SO MANY QUESTIONS

                    PART III

• why did you opt to go to the Arctic?  do you ever wish you went back to live/work or visit?  why didn't you?

                  I had been teaching for four years and I seemed to be  at a point where I was unsatisfied with teaching and I didn't know what I wanted to do. I knew I had to get back to university and finish a degree or get  into something else.

                   I was at loose ends. I didn't have anything else in my mind. I knew that if I resigned and didn't teach I would end up back on the farm. I didn't want to go back to the farm. I guess I really wanted to stay teaching but didn't know it.

     So here's my first class in late September 63

            I got proper clothing and was ice fishing in November

                    I wanted to leave the little town I was teaching in. I'd been there three years and that was enough. The people were nice and they were supportive. 

                   At that time the papers were full of advertisements for teachers. I always kept my eye on the ads. An ad that was in the paper every year was teach in Canada's North Lands. So on a whim I wrote and asked for application forms. I was not really sure that I really wanted to go. When the application came I thought well I'll fill this out and send it away. what have I got to lose. Surprise , surprise they wanted to interview me. I'd never heard if interviews for teachers before. So I thought let's check this interview thing out. I went to Regina for the interview. You guessed it. They hired me. They didn't give me the locations I asked for. They knew better and put me in Inuvik.

               So there I was off to Inuvik. I had to really do some research quickly to get ready to live in the Arctic. Clothing is what concerned me most. So over the summer I made preparations. They put me in contact with a teacher who was in summer school and he was a great help. Grandma and Grandpa were pretty worried about me. 

               I had no intention of staying in Red Deer. I didn't get the transfer I wanted so I decided to go to Red Deer and apply for a transfer the next year. Well, we adopted Brian so that ended northern travels. By that time Red Deer started to look pretty good. After the first year in Red Deer I lost all interest in going back. It was challenging enough as a couple but with small kids it wouldn't have been enjoyable. Things change very rapidly so it would not be the same if I went back to work or visit. I kept up with some of my friends for a few years. 

              What you ask brings back good memories and I'm sure I never showed you these photos. 

• 
  

ERNIE

    When I lived in a far northern arctic settlement we had to have a person who looked after all of the maintenance required for daily living. This person saw that the generators were running for our electricity, that we had water, that sewage and garbage were looked after, that our furnaces always had a supply of oil in the tank and anything else that had to be done. On top of this the guy had to be able to work independently, have good communications skills, get  along with others, plan for a year ahead. So you see this person had to be just about everything. 

     My person was Ernie, a French Canadian, who was born and raised in a fringe area. The family eked out a living by working part time in the bush and producing their own food and many other necessities of life. This background made Ernie  an all round handy man. In these communities they only spoke French.

     Ernie was a bachelor and a very jovial , amicable kind of guy who enjoyed life with very little.

    Ernie joined the army early in the war as it was a place to eat and get some pay. Ernie purposely chose an English unit as he wanted to learn English. On his first day his group was lined up and they asked for someone to volunteer for a job. He stepped out and said yes which was probably the only English word he knew. What he'd volunteered for was to type. He'd never seen a typewriter before . He always laughed about that one.

    Now after the war a high percentage of government employees were veterans. So Ernie came by his job in our settlement. He was well able to live in isolation and was a good cook and housekeeper.

    The only vehicle in the community was a J-5 which was a small tracked vehicle like a pick up truck. This vehicle was used to haul things around the community. Every time it moved it was loaded with kids who wanted a ride. Kids visited him every evening. Ernie liked the kids and they liked him.

    Ernie kept the diesel engines running to produce power. He was creative. They expected him to keep our houses supplied with water, but they didn't give him a water tank. Ernie got some plywood and built a big box to haul the water. He knew that a wooden box would hold water just like a metal tank. He had a pump and pumped water from the lake into the box. He came to our house and used his trusty pump to pump water from the box to a tank in the house. In the winter he oversaw the cutting of ice that was used for water in the winter. Again he built a sledge to haul the ice to our house. 

     So it was a great situation but Ernie had one major flaw in his character. He was an extreme binge drinker. Many men like Ernie would come to an isolated settlement or a "dry" camp where they could limit alcohol consumption. Two or three times a year Ernie brought in some booze. He would drink until the bottle was empty. He became a completely different person. Anger raged. He would turn off the electricity hoping that I would challenge him. I never did and after a few minutes the electricity would come on. I would avoid him at these times as it could be more than unpleasant and completely unproductive.

     When Ernie left for summer holidays he would always say, "I don't know if I'm coming back." For his summer holidays he would go to Montreal and it was one long binge. Three or four weeks later Ernie would show up on a plane and with a big smile would tell us he was happy to be back.

     I've often wondered what demons drove Ernie to the extreme binges.

NORTHERN ANSWERS

    What a super bunch of questions! I enjoyed writing these posts. Your questions make me think of many more details.

    Here goes!

Linda ReederWednesday, November 30, 2016

What did you teach? How long did you stay? Why did you leave and where did you go then?

    Linda, I taught 7 th and 8th grades. I also had a 2nd grade phys.ed class one year. I spent 5ive years altogether. I wanted a transfer to another place and I didn't get it so I came "out " for a year and was going to apply again. I never applied again. I got a position in Red deer and planned to stay one year. Here I am 49 years later.

biebkriebelsThursday, December 01, 2016

Did you ever spoke or met some of your pupils you had teached, when they were grown up? And how did they remember those schooldays?  I never met any of these students again. Some of them became prominent leaders and I read about them in the news. some I heard about from my friends.

KayWednesday, November 30, 2016

Was this where you met your wonderful micromanager? Was she teaching there too? I'm sorry if you already answered this. My brain is so foggy.

   I did meet the Micro manager in Inuvik. She came in as a nurse. The guys always knew when girls wer coming in and scouted them out as they came in the airport!!!

  Yorkshire PuddingThursday, December 01, 2016

Following your last post, I asked about the term "eskimo" but you ignored my question. I guess that makes you a typical teacher - blethering on like an ocean liner ploughing through the waves. 

   The term eskimo actually comes from the Cree as that's what they called the people to the north. So since explorers met the Cree first, the explorers called them eskimo. Eskimos call themselves Innuit the people. One is an Innuk. Now I like the simile you have for teacher. It fits me just fine as I do get off the topic easily.

Yorkshire PuddingThursday, December 01, 2016

I also wanted to ask about insects up in that region in the summertime. Are there many and do they interfere with normal life?

Insects were a nasty problem. Mosquitoes were unbelievable. Most of the time we were well covered with clothing with the exception of hands and face. The mosqitoes certainly interfere with normal life but we just had to get on with things. One time while boating, I had planned to camp overnight at a certain spot. As I approached the bank a bazillion mosquitoes met me. I backed the boat up  and continued my trip for the rest of the night. Out in the middle of the river and in a moving boat we were free of mosquitoes. It was light all night so keep on going.

biebkriebelsThursday, December 01, 2016

Did you ever spoke or met some of your pupils you had teached, when they were grown up? And how did they remember those schooldays?

I did not meet any former students. I did hear about them as some took important leadership positions and they were in the news. I did hear about some when I met friends and they would tell me about some. I taught the Dad of the  Koe curling team from Canada

Out on the prairieThursday, December 01, 2016

I wondered about the foods you ate.I recently watched a show about a group on Barrow island. the culture had a draw for the kids who left and tried college, missing the family life they had and returned.

I ate regular food from my ration. Yes when kids went back home some would not eat country food. It caused all kinds of challenges for the people. Country food(meat and fish) was nutritious and good but the kids didn't like it anymore. I hope this answers your question.

Jenn JilksThursday, December 01, 2016

How did you change after your northern experiences?

I learned about racism and how terrible it was. I had to look at things from a different point of view. I remember well the first time I was in a minority situation. I knocked on the priest's door and I heard the kids tell the Father ,"It's a white man." It cut through me like a knife. Their belief in spirits as real got me thinking about my own faith and how shallow it was.

Alan BurnettThursday, December 01, 2016

How did you cope with the long hours of darkness during the winter?

    I loved the darkness and the light.I made sure I got out in the winter. I visited somebody every evening. The 24 hour daylight was energizing. I didn't sleep much. Some people could not cope with these conditions at all.

DJanThursday, December 01, 2016

Were any of your students forcibly removed from their homes back then? I have read about it but didn't know if was widespread. Thanks for asking. :-

Some of them were forcibly removed. Parents would go out on the trapline so their kids wouldn't be found. Sooner or later the kids were picked up. Some kids were staying in the settlement with grandparents. When the parents came back they were angry and confused as to why their children had disappeared. Sometimes missionaries were involved in sending kids away. Some parents wanted their children to get an education. Usually those kids did fairly well with the support of parents. And then some children were apprehended and put in foster care.

William KendallThursday, December 01, 2016

What was it like getting used to dramatically less- and more- daylight

Changes in daylight happened slowly so it was easy to get used to. I liked the dark and light periods. I kept busy during the dark and spent time outside. There was twilight from 11:00 AM to 2 PM so we had awesome skies for part of the day. When it was cloudy it was very dark. I found the 24 hour daylight to be very energizing. I often went without sleeping. Some people could not cope with these situations at all.

Far Side of FiftyThursday, December 01, 2016

What did you teach and to what age students? What was the worst time for you...and what was the best? Did you go back home during the time you were up there, what did you do in the time you were not teaching? I believe you said ten months out of the year...was that for the teacher too? What kind of celebrations> How was Christmas? Clothing...boots?? Oh see I was the wrong person to answer your question:)

I taught 7th and 8th grades. I taught all their subjects. The worst? I didn't realize. I did not understand that these kids came from another world..culture. The best is the opposite of the worst. I did learn from the kids if I listened to them.I did go out every summer. Some of the time was spent at home. Weekends in the north? We partied! We also had lots to do. The gym was used every day. I went boating every weekend and snowshoed in the winter. I also did some hunting and lots of fishing. I  don't remember Christmas celebrations. The single people did get together and make a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. I had an Inuit lady make me a proper parka. It was long with three layers ...shell, duffle and lining. There was fur around the hood sleeves and hem. I wore shoes with overshoes. I did wear mukluks about half the time and they were awesome to wear...very comfortable.

jenny_oThursday, December 01, 2016

I'm not sure if you covered this earlier in your blog, but I'll ask now while I have the chance! How long did you teach up north, and why did you decide to leave?

 I lived a total of 5 years in the north. I left by accident. I applied for a transfer and didn't get it. I planned to stay in the south for a year and apply again. I never applied again. I still live in the same city I planned to stay in for only one year.

Stephen HayesThursday, December 01, 2016

Here's a question: I've been told that "Eskimo" is a derogatory word for Canada's indigenous peoples. Is this true, and is that a word that should be avoided? What would be a more proper term?

Eskimo is a Cree term that means raw meat eaters. At one time it was derogatory but since the term isn't used much any more it;'s not really and issue. The proper term is Inuit which means the people. Inuit is commonly used now.

Plowing Through Life (Martha)Thursday, December 01, 2016

What were your students like? How were they treated? What did you like best about your job? What did you like least?

The students were like any other students. Kids are kids. We made a mistake and treated them like kids in the south...white kids. They ignored our ignorance. At the time we thought we were cutting edge and doing a great thing for the aboriginal people. Of course, I liked that but it turned out to be wrong. Sometimes there were behaviour problems that I didn't understand. I wasn't able to deal with the situation in a positive way. I was frustrated by the misunderstanding on my part.

oyfulThursday, December 01, 2016

This is a variation on how you coped with the long winter. I'd like to know how you coped with the long summer. Was it difficult to sleep when it is light out for half the night?

I loved the long summer days and sometimes skipped a night's sleep. Many times we catnapped and didn't even try to have a night's sleep.  Some people could not cope with either the light or the dark. It seemed to me that the 24 hour daylight was energizing. 

    I enjoyed answering these questions. It made me think of other things. Now if I didn't answer what you wanted , seconds are allowed. If you thought of something else ask it.

Brrrrrr..

      We've had a very cold and snowy few days of weather. On Nov. 25 heavy snow began. The temperature dropped to minus 20 C (minus 4 F). On Nov. 26 we had more heavy snow. We had between 20 and 30 cm (8 - 12 in) of snow. As the snow moved out cold Arctic air was pulled down so we had minus 30 C( minus 21 F). Nov 27 and today have just been dam cold.

      I finally got out today to get a few photos. It was icy on the fingers. One has to keep the camera inside your coat so that batteries don't die in the camera.

My old friend with a snowy top

Long November shadow

Ruts in the snow

I like my spruce trees with snow on them

More shadow and ruts in the snow.

Some people have shoveled a lot of snow

And this car carries a heavy load of snow

The Arctic Changed Me for the Rest of My Life

    On one of my first Arctic posts I mentioned that the northern experience had changed my life. People wanted to know how my life was changed. So here goes. The last of my northern posts.

    I was raise in a rather isolated prairie area. We went to the local village for groceries. The local village seemed like a big deal. This did not give me much exposure to any different people or ideas. Our family kept to themselves to some extent. We were close to my father's family and visited with them often. Our church group was small and very conservative. As a result exposure to others was limited and somewhat discouraged.

    When I first left home everything was new and different. I was totally unprepared for this.

    When I moved to the Arctic I was exposed to things that were really different...a different culture...a different way of life...people from all over the world.  In our orientation we were given a good basis on what to expect and how to handle it. I was also lucky in that there were experienced people on staff who were very knowledgeable and were willing to explain a few things. 

    I was able to mix with many Inuit and aboriginals who were very good at telling about their culture. I learned that when I was in the north they were the masters of the environment and I depended on them for guidance and safety. They appreciated this and were very open about their life. I also got to go out on trips that others would never have gone on.

   As a result I changed many of my courses to Indian and Northern Education. I began reading and thinking about the culture. 

   As a result, I looked at race and different cultures in a completely different way. I learned to look at people for who they were instead of what race they came from. I became very sensitive about any racial discrimination and wouldn't let biased ideas go by me without a challenge. I never would have become open minded about race and culture if it hadn't been for the northern experience. For the rest of my life I have become more and more aware of prejudice and how harmful it can be. I've become a much happier person and certainly much more self assured.

    This has helped in many more areas than race when there are major differences. You have to look at the individual for what they really are. One of my former students has been a life long alcoholic and drug dealer. I visit him when he's not selling drugs. He knows that when he's selling drugs I will have nothing to do with him. He is one of the nicest people you could find when he's out of the drug culture. So instead of writing him off as a druggie I hope that by visiting him someday things will change.

    One of my neighbors is Chinese. Now I don't think of the Chinese part when I meet her.  She's a very unique character and always full of life. She always stops when I'm in the yard. One day she was asking about some Indian woman who lived up the street. I said, "What Indian woman?  There are no Indians on this street."  I tried  hard to think of who the Indian was because I know all the people on the street. I just hadn't thought of this person as being Indian. So I teased my Chinese neighbor about looking at other people from a racial point of view . We had a big laugh and then a big discussion.

   So I'm happy that my northern experience set up the remainder of my life on something that gave me a purpose in my life.

The Ration

    In one of the last posts I mentioned that in the north I was given a "ration" for a year's supply of food. Some people may think of ration as a limit while others would think of it as a share. Some readers seemed a little bit worried about the ration.

    The ration was quite an interesting device. The ration was carefully and well planned for so that someone in isolation would have ample food for one year. The ration was also carefully devised so that a person would have a balanced diet. So there were foods from all food groups. 

    So there were cases of canned fruit and vegetables. There was a variety of canned juices. There were cases of soup. 

    We had canned meat such as bacon, ham, sausage, stew, sardines,  salmon , tuna and many more that I forget. We had powdered eggs that were good for baking or making scrambled eggs.

   We had lots of flour, yeast, sugar, cereal (both hot and cold). We also had macaroni, spaghetti and rice.  We had both canned potatoes and powdered potatoes. 

  We had powdered milk and a case of condensed milk. This was 1963 and powdered milk hadn't been around that long. It was miserable stuff to mix. I would use an egg beater and the only thing that happened is that I got a very dirty eggbeater as the stuff stuck to the egg beater. Now try washing your egg beater with this stuff on it!

   There were other dried things like onions, apples, raisins, prunes and apricots and probably a few more things that I forget. 

   Salt, pepper, pickles, ketchup were in the ration. There were a few boxes of cookies and biscuits. The biscuits were like hard tack . the biscuits were really good with coffee or tea. Rumor had it that the origin of rations went back to the second world war. We sometimes joked that they were left overs from the war.

    So you see that this was a very well planned food ration. 

    Now not everybody liked the rations. These for the most part were forms of foods we did not usually eat. There were some foods that people were not familiar with at all. Many people did not eat very much canned goods period. Very little canned meat was eaten. So the ration was a favorite topic of conversation. Many hot tips were exchanged on how to use some of the stuff. Many times people got together and traded things that they didn't like for things they did like. 

   So when care packages arrived from home they were much appreciated. Mom sent me samples of all her Christmas baking and extra of the stuff she knew I really liked.

   So there was no need to worry about my food. I hope I have covered some of the things readers were curious about.

   Oh yes , rations were good for something else. The ration came in one box that was about 6' by 3' by 2'. It would take three or four men to wrestle this beast to your apartment door. One of the girls was completely overwhelmed by the huge box. Before she figured out what to do some of us took her ration apart and piled it up like blocks so that it blocked the hallway. We thought it was a good practical joke. The next thing we knew the fire inspector came roaring through the building and told everybody that this blockade had better be down by 6 PM . Of course people who weren't in on it didn't want to clean up the mess. The culprits didn't want to do the cleaning because then they would be identified. We did get the mess cleaned up and then helped the girl unpack her stuff. I think we wanted to make contact with this cute girl and this was a lame brained way to do it.
    

Fifty Years ago I Went to the Arctic (Inuvik)

    Fifty years ago this month I left for a six year stint in the Arctic. It was an adventure that changed my life forever. It fits in with my last post as I was moving to an isolated harsh area with unpredictable transportation.

    I had been teaching for four years. I was at a cross road. I knew that I was definitely leaving the position I had. After that I didn't know if I would quit teaching and go into another field , go back to university or find another teaching position. 

    One day I saw an ad in the paper entitled "Teach in Canada's North land." That caught my attention. I thought I would apply and see what happened. I got an interview and later they offered me a position. The position wasn't where I wanted to go but I accepted it anyway. 

   This was with the Federal Govt. and they gave many directions as to what we had to do to prepare ourselves. I had to get to Edmonton and from there they paid for my lodging and transportation. They sent me a ticket and told me that they would reserve a seat for me. All I had to do was phone ahead of time and confirm. 

    Now scheduled service had only begun the year before. It was almost an exaggeration to call it scheduled. It hardly ever flew on the day it was supposed to and sometimes didn't get in for two weeks.

    I went out to the airport and presented my ticket. I was told, "There are no reservations for you. There were about 40 of us in the same boat. A few got on the flight. They told the rest of us to come back tomorrow. We came back the next day and there was a long line up. They cut the line up off just in front of me and said the plane was full. What a shock! I went back to the counter and asked what would happen next. They asked me if I was alone. They said wait, "There might be one seat left." Sure enough there was one seat. They hurried me out to the airplane.

   Now I had never flown so this was a new experience for me. The aircraft was a dilapidated old DC 4 which was out of the thirties. Half way up we ran into violent thunder storms. Put on your seat belts. Then it started to leak right over my seat. I thought, "We're crashing. I'm a goner!"

   We made it to the location where all the new teachers were to be on a week orientation. That was a blast! We stayed in a dorm with one room and about twenty guys. We learned a lot.

   At the end of the week we were to be flown to Inuvik. Guess what? I didn't get on the flight. Tomorrow! 

    I left the next evening at nine PM on a freighter with five passengers. For much of the five hour flight I was in the cockpit. The four other passengers found the softest piece of freight and went to sleep. It was a beautiful clear evening. From 9:00 PM until 2 AM we  flew mostly north and I enjoyed a sunset all the way. When we landed it was dark on the ground.

    So this was my trip to the north. Nothing went as expected. I could roll with the punches and nothing bothered me. It was all an exciting adventure. 

    I was really ready to leave home and establish myself. I don't think Mom and Dad were too happy or confident about seeing me go away for a year.

    I can hardly believe this happened fifty years ago. It seems like yesterday.

There Once Was Polar Bear in my House

       Yes, that's right I had a real live polar bear in my house. Not only one polar bear but two at the same time. Me, being such a brave person, stayed in my house until they both left.

       Now I have to start at the beginning of this story to explain how this really happened. In the mid 60's I was a teacher, principal and administrator in a remote arctic community. The school had only been opened for five years. The inuit were still very independent and good hunters. The area was also a productive game area with lots of seals, fish, birds and caribou. These were wonderful proud people. They supported me and looked after my welfare.  For some reason I learned to depend on them and fully trust them as they were the masters in this land.

     One winter a few hunters were out on the sea ice hunting for seals. As happens on occasion they found a polar bear and killed it. Once they got to the bear they realized it had cubs. They searched and were able to find the den and the two young cubs. They were sharp enough to realize that they could probably get some money if they brought the cubs in. They immediately brought the cubs to my house and half expected I would give them money on the spot as I was the federal administrator. The little bears were active and not in a very good humor. They were probably very hungry and looking for their mother. We could hold them and pet them but you had to watch as they would nip you. We were not about to take a chance to become polar bear food. My house not only had the two polar bears but many of the people from the community as they all wanted to see the bears.

     The issue was quickly taken out of my hands as game was under provincial jurisdiction. So they went off to the provincial office and administrator. The Quebec Provincial Police were radioed and instructions were given to keep the little bears and they would fly in the next morning to pick them up.

     It was one of the more exciting evening during my two year stay. These hunters came in many hours after dark and were cold and excited. Usually the female bears with cubs were not out on the ice. I don't they they captured cubs very often so they were excited. I was excited as I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. I have pictures of this event but they are on slides and I have not changed my 35 mm pictures to digital. Now maybe I will have to get serious about changing them as I have many slides of my Arctic adventures,

     I don't remember if the inuit got any cash for these little cubs. I know that one of them went to the Calgary zoo and lived a long life there and was a very popular animal. I do not know what happened to the other animal.