Home at last!!!!

Home at last!

After 3 days of delay we finally made it home! After a restful night at the Nova Hotel we went to the airport to check our bags, then walked to town to look at some stores. We went to a soapstone shop that had thousands of carvings available, ranging in price from $30 - over $10 000. Those who purchased things generally bought at the lower end of the range.

Our flight left without incident, and the ride home was smooth. Upon arriving at the airport we had one last group hug, then went to the baggage claim area where we were met by family and friends to head home.

Despite the 3 day delay in getting home, all were thrilled with the trip. Great friendships have been formed, and the experience was better than could have ever been learned from a book. We now look forward to the arrival of the Qikiqtarjuaq gang on Tuesday. That is, if they can get a plane to land.

Innu games

Reading to the children.

we made it to Iqaluit!!!!

Hey all,

We made it to Iqaluit! The weather conditions worsened as the day progressed, and at 4:30 we gathered at the airport for the 4th time. We were told the flight left Iqaluit on time and made it's scheduled stop in Pang. A nervous 45 minutes later we heard the plane fly by, then silence for a long time but confirmation from the radio tower that they would try again. The snow was pretty haevy, and the fog was near ground level. We could not see the far end of the runway. Had it been Canadian North there is no way we would have gone anywhere, but true to their reputation, First Air landed. I have never been so happy to see a plane in my life. Even some of the locals were surprised. Yay!

Anyway, we are hunkered down in our hotel in Iqaluit. We just ordered some food in and will have dinner. We fly out of Iqaluit tomorrow at 12:45. First Air flight 861, arriving in Ottawa at 4:50 pm. We are all very eager to get there, but are feeling very relieved that we have gotten this far.



Mr. Bernards

Still here...

Hey everyone,

Well, we heard a plane flying overhead, but we did not see one land, so we are here for at least another night. We have a chance tomorrow morning, and if that plane lands we should still make it to Iqaluit in time for a 4:20 arrival in Ottawa on Thursday afternoon. Otherwise we will bump to a Friday departure, which I think means a Saturday afternoon arrival.

Mr. Bernards

Trapped in Qikiqtarjuaq!

The weather has proven to be our greatest obstacle on this trip, as our scheduled flight was canceled this morning. So after quite a few phone calls, plans made and changed, and a day of "hurry up and wait", it now seems that we have a plan.

We are booked on a flight that leaves at 4:30 Wednesday. We will stay overnight in Iqaluit, then take the 1:20 flight on Thursday to Ottawa, arriving at 16:20. If the 4:30 Wednesday flight does not happen, we have a 10:00 Thursday morning flight that can also get us to Iqaluit in time for the 1:20 flight to Ottawa. So that gives us 2 chances to get to Ottawa by Thursday afternoon. If neither plane arrives, we will have to see what options exist for Friday.

The Ottawa students are not at all disappointed about the longer stay, and our Qikiqtarjuaq hosts remain welcoming and generous. All are well, other than being a little stir crazy. The locals have been telling us many stories about being trapped for days and weeks without flights. That is not helping.


Mr Bernards

The flight out for today is cancelled

Due to the weather conditions in Nunavut. No worries however the kids are in good hands! The flight might be cleared for tomorrow, more news to follow...

Feast and celebration

With the return of the boys from camping, the whole group was now gathered for our last full day together. An assembly was organized for the school, featuring David Charette dancing in full regalia - the students and staff were all amazed at his fine talent.

We had the rest of the afternoon to finish making mitts and fishing spears while the "Traditional Feast" was being prepared. Miss Moyle certainly had the best mitts of our group to show for all the effort.

We gathered in the gym again where David danced once more and a traditional Kudlik lighting ceremony was held. The kudlik is a pot of oil lit for fuel, ligtt and warmth. Then the feast began. Very yummy: caribou, polar bear, seal, arctic char and muttuk. Yum. All was cooked - I guess they figured none of us would want any.

So all that remains is to find out if our airplane will come get us. The odds are about 50-50 right now, so we might just have at least another day of Qikiqtarjuag hospitality on our hands. We'll know for sure by noon tomorrow.

David performing.

Feast preparation.

The feast..

Boys turn to camp and sled

Camping:
It was the boys' turn to go camping, and all set out to the school's cabin, about a 10 minute snow mobile ride from the village. Once there we set up, a few brought tents but most planned to sleep in the cabin which was, in a word, rustic. It was not much more than plywood floors, walls and ceiling. Two small windows, two ventilation holes and a door. Good thing we brought warm clothes.

Stoves were lit to boil water for tea, hot chocolate and soup. The bannock was broken out, and we spent the time adjusting to the surroundings and waiting for the dog sled teams. They arrived soon enough, and two groups of about 4 people each set out with the teams. After an hour or so they returned and the remaining people had their turn. Dog sledding is a very peaceful way to get around. Instead of the roar of engines you hear the gentle swoosh of the runners and the occasional "Hup! Hup!" from the musher. He never once said "Mush!" The dogs quickly settle into a steady pace, and you can hop off the sled and jog beside for a few steps if you feel up to it. It's like being in a canoe, except colder, no paddles and the occasional smell of a dog passing wind.

After sledding a group went out to Bubble Lake again, and Eric got wet. Should have listened to those elders! It was only his feet, but he felt the cold for sure. Dinner was shepherd's pie and hot dogs, then a few of us climbed up the hill side to catch the view. Once again, we were surrounded by incredible landscape and a slowly thawing tundra. I even made my first inukshuk!

Today we have more time for crafts, then a traditional feast for our last evening meal. It's hard to believe we're almost done here. The forecast calls for light snow tomorrow, so whether or not we actually leave as scheduled is yet to be determined.

Michael

Bubble lake, bannock and dog sleds

Hey all,

Another great day in Qikiqtarjuaq! The boys and girls were split into two groups today. The girls left for an overnight camping adventure out at the cabin belonging to the school. They had many activities planned, including dog sledding. As you can see in the photo, they seemed to be having fun.

The boys spent the day making bannock, a yummy bread common to many Aboriginal groups. They also took a ride to Bubble Lake, a source of incredibly fresh and clean water - we could drink it straight out of the lake. Both the Bannock and water were then taken to the residences of some of the elders in the village as a sign of respect.

We have spent two days out on the land for various activities, each time accompanied by elders. We have all heard about the role of elders in Aboriginal communities, but to see it in action is another thing all together. They watch what we Qallunaq (Round eyes, big bellies) are doing and the youth that are out with us, always being sure we are not in danger. Several times they would motion us away from dangerous ice, and a single word to the Inuit youth gains an instant response. It is truly an incredible thing to be a part of and to witness.

Tomorrow the activities reverse. The boys will head out for an overnight camp experience and the girls will visit Bubble Lake for water and bake bannock for the elders.

Way too fantastic, and it is hard to believe we leave on Tuesday - assuming the weather co-operates.

Michael Bernards

Ben's Birthday

Ben (resource officer for LBP) celebrated his 35th birthday with the Qikiqtarjuaq and LBP kids! As it happened, by coincidence, the women's volleyball team held a Looney Tooney sale. Ticket could be purchased for $2.00 for a  variety of items.

Eric the lucky winner, purchased a $2.00 ticket for this blueberry cha cha cake...
The cake came in handy for Ben's birthday...see below..

 Eric  and his winnings.....

Ben's birthday celebration!!!!

"On the Land"

Today was spent "On the Land", which is a strange expression considering we spent 99% of the time on the water, albeit frozen solid. We took snow mobiles and Kamoteks around the island. I will never complain about bumpy roads again. We traveled to the East side of Broughton Island, and our fist stop was to explore some caves and do a little climbing. The landscape was, once again, spectacular.
From Mr.Bernards:

"A short trip later we stopped for a longer time, where we enjoyed a hot lunch consisting of soup, hotdogs and, for the brave, seal. It was fully cooked - the raw experience comes later in the trip. The students wandered about, took photos, and played various games, the most popular being soccer. Nothing like a soccer match on the frozen Baffin Sea.

On the return trip we made one final stop which gave all who were up for it a chance to climb up a slope and slid down - tobogganning without the toboggan! You can tell by the pictures it was a great time.

Tonight there is a craft sale. Saturday begins overnight camping and bringing water to the elders. Can this trip get any better??"

Great group photo!!!

David and Martine

Kelly sliding, no need for a toboggan!

Nothing like a game of ice soccer !

 Smiling Kayla!

Busy day....

 From Mr Bernards...

Greetings from Nunavut!


You already heard about the scavenger hunt and making Pualu (mittens) and kakivak (fishing spears). I have included a fishing spear picture.

We also attended an awards assembly at the school, where students are celebrated for their perfect attendance and adherence to Innu values - this month's focus was Teamwork. After the awards were handed out the students gathered in their home teams (mixed groups from kindergarden to grade 12) and played a game where a hat and mitts were transfered from person to person in the circle until all members had worn them.

In the evening 4 brave souls (Ben, Kristen, Eric and Michael) climbed the 1200 ft peak behind the village. The climb took about a hour, and the reward was in the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. The sun was approaching the horizon as we got to the Inukshuks at the summit. The trip down was a lot of fun, as the most efficient way was to slide on our backsides. Meanwhile the other students enjoyed some sports in the gym and traditional Innuit games.

Tomorrow we are spending the day "on the land". We hope to do some ice-fishing, maybe make an igloo and enjoy some more incredible Nunavut fresh air and sunshine.

This is what you might find while strolling around the village...

 After a successful scavenger hunt,  that had the students explore a number of locations in the village, they made  Pualu and Kakkivaks.

Pualu: mittens
Kakkivak: fish harpoon

This is what you can find when you are on a scavenger hunt in the village...
Jhellian and Hannah found a walrus skull....

Ben, Jhellian and Hannah, with a polar bear skin

LBP's first evening in Qikiqtartuaq

From Louise:

After dropping our luggage at our twins houses, the group assembled at the school for ice-breaker activity. They played "Train wreck", where there was 25 students and 24 chairs. The student without a seat had to tell the group something that they liked. Any student with a seat who also liked that thing had to switch seats, the term caller took one of the empty seats, and the others scrambled for a new one. The left over student then had to stand and state an item that the liked, and the process repeated itself. Afterwards we gathered for a traditional Innuit spaghetti dinner prepared by a student, Tommy Pitsulik, ably assisted by teacher Scott Chisholm. After dinner we we given an outline of the activities for the week, which was followed by an exhibition of throat singing and drum dancing.

We had some chocolate chip cookies, then went to our twins' houses to watch the hockey game. Kristen, Ben and Michael enjoyed a 2nd intermission concert performed by violin virtuoso and full-time nurse Joanne Dignard while snacking on muktuk, or  Narwhale skin. Yum!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's updates!
Throat singers: Lila Alookie and Anne Kooneeliusi
Drummer: Daniel Kooneeliusie

everyone arrived safe and sound!

With a great welcoming committee.....here are photos courtesy of Louise Lafleur...

And they're off!!!

Everyone was at the airport anxious to get going!!! Boarding passess in hand......
 top left to right, Ben Albert, Joans Araya, David Charette, Michael Bernards,
Front row, left to right, Kelly Clark, Martine Bastien,Eric Labrecque, Nick Burton, Kayla Plain,Selina Stark, Jhellian Marfil, Hannah Nadarajah

Weather comparison between Ottawa and Qikiqtarjuaq

A weather and daylight comparison between Ottawa and Qikiqtarjuaq

Ottawa:
May 10th : high of 17, low of 2 – clear. 

Sunrise 5:38am Sunset 8:20 pm –
Length of day 14:41 hrs,
Length of visible light 15:49.
Tomorrow will be 2m 28s longer.

Qikiqtarjuaq:
May 10th: high of 1, low of -10 partly cloudy.

Sunrise 3:36am Sunset 10:51pm
Length of day 19hrs 15m
Length of visible light 24hrs
Tomorrow will be 9m 38s longer.

Forecast for Wednesday May 12th:

Ottawa: High of 15 -  Low of 0 partly cloudy
Qikiqtarjuaq: High of -5 – Low of -10 clear

And the winner is......

The ticket for the autographed Montreal Canadians jersey was drawn by A/Chief Larochelle on Saturday evening at the Bell Sensplex arena, during  the women's gold hockey game.

The winning ticket was sold at the Bell Sensplex, during the Aboriginal Hockey Tournament to:

Marvin Assinewai from Andeck Omni Kanning (Manitoulin Island) Ontario. - Congratulations!

Total money raised:
$1531.00
 Fantastic fundraising! Thank you from LBP!

Fundraising for the trip has begun!!!

To help fund the trip, the students at both schools, here in Ottawa and in Qikiqtarjuaq are holding fundraising events including the raffle of a Montreal Canadian hockey jersey autographed by Guy Lafleur and Frank Mahovlich. The jersey was generously donated by a community volunteer, Mr. George Reimer Sr., during a hockey equipment drive in 2008.

Raffle tickets for the jersey will be sold from May 2 to May 8, 2010, during the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships at the Bell Sensplex (1565 Maple Grove Road, Ottawa). The winner of the jersey will be drawn during the evening of May 8, 2010.

                                                 
“The Jersey and its story”

The autographed Montreal Canadians Jersey was donated by Mr. George Reimer Sr. (a volunteer at the OPS Manotick Community Ctr.) in November 2008, during the hockey equipment drive for Qikiqtarjuaq, organized by Bev Mulligan and Cst Louise Lafleur of the Ottawa Police. The jersey is autographed by Guy Lafleur and Frank Mahovlich

The Jersey's history:

George Reimer Jr. presently works for the City of Ottawa, as manager for Solid Waste Operations. The function of the solid waste section is to “take it back”. Take it back is a program that involves 700 Ottawaretailers that accept over 135 different products from residents for recycling. One example of such a product is batteries.

On occasion a new directory is produced, a list of retailers accepting specific products is made known to residents. In 2002 a new directory was produced with the help of Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, (RBRC). The spokesperson for RBRC at that time was hockey legend, Guy Lafleur.

“In 2002, The Home Depot names RBRC, "Environmental Partner of the Year". Hockey legend, Guy Lafleur champions the Canadian program. RBRC receives Waste Minimization Award from the Recycling Council of Ontario. America Recycles Day presents RBRC with Certificate of Appreciation”


An event to promote the directory and the “take it back” program was held at Ottawa City Hall.
George Reimer Jr. and the RBRC representative, Susan Antler were invited to lunch by Guy Lafleur who had also invited Frank Mahovlich.

The hockey legends presented both Reimer and Antler with an autographed Montreal Canadians jersey as a thank you for all their hard work.

George Reimer Jr. then re-gifted the jersey to his father George Reimer Sr. who played old-timers hockey and is an avid hockey fan.

The Reimer family is also very familiar with life in the north, given that the Reimer children grew up in a village called Aklavik, at the mouth of the Mackenzie River, in the Northwest Territories.

The Reimer’s are thrilled to see the jersey going to help such a good cause.

Meet some of the students, teachers and officers travelling to Nunavut in May

From left to right: Ben Albert (Ottawa Police resource officer),Kelly Clark, Michael Bernards (LBP teacher),Kayla Plain,Martine Bastien,Jonas Araya,Selina Stark,Nick Burton,David Charette,Louise Lafleur (Ottawa Police Officer)
Missing from the photo: Hannah Nadarajah, Jhellian Marfil,Eric Labrecque

A little infomation about Qikiqtarjuaq as per Wikipedia:

Qikiqtarjuaq ("big island") (formerly, until 1 November 1998: Broughton Island), is both a community and an island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Davis Strait, off eastern Baffin Island. The island is known for Arctic wildlife, whale watching and as the northern access point for Auyuittuq National Park


As of the 2006 census the population was 473, a decrease of 8.9% from the 2001 census.[3]