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Day 2 in Nunavut

By James Lapp posted 02-28-2012 08:04 PM

  


This is our second day in Rankin Inlet and our first day of training.  The students in this years program come from all across Nunavut.  Communities like Kugluktuk (closest to Alaska),  Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Resolute Bay, Grise Fiord (closest to Santa Clause), Pangniitung (the closest to Greenland), Kimmirut, and Arivat (closest to Winnipeg).

This morning, we used most of the classroom time to get to know the students and more about their community waste management issues.  After a somewhat lengthy introduction, we then asked the students to draw sketches of their waste disposal sites and then each to get up and explain their site and issues they must deal with.  Most had similar issues - large metal piles, waste piling up until it is burned, barrels with unknown contents, and no site controls.  Arnie from Rankin inlet does not burn because, as he puts it, "the site is at the end of the airport runway".  

As we discovered last year, these problems are common all through Nunavut and because of lack of knowhow and lack of financial resources, the problems with the community disposal sites is frustrating, not only to the community leaders, but to the Nunavut government.  As one person said to day "they just don't know how to fix it".   In reality, to make improvements on the waste disposal practices in the north, it will take considerable efforts between all levels of government and a "ton of money".  
 
We ended the classroom instruction early today.  Arnie had lined up a bus to tour the group through the Rankin Inlet landfill.  Today was a grey day with light snow falling.  Everything was white, and as typical of snow covered days, everything looks clean.  Some of the students from smaller communities were simply amazed at the 'big buildings' in Rankin Inlet and couldn't get over how big the landfill was.  Of course, me being a big city guy, everything looks small.  But then, compared to my home town in Saskatchewan, everything here is bigger, so I CAN relate  

Arnie, the town foreman, wears a Saskatchewan Roughriders hat.  He was wearing it yesterday when he picked us up at the airport and wore it all day today.  Arnie told us yesterday that he moved here from Saskatchewan.  Now you must know that if you ever lived in Saskatchewan, you are a Roughrider fan for life.   Because Arnie has treated us so well, I have a special gift for him before we leave.  I have a Roughrider 'hoodie" that I haven't worn yet. Arnie will get that before we leave.  You just can't get Roughrider gear up here.  

I really like the group of people who came out to the course this year.  They have been more open in their discussions than I expected, and they appear to be quite open minded and are very very eager to learn.  

Tomorrow is day 2 of the training.  I'm looking forward to it. 




 
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