Turning Day into Night

Our first snowfall this past monday in Niagara

I was reminded by my wife today, that there is only a month until the man in the red suit arrives...and still hoping to be on her nice list, I once again quickly agreed. It's amazing that we are almost through November already, given that the current weather has been quite pleasant...and until this week, a little unseasonable here in the Niagara region.

While we have been enjoying this, our friends in the Arctic have been havng their typical weather season. Once you've visited an area or been a resident for a period of time, it's not uncommon for an occassional check of their weather. Having been fortunate to travel to many countries over the years and having an interest in weather, I probably check the weather of various places quite often. 

For those who travel religiously to such golf meccas as Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, today it was 17C (64F) with partly sunny skies and almost 10 hours of daylight. Further south in the Carribean, in Punta Cana, Domincan Republic our neighbours are experienced clear blue skies. The high was 30C (86F) with a rain storm expected this evening after 11 hours of daylight. 

Sunrises can be surreal in Canada's north

Over on the pacific side of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta experienced a high today of 32C (89F) with the thunderstorm blocking their full moon tonight after 11 hours of daylight. Our local weather here in Niagara was a milder 10C (50F) with many sunny periods throughout our 8.5 hours of daylight. 

But before you start heading online to check out your favorite winter destination (and make a booking), I wanted you to observe some current weather conditions in Canada's north. Having returned from Rankin Inlet in Nunavut, a mere 8 months ago, I keep track of their weather more often than many other communities. Today's weather there, on the shore of Hudson Bay, consisted of the same type of sky as in Niagara...blue and sunny with some cloudy periods but the daylight lasted only 6 hours at that latitude...just shy of the Arctic Circle. Their temperature today was a -23C (-9F) and they are losing about 5 minutes of daylight currently each day. Here, in Niagara, we are losing about 2 minutes of daylight each and every day.

The scenery in Rankin Inlet is breath taking
even in the midst of total darkness in a power blackout.

Now, if you were to travel today, north of the Arctic Circle say to a community called Cambridge Bay, things were a little darker in many ways. At 69 degrees North Latitude and about 950 Kilometers northwest of Rankin Inlet, they have recently experienced a blizzard that lasted a couple of days. That has passed and today was partly cloudy there with a high temperature reaching -23C (-9F) during their 2.5 hours of daylight. The days are currently diminishing by over 15 minutes each day and soon they will have complete darkness, becoming night instead of day on the frozen shores of Queen Maud Gulf and Dease Straight.

The thing that is most astonishing to me is the fact that a mere two weeks ago, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut was losing just over 9 minutes of daylight each day which was the equivalent of an hour a week. I have been watching this closely as this may reduce my ability to photograph life about town in early January. The good news is that by the time I'm ready to return to Niagara, I hope to have 6 hours of daylight to work with..maybe more.

Photo opportunities abound on a casual trip around any town.

The bad news is...that at the Kitikmeot Regional Health Centre, I should be scheduled 8:30 to 5 ...with weekends off. A silver lining is we get an hour for lunch each day..so I may have to choose a different route home for lunch each day...if I'm to document anything with the camera. The good news is...to make the most of my last few days, I'll have to scout out my shots before, to make the most of the daylight before I return to Niagara. I certainly hope each weekend's weather will be clear and suitable to make the most of photo opportunities. 

The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is just a few weeks away...and a few days after that the days will get longer as daylight increases....again it will be latitude dependent. We'll tackle the saga of the arctic winds in a future edition as that in itself....is another segment contributing to the Nunavut weather...but something that affects life there much more. Until then, stay warm while counting down the days to Santa's visit.

The Magic of the North

My neighbour has decorated

With Christmas almost 6 weeks away, and Remembrance Day just observed...we are starting to see the decorations in stores, as is normal, but also on some houses due to the nice weather here in Niagara the past two weeks. That's about to change with the recent strong gusting winds and temperatures skirting the freezing mark at night now.

The "ToysRus" brochure arrived last week and will be looked over carefully in the next few weeks by the younger set in many households everywhere. I remember as a kid when the Sears and Eaton's gift books would arrive in late October and hours would be spent looking over page after page trying to decide. 

Times have changed with most of us now scanning those HTML pages as they refresh on our tablets, phones or laptops. Since some of us still like reading that original paper copy, my Tower Hobbies catalogue (flying toys for the older crowd...LOL) has also arrived...and, more importantly, is being carefully scrutinized...(older boys, bigger toys etc.)...and the descriptions for each is being read very carefully as a potential wish list grows.

Our reading material has changed from paper

As we approach those end of year celebrations, we tend reflect on the good things that have occurred to us...through the year...It's often called the Magic of Christmas. This "spirit" is not something tangible you can grasp in your hand but something invisible that you can hold in your heart.

The world embraced the tragedies "en Paris"

A similar, but different, "espirit des corps" was demonstrated friday night by Parisians defying those trying to wreak havoc in their country. Spontaneous singing of their national anthem as they exited the soccer match, hours later, and yesterday at gatherings around the countryside with the "tricoleur" flying proudly everywhere...and painted upon famous landmarks showed more cameraderie as well as world support...an example of that old village feeling that we are in "this" together.

Previous experiences in the arctic have taught me many things...among them the resiliency and determination of the people. While survival is the ultimate goal, there are many ways of achieving it. Like all of us, my education continues but I've learned, both by observations and by conversations, the importance of family focus in the Inuit culture...and on this topic, there is much more to learn.

As a temporary staff member of the health care team, both times I have felt genuinely welcomed by the staff at the health centre in Rankin Inlet. I remember someone once telling me. "The first time people will welcome you, the second and third times they'll say welcome back..and after that they say "welcome home". 

When one arrives at any new 

My 2008 transient apartment building now closed,
and awaiting demolition in March 2015

job...there is always a learning curve. Adaptation to the climate, once north, is just one more addition to the requirements of any new job. These include finding the work areas, tasks and layouts, and more importantly, the introduction to staff. It's not just the medical staff but those health centre staff members that keep the day to day operations functioning smoothly or adjusting as required. Most are local but some are imports. 

Without the importation of additional staff, the local health centres would not be able to provide the necessary day to day care that these communities need. The combination of general care, medical advice and information, of course, dealing with the emergencies that arise from falls, burns, lacerations and other medical events that present in all age groups. 

A significant sign of change, noticed last winter in Rankin Inlet, was the observation that more Inuit were now working in the middle management positions or as supervisory personnel in many different organizations. It was noticeable and hopefully a direction that will continue as the education and opportunities for those in the north increase in scope and need and NUNAVUT matures.

When working with people in a new environment it is vital to build trust in short term relationships, so that all parties succeed. It is far more difficult when those involved have been the target of abuse or have been cheated and their status diminished over the centuries.   

Most recently, the rise of the native status since the creation of NUNAVUT has lead to a more positive energy and direction. As the first major land claims settlement in Canada in 1999, based upon Intuit culture and the migration of the caribou, the growth in the north has been steady. Improving education, along with the steady and continuing improvement in the medical facilities are just two things that are changing the lifestyle of the north.

54 Aboriginal candidates nominated
in the recent Federal Election

Nunavut has the lowest median age in population in Canada, something that has not gone unnoticed. The recent federal election had 54 Aborignals nominated to run in the recent Federal election for the four main parties. Following the Liberal landslide, our new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, announced his cabinet of 31 which included two Indigenous people and a third person with aboriginal advocacy experience. These include Jody Wilson-Raybould as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Hunter Tootoo as Minister of Fisheries, Ocean and the Canadian Coast Guard. Long time Indigenous advocate and former Liberal party critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett was appointed Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Affairs. This will present a slightly different focus for future cabinet discussions and, quite possibly, the future of Canada's Arctic.

If you would try to describe the "Magic of the North"...I think the best word to use today would be "change". AND it's not just the climate, it is much more. While change is occurring in our fast moving lifestyle here in southern Canada and across our world, it's becoming much more rapid in the far north.  

Je suis Paris...remembering those victims involved...Niagara Falls painted "francaise" courtesy Niagara Parks

Exploration Preparation

Human beings, by our nature, can become creatures of comfort and habit. The human brain is a phenomenal part of our anatomy, deeply studied, yet still today... barely understood. Individually, we can create or destroy. Just one of the paths we can take.The curiousity in most of us can be fed by learning. Those ongoing and continuing educational events in our lives...big or small...can lead to a series of positive human traits or is it the other way around?

The method of Arctic Exploration available to anyone connected! 

In today's fast moving and ever changing world, many of us, use a modern method of education...it's called YOUTUBE. Readily available... with a myriad of topics allowing one to tap in and connect to an unlimited array of topics quite easily. I may be slightly ahead of my time here, but I'm waiting for someone to graduate from the University of Google with Bachelor's Degree in YOUTUBE. While said tongue in cheek, it may not be far off. 

I use both...often...at home, for play and while at work. That combination of YOUTUBE and Google today are a formidible force...readily accessible information combined with the many "how to" demonstrations and applications. There are literally millions of videos out there...just waiting to be accessed.

Google Street View allows you to explore the
world while in the comfort of your home!

Pick a topic..."packing for the arctic"...for example. Having been to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut twice in the past eight winters (so feeling somewhat more educated on this topic than many) ...imagine my surprise at the listings that arise once the keywords are entered. Everything from icepacks to cool your picnic and camping goodies to the actual accumulation of equipment needed for an arctic scientific expedition. Somewhere in between, there may be a video of actually putting together an arctic emsemble...the clothing needed to survive the bitterly cold tundra during winter...sped up into a 30 second clip !!!!

Your travel destination determines your wardrobe needs

Whenever a trip is planned, normally one would head to their closets, drawers, and storage containers. The selected clothes, as the piles grow on that spare bed, couch or table, will be dependent upon the direction you are heading, the time of year and the anticipated climate at the destination. The same can be said of someone going north in Winter.

Outdoor gear varies but as we've been told for years the key is layering...for warmth. The elements include good footwear...and outside coverings to protect from the winds including good gloves. Starting from the ground up requires a good set of winter boots. For my first trip up in 2008, I purchased a pair of Sorrells in St. Catharines. These boots lace up and have a snow cuff. They are rubberized with a deep tread and removable felt liners to allow drying when needed. 

A sunny afternoon following the 3 day
blizzard showing the heights of snowdrifts.

Last year, once I got "the call", I checked out my boxed boots...stored up on a shelf. I looked them over carefully for signs of cracking or other defects that would require their replacement. None were found. This coming week, I plan to check them out once again, but am confident they survived the past 8 months. Good boots are not a luxury but a necessity if your feet are to be kept toasty. With a good pair of thick socks, over regular socks, mine have never been cold... even at -50C even while crunching on the snow drifts outside for over an hour.

In March, while in Rankin Inlet shopping for groceries, I would wander the aisles looking for interesting articles and objects common mostly to the north. Among the goose decoys and other hunting paraphernalia in the Northern at the far end of the store...past all the groceries, dry goods and appliances, I turned an aisle and found outdoor footwear...lots of it. The prices were not competitive but the goods fulfilled the need.

A good coat (with hood) is a necessity...mine is medium brown...down filled and currently in the tailor shop having a new zipper sown in. When was the last time you actually replaced a zipper due to wear of the fabric of the zipper??? Near the end of my "tour" last year, I thought it wouldn't last...but it did !  Every journey outside requires its use at the times of year that I've been north. With the current temperature today of -28C in Cambridge Bay (currently it's plus 10C here in Niagara) it will be a much needed requirement.

A Health Centre colleague getting a "lift" for home for lunch

A toque, wool cap, or other headcovering is a requirement. Goggles are optional. A fur trim on the hood is less about fashion but has a more practical use. My hood was almost adorned last year...the functionality is as folllows. With the fur trim and the hood pulled down around the face, the air warms in front of your face as you exhale and mixes with the cold arctic air as you inhale saving your lungs from a direct icy air entry. 

Another necessary item, is a thing called a facemask or a balaclava and well advised for us "southerners". I used my facemask for the first two weeks last February. After that, I had become accustomed to the "colder climes" and only used a facemask when I would be outdoors for a considerable length of time or when I would be walking directly into strong winds...in Rankin Inlet there seems to always be some wind blowing...some days more strongly than others. 

Many flags fly but the harsh & steady winds
make for a short life

With no trees, one can only watch for tell tale signs of wind from inside or feel it directly while outdoors. There are a few flags outside in winter...but most are emblems on buildings. Those that are flying free require frequent replacement. You learn to watch for those subtle signs. Whisps of snow blowing from the edges of snowdrifts or roofs are one indicator. By using illuminated business signs and streetlamps during dark hours you can see the snow flurries travelling by.

Finally, your outdoor "kit" is never complete without snowpants and gloves or mitts. The snowpants break the wind, reduce the need for "long johns" and allow you to wear regular pants and jeans. Mitts are warmer than gloves. In your mitts, your four fingers together in one section, maintain warmth together while individual fingers in gloves can become colder faster. 

The only "lost" orphan glove ever seen 

During my first trip in January 2008, I was able to  procure a pair of beaver mitts, locally made and hand sewn. The long fur and dense hide are much warmer than man made replacements. Originally I used a lined glove combined with a nylon overmitt to reduce the wind cooling effect. In my trips, so far, I have only seen one lost glove....hats and toques are in the lost and found bins in most buildings....but not gloves!!  

Lot's of times at the Health Centre I would come across teenagers wearing sneakers..both inside and for outside travel...but it's more a statement of independence and usually for short durations...darting between trucks or SUV's and buildings. 

Rankin Inlet Post Office flying Canada' finest

Indoor clothing can be same as for any Canadian home centrally heated in winter. With the outside temperatures, most of the year, arctic accommodations are well insulated and heated...provided that the electrical generators in town continue to function. Most have oil fired heating with hot water radiators. The electricity is used for water circulation and furnace operation. There are no wood stoves or fireplaces as we are well above the treeline. 

Maintenance of these systems is crucial both in private homes and the public buildings. Last year, in Rankin Inlet, a couple of times, various public offices and businesses were closed due to heat issues or frozen pipes...my transient apartment included. 

If I were to sum this whole edition into one word..it would be Preparedness. It occurs with most trips, vacations or excursions. The planning allows you to get "the most" from your experience...preparing for the worst, hoping for the best....but more realistically anticipating and accepting something in between.

Next time: The Magic of the North