of these infrastructure improvements in 2019 are in anticipation of a final underground development and production decision, once the permitting process is complete.

New high-grade gold trends identified White Gold Corp. has identified multiple new high-grade gold mineralization trends across its JP Ross property. The new trends were identified on the Stage Fright, Sabotage, and Topaz targets, all located within 10 km of the Vertigo Discovery.

Several additional targets have also been identified on the JP Ross and will be tested in due course.

The initial results at Golden Saddle are among the best holes drilled to date and significantly expand the high-grade mineralization within and beyond the current Golden Saddle resource boundary.

The 2019 program includes 17,000 metres of diamond drilling.

in processed kimberlite through mineral carbonation. With laboratory experiments having already proved successful, the grant will support larger-scale field demonstrations at the Gahcho Kué Mine.

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Trying to find the most non-sketcherific route possible down a tricky slope near the Air Force Glacier.

A Quttinirpaaq Dictionary A Hiker’s Survival Guide Text and photos by Yvonne Kyle

After a High Arctic hiking trip to Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, hiking enthusiast Yvonne Kyle creates a Dictionary of sorts to describe her amazing trip.

arduous adj one of many terms, not equally positive, to describe the physical challenge of walking 140 km in 13 days, on rough terrain, over hills through valleys and around glaciers, carrying a heavy backpack.

empty adj 1 how one may initially perceive the Arctic landscape until one gets closer and sees the abundance of life tucked into myriad nooks and crannies. 2 containing few reference points such as trees, making it difficult to estimate distances.

bear banger n 1 noise maker effective in dissuading a muskox from entering a campsite. 2 a device to scare away polar bears, if any were silly enough to think they might find something to eat in river valleys far from the sea ice.

fiord n long narrow bay, often lined with cliffs and glaciers. Tanquary Fiord 1 former home to a Defense Research Board base (19621974). 2 current home to one of three Quttinirpaaq National Park warden stations. 3 start and end point for adventurers circumnavigating the Ad Astra and Viking ice caps. Grise Fiord 1 northernmost inhabited community in Canada.

Charybdis and Scylla n 1 glaciers, about 200 m apart, between which a hiker walks on the rocky debris left by receding glaciers. 2 glaciers, between which in 2012, one could walk with a hand on both at the same time. circle v 1 action of wolves considering baby muskoxen as a potential meal. 2 action of a muskox herd when threatened wherein young are positioned in a core behind adults facing toward the danger. 3 action of wolves when they determine that people watching them need themselves to be watched closely before the wolves move into the river bed. n path of the sun relative to the Earth for 24 hours every day in an Arctic summer. eat! v encouragement provided by a hiker from whose back pack a meal or snack bag has been taken to implore trip-mates to consume everything in the bag, thereby reducing the load the hiker must carry.

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footing n 1 where one places one’s feet to maximize the chances of remaining erect and not injuring oneself. 2 what one must watch at all times, thereby reducing the opportunity to gaze at the scenery unless one stops moving and accepts that one will usually be the slowest hiker. good footing 1 solid level ground with few loose rocks. 2 terrain that allows hikers to cover up to 14 km per day, especially if it also contains few inclines. poor footing 1 terrain that requires increased diligence to avoid accidents e.g. hummocks and tussocks, loose rocks between the approximate size of a baseball and a basketball, closely-piled boulders of varying sizes and shapes, bog.

3 considerably more commonly found than good footing on a High Arctic hike.

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jeffism n 1 words of wisdom or quirky expressions spoken by one’s trip-mate. e.g. (upon discovery of something good) “well put me in the frozen food aisle,” (when observing a trip-mate’s reaction to a glacier) “I’ve never seen someone get so excited about an ice cube on steroids.” lemming n 1 small rodent that may, but probably will not, be seen on Ellesmere Island. 2 unit of measure for tundra vegetation e.g. mouse-eared chickweed is shorter than a lemming, capitate lousewort is taller than a lemming.

Mars n 1 one of the subjects of research for scientists in the Arctic.

2 planet that comes to mind when observing the terrain of the Arctic, particularly vast tracts of nearly plant-less tundra clay littered with boulders, often reddish in colour.

Looking for good footing while walking between the Charybdis and Scylla Glaciers in Quttinirpaaq National Park, Nunavut.

gobsmacked adj 1 overwhelming feeling of awe when encountering ever-changing displays of stunning glaciers, snow-topped mountains, tundra, valleys, streams, etc. 2 disbelief after traversing a route previously thought to be impassable by humans. 3 pride and satisfaction upon completion of a High Arctic hike. incline n 1 part of a trail that increases in elevation, causing weary legs to move more slowly. 2 cause for questioning the efficacy of one’s pre-trip training for an Arctic trek. 3 direction of travel frequently required before a hiker can move to lower ground.

4 often encountered immediately after one’s trip-mate says, “it’s all down hill from here.”

non-sketcherific adj term used by a guide to describe the desired pathway down a slope where the slope may be steep, have risky consequences if a trekker falls, or be comprised of areas with poor footing. northern time n 1 euphemism used to explain travel delays caused by weather, mechanical issues, and business decisions. 2 good reason NOT to plan anything on the day one is scheduled to return from an Arctic adventure. parade v 1 the action of a herd of muskoxen, including babies, moving past campers on the opposite river bank. 2 the action of a group of people moving past a herd of muskoxen standing on a hillside.

Quttinirpaaq n 1 Inuit word meaning “top of the world.”

2 national park established in 1988 and formally recognized in 2001 to protect 37,750 sq. km of the Canadian Eastern High Arctic.

Red rocks, reminiscent of Mars, alongside the Air Force Glacier, Nunavut.

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Capitate lousewort grows with tenacity amongst the rocks.

scree slope n 1 steep hill comprised of loose shale that hikers must navigate to get around a glacier reaching into the river valley.

2 decline manoeuvred by walking a series of switchbacks 3 area with high likelihood of all trekkers falling and potentially tearing their pants. sun: n. 1 glowing orb that brightens the Arctic sky 24 hours each summer day, except when it is blocked by clouds, fog, snow, or rain.

2 source of warmth for Arctic trekkers, except when it is blocked by clouds, fog, snow, or rain. surprise n 1 unexpected treasures encountered when one must watch the ground intently to maintain one’s footing. e.g. cool rocks, fossils, bumblebees, bones. 2 new breathtaking view when one rounds a corner or climbs a hill. 3 brilliant arrays of colourful flowers, mosses, grasses, etc. that negate the concept of tundra being barren.

4 the discovery of remnants of trees, thousands of years old, that have been left behind by receding glaciers.

trekking pole n 1 useful device to assist with balance on uneven terrain or when crossing streams. 2 acceptable alternative to trees as posts for a storm shelter or a clothesline. water n 1 clear, cold liquid formed when glaciers melt providing a refreshing beverage for hikers. 2 liquid flowing through one or more of the water courses in a river bed, often blocking hikers’ intended route and requiring them to execute stream crossings. 3 barrier to safe stream crossing if in excess of the height of a trekker’s boots, necessitating the changing of footwear to maintain dry boots.

4 may be difficult to locate, even in a river valley, without resorting to having one or more hikers travel for 30 minutes to a source. weight n 1 an abundance that makes a backpack awkward to pick up and a challenge to carry at the beginning of a 13-day hike but which becomes increasingly more manageable as food and fuel are consumed. 2 what hikers may lose several pounds of during a multi-day hike.

A surprise encounter with a member of the audience watching people parade by.

tenacity n the quality of tiny Arctic plants that allows them to find just enough nourishment and protection to take root in a field of rocks and ice.

wind n 1 movement of air that forces hikers to reorganize their clothing layers each time they stop for a break. 2 force that blows down from glaciers accompanied by precipitation that manifests as horizontal snowfall. 3 often the reason why hikers retreat to their tents immediately after eating supper. 4 difficult to escape when walking on the open tundra.

Making good use of trekking poles while wading through the water of the Macdonald River.

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Laura Adams Painter of Wild Places

By Mike Beedell I first saw a painting by Laura Adams on a Facebook post two years ago and I was startled by its gorgeous, bold, autumn colours and the effect it had on me. It was a work that depicted the Greenlandic world heritage site called, Ilulissat Icefjord. What was it in this impressionist painting that so enchanted me? Like many of us, I am often drawn to paintings where I have been and this one captivated me on an emotional level which I rarely experience. It literally tugged at my heart and I wanted to own it! Her composition was from a perspective where I often photographed from and I found myself — suddenly transported back to this enchanting site — literally living in Laura’s painting.

Dawn Light on the Broad Group Spires, Baffin Island First light breaks through the mist in Sam Ford Fiord illuminating the ancient granite spires that rise over 1500 m above the ocean. © Mike Beedell 2019 | 05

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aura Adams is new to the Arctic realm. She first traveled there in 2017 while working for Adventure Canada on an expeditionary ship. The Arctic has captured her heart and she has been focusing on creating large oils of the Canadian Eastern Arctic. The landscapes of Baffin, Devon and Ellesmere have captivated her creative energies.

Recently she produced several superb large oil paintings entitled, “The Arctic: a delicate balance of strength and fragility” for an exhibit at the Langham gallery in Kaslo near her home in Nelson, British Columbia.

Laura’s mentor and veteran painter Pat McGoey expresses his admiration for her work: “I am amazed at Laura’s works. When she paints, Laura is not painting a photograph from one of her expeditions, she is painting a place she has experienced and observed deeply. Her paintings take you there — through remarkable depth and composition. Laura's paintings come from an inner dialogue about this place, its elements and her feelings, and move you to respect nature and all of its beauty.”

Baffin Stone Sheer stone walls and richly textured tundra meet the Arctic Ocean along the coastline of Erik Point, Baffin Island. © Laura Adams

Broad Glacier Inukshuk Laura sketching the landscapes of the Broad Glacier spires from her base camp at the toe of the Broad Glacier.

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Nachvak Fiord, Torngat National Park, Labrador Frazil ice starts to form on the mirror glass waters of spectacular Nachvak Fiord in mid-September. © Mike Beedell (2)

Laura Adams is in her early 50s and she maintains an exhausting pace with her fascinating lifestyle. She is a very fit, dynamic woman and an exceptional multi-tasker. She excels in many fields outside her painting pursuits. These include champion kite boarder, 5th woman to become a certified mountain guide in Canada, avalanche forecaster, heli-ski guide, mother, guitar playing coastal skipper, speaker/presenter and mentor to many.

As we discuss Laura’s evolution as a painter, she talks of her close relationship with her father. “The biggest effect on me has been the loss of my father who I was very close to. He painted all his life consistently and inspired me to paint. I often feel like he is with me while I am in the wilderness and as I paint.” Her fathers’ pursuits were climbing, skiing and sailing and they shared many adventures together.

When we talk about her future and themes for her art, she shares her hopes to go to the Arctic to solely focus on her painting.

Laura’s impressionistic oil technique uses palette knives, some of which belonged to her grandfather. So, there is a heart-warming tradition of three generations using these creative tools to make masterful works. She mixes her own colours of rich, lustrous oils on large sheets of glass and uses an Impasto style, meticulously applying dense layers of colour and texture onto large 48” by 36” canvases.

She points out that what is critical to a great painting is the composition. “I paint the painting three times. Initially with Gesso, then I create an acrylic under painting and complete the work with oil.

No other painting method gives such remarkable depth.”

I ask her how she reaches her Inner Landscape as she immerses herself deeply in the act of painting and if she listens to music or the news? She says she loves to listen to classical music and often to some singer/songwriters but at other times she craves total silence. “When I paint, I feel such a wonderful sense of contentment and creativity.

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— "There's a perfect synchronicity between the technique and the subject matter that makes it almost leap off the canvas. Remarkable that it’s all done with palette knifes and no brushes!"

— Patron attending one of Laura Adams’ recent exhibits

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is done in total solitude, but I also love painting with some colleagues and sharing time with them.”

We talk about our favourite painter, Lawren Harris and AY Jackson who were travelling buddies. I recall an anecdote about AY and his frustration with a piece that was not working. He would solve the problem by breaking it apart and burning it! I ask her if she does anything as dramatic as that and she says no! However, when it feels like a painting is “going south,” she stops painting and revisits her composition plan, which she completes before commencing each work.

When we discuss love for the landscape she says, “I feel humility as a mindful observer within these natural ecosystems, and ‘awe’ of the interdependent parts and processes that are constantly in flux adapting and shifting each moment.”

When discussing the message she wants to convey to her viewer, she explains, “I strive to evoke that sense of place through the shape of the landscapes and the light moving through it. It is about reliving that sense of place.

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Ilullisatt Icefjord, West Coast Greenland A prolific ecosystem abounds at the mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier that produces more icebergs than any other in the northern hemisphere. © Mike Beedell (2)

The challenge is how to create that sense of vastness. It is not only the aesthetic beauty but the powerful feeling that the landscape instills within me. For example, on Baffin Island the ancient stone, billions of years old, and the light is unlike anything I have seen before.”

In May of this year we went to the national gallery to take in the Group of Seven. This was a day after we had returned from leading a ski trip through one of the most stunning landscapes on north east Baffin Island. It was her first time to the gallery. I could feel her excitement, reverence and joy at

absorbing these works and she explained many technical aspects of how these masters made their marks on the canvas. We took in the Tom Thompson’s and the AY Jackson’s and the Carmichael’s, but the most awesome of all were the works of our hero, Lawren Harris. His Arctic series left us breathless and they were made more poignant as we had just spent two weeks near the region where he had painted these masterpieces in the ’30s. One piece entitled Bylot Island has tremendous resonance.

Then it was on to the Firestone Collection at the Ottawa Art Gallery where we absorbed Lawren Harris’ Mount Thule, Bylot Island 1930 with the gallery all to ourselves.

Laura was awestruck by this exquisitely lit Lawren Harris and she expressed feeling deeply moved. “I was so impressed with his beautiful marks and elegant simplicity. He is a brilliant master of that.”

As I spend time with Laura Adams and think about her prodigious talent, I cannot help but muse about the possibility that she will one day be represented in the National Gallery. Her powerful works inspire the viewer and reach out and grab us viscerally.

Her paintings make us yearn to see these wondrous parts of our country. However, they also give us pause to consider the impacts of climate change and the alarmingly swift changes that are happening to the landscapes and seascapes of the Arctic world and to the people who inhabit them. Laura Adams is a master of silent poetry that speaks directly to our hearts and then weaves its way to our minds. She has returned to Canada after a decade, living in New Zealand. We are fortunate as Canadians that she is back to share her visionary art and talents in our great country. www.mikebeedellphoto.ca www.luminate.ca

Autumn in the Torngats Laura applies the finishing marks at her studio in Nelson, British Columbia, following an expedition down the Labrador Coast and into Torngat National Park.

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Hilleberg expedition tent. © David Reid

Arctic Return Ski Expedition Following John Rae’s path

By David Reid

Fur trader, explorer, surgeon and surveyor, Orcadian John Rae was born in 1813 in Orkney, Scotland.

It was on the windswept moors of Orkney, walking, hiking, hunting, fishing and sailing in the nearby sometimes treacherous waters, that Rae’s outdoor skills were honed and hard-earned.

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is father ran the local Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) post and so the young Rae grew up knowing the commerce that took many of his fellow Orcadians (and other Scots) across the Atlantic to the shores of Canada and the (then) lucrative fur trade.

In 1829, Rae signed on as a surgeon with the HBC and ventured beyond the horizon due west from his Orcadian roots to one of his first postings at Moose Factory. Showing respect, humility and understanding, Rae immediately set about learning land and survival skills from those who knew them best — the Indigenous people of the area.

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Kellett River approaching Pelly Bay. © Frank Wolf

In 1854, Rae and his Indigenous companions set out from Naujaat (Repulse Bay) on a journey to survey and map what is now called Boothia Peninsula in the central Canadian Arctic. It was during this journey that Rae discovered (at Point De La Guiche) the long-sought after missing link to the first navigable Northwest Passage and the most salient facts pertaining to the fate of the failed Franklin expedition.

Upon returning to London with this news, the Admiralty did not take kindly to the evidence (truth) presented to them by Rae, namely that Franklin’s party had resorted to cannibalism as their last ghastly resort before death. Lady Franklin (Franklin’s wife) joined forces with the literary giant of the time Charles Dickens to discredit Rae and the evidence he held. The rest, as they say, is history.

For too long, the name John Rae has remained in the shadows of Arctic history and exploration. In September 2017, author and historian Ken McGoogan and David Reid discussed such matters while travelling together through the Northwest Passage. It was over dinner one evening that the idea was conceived and hatched that Reid would put together an expedition team and re-trace Rae’s 1854 journey from Naujaat to Point De La Guiche.

In late March 2019, the Arctic Return Expedition team left Naujaat, Nunavut, and embarked upon the 630 km (roughly 400 miles) trek by ski across Boothia Peninsula to Rae Strait. Reid was joined by Garry Tutte, Frank Wolf and Richard Smith.

The goal of the expedition was to raise awareness and appreciation of Rae, his accomplishments, Indigenous knowledge and help the John Rae Society in Orkney in their efforts to complete the restoration and conversion of his family home, the Hall of Clestrain, into an interpretive Arctic history centre. In addition, the journey would honour someone who has been, as McGoogan would say, “ripped off by history”.

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Meeting hunters from Kugaaruk on the trail. Exchange of news, information and friendship. © Frank Wolf

What set Rae apart from other explorers of his era was his eagerness and willingness to learn from the people of the regions in which he travelled. The Arctic Return team was no different, taking the time in Naujaat to talk to hunters and others who spend a lot of time on the land. Rae lived in igloos, hunted, ate country food and wore clothes and used implements given and made for him by the Inuit of the region.

The start of the expedition was delayed due to a blizzard that brought high winds and -30C temperatures to the small community — located on the Arctic Circle. The weather improved enough that the team finally left on March 30. The incredibly cold temperatures continued throughout and contributed to two members of the team (Garry Tutte and Frank Wolf) having, unfortunately, to leave the trip early. The first leg of the journey saw the team visit the stone house

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A limited number of special commemorative Arctic Return flags were made for the expedition. One was presented in Naujaat and one (shown here) was presented to the Mayor and Hamlet Council in Gjoa Haven upon completion of the expedition. © Marvin Atqittuq

An elderly John Rae with some of the Franklin expedition artifacts that he purchased from the Inuit in 1854. © Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, Archives of Manitoba, Hudson’s Bay House Library photograph collection subject files, HBCA 1987/363-R-2/6 (N7518).

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Rae built in 1846 and then head North through the North Pole River system and emerge at the southern end of Committee Bay (many thanks Laimmiki from Tuugaalik High School in Naujaat). In places, due to high winds, much of the snow had been blown from the river system and some of the lakes.

This meant good progress could be made. In places, the team traded skis for micro-spikes — one day 28 kilometres was achieved (the best of the entire expedition). When the conditions were this good, the occasional glance over the shoulder was needed to check both sleds were still attached! Each team member pulled two sleds, weighing approximately 100 pounds each.

Wildlife sightings and encounters were sparse throughout the month-long journey. Arctic fox would appear occasionally, along with the ubiquitous raven. Wolf and polar bear tracks were seen. During five days skiing on the sea ice of Committee Bay, the team saw two wolverines. Given their dark brown and tan fur, these (sometimes) feared animals were not hard to spot. More than likely they were hunting baby ring seals near breathing holes. These shy and elusive animals (the largest member of the weasel family) appeared curious about the strange interlopers at first but with their unmistakable gait and run, quickly made their way back to the land where they would have established dens.

Keeping (and following) the shoreline to the left, navigating on the sea ice was relatively straightforward. That ease of travel would not last as the team turned west and crossed part of Boothia Peninsula to the southern end of Pelly Bay. The challenge of the environment, route finding and topography continued but was more than compensated for by the welcome and warm meetings that took place with Inuit from Kugaaruk travelling on the land to reach their preferred ice fishing areas. Just as John Rae had done 165 years earlier, the team listened and took advice on travel conditions and what to look out for.

The community of Kugaaruk lay just to the North of the route but would play a part in facilitating Frank Wolf ’s departure. Topography changed for 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

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— What set Rae apart from other explorers of his era was his eagerness and willingness to learn from the people of the regions in which he travelled. The Arctic Return team was no different, taking the time in Naujaat to talk to hunters and others who spend a lot of time on the land.

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the remaining two team members Richard Smith and David Reid as progress was made through the lake systems and the Ross Hills of Boothia Peninsula.

As the west side of the peninsula was sought and beckoned, the land became incredibly flat making navigation a challenge. Finally, after a month of hard sled pulling, the two reached Point De la Guiche. Reid and Smith did however share some anxious moments upon reaching the area. Very little remains of the stone cairn built in 1854 by Rae and his companions. Where exactly was it!? Luckily, in 1999 a commemorative plaque (Homage to John Rae) was built and placed on the exact spot by Louie Kamookak, Cameron Treleaven and Ken McGoogan. It was the small plaque that was eventually spotted in the distance, much to the relief of two weary travellers!

After two days at Point De La Guiche, the team made the final short leg to Gjoa Haven by snowmobile, expertly guided by Jacob Atqittuq, his son

John Rae memorial in St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney. © Ken McGoogan

Marvin and friend Leroy. Time was spent and enjoyed in the community before the journey back south.

The success of the Arctic Return expedition was due in large part to the drive, enthusiasm and commitment of all those involved. The challenges encountered by the team on the long journey only helped solidify the respect and appreciation that John Rae deserves.

With the expedition now over, work begins to support the John Rae Society in Orkney and the planned restoration of the Hall of Clestrain.

Marvin Atqittuq, Richard Smith, David Reid and Jacob Atqittuq at Point De La Guiche. © Leroy 2019 | 05

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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

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YOUTH

Entrepreneurial learning Community collaboration helps launch careers

By Kativik Ilisarniliriniq & Small Economy Works

The Nunavik region is poised to play a key role in the extraordinary transformation of education and business that the coming century promises. While Nunavik is growing rapidly, so is the role of technology in careers. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states that “65 per cent of current school students will be in jobs not yet invented.” Some 57 per cent of Nunavik’s population is under 25 years old, and while the region’s schools face low retention rates, its educators see a generation with a rich potential, ready to be activated and mobilized in a way that’s anchored by Inuit culture and values.

In this rapidly changing environment, we cannot accurately predict the type of jobs that will emerge. Nunavik’s youth will need a variety of skills to navigate through and adapt to a technology-driven work environment. These “21st century skills” include creativity, inquiry, collaboration, technology literacy and more, skills that have long been central to Inuit approaches to education.

It’s in this context that in 2017-18, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq mandated Small Economy Works, previously called Inspire Nunavut, to create a Career and Community Development Students from Tasiujak with a local Elder who told them stories for their Elder book project. © Small Economy Works

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YOUTH

Students in Akulivik show off the fishing nets they’re making. © Small Economy Works

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Rather than developing the course based on past experiences of the curriculum developers, the project team was purposeful in co-creating the course with five pilot schools.

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(CCD) course targeting the students in their final three years of high school. Small Economy Works developed similar curriculums around entrepreneurial learning aligned with Inuit culture and values and tailored to socio-economic dimensions of a similar region, Nunavut.

In the case of the mandate received from Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the goal is to empower young Nunavimmiut to develop these essential skills while solving social, environmental and economic problems that they’re passionate about. The engine that makes this happen is creating community projects and social enterprises in collaboration with

community members; making real and relevant impacts and increasing their confidence and skill sets in the process.

Rather than developing the course based on past experiences of the curriculum developers, the project team was purposeful in co-creating the course with five pilot schools, along with their students, teachers, administration and community leaders. This included working closely with classrooms to gather feedback during the piloting of the course in 2018-19. Students made incredible contributions such as communicating their longing to connect with Elders, wanting their culture to be at the forefront of their learning and expressing an interest in learning about what their future careers would look like.

Through this co-creation process, a course was developed that facilitates students in starting local projects that solve community needs, learning about markets and starting social enterprises, as well as developing individualized pathways to better prepare for college or jobs within traditional organizations. This included a comprehensive teacher support infrastructure based on “entrepreneurial learning”, so capacity in the course’s technical topics can be grown with teachers at home on an ongoing basis.

Kativik Ilisarniliriniq has equipped each of the participating schools with a technology kit which includes computers, cameras and filming equipment, as well as relevant software. With these resources, students

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YOUTH

are connected on a digital collaboration platform, and the teachers help facilitate connection between students across community lines.

Students start by exploring their personal skills, building relationships between their class and community, learning about Inuit culture and history from elders and exploring regional organizations. They then explore gaps and opportunities in the community using a design lens, start to brainstorm ideas on how to fill the gaps and validate their ideas with other capacity entrepreneurs and potential users or clients. Based on this validation and customer inquiry, students start to develop a plan to launch at a small scale, to test their concept’s usefulness. When they’re confident in their concept, they develop a marketing, branding and sales strategy and launch the project or social enterprise in their community.

In Akulivik, students created handmade nets for fish, seal and beluga whales. The course collaborated with youth organization, Youth Fusion, to help with the digital technology component to film a video and elders taught students where they should set the nets, how to skin seals and how to butcher the meat. To see the video of the netting project, visit: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=c1DGdndmcDo Other projects included a cooking and take-out service promoting healthy eating, a spa promoting self-care and well-being in the community, a plastic recycling project, 3D printing art, postcards showing off the

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The greenhouse project in Ivujivik, where students grow plants and vegetables. © Small Economy Works

beautiful landscapes of their community and other fundraising activities such as baking, movie nights and raffle prizes. The villages participating included Kangirsuk, Akulivik, Ivujivik, Tasiujaq and Kangiqsujuaq.

During the pilot, 50 students were surveyed regarding their experiences with the course. On average, most students felt the course helped them feel more

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connected with elders in the community, confident that they can make a difference, and more confident about what they want to do after graduation.

The two most important goals for students in their future careers? To be able to provide a good life to their families and to do something they love.

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PROFILE

Spotting Trends

A Gyrfalcon.

Supporting the future of biodiversity in the North

By Leighann Chalykoff

The diversity of life in Canada’s North is distinct. Yukon is home to plant and animal species not seen in other places, and that’s why Dave Mossop — one of the territory’s leading bird biologists — has been working to preserve and showcase that diversity for nearly 50 years.

“The Yukon doesn’t have a natural history museum currently, and we need these kinds of things to support research over time,” says Mossop. “Museums are extremely valuable and it’s a shame that we haven’t capitalized on it already.”

Mossop and other researchers have been building a collection at Yukon College. So far, it contains roughly 3,000 catalogued specimens. The vision is that the collection will first be open to researchers, and then to the general public as Yukon’s natural history museum.

Public education has been important to Mossop throughout his career. While working for the Government of Yukon, he was the driving force behind outreach programming, such as the Swan Haven public education program and the interpretive program on the Dempster Highway.

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In 2018, he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Museum of Natural History for his work, but he didn’t let the recognition go to his head.

“It was embarrassing, I guess,” says Mossop. “I am one of those people who doesn’t perceive my work as achievements — I’ve basically been pursuing my dream of increasing public education along with my field research.”

Mossop came to the Yukon in 1970, lured by an unlikely beacon — the willow ptarmigan.

“I was pursuing a childhood dream — as a very small child I had heard about these birds called ptarmigan in the very far North,” he says. “Growing up down in the south, it was an exotic species.”

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A Willow Ptarmigan.

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PROFILE

Dave heading out to check nest boxes at Lewes Marsh in the Yukon.

Mossop came to the Yukon and worked as a bird biologist for the territorial government for 25 years before moving to the Yukon Research Centre at Yukon College.

There, he has been leading the College’s Biodiversity Monitoring Program for decades.

Through a series of field research projects, many involving student assistance, he has been tracking key indicators of change in Yukon’s ecosystems by monitoring bird species population numbers, reproduction, and general health.

With flies in their faces, Mossop and his research students follow the “turds and tracks,” as he describes it, to add current statistics to the long-term database of bird biodiversity in the Yukon. The database extends back to the 1950s, and Mossop has been adding to it since the 1970s. The historical data is key to spotting trends over time.

Over the years Mossop’s research has focused on using birds, such as the ptarmigan, as indicator species — ones that can

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show the health of an ecosystem over time.

For example, one part of the project focuses on population health of a top predator, the gyrfalcon and its keystone prey, the willow ptarmigan.

“The keystone species are at the bottom of the ecosystem — they are the gasoline that runs it,” says Mossop.

Changes in the populations or health of a keystone species, such as the ptarmigan, can impact the food chain, and affect an entire ecosystem.

In their 2017 surveys on the Chilkat Pass and the Dempster Highway, Mossop and his student researchers found that ptarmigan numbers were fluctuating erratically — a trend that Mossop has noticed since 2010.

In the past, both the falcon and the ptarmigan were locked in stable, reliable population cycles lasting 10 years. When the numbers of ptarmigan flourished, the falcons would lay more eggs and both species would see a time of abundance. But recently, Mossop’s surveys have identified

a disruption in that cycle. In fact, in 201213 reproduction levels were basically zero.

What’s causing these worrying fluctuations? And, are they foreshadowing ecological disaster or merely a short-term blip in the species’ natural cycles?

“It’s frustratingly impossible to tell at this point,” Mossop says. “But the reasons for this potentially troubling finding will form the basis of future analysis.”

After 49 years of work, Mossop was back out in the field again this summer, collecting specimens for the research collection, monitoring changes in bird populations, and adding to his lifetime of research.

“Over the years, hundreds of students have contributed to this work, in the field and in the lab, and there are lots of researchers who could carry on this work when it’s time for me to go fishing,” Mossop adds with a smile.

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ARTS

From Scrap to Art Art gives a community a soul

By Marla Limousin and Angela Gerbrandt

It’s tough being a teenager in a remote northern community with limited resources and opportunities.

Residential school left a deep chasm between those who lived through the experience and thus lost their culture, language and identity and those youth now wanting a relationship with the land and their Elders and seek their role within Inuit society. In Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, an innovative program swept nine talented but not necessarily academic young men to glory and shifted their entire perspective towards a future of opportunity and, as it turned out, fame. They won the Youth category 2019 Arctic Inspiration Prize.

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At the awards ceremony, the Inuit songstress Elisapie sang a 1970s Willie Thrasher song “Wolves Don’t Live by the Rules,” which she describes as “a tribute to survival, to nomadism and to the free spirit of the Inuit”. As they listened, the song deeply imbedded itself into the hearts of Andrew

Kitagon and Kaitak Allukpik, two young men representing the “From Scrap to Art” team. The song resonated so deeply with them because they themselves have had a rebellious streak and also because the team had created a significant statement about the resilience of Inuit and the threats

Left: Andrew Kitagon welding each piece of metal on the wolf, creating the strength of the sculpture.

Below: Muskox with the first dusting of snow, staring down the first wolf installation.

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ARTS Celebrating the installation of the wolf.

From top left: Kaitak Allukpik, Andrew Kitagon, Kerry Illerbrun (artist mentor), Daryl Tatoona-Haynes, and Robert Haynes. © Municipality of Cambridge Bay (3)

the culture experiences but in the form of sculpture.

Andrew and Kaitak had been writing their speech for the Arctic Inspiration Prize and had been practicing it for months, in the event of a win. On the night of the ceremony, the recognition of the team’s hard work came, and they stood at the podium delivering a speech that brought the audience to their feet, many with tears in their eyes.

Through a pioneering effort by a group of dedicated artisans/mentors with a strict observance of safety protocols, expectations and patient demonstrations and storytelling, a new way for these young men to take their place was delivered through the expression of art.

At the metal dump, they were charged with finding pieces of discarded scrap metals to be resurrected and melded into a realistic depiction of nature. Through this reinvention of waste material, young minds and hearts found expression and skills of their own. Through concerted classes in the very precise handling of plasma cutters and welding equipment, genius and excitement were born. A life-size muskox facing off two wolves, their stances validated

by Elder Attima Hadlari’s experience, now anchors a Heritage Park on the waterfront of the town, shocking the community into admiration and delight. And, now, these young men profess dreams of becoming mechanics, race car designers, go-cart builders, artists and they look forward to training their peers from across the North in the community studio. Their birds, fish, muskox and other sculpture garner thousands of dollars at auction and bode well for a business start-up. An old building is being renovated for this purpose, and appropriately named as the “Fire and Ice Studio”. The studio will contain a sales area; a forge to make traditional tools and knives; a mobile glass blowing unit that will repurpose currently discarded jars and bottles at the landfill; and, of course, the welding studio. An art expression is being created that is unique to the community and born out of the hard-working, industrious and innovative culture that Cambridge Bay has always been.

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The tales of lessons learned in the workshop are as shocking as they are life-changing: the time when Attima strode into the studio and told the group that the head of the muskox was not in the correct position for a defensive stance. Much to the shock of everyone, Kerry Illerbrun, their artist mentor, took the torch and cut the head

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off! As he held the severed head, the team collaborated to position it just right, staring down the two menacing wolves.

When we give youth an opportunity for expression, they can in turn inspire a community and allow it to dream again. Art gives a community a soul.

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E D U C AT I O N

Elevate Aviation Igniting a passion for the industry Text and photos by Kendra Kincade

Elevate Aviation was formed from a desire to help women find lives they love through an avenue they most likely have never considered — aviation.

Prepping for the hands-on activity at the aircraft maintenance stop on the tour with AMEs Lindsay Murphy and Cassandra Hepp.

Cassandra Hepp gives a tour of the aircraft at Summit Air.

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Beginning with an aviation calendar, Elevate Aviation has evolved into so much more. Realizing a need to bring women together in the industry, a mentorship program was formed, followed by involvement in community events to bring awareness to careers in aviation, speaking engagements in schools and organizations, bursaries, the ‘Economic Security for Women through Aviation’ project (ESWA), the Elevate Aviation Learning Centre and the CrossCountry tour.

The Cross-Country tour and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) convention took us to Yellowknife this year for the first time. We were honoured to join forces with NATA and help kick off their convention with our stop at the Yellowknife airport.

In 2014, we brought a group of young women to the Edmonton Airport and created a day to take them on a tour inside the industry. When we put that day together, we had no idea that five years later we would have the Cross-Country tour, which this year landed in 20 locations including every province and territory in Canada.

This project requires a huge amount of organization and a ton of support from industry partners and volunteers, but it is totally worth all the effort when we see young women showing great interest in finding a career in this industry.

The annual Cross-Country Tour in Yellowknife allowed attendees to spend the day with women in the industry, hear inspirational stories of their journeys into aviation, and take a tour in the afternoon to see up close why these women love their careers. Summit Air generously opened their doors to provide space for our speakers as well as tours in the afternoon.

We took participants on a behindthe-scenes tour where they learned how hydraulics raise and lower airplane tires, about the logistics of running the operation, had a flight simulator experience with

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E D U C AT I O N Elevate Aviation in Yellowknife. From left: Lindsay Murphy, AME Flair; Sophia Wells, Pilot Instructor, Edmonton Flying Club; Cassandra Hepp, AME Summit Air; Kendra Kincade, Air Traffic Controller with Edmonton Centre and founder of Elevate Aviation; Michelle Burtch, First Air Pilot; Maxie Plante, Summit Air Pilot; Cheyenne Boutilier, CARs Operator, Fort Simpson.

Alkan Air, crawled around an airplane and sat in the flight deck, and had a tour up to the Nav Canada tower.

At the end of the tour, participants are offered a mentor from our mentorship program. This program is called ‘Elevate Aviation’s Flight Path to Success,’ and is a five-tier mentorship program that provides support to women either looking to get into aviation or already in aviation who want to connect with successful women in the field. This approach helps introduce a ‘try before you buy’ experience for those looking at aviation for the first time and supports women who are already in the field.

Cassandra Hepp, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer from Summit Air, helped facilitate the day and showed participants why aircraft maintenance is so important to aviation. There were many more people involved in creating this day and we want to extend the warmest thank you to all of them for making it possible.

With over 90 mentors from coast to coast and over 400 mentees currently in the program which include a number from our military mentorship program, anyone who may be interested in learning more about aviation careers is encouraged to contact Elevate Aviation.

You can read more about these programs at elevateaviation.ca including the Elevate Aviation Learning Centre in Edmonton where the mission is to provide participants with the most authentic, memorable, and life-changing aviation experience possible and to ignite passion for the industry. The Elevate Aviation Learning Centre immerses students and the general public in rich, weeklong experiences using the resources and expertise at the Edmonton International Airport and surrounding sites through collaboration with education, business, and industry partners. We are currently looking for more partners to help take this experience across Canada, including Canada’s northern communities.

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BOOKSHELF

Cold Refuge Larry Simpson larrynunavut@hotmail.com, March 2019

John Rae, Arctic Explorer The Unfinished Autobiography

by John Rae (Author), William Barr (Editor) University of Alberta Press September 2018 John Rae, a Hudson’s Bay Company employee, is best known as the first European to reveal the fate of the Franklin Expedition, yet the range of Rae’s accomplishments is much greater. John Rae, Arctic Explorer is an annotated version of Rae’s unfinished autobiography. William Barr, a Senior Research Associate with the Arctic Institute of North America at the University of Calgary, has extended Rae’s previously unpublished manuscript and completed his story based on Rae’s reports and correspondence—including reaction to his revelations about the Franklin Expedition.

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By August of 1944 Germany has all but lost the Battle of the Atlantic, and its submarine wolfpacks are scattered and fighting for their own survival. Meanwhile, one U-boat is on a special mission to Canada's eastern Arctic. Having survived a Canadian bomber attack, U-807 services an unmanned German weather station in northern Labrador before carrying out a stealthy reconnaissance of an American airbase under construction on Baffin Island. Detected, the boat escapes from attacking enemy warships and aircraft by diving under ice into Hudson Strait and playing dead. To avoid the steel gauntlet forming behind them and to raid a known fuel cache, the boat risks heading further north into shallow, ice-choked Foxe Basin. A German scouting team stumbles upon two young Inuit, a brother and sister. They are captured and taken onto the boat. Love blooms between Soldier, the onboard commando, and the beautiful Sila.

An unconventional war story transforms into a cross-cultural survival tale where hope, despair, tragedy, and new beginnings are found within the frigid hull of what the Inuit siblings call the aqqaumasuuq.

Moccasin Square Gardens Richard Van Camp Douglas & Mcintyre, April 2019 The characters of Moccasin Square Gardens inhabit Denendeh, the land of the people north of the 60th parallel. These short stories are filled with in-laws, outlaws and common-laws, shamans and time-travelling goddess warriors, pop-culture-obsessed pencil pushers, archivists and men who just need to grow up, all seeking some form of connection. Get ready for illegal wrestling moves, pinky promises, a doctored casino, extraterrestrials, love, lust and prayers for peace. While this is Van Camp’s most hilarious short story collection, it’s also haunted by the lurking presence of the Wheetago, human-devouring monsters of legend that have returned due to global warming and the greed of humanity. To counteract this darkness, Van Camp weaves a funny and loving portrayal of the Tłįcho̧ Dene and other communities of the North, drawing from oral history techniques to perfectly capture the character and texture of everyday small-town life.

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INUIT FORUM

© Letia Obed

Sustaining the momentum of transformative change Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami exists to help Inuit achieve greater self-determination. It is a powerful expression of national Inuit unity that spans across imposed Canadian geographic and political lines.

Because our work supports the creation of opportunities at the federal government level for Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate the gains we have made nationally.

The four Inuit land claims organizations that comprise the ITK board of directors were created through political decisions within land claims agreement processes. The work of advancing land claims, setting up institutional structures that benefit Inuit, and now the hard work of implementing Inuit-Crown agreements, has required unyielding effort by so many Inuit leaders over the past 50 years. It is important to pause and reflect on these efforts, and to thank Inuit of previous generations whose work we build upon today.

While recognizing the primacy of Inuit land claim agreements, we also know that Inuit selfdetermination at the federal level cannot be measured by land claim agreements and implementation efforts alone. The federal government has more than 30 departments, each with its own interpretation of how Inuit fit within its administration and decision-making structures.

There is so much work to do to reform the way the federal government interacts with and perceive Inuit. This is why ITK advocated for and ultimately succeeded in brokering the establishment of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC), a venue for joint decision making through which the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers sit with Inuit leadership to advance shared priorities.

One transformative change initiated and implemented through the ICPC process has been the way Inuit-specific funding is identified,

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allocated, and administered to Inuit. Before ICPC, Inuit were rarely contemplated in any federal funding allocations, which tended to be broadly directed toward Indigenous peoples, using funding mechanisms that did not respect Inuit self-determination.

Due to the vastly different legislative and policy differences between First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, Inuit often were not eligible for “Indigenous” funding. In the rare circumstances we were considered, Inuit-specific funding was distributed from the federal government directly to provinces and territories in which Inuit reside.

This process did not support Inuit self-determination, and often left Inuit with no funding at all.

Through the ICPC process, there have been long overdue breakthroughs that now see federal funding for Inuit Nunangat distributed based on direction from the elected leaders of the four Inuit land claim organizations. Inuit can create partnerships and have more flexibility to allocate funds where they are needed most.

Most importantly the process rightfully places decision-making for Inuit-specific federal funds in the hands of Inuit.

© ITK

It is a system that makes sense and that works, both as a funding distribution mechanism and as a method of respecting Inuit selfdetermination. Federal budgets over the past three years have prioritized Tuberculosis elimination, housing, early learning and childcare funding, and funding for a sustainable Inuit health survey. Approximately $1.4 billion has been allocated to Inuit through federal budgets since 2016.

I hope the leaders who came before us are proud of these advancements. The path that early leaders of the land claims movement embarked upon decades ago is now leading us toward a world where Inuit and the federal government work together in a space built on mutual trust and respect. We have always worked tirelessly to exercise our right to selfdetermination; now governments — federal, provincial and territorial — can work with us in the spirit of respect and reconciliation to implement our existing rights.

Natan Obed

President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

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