Caribou on Ice

The past 10 days have been an education that you couldn’t buy. I have learned more about the traditions, history and ways of the Inuit culture. This afternoon, while going through town, snow machines lead wooden sleds (known as a kamotik) piled with the caribou carcasses on them. Out in the bay you could see more headlights of the snow machines bobbing and weaving as they slowly worked their way back to town. By nightfall, about 3:30 p.m., there were even more parked along the bay shore.

Apparently, there is a herd just about 10 miles out from town and the hunters have been out there so that there is fresh meat for their families. One fellow Friday sat in my waiting room and told me he got three this week. Everyone in town seems to enjoy going out on the land. You can see it in their eyes when they look out the windows onto the great beyond.

Yesterday I saw a few cabins that they travel to and stay in out on the tundra. The Inuks, and the white as well, talk about how beautiful this land can be with the wild flowers are bursting forth their colours. Using quads (also practical for the snow on the roads here in town) they go to their cabins. Family events include camping, fishing and picking the fresh berries, those small blueberries not the big ones that have no flavour.

While talking about the local fishing here, I asked how big are the char…5 pounds? The reply was “we go fishing…we don’t go fishing for minnows!” They talked about lake trout that were huge…and I believed them. They use gill nets with floats and they told me that as you work your way along the net, you see the float lower in the water. You expect fish to be in the net.

During the winter there is hunting. One of the drivers at the centre has told me that she and her brothers go out every weekend. Everything from wolverines, arctic hare, arctic fox …her list went on. I have met some of the elders from town this week at the centre. Some still enjoy going out but most now are content to let the others do their hunting for them.

The ways of the past are only some of the future. The skills and knowledge these elders possess about the land, the weather, the animals and fish and how they interact is unsurpassed. The younger crowd listens with intent. If they don’t, once the elders have passed, that knowledge, will surely be gone as well. This they know.

The Inuktitut language is very interesting as it is an ancient language. I asked if there was a word for log since trees do not grow here. There is, in fact. Being nomads and travelling further south, they would find trees. I then asked about the Inuit or Inuktitut word that would be used for computer and internet. It was then I was told an interesting story about the language and the thinking of the Inuit people. Since using the computer and the internet is an extension of using your mind, it has been accepted that is the way the wording would be. I’m sure it looses in the translation but it gets the idea across.

On the Land - Part Two

I think this is as close to the land as I’m going to get this trip. When you consider how far we are from town, etc., it makes me a little nervous. The Inuks think nothing of it. They travel 10 hours by snow machine pulling their sled on their way to visit family and friends at Baker Lake. The folks living at Whale Cove are just a stone’s throw in comparison. No GPS (I don’t know if they even work up here) they use subtle landmarks seen in the distance to guide and steer their way.

They talk here about those that were lost and found. Most recently and I think it was last year. Search and rescue guys found them after quite a few days. They were placed of the sleds covered with skins for warmth and by the time they got back to town only frostbite was on one guys heel. Two days later the same guys headed back to their original destination by snow machine.

Yesterday, while out on the tundra we looked far to the horizon. The beautiful blue sky looked spectacular. In the distance you could see a haze of sorts. Sam said he wished he had learned more from the elders about the sky and the weather. He said he was taught as a youngster how to find his way back to Rankin Inlet. A certain star should be followed.

We went out quite a distance to where we could see cabins. He explained that these were the cabins of relatives. He pointed out other far in the distance. We then turned around and passed the golf course again and went out past the end of the runway to where the new municipal dump is scheduled to open. It may not ever…more later. Arriving back into town we past the large lengths of snow fencing that protect the hamlet’s houses from the severe blowing of snow that happens here in march and early april. We went back along another road and over to the side of town where the barges arrive and the docks are located.

This year in September, I believe, several barges were being towed by a tug into the area when a storm hit and they were quite a ways out from town. The severe blowing winds and cold formed ice on the load and it almost sunk. New cars, both in shipping containers and on deck, were ice coated as well as products for other communities that haven’t made it there yet. The containers are still here and may be shipped overland by huge sled trains across the snow and ice later in the winter. A similar thing happened to the oil tanker. It almost stayed the winter but got out after much ice breaking. It was in a larger bay area the other side of town.

The sun was starting to fade as we headed home after a long excursion in daylight hours.
The colours reflecting on the ice changed as the sun was setting. You could see headlights coming back to town across this frozen desert. They moved and bounced and jiggled as they made their way home for the night. The sled of caribou carcasses, sitting by the road, decreased by one, each time someone came from the shed to butcher the meat.

Talking to one of the hunters there today he told me that those caribou were shot in late September or October and buried in the ground in order to get the moss scent to permeate the meat and act as a tenderizer. How do I know if he’s pulling my leg? I don’t. I’ll let you decide.

ON THE LAND - Part 1

Yesterday was clear and sunny with a gorgeous blue sky. The five day from Environment Canada says we should have the same for a few days. The snow is less crunchy underfoot and I must be getting climatized since I only wore one set of gloves yesterday, no balaclava and no face shield. It was noon and the sun was high off the horizon. It only climbs here about 30 degrees, makes about a 45 sweep across the sky and then it goes down.

The temperature was supposed to climb to 23 (for those new people following along the minus here is still understood until about July). The weather channel has still not returned to the cable lineup and my local internet wireless connection has failed to re-establish so I have become more of an observer as of late.

I had a tour of the area yesterday. I got called in to the health centre (I had to return the truck there anyways). I finished my three cases expecting to walk home taking some shots along the way. That never happened. I was walking across the field shooting some of the drifts with that sky and the sun, there were some interesting shadows. I put on the flash and was popping away when a truck stopped over on the road and sounded the horn.

It could only mean one thing. The time had passed, they needed me at the centre, and I hadn’t heard the radiopager. So I hiked over to the truck to see one of the health centre workers sitting behind the wheel. I walked over and he told me that he was taking his dog for a run and did I want to ride along and see some of the area.

I asked why he stopped and how he had recognized me that far away. He said there’s only one guy in town that would be taking pictures in the sun with a flash. He has a great sense of humour that way and as I climbed in his dog jumped into the back. Now his dog is a cross sheppard and husky, about three years old. He told me that he loves to run and you could see that.

The dog remained inside until we got past the kids playing hockey in the street. We waited. They moved the net and shortly got to the outskirts. He told me that if I want to stop anywhere just tell him and he would. We stopped I took some shots and we let the dog out. He ran slightly ahead of us along the road and looked to me how I imagined a sled dog would run.

We didn’t go fast, you can’t here, but we did go what I think would be about 5-8 kilometers to where some of the cabins are built. These are used all year round. It was hard to imagine riverbed and bay areas with the frozen landscape that we were seeing. The road had been built high so it would blow free from the drifting, but a couple of times we made our own paths though the snow and ice. Here I was, FOUR WHEELING ON THE TUNDRA in mid-January. Arctic Action figures sold separately. The Sirius Satellite Radio aboard played on.

When we stopped to take photos either out through the window or standing outside the vehicle, his dog would bury his snout, blow the snow and proceeded to roll in the snow drift. He was like a kid playing for the first time, but it was repeated so many times that I think he just loves the snow. I said to Sam I think you just need to add a harness to him and he would go. Sam smiled.

Another Notable Sighting

The paparazzi in this town (me…all the other tourists are smart and in Mexico this time of year) have had a field day meeting with the local celebrities. Earlier this week, I met Isabelle’s daughter, the Calender Girl. Yesterday, I met a pamphlet queen. Her name is Saskia and both she and her mom were on a brochure created about the new Health Centre and dated 2006. Obviously, the photo of Saskia and her mom were taken some time before.

The photos inside show a newly installed xray table and Marie Tiktak, our resident Basic Radiographer, standing proudly beside it. Also, there is a group shot showing the centre staff at the time. Looking over the brochure I can only see a few that I have met…Sam A. and Sam T., Marley and Marie. The other faces are not known to me and some are standing in behind others so they may be there but unrecognizable. The one side is written in English with the other one in Inuktitut. It talks about the future plans of the health centre.

Some of those plans are currently in a holding pattern for the same reasons that hospitals and communities in the south share. There are shortages of trained medical personnel…nurses, doctors, midwives and technologists both medical lab and medical imaging. Currently we (notice that now that I am an employee) have a full time position for an ultrasonographer. The interesting thing about the posting is that it claims The closing date is “OPEN UNTIL FILLED” and housing is “allocated for this position”.

This just shows what turnover there is here in the great white north. The ongoing juggling of medical staff coming in here is quite remarkable. That it works and continues to do so is even more interesting. I now have a roommate at the apartment. His name is Joe and he is from Selkirk, Manitoba not Ontario. This is his second trip to Rankin and he’s here until February 2. He has travelled to a lot of other sites in Nunavut with his job.

This week he’s been busy with some support work for the health centre workers, friends and the family of our recent tragedy. He is with the Mental Health program. It’s a good thing I’m not a resident of Nunavut. He might have me committed by noon Saturday.

TGIF

We made it through the week. Actually so did the entire health centre. Staff and building, we survived. I don’t think I‘ve had a week of work that was more of a more roller coaster ride in a long time. I told you about the floods at the centre and while they could have been a catastrophe, that proved not to be the case. There was a flood that did affect the entire town this week. It seems that over at the CoOp, a pipe burst sometime Monday during my first arctic blizzard.

What resulted has affected most residents very deeply. The burst water shorted out the cable TV system for the entire community. Hence on Monday we had no stations. They’ve been coming back slowly but a few are still not “on line”. We had the movie channels but not the listings station. OLN was great and I learned so much about sled dog racing one lunch hour.

I had been making a list of the stations we were getting on sunday and their home towns. NBC and ABC were Detroit as well as WGN. the Chicago superstation. What really amazed was that WIVB out of Buffalo was the CBS affiliate, so I was watching basically some familiar newscasts. The local Buffalo-Niagara Falls weather and news presented with a smattering of canadian content, eh?

Sunday night while watching the news, we had a polar bear sighting. I’ve included a photo for those that are non believers. I don’t think I’ll ever look at those “swims” the same now. But hey it’s Friday so what’s everyone doing for the weekend? There’s a whole bunch of activities.

I found out there is bingo down at the hall. Well I asked a stupid question, if they called the numbers in English or Inuktitut. Eyebrows were raised and the question was answered. What they didn’t tell me was it wasn’t a social occasion down at the hall, you just picked up your cards there. Then you went home and played alongside the radio as the numbers were called. As soon as you got a bingo, you called the station. I didn’t dare ask if they answered in english or…

But hey it’s Friday, and we are ready to party...but a slight catch. Across the parking lot from the health centre there was a building with a snow covered sign. Finally today at noon the sun came out. I ventured forth from the safety (and warmth) the health centre. Without bundling up I was able to take some photos with the long lens from the front and rear entrances. Lo and behold, across from our parking lot less than 150 meters away was...The Canadian Legion Branch #169. TGIF. I’m not sure anymore with some things they are telling me. I’ve become somewhat cynical…possibly 12 dollar beers?

As always, there is a “gotch ya” here in RI, as I’ve now come to know it. Branch #169 only opens at 8:30 p.m. It has a maximum number of patrons allowed (due to fire regulations) and that’s all provided they can find a bartender for the evening. It closes late but how can you tell when at 845 this a.m., the sun was just starting to show itself in the most beautiful of sunrises.

What will Saturday bring…GOK (God Only Knows…at first you thought it was an Inuktitut word didn't you?). Under the B 15…

When is the rainy season in Rankin Inlet?

I’ve received a few comments and many emails from those who have been reading about my trip. This is number 32 in the series and I fully expected to hit fifty before this arctic adventure is complete. Thanks to one of my neighbours, however, that may not be possible. You see, for the past week, I had been using a wireless connection to the internet to check facts and details about the territory and hamlet. That ceased today with “linksys” now using a WPA. There is good news on the horizon though. I can access the internet through my Nunavut government connection. Yes, tech support finally came through yesterday (as well as my contract today) and now I am both connected and officially an employee. bbriggsjude@gov.nu.ca will reach me at least until the 18th. I hope the cookies arrive soon! I HAVE ONLY 10 DAYS LEFT !!!! Where has this time gone?

I will tell you I have developed a new skill set while here…baking and bailing. Today was cleanup day (again). I talked about our flood of requests on Tuesday at three p.m. After yesterday’s final case of the day, I expected it to be a somber day of both reflection and mourning. Everyone who comes to the clinic knows everyone. They smile and hold each other kids and pass the time while they are waiting to see the clinic staff. They may be a neighbour, relative or friend. In a town of 3,000, people pick up their mail at the post office and when death occurs everyone knows the person, the family and many times they were friends as well.

Folks here meet each other at the various stores and socialize at each others houses. Only outsiders lock their doors and knock when they enter a friends house. I thought I would be able to report how death is handled in a small town “north of 60” but that didn’t happen.

Instead it was raining cats and dogs when we arrived at the centre today. That’s tough to do when the outside temperature is 25C (again please note the minus is understood). Water was everywhere on the floor from the elevator all the way down the hall to pharmacy. We had at least an inch of water on the floor ranging from reception to medical records into transcription and registration and into a couple of the nurses stations including the fridge and the coffee maker room.

Again, the crew of staff members from the entire centre pitched in until within an hour, the place was bailed and we could turn our attention (once again) to the flooded boiler area. This time it was less water, in the hold, than before but it had to be done. What happened today you might ask? I’m starting to get the blame. Some of them are now counting the days till I leave town. It seems that the effects of xray room’s sprinkler demise of Tuesday afternoon had also affected the elbow at the end of the run directly in the front storm porch entranceway of the health centre. It must have happened just before the NOC (nurse on call) had arrived at eight. The ceiling was spewing gallons of water. It got shut off just as I got in. Nobody changed. They dropped their gloves but no fight broke out.

Instead, bailing, vacuuming, and general mopping as well as sweeping occurred. I was asked if I was bringing in muffins, again, on friday. I replied “sorry guys but today xray is dry!” And so, what had thought to be a somber day was a genuine diversion of huge importance. We had all pitched in and moved medical records, computers, faxes and gallons upon gallons of water. It had a huge therapeutic effect. People had accomplished the near impossible with the most minimum of losses.

I have suggested that floor drains be installed this spring so we just have to mop up the boiler room. It would save a lot of work. I’m still looking for the employee’s suggestion box now that I am one. Maybe I’ll get a free trip to Winnipeg!

The KIVALLIQ Health Centre

I have shown and talked about the various commercial things in town but until yesterday I didn’t have an opportunity to show the health centre. I guess it would be more realistic to call it a health showplace.

This is the third health centre to be built in Rankin Inlet. The others, I believe, had been built in the late sixties and early eighties by the Northwest Territory government, who at that time, were the central government in charge of health. The last one had a fire, started in the boiler room, which cause extensive damage just as our current centre was nearing completion. You can imagine that with no heat in a building this far north, severe consequences occur. I’ll have more on that tomorrow.

Anyways the good news was that they were almost finished building and three years ago this facility officially opened. You’ll notice from the accompanying photos that I will post today and tomorrow there are many features that some of us are less than familiar with. First the building stands on the top of a knoll with lots of drainage all around it. There are no basements here (One of the local fellows asked me “who would want to live in the ground anyways?”).

In the main heat of the summer you can dig about four feet until you come to permafrost. You then wait a week until it melts and then go further in. Hence there is a lot of heaving and shifting in their structures. The designs reflect that. The next most striking thing about the outside is the size of windows. They seem small and are for a very good reason. You loose heat from those components so this reduces heat loss. The building is huge.

We have the only elevator on the west coast of Hudson’s Bay here in Nunavut. There are usually up to three midwives working from the centre with a birthing centre onsite and the midwives travel out to the surrounding communities as well. The Laboratory has three techs, xray has one, and ultrasound is currently looking for a full time person. They come in for a one to two week stint at the moment.

The building is two story and has a main entrance in front and a staff entrance located off the rear parking area. The parking area is equipped with plugs so those with vehicles can keep the oil warm. The outside entrances have metal steps and ramps for handicapped access. The tops of the steps allow snow and ice to fall through so that you always have a footing. The building is raised so that snow can blow away from it rather than building up at the entrances and a moat like area can fill with the blowing snow as well. There is a rampart across the ambulance entrance.

The heated ambulance bay that is equipped with no less than four snow shovels so that the area can be cleared quickly if needed. We have a loading dock for things being shipped to receiving and stores. We have a Central Service area and a staff lounge of course. Our television is perched on the wall and doesn’t seem to wander as in some places, I’ve worked. Currently, we do not have inpatients. Anyone requiring care and treatment not available here, or hospitalization, is shipped out to either Churchill or Winnipeg by Kivillaq Air, the medevac service. The option to transport to Iqaluit across the bay is used occassionaly. We have a morgue and the nurses work as the attendant if required.

My first patient was a chest and the second a person was injured in a dog sled race. This week I’ve done hips, knees, hands, and an assortment of other things including a finger on a guy who cut some tendons while butchering his caribou in November. I’ve done a set of facial bones who’s owner was immediately transferred to the plastics on call at the Winnpeg Health Sciences Centre. My Friday callback snowmobiler was medevacued to the ortho on call in Winnpeg that same night. Sometimes I get the impression that health care here has a higher priority but, hey, this is the north!