A New Posting...Interested? The Area code is 867.

It all started out with something I have been doing on my tours north...reading the bulletin boards...in grocery stores, restaurants, airports, and the health centres. We see them with all manner of advertisements, info sheets, and papers with photos displaying and relaying information of all sorts.

I began doing this intensive reading during the lunch hours at the Kivillaq Regional Medical Centre during my first visit to Rankin Inlet in January of 2008...since during the working hours there were patients and families in the waiting areas and was difficult to read the notices mounted on the boards behind their seats.

Last february, in the local Northern grocery store in Rankin Inlet, I found out there was a gathering taking place on saturday morning..setting up at 9..sales at 10. I was early since I wanted to see what was available. Home cooked goodies of all manner...some more appealing than others were lined on the tables. Nothing could be sold before ten...and they were strict.

The Sushi packages were soon completely sold out!

The indoor "Yard Sale" at the Rankin Inlet Community Hall

Wall hangings, bead work, small carvings, jewellery, fresh vegetables and sushi...car parts, clothes new and used...I was not the only one that arrived early. People were setting up their booths, organizing their wares, and generally having a social event.

Sale restrictions were being strictly enforced...so the pair of seal mitts I had eyed were 30 minutes from sale. I sat with the vendor and learned all about their life in Rankin, how they had made the mitts and a history of the town, involving those manning other tables in close proximity. Ten o'clock came...and the mitts were mine!

The big sellers that day were the veggies (2 re-useable grocery bags filled with onions, celery, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, mushrooms and many more assorted for $30)...and those folks who had imported the myriad of stacks of sushi. Almost everyone who entered the community centre that day was going home with fresh sushi and more vegetables than they would usually buy in a month.

I got the mitts...but they weren't for me!

That was then...but now in Cambridge Bay here in western Nunavut, a whole new set of boards awaited...and they did not disappoint. Since coming to town, I joined the library which is attached to the high school and is just four buildings down the street. By joining, I could then borrow from their extensive DVD collection and play them back at the “Manor”. The DVD's have provided more background and detailed information, to increase my knowledge about the north and make my blogs entertaining yet truthful.

House for Sale Asking $130,000

The bulletin boards have provided information about the importance of good nutrition, the costs of taxis both here in town and when I visited KUGLUKTUK on my way here. Often you'll find things for sale. On one board, a 3 bedroom house was advertised. On another information was posted regarding the presence of the dentist and his hours while in town. Apparently he travels through several communities,and once a month stops here in Cambridge Bay.

Quilting sessions at the Wellness Centre

The quilting group meets in town and the information was there as well for all to see. Bring your scissors, it says...a social occasion for a few, no doubt. The hand work here is quite unbelievable. Wall hanging and bead work are two of the best examples to date. Sewing for the family, is something that is encouraged since as the elders ranks are reduced, so are their skills, knowledge and their dedication to detail.

Sewing can involve the use of tanned hides. These are available at the Co-op and the Northern as well. Their use can be seen on the clothing and boots of many. I happened to stop at the Library on thursday afternoon, traced my foot on a blank piece of standard white bond and by monday morning my custom made sealskin slippers had been delivered. My feet at the Manor have never been warmer.

The most interesting of notes on the bulletin board raised my interest early last week. I had missed the same event in Rankin Inlet both times and was determined not to miss it this time. Friday afternoon, I dialed the Library and my contact at the library confirmed the posting. So after getting, called into the health centre and completing my patient...I was off. The sky...clear and blue, the wind..a slight breeze. The sun about to rise above the horizon to our south.

This caught my eye as I had missed the two previous builds in Rankin

Long underwear, 2 layers of sweaters, the head gear, over pants, 2 layers of socks, face mask and all, I was headed out onto the land...following our road to the east, then out on the bay shore half way to the Cairn marking the Maude. My first iglu...from start to finish...would my camera battery last?

Eleven to One

Cambridge Bay located on the south coast of Victoria Island

Those are great odds if you’re wanting to make some money and your horse wins! However, here in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut it has a whole new meaning. At 69 degrees North Latitude along the south coast of Victoria Island, we are above the Arctic Circle...the Magic Circle as I've called it on this trip's blog.

It's quite simple really. The lands above the arctic circle are referred to as the arctic zone and below is officially...the Northern Temperate Zone. What is this Arctic Circle that we've often heard about?

In mapping, the Arctic Circle is one of the five major rings of latitude mapped on the earth. The Equator, the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, the Antarctic Circle and then there is ours....the one just south of me. The circle really is the point of latitude where the sun either remains above or remains below for a 24 hour period...i.e. the summer and winter solstices.

Viewing from the north pole, Cambridge Bay is on the North West Passage..& the Arctic Circle is noted

Yesterday, the actual Arctic Circle was at 66 Degrees and 34 Minutes North...yes, as of yesterday. I mention this as it actually fluctuates...fully dependent upon the angle of the earth to the sun but it's also moon dependent. So I'm about 31 degrees south of the North Pole...have no fear, though, I'm not planning on going there this time around.

Since tuesday, the sun has officially been above the magic circle. I say officially, since we, here in Cambridge Bay, just couldn't see it...with the fog, cloud, and winds swirling our snow flurries...just not the clear days of last week. Wednesday we had 24 minutes more of daylight...yesterday an additional 19 minutes. Add that to the additional 17 minutes of today and by next monday we will have added over two hours of daylight to our daily darkness.

My window view was various stages of foggy this week

That's right...in a week since the sun crept above the magic circle we will be adding two hours of daylight to our day and that will continue to increase. IN ONE WEEK...that's very significant. Now we have had light...from about 11 in the morning, through noon and on to 1 p.m. Then the dusk would start and by 2 in the afternoon, with no moon, it was totally black outside.

Working my way to the shore I could see "sun"

At 3 in the afternoon, the first week...while sitting in the staff lounge at the Kitikmeot Health Centre, a very strange sight for me has been occurring with regularity. It has been very strange to watch the kids leaving both the ice rink, across the street from the Health Centre, and leaving in groups from the school just down the street in total darkness at 3:30 in the afternoon.

A major difference here from Rankin Inlet has been the absence of school buses. At that community, with a population of almost 5,000, there were school buses visible throughout the town in the morning, at noon hour and after school due to size of town and population. In Cam Bay, I'm told that due to the size of the hamlet (population 1800) only the younger children are bused, the remainder taking their walk four times a day since the town is more compact.

The differences in community size contribute greatly to the lifestyle and amenities of each community. I met an RCMP officer at the Yellowknife airport. He added an interesting facet to the job of a police officer in the arctic regions as he did relief work. Many of the hamlets are small and are staffed by 2 person detachments. Of course, these folks get vacation time and, may require personal time out of the community due to health or other circumstances.

His function was to travel to these communities providing the additional staffing required while the duty officer was “out of the community”. I met him as he unwittingly provided some security for my hand luggage while at the airport. He was seated, talking on his cell, as I pushed my cart by and acknowledged him with a nod.

The bead work and the handcrafted nature
These Beaver mitts are not standard issue!

At check in, an hour before, one of my fellow travellers had mentioned to me that the sun was just beginning to rise. What to do…I wanted to take some early 10 a.m. photos of the sunrise…but I had cabin luggage. Problem solved…I simply left my cart next to the Mountie.

Afterwards when I returned, we started a conversation about many topics…north related. I admired his beaver mitts and asked if they were standard issue…which invoked a response not fit for publication here. He had them custom made…the handwork was stunning. After many stories back and forth, he was onto his next assignment to Fort Smith, or the like….after loading and then unloading, I was weathered for the next two days.

Ready for an early fishing trip...it will be a while !!

It’s hard to believe today is the fifteenth of the month but the changes here have been interesting, to say the least. The first saturday after I arrived was a pleasant, clear, crisp day. With a temperature hovering around the -28C mark, I decided it was a day to explore my new town. Once dressed, I made my way down to the Inns North, had some breakfast in their restaurant and after exploring their conference room artifacts, I left to wander through the town during the next hour or two of some decreasing daylight.

One of two ships "wintering" over

A left and right turn along the way got me past the temporary headquarters of the Canadian High Arctic Research station. The new one will be complete next year and fully operational. It will add jobs to the community and provide a stimulus to the town with new services required, both housing and supplies. This research will be about all aspects of life and climate and geology and encompass the changing face of the Canada’s high arctic.

The wind was blowing lightly as I made my way down the street, along the waterfront and out onto the ice. There are two ships wintering in town this year. The two big ships are attached by cables to the dock…those cables were stretched taut, as these vessels have been moved and manipulated by the heavy ice as it had formed from October onwards. Deep fissures and stress cracks were visible in the ice. There were no open sections of water…those had long since closed…just later this year, once again.

Snow on top of the ice was non-existent. The only evidence of drifting was along the shoreline, against the hulls of the 2 ships and along the edges of the government dock. The ice was clear…reminiscent of my travels earlier last week in Old Towne of Yellowknife. There, while walking on a small section of the expanse known as Great Slave Lake, I had discovered a small four passenger high wing aircraft parked along the shoreline. Objects nearby offered some protection from the winds…but what had amazed me was the plane was equipped with wheels not skis as I had expected.

The reflecting sunshine on the Northern store at noon

Here, in Cambridge Bay, it was just about noon hour and the town siren would sound at any moment as it does every day at noon and repeats again at 10 p.m. at night. The same siren is used in town should the volunteers for the fire department be required. At high noon, the sun was not yet scheduled to come above the horizon…but the vast “sunscape” was beautiful...a combination of colours and textures not just directly to the south but the hues of pinks and purples to the north gave more colours than any Sherwin Williams paint display could ever.

I watched the sun for a few minutes and you could see a bright portion barely visible below the horizon, and I hoped that my lunch hour in the next few days would allow me to see the blip increase each day. Due to cloud cover it never occurred except on paper and on the Weather Underground (Cambridge Bay) website.

After four days of cloud and fog...with visibility less than a mile, today was crystal clear, colder but clear. Hardly any clouds in the sky and by coffee break the morning dusk was starting to break. Today would be the first day that I could see the sun above the horizon. At noon, I put on my over pants and boots…got my coat, toque and gloves…grabbed my camera…and proceeded out the door towards the shore.

It's UP......It's GOOD !

Along the way I cast a shadow…the last shadow I had seen was in Yellowknife below the magic circle almost 2 weeks earlier. At noon, with the moon high in the east, at least half the disk of the sun was above the horizon. It was hard to tell if it was sunrise or sunset…so I just label these shots as “sunscapes” …hoping they fill that description well enough.

Returning to the Health Centre just before 1 p.m. today…. IT’S OFFICIAL…I can take the oath. The sun has arrived, finally, to Cambridge Bay. Today it was available 11 to 1. It took a few extra days to prove it...but there are shadows and sunlight and the red glow in windows and on buildings. Who knows, the way the days are getting longer, so quickly, before we know it...in Cambridge Bay...it will be sandals and shorts weather.

The Manor at Cambridge Bay

The "Manor" of Cambridge Bay South Entrance

Upon arrival at CYCB, the airport of Nunvaut's Cambridge Bay hamlet, the daylight was waning and the darkness of night was well underway. It was just after two p.m., when the pickup battery had been jumped to get the truck started. The accumulated snow, across the main entrance to the airport terminal was proper grounding for the weeks ahead and matched the date on the calendar for this locale. Welcome to January 6 above the Arctic Circle.

The Kitchen...ready for battle

My driver was Harry. I was the navigator. A few seconds out of the airport lot, my driver pointed left to an enclosed dome half mile away. Surrounded by bright sodium vapour lights, it shone brightly...a tribute to the men and women protecting our north..the DEW LINE he said. I nod in agreement.

My "Great Room" at the Manor

The two mile truck trek, with some luggage secured in the snow filled box, to the health centre only took a few minutes to complete. My driver gave me a ten minute trip through town. A left here, a right there and a few hundred yards and another turn...past the high school, the senior public school, the arena, the Health Centre, past Arctic College, the Co-op...and the Northern.

Ready for showing...

Surprisingly it made some sense as I tried to relive the Google Earth marathon I had walked digitally...the few weeks before from the comfort of my living room in Niagara. Here, it was now almost dark...the street lights illuminating our way through town. The sky was clear. The air crisp and dry. The hard packed snow was crunching again underfoot. The wind was blowing as we disembarked the extended cab.

The Bloggers "desk" already watching CHCH

At the south entrance, I tried each of the keys on the neck strap. By now, there were some pieces of luggage at the door but like Ali Babba, the door would not open. The heavy tub remained on the back truck box...the tailgate down. The snow was now starting to blow and the dim light, along with my glasses frosting, made it difficult to find the correct key and then make the key fit the lock.

Step two....try the South entrance. Reload the truck, drive the length of the building and try again. Success. Harry helped carry the tub to the top of the steps and inside to the top of the landing. We parted company and I told him I would see him at the health centre as I carried my hand luggage down to the end apartment. I opened the door...I was home.

Blackout curtains on the wndows aren't needed this time of year

For the next four weeks, my address would be here at the “Manor” as I call it. Street unkown, number unknown...first floor on the right. A single bedroom, kitchen, living room and bath...hardwood wide plank flooring throught...vinyl in th ekitchen and bath. I was here...safe and sound...two days late...but safely arrived after two days of swirling winds and snow locally. Like the others, who had arrived earlier on the jet...we were here.....finally.

Once I had unpacked my food stuffs for the fridge, I donned my toque, mitts and raised my hood and made my way the 20 meters to the Health Centre next door. A quick magnetic swipe and I was inside. On arrival at the Health Centre, I met the NIC (nurse in charge), parked my boots and outer gear and joined the others now gathered for a tour of the Kitikmeot Regional Health Centre. A total of six new staff members had arrived today, I was the only member on the ATR, the rest arriving on the Canadian North 737....if I hadn't switched...it would have been two  more days to get here.

I was introduced as Bernice matching the “name” on my key tags...it broke the ice...and made the remainder of the tour a more relaxed affair. I was introduced to the new Ultrasonographer as well as the other three nurses, and Simon, the doc. A green team to Cambridge Bay but a wealth of individual experience. After the tour to the second floor and a few more questions returned to our areas, to spend some time acquainting ourselves to our equipment and areas.

Soon, the day was over...and time to return to the Manor to unload, stock drawers and unwind after a long day of travel. The key worked this time as I had the correct key now and it had slid easily into the key slot. The door of my single opened and I entered, hung my coat, boots, gloves and toque on the hangers and shelf in the alcove by its entrance.

First grocery order...totalling $58.45 including the $5.79 NNC subsidy

The bedding was in a pile, centre of the bed...as it should be...washed, dired and ready to install. The remainder of the place had been cleaned. It didn't take long to unpack...hanging, separating sorting and storing. The bed made...things here...things there...setting up the kitchen.

Apartment residence on left, Doctor's house on right
KIKITMEOT Health Centre in the background  

It was soon done...and time for supplies...a quick trip to the Northern before they closed for the night...just the essentials to get through the next couple of days. Bread, milk, orange juice, mayo, mustard, pound of bacon, a value 12-pak of hot dog buns and a package of Schneiders Redhots...tube steak of the north!

It totalled $58.45...I hadn't gotten my ELDER'S DISCOUNT CARD so I didn't save the 10%. Bag or Box...I took the box, figuring I might be able to use the cardboard at a later date. The 500 meter walk home was sheltered from the wind as I walked along the side of the store, back towards the health centre and the apartment building.

Just before I crossed the street, another snow machine went by...and just like most boaters on any lake...on any summer day down south, the driver raised his hand to acknowledge me...my gloved hand did the same. Welcome to Cambridge Bay I thought...time for supper and sleep.

Hey...It's Saturday!

Friday night "end of week" celebration meal 

It's Saturday!!!!! My first day off....well, not really off....I'm still married to my BlackBerry but so far this week...only one callback....and that was just after we had closed for the day. I'm trying to get used to the Blackberry...I know it's Canadian eh?..but I'm not doing so well on this piece of technology. I'll get the hang of it soon.

I'm getting accustomed to the noises in the apartment so I'm sleeping more soundly. Friday night, I celebrated with a homemade spaghetti and meatball dinner completed with a half glass of wine and garlic bread fresh from the oven....actually it was 12 grain bread from the fridge....and I could only imagine what this meal would have tasted like with actual garlic bread....but imagery works...in the north!

Home delivery ...AND PICK UP (different trucks!!!!)

I had been living out of a suitcase for a week already...so it was time for a couple loads of laundry and the weather looked good. No, I wasn't going to hang the stuff out on the line...I was just following the warnings posted in my kitchen and in our laundry area. “WHEN THERE ARE STORM WARNINGS...DO NOT DO LAUNDRY...THERE WILL BE NO WATER DELIVERY OR SEWAGE PUMP-OUT”.

In case, you aren't aware...many communities in the north cannot support in-ground sewer and water lines. The ground is solid rock so blasting would be the only option for burying...and besides they would often freeze solid in this climate...so there are trucks delivering fresh potable water...and they are visible throughout the day. The other trucks take the used water and sewage away from the residences and businesses....all very neat.

We have flush toilets, taps and sinks, showers and such...but I've been programmed to thinking I was at a summer cottage and am mindful of the extreme water waste that can occur...but here is nothing like a long, hot steamy shower...in the morning...just to raise the humidity levels in the apartment...if nothing more...LOL.

The main entrance to Inns North Hotel and Restaurant

My plan for today was to head down to the INNS NORTH, and have saturday breakfast there. Many of the nursing staff in Rankin Inlet would do the same and you met others from the community at the same time. I wasn't able to to stir the ranks, but I met the Ultrasound tech who walked with me through that section of town...traditions have to start somewhere. Maybe they'll be more in the weeks ahead.

When I'm flying, especially on different airlines, I love to read those dog-eared magazines that are next to the sick bag and the emergency instructions in that pocket just in front of your seat on the plane. Earlier that day while reading one of those magazines, I had read the advertisement for INNS NORTH in Cambridge Bay. The “UP HERE: the Voice of Canada's Far North” magazine is compliments of Canadian North, my travel provider has some great photos in it from their recent photo contest...some very stunning stuff.

Along with the winners were the honourable mentions. It gave me more ideas to try later in this trip. The articles included “Insider's Guide to the North” a monthly synopsis of what to do and where to go..some fascinating articles and events including October's “ The Last Canoe of the Season”.

“Two feet and 12,00 hooves” an article describing all aspects of the reindeer of the Mackenzie Delta. It starts as follows: “Three thousand reindeer approach the Ice Road that extends from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic coast. You can hear their tendons click and the snow crunch under their hooves. You hear them grunt and you see the fog rise off them, as the Arctic air meets their bodies, warm from movement.” I had been instructed earlier that if ever in INUVIK in December..to make sure I went to the Santa Claus parade there....as they use real reindeer to pull the sleigh through town....now I knew why.

The ad for “Spectacular Northwest Territories told of Hay River's “Polar Pond” hockey tourney and the Beavertail and Muskrat Jamborees happening in Fort Simpson (where the road ends..the fun begins) and Inuvik respectively. The article “Bordering on the Absurd” told of 5 quirks and the reasons behind them in establishing the actual boundary lines when Nunavut had been created.

Canadian High Actic Research Station (CHARS) opening in 2017

I found out that Cambridge Bay was “the Heart of Canada's Arctic” from the Canada High Arctic Research Station located here and in final construction phases of their final building...and on schedule to open next year. I was saddened when I realized that I would be missing the 2016 KITKMEOT TRADE SHOW starting here in town the week after I will be leaving...this year's theme is “Kitikmeot in Motion” is a partners in progress, networking style trade show in its 17^th year. Not bad for a new territory...born in 1999.

My meal had come in at less that twenty bucks...a deal for a huge omelet, a hearty helping of home fries, orange slice, and two thick slices of whole wheat jam included and washed down with four cups of coffee. As I went to pay my way bill on the way out the door, the manager of the hotel/restaurant was seated across from me. I thanked her and asked about something I had read.

My closest encounter with a female or young male mounted on the wall

“Was it true”, I asked, “that your conference room boasts some artifacts from the Franklin expedition?” She looked up at her two eggs and breakfast, turned to me and as she rose said..”Do you want to see it?” “Finish your breakfast, I've got time” I replied. She would have no part of my waiting. She departed the office leaving the eggs to cool and we climbed the stairs to the “Northwest Passage Room above and flipped on the lights.

To my left...a polar bear was mounted flat against the wall...probably a female or perhaps younger male as it had a smaller head than many I've seen (none live!!!!). Step by step she went through the room stopping at each and every hanging picture, diagram or wall decoration...each had a story...and she took the time to relate to each. She was pleased that someone would take the time to visit and ask about these objects.

The head was smaller than many I've seen

I asked if photos might be allowed...and a quick “of course” was the reply. There was enough material here to last me a while so I suggested that she return to her breakfast and allow me to work. I moved chairs and closed drapes to reduce glare...adjusting lighting along the way...some pictures I removed from the walls and gingerly replaced them carefully once photographed.

In an hour, I was done...the collection now recorded for future editions. The chairs were re-positioned and the lights were shut down as I made my way below to thank her for her assistance and cooperation. I said I'll be back next Saturday and I hope to have more with me at the next visit.

It was just 11:30 as I left the Inns North building. The dusk had turned to brighter daylight...time to wander along the coast down by the dock and see how much brighter the sun would get and to see if it might rise today above the horizon.

The sun "scape" on saturday just after 12 noon

Trauma in the North

Note: Due to patient confidentiality there are no photos today.

It was mid-afternoon on a Friday at the Kitikmeot Regional Health Centre and like most of us I was trying to clear up my paperwork after a week of learning...in a new location...and getting ready for the weekend ahead. I had spent the week adjusting and fine tuning my placement of supplies, familiarizing myself with the equipment and had just finished mixing my fixer replentishment solution following the directions on the box as pointed out to me by Harry.

I had mixed the water and the two solutions in the proper proportions and had stirred, not shaken, as required. I figured I had enough now for the next few weeks and this might be the last fixer I might mix until I left town. So far, my table top processor had been working flawlessly. What went in had come out...and all was right with the world.

The logbook had been completed as the returned films from Stanton Regional Health Centre in Yellowknife had arrived and were now back in their master envelopes and filed away under the TD2 system. I was pleased with my films to date...a sense of satisfaction at having completed the week without a repeat. The patients, that I had done were a varied mix of size and shape. My Meditech training from last february in Rankin Inlet had returned.

The various functions, prompts, and related screens were familiar and my learning curve had been exponential. Since I was my own receptionist here, it was like being on call in Rankin Inlet and processing the paperwork and patient from there. It had flowed and worked all week despite the being first person in the health centre functioning under the Windows 8.1 operating system, an upgrade the support team had recommended and Byron from the Government of Nunavut (GN) IT family had performed on Wednesday

I had arrived only on tuesday afternoon along with six other staff members...most of us had been “weathered” or delayed due to the storms that had been in the Cambridge Bay area. No planes had been able to land here due to winds and blowing snow and the backlog had been tremendous. Here, we had met on the orientation tour of this facility....but many of us had previously crossed paths in Yellowknife at the Super 8 while we enjoyed blue skies and sunny days and much warmer temperatures there.

I was supposed to arrive sunday to start in Xray on Monday a.m...It didn't happen. Instead, like the others I spent countless hours on the phone trying to secure my room and re-book flights north. Thank goodness for cell and internet services.

I was just finishing my coffee around three when Mike, the NIC (nurse in charge) came by and told me to expect a trauma case to be arriving shortly. Details were sketchy, at best, but someone in town had been injured in a snow machine accident and were on their way in shortly. Here in Cambridge Bay, like Rankin Inlet, the fire department is staffed completely with volunteers, who also manage the ambulance response.

The regional meditech support person is Sandy, based in the health centre and I had noticed him earlier in the day with a t-shirt with the words FIRE DEPT. on its back and a radiophone for taking calls on his belt. In our conversations during the week, he had mentioned being a volunteer with the fire department and I wondered if he had been dispatched to the scene. No time to dwell...only enough time to start through a sequence that would prepare us for the moments ahead. Cassettes, grids and portable at the ready...we waited...not knowing what might lie ahead.

The doors of the ambulance bay swung wide and a stretcher with Mike at one end and someone else at the head wheeled towards our ER trauma area. The team stood ready. The 24 year old female had been T-boned by an SUV and the snow machine had rolled along with her. The driver of the SUV remained unhurt at the scene. Since no other people had been injured, our focus became entirely centred on the patient before us. The team had gathered and were immediately starting their work.

She was complaining of severe neck pain but her leg, just above the left knee, was acutely strange in angle and continued to bleed profusely as her clothing was cut off to allow for assessment. Two IV's were introduced to the veins in her arms before they could collapse. The lab was summoned...did we have blood on hand....yes, there were four units of O-Negative...in house.

Simon, our physician, was at the head directing the opera. Someone was documenting. Further assessments revealed that the pelvis and lower abdomen as well as her left ribs were involved in this trauma. To further complicate the situation, we had just discovered that she was 29 weeks pregnant. The midwives were summoned for her chart and to monitor the fetus.

I grabbed my portable from my xray room right next door, along with some films...ready to clear the spine when called upon or to look at that lower femur now that bleeding was controlled as a tourniquet had been applied. She was responsive and alert to our questions and we were all working to the best of our abilities when at 3:40 p.m., without warning, the lights went out in the trauma room, and indeed the entire health centre and this side of town. What had I gotten myself into, I thought.

All staff remained in their respective spots until the emergency generator kicked in. It had seemed like forever...but was probably less that 10 seconds. Our computers were down and rebooting was required. We had pulse, pressure, respiration and lights...a good thing since we had no outside windows and any light had left the sky hours before.

We continued to provide the level of care needed. Medevac options were being considered. Stanton Regional Hospital in Yellowknife had been contacted. Their staff wanted to talk to the physician. It would be some time before that plane would land. Ultrasound was alerted to standby, if required, once Mary had completed her current outpatient.

We continued our various functions, each performing tasks ...our focus directed towards the two on the stretcher in the centre of the room....until 1604 hours when Mike called it. It was over. We could do no more. It was quiet....

The simulation was complete. In less than an hour, the health care team had worked on a serious case. The next twenty minutes were spent analyzing our performances, trying to appreciate each others requirements, assessing our strengths and weaknesses, and finally, recognizing the faces and roles of the various staff members in the management and care of these “patients”. It was a drill...a realistic practice of skill and integration...let's hope it's the last time it's needed while I'm here in Cambridge Bay.

Buffalo Wings...

Not to typical crossing warning!

Coming from Niagara, a common trip into the U.S. was an evening that included a bite to eat. Often it involved stopping at one of those restaurant/bar combos in Niagara Falls, NY like La Hacienda or in more recent years Gagster's. The meal would often pizza and those ever famous deep fried chicken wings coated with the special sauce...made famous by the Anchor Bar in Buffalo in 1964.

The story of those Buffalo wings is well documented...as are a different kind of Buffalo Wing. That would be the wings of the air fleet of Buffalo Airways. Originally founded in 1970 at Hay River, Northwest Territory by "Buffalo Joe" McBryan, it was founded as a family business. Expanding into Red Deer, Alberta, it's main base and maintenance hangar is located at Yellowknife's YZF airport.

Commemorative towel

Monday, this week, while waiting for the weather to clear up north in Cambridge Bay, I happened to make a phone call. A few short questions on both sides and the person who answered, said sure come on over, we'll get you a tour. After a few last minute tasks had been completed in case the flight should be able to go out on tuesday, I got over there a little after 3. Already the sun was low in the sky.

Wooden "nose" ski from years past

The yard was scattered with organized relics all snow covered where they had been left long before the winter winds had started to blow. Across the field about 300 yards away stood a fleet of CL215's, all snow coated, their yellow hulls standing strong against the wind in the failing light. I climbed a snowbank so that my camera could record atop the barb-wire topped frost fencing without impairment.

DC4 in the "yard" as the sun sets 

Going back across the snow covered parking area, I discovered the famous "buffalo crossing" sign at several access points in their parking areas and made my way through the passenger waiting area to the gift shop. The clerk in the store must have taken pity on me from my reaction to her statement that tours are at ten and 2...as she then proceeded to close the store and escort me through the complex.

Forest Fire fighting capabilities
using their own planes and operating the NWT fleet

A personal tour...to the mecca of northern flight. She donned the yellow safety vest and gave me instructions to follow while on the property. Watch for fluids on the floors, ice outside, and grounding cables attached on the floor to the aircraft to reduce static and sparks. It was reinforced that this was a working hangar with multiple aircraft in various states of maintenance and repair. Don't touch, ask questions and, of course, feel free to photograph.

The very close proximity of aircraft...watch your head, watch your feet !

My afternoon in Yellowknife had just become a classic. We started back in the waiting area, the overhead lights having been illuminated so we could discuss the various objects throughout the room. A story with each lasted a few minutes, and then a door ten feet away was opened and we entered the hangar. 

Suspended above and the fabric "air duct" extensions

Well lit, this huge room contained 2 CL-215's, the Curtiss C-46,  and assorted chase planes that accompany the water bombers as spotters. They were all with engines removed, hatches opened or scaffolds surrounded. Hanging from the ceiling was a red air frame fully functional, but hoisted to avoid space limitations. Dangling from the overhead furnaces were long fabric "ducting" which spread hot air to heat the floor work area, a lifeline given the colder outside temperatures. Along the moveable  hangar door were curtains to reduce heat loss. It was -25C outside by now.

Small or large...they service and fly them all over Canada's North

Once outside, we walked past more of their fleet, also ice encrusted, and along the building towards the main Yellowknife airport runway to observe the setting sun and take some shots of the main hangar door. As we made our way along an Air Tindi craft began its decent as the sun was descending below the horizon. Once landed, it taxied passed us as the wind was now howling stronger. 

My tour guide escorted us back through another door and my hour plus tour had ended, like most tours, in the gift shop. I got a mug to use at the Health Centre when I get there and many things to consider when I return on my trip south after my "duty" has ended.

NWT Water Bomber under maintenance
and getting ready for the next fire season

All shapes, sizes, and uses  

In previous visits north, I have documented the importance of air transport to today's modern arctic. The story of Buffalo Airways included scheduled passenger, charter passenger, cargo forest fire fighting and fuel services. More recently, it was the centrepiece of History Network's "Ice Pilots, NWT" and known throughout the US and UK as simply "Ice Pilots". This series premiered in November 2009 and ran for 6 seasons featuring post WW-II era propeller flying "year round". Re-runs are still available, if you look closely.

Air travel in and around the north is a vital lifeline that cannot be reinforced enough. These brave women and men fly in all kinds of varied conditions. In some cases, they are hoping to increase their experience and flight hours to qualify for their next big step. Others, just love to fly..and experience the north.

The Curtiss

It's not just the passengers that are on their flights. Their precious cargo also help stock the grocery stores and hardware supplies, and clothing and...the list goes on. Everything that can't arrive by sea lift (when the waters are open) arrives by plane in Nunavut.  There are no inter-community roads.

The Luftansa logo remains after all these years on the C46 Curtiss

AND their precious cargo also includes, patients. When possible, our patients travel by commercial transport, for elected surgeries or for diagnostic and treatment procedures. We had two people working the "Travel Office" for the Kivillaq Health Centre in Rankin Inlet. Cambridge Bay being smaller may have one or someone who does "double duty".

When it is not an elective situation, a whole new set of standards come into focus.  Communities here in the north do not have access to emergency surgeries with the exception of Iqaluit which boasts a fully serviced hospital. Most of the hamlets link to emergency services through the med-evac transport planes and jets. 

These vehicles of the air are small enough for 4...Pilot, co-pilot, paramedic, and a family member plus, of course, the patient. They are efficient and are met on the ground by emergency care paramedics and ambulances upon arrival at their destination.  

I never got to see inside one while at Rankin Inlet but in Cambridge Bay who knows.


DEDICATION:  Todays' edition is dedicated to Cliff Scott and Sam Martyk, two true pioneers in their own rite. These two visioneers of model flying have started and encouraged more "pilots" than their years. Their forward thinking, using electric power sources, and working steadfastly with the City of St. Catharines, Parks & Recreation people have allowed the "over 50" electric model flying program to grow and prosper. Over the past three years, since I became involved, we have doubled the number of seniors attending and more venues are developing and expanding under their watchful eye. 

Too often, we dedicate and thank those long after they have left us. I would not have the interest, today, in electric model flying, were it not for these two fine guys. There are many others who have contributed and continue to assist me today...and they deserve thanks as well...but a true pioneer takes the lead...and continues to press into new and sometimes dangerous waters and are seldom recognized for their work. THANKS BOYS !!!  

P.S. the quadcopter V686 arrived intact and operational. It was here when I arrived on Tuesday. Who knows, by the time we leave, with the sun growing stronger and if the winds diminish to near zero, we could have some aerial footage of this community.