EATING WHAT?

                             GROSS ALERT

   If you don't like gross stuff stop reading now!

      At my Arctic post in northern Quebec, I was teacher, school principal and Local administrator for the federal government. I was extremely busy but loved the work.

    From time to  time government people came through and had to stay at my place as there were no facilities in the settlement of 200 people. 

   One of the people who came through and stayed for seven days was Fred Breumer who is a well known photographer of northern subjects. He also knew a tremendous amount about everything Arctic. Fred was given the Order of Canada . Fred had come to the area to photograph petroglyphs. These were the only known petroglyphs in the  Arctic. An article was written in the Beaver magazine on the petroglyphs. 

    Fred went through the second world war as a young person. He was in a camp and it's very hard to read his story. 

    The federal government gave Fred permission to take any of their flights that had a space.

   So one day  fellow walked up to the house from the airplane. He told us who he was and asked for a place to stay. He was a helpful guest and offered to pay. Fred was there to photograph petroglyphs which were the only known ones in the arctic.

    So he spent days helping in the house with my wife. She says he was the most interesting person she ever met. 

   Another of Fred's escapades was to spend 3 winter months in the Keewatin area with several families.  . Fred promised that he would live as the Inuit did and work and hunt. He would eat all country food.

    In the spring there were caribou. The eggs of some flies were laid on the backs of the caribou in the summer and incubated under the skin. In the spring time  the eggs laid by the  flies were in the larva stage and when large enough the larva popped out of the caribou skin. Now what Fred didn't know is that the larva or maggot was a delicacy. The Inuit loved them and ate them like candy. Fred said it's one thing he just couldn't eat. It's the only thing he didn't eat while he was with the group. 

    Check out Fred's books in your local library. He also wrote numerous magazine articles. Check out his biography,