Arviat Arrival

Ground crew loading the ATR for 1215 Departure in Rankin Inlet

The water outside my window in Whale Cove

The plane was loaded on time and lifted off about five minutes late from Rankin Inlet.The engines fired up as we are rolled along the runway, sun streaming down and blue skies with streaky white clouds running through it. No cabin service was announced as it is only a twenty minute flight to Whale Cove, the first leg of the flight to Arviat, NUNAVUT. This trip, I took only one bin with 56 pounds in it...70 pounds are allowed here on Calm Air flights AND two bags are allowed plus carry on...but I am only travelling here for 7 days and six nights.

Above Whale Cove, we prep for our first attempt to land. The skies seem more cloudy here and we are in clouds as we descend. Flaps are settled eventually at 30 degrees and we are travel along. From my seat I can see the flaps angulator attached on the wing. Suddenly, flaps go back to zero...we level off and behind me is a lady travelling with two small kids and she says....shit. We both know we are not landing at the moment. From my radio control flying experience I can almost hear the guy beside me cry out...Going around again!

Whale Cove airport terminal

We do a couple of banks...appear to be climbing for a minute then the pilot comes on introducing himself and says that we're gonna try that once again as we had some fog roll in over the centre of the runway. We'll see if that clears and I'll keep you informed...a few more manoeuvres, the flaps go back where they need to be for landing and we get closer to the ground. The gravel runway is visible. The runways landing lights along the side become more visible and we touch down and roll towards the terminal clearly displaying some large letters spelling WHALE COVE.

Seating configuration on the ATR

The twenty two passenger seats in this dual prop ATR are over half full....An announcement is made. Welcome to Whale Cove. For those passengers travelling on to Arviat, please stay on board as we will be underway shortly. The ground crew service the plane and I ask the flight attendant if I can exit the plane to take a couple of distant shots of the terminal and some of the plane.

She agrees to my request and hands me a fluorescent yellow safety vest to wear, I don't even put my coat on while I'm outside...as the cargo is unloaded. No hat, no gloves, no coat...yellow vest...and I don't have a picture of me...but I'm sure someone else took one!

I scramble back inside and ask if coffee might be served on the next link. Here, coffee becomes my staple...NO DECAF here...only high test. She agrees again to my request saying that she'll have time as we only have 5 passengers to Arviat. Each person sits in their previous seat with two seats per row.

Thumbs up on my yellow vest excursion outside the ATR

I strike up a conversation the the mid forty aged guy ahead of me. He's in Arviat on business for a week. I 'm familiar with the company name and we discuss the north, growth, the mining industry and its impact on the economy...the number of vehicles that the mine imported last year is staggering...and a whole history of Arviat.

We talk about the high costs of construction, the lead time required for materiel to arrive from both Churchill AND Montreal, how its paid for and the need for qualified tradesmen...fascinating stuff. He tells me a hotel can cost $400 per square foot to build and we discuss the politics that have entered the “game”. We have strong opinions on many subjects, I hope to meet him in town later this week.

Some thirty five minutes later we begin our descent among clear blue skies and a strong brilliant sun. There's wet on the runway edges...it's melting. We exit the plane. I take my time marching to the terminal to take a photo of ARVIAT sign attached to the terminal wall. The sun is hot and bright. I could use my sunglasses as I walk across the water-logged gravel surface carrying rather than rolling my carry on. I set it and my camera bag down on the metal stairs so as not to get them muddy.

I've landed and am enjoying the flatness as everyone had described to me. Someone had told me It's just like Saskatchewan you can watch your dog run away from you for days. Truer words.

Now my bin is getting frequent flyer miles.

I climb the five steps to the terminal, hold the door for the ground crew following me and set my bags once again. Two people approach and ask...are you Bob? We exchange names and they offer to carry my bags. My bin hasn't arrived yet...I saw it loading in Rankin.

The service truck drives to the side door and mine is the last piece off sliding down the stainless hill that services as the luggage “belt”. I lift it and carry it to the door...as the other cases are already in hand and almost in the SUV. She moving it closer to load my bin when I get called ...by my new friend who has my hotel key.

The difference in weather in just a few hundred miles...I'm melting !!!

 “Didn't they tell you to pick your key up at the check in desk?”, he says. We go back inside and he shows me the box on the counter where the envelopes addressed to each guest are awaiting their arrival. That's where the rental car keys would be as well he says like I'm coming back soon and renting a vehicle. I thanks him as we part company...but before we leave I recognize a familiar face.

She was the manager of the Katimavik Suites, Rankin Inlet where I stayed two years ago for a couple of brief stints...ten or twelve days in total. Aren't you the photographer she says...I grin and say not really. She's leaving here and heading back to Rankin tomorrow so we'll drop in another time to see here there, as that hotel is directly across the street from The Kivalliq Regional Health Centre in Rankin Inlet. It was so handy when called in and the snow would be blowing across the parking lot.

I don't look at the envelope as he has already read off my name and the girls give me a quick tour from the airport as we head to the Beach House. Pointing out the hamlet office, the arena and community centre and various other spots we arrive, unload the luggage and they depart. I remember being told there are three keys to get into the Beach House. Neither key fits the lock...am I missing the third..is it in my pocket?

There's a yellow slip of paper inside the envelope accompanying the key...and it has a phone number...I'm enjoying the sunshine but the girls are coming back in half an hour to take me to meet the staff at the health centre, so I call the number. A familiar voice answers and tells me I'm at the wrong hotel. In disbelief I look at the front of the envelope now listing the room number and hotel name and I am!!!

Welcome to ARVIAT, NUNAVUT TERRITORY, CANADA

She's already driving down the street towards the shore and can see me from the driver's seat...We reload cargo and away we go back towards the airport. Ac ross from the new Hamlet office we pull into a parking lot. Unload and off she drives.

Now my key fits but won't rotate. A red pickup pulls up and the driver exits. I notice a toddler now standing working the steering wheel. He's eighteen months he replies to my question. Another guy approaches and says you'll have to play with the key and turn it hard..just what I needed confirmation...so we play and twist and. shortly thereafter, we are inside.

My room's not ready so make my way to the kitchen for some scissors to remove the zip ties holding the lid of my bin so I can store some frozen goods in the community fridge. Its so nice I leave my gloves and headgear there. The bin outside as she hasn't done the floors yet and head back to the health centre. I had called my pickup ladies and delayed the transport once, but with all the mix ups but wanted to get there and meet the staff...the centre would closing at five and I knew I had work ahead.