ᓯᕿᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ - siqinniqtuq - it's sunny

We had a great opportunity to go dog sledding this week with Inukpak Outfitters. As I’m married to a pilot, and a good looking one at that, Josh had picked out a bright, sunny day and an awesome guide. The sled dogs are kept out on the sea ice all winter long. They’re fed specialized kibble or seal meat on alternating days. Approaching this team made them growl, bark and howl at a deafening volume. Their ‘welcome’ was very intimidating, but their wagging tails told their true intentions….that they were ecstatic to see us and loved the opportunity to pull the sled.

The twelve dogs that pulled us were “Canadian Sled Dogs,” descendants of the dogs that the Inuit people originally brought over while crossing over Greenland. As opposed to the sled dogs of the south, these dogs are thicker, stronger, and taller. This allowed the Inuit to be able to have teams of five or six dogs that could pull the same the same weight as a team of ten faster dogs. In the old days, food was scarce and so it was easier to feed a team with fewer dogs.

We started off our trip with an introduction to each dog and learned where he ran in the team. It was interesting to learn that each dog had its own role. Some are straight and steady pullers. Some are super energetic [read: hyper] and motivate the others to run faster. One dog was responsible to set the pace. And one is the alpha male and he keeps everyone else in line. One dog even got loose and was doing laps around us all morning, just like Casey (Tyler and Kelsey’s dog).

After our introductions, the dogs were harnessed and hooked up to the qamutik. In the north, the sled driver sits in the front to steer the sled and cue the dogs. This is different from the stereotypical southern idea where the driver stands at the back of the sled. In the Arctic, this exposure to the icy wind is dangerous. It was also interesting to see our guide was no doubt leader of the pack to the sled dogs. At times he would get off the sled as we were moving and run to the right or left to change the dogs’ direction as they all followed him.

With a “Ready” and “Iyii-yiyi”, the sled took off over ice. Once we got past the rough ice, the frozen ocean was quite smooth. The snow sparkled all around us with a million shining snow flakes. There was no wind that morning, so we enjoyed the quiet whoosh of the qamutik skis as the dogs ran silently over the ice. Josh and I can now say that we’ve dog sledded on the ocean. It was so neat to go further out on the sea ice. There are islands in the bay where the ice has formed straight up-and-down walls against the rock as the tide rises and falls twenty feet every twelve hours.

The snow was a bit sticky for the dogs which gave them the sensation that the guide was slowing the sled down with a brake. They would frequently stop all of a sudden and turn around with a puzzled look on their face that said, “What’s up?” By the second half of the trip, the sun had melted the snow enough that it formed a slick surface which decreased the resistance of the sled on the snow. It was totally invigorating to be out in the middle of nowhere and see nothing but ice formations and rocky seashores all around us.

After our ride, we got to help take the harnesses off the dogs and put them back on their chains. We had to make sure not to let go, otherwise they would have been happy to run free! After feeding them their snack, we returned home sleepy and totally relaxed after a beautiful morning.

Josh loving every minute with these dogs

The dogs on the sea ice

Joc making friends

Dogs looking back for instruction

Enjoying the ride

Beautiful day!

On Frobisher Bay

Taima

This month has marked the kick off of the Taima TB project in Iqaluit. Taima is the Inuktitut word for stop. Tuberculosis is a contagious lung disease that causes chronic coughs, fevers, weight loss and night sweats. Nunavut has a tuberculosis rate 62 times greater than the rest of Canada. About half of the cases seen in this territory were seen in Iqaluit last year. Thus, a health promotion project has been initiated involving education via social media, a community feast and an upcoming door-to-door campaign.

The disease is spread through the air by a person with active TB. The airborne droplets are inhaled and lead to an active or latent (sleeping) infection in the unsuspecting recipient. The crowded living conditions, alcohol use, poor nutrition and smoking in this territory compound the problem and increase the transmission of the disease.

As part of the initial health promotion for the campaign against TB, a community feast was held this week. The feast included a presentation about TB and the strategy Taima TB has to find and treat this disease. The feast included country foods like seal, caribou, arctic char, bannock, and Tim Horton’s donuts. (At least I think they were Tim Hortons).

Being a nurse, I’m all for health promotion activities. What makes me chuckle about this event is the fact that we have an contagious airborne disease and we’re getting everyone together in a small room to feast and breathe together.

Please pass the Mycobacterium tuberculosis…I mean, the salt. 

Actually, there was no salt to pass. All the meat was raw. After the initial rush for food, Darlene and I found pieces of cardboard and picked out our pieces of Arctic char and caribou. The seal had dissappeared quickly and we weren't too sure what to do with the caribou foreleg. Josh was happy to enjoy several types of bannock and leave the meat eating to us women.

The caribou tasted like a very tender cut of raw beef. It was very good and I would eat it again. The Arctic char was less appealing to me, raw. I am not a huge seafood fan, so the fishy taste and texture was not my favorite. The bannock was delicious (and cooked)! I'd say our first Inuit feast was a success. And in case you're wondering, Darlene and I did not get sick from eating the raw meat.

It was interesting to attend the TB feast because at the hospital I work with the TB patients undergoing their initial 2 week treatment. Also, we get asked quite a few questions about TB, so it is great to be able to teach them about what is happening in our community to treat it.

Taima TB Feast!

On the far left is seal, far right is Arctic char and the closest meat is caribou

Everyone dig in!

Caribou leg

Darlene and I enjoying our caribou

Dinner plate with char and bannock

5 TB facts

1. TB is treated here in Nunavut and is curable.
2. People who are sick with active TB disease can have chronic cough, weight loss, night sweats or fever.
3. You can infect other people if you have active TB disease in your lungs because TB spreads through the air.
4. If you are close with someone who has active TB disease, you can become infected with TB germs and develop sleeping TB infection.
5. People with sleeping TB infection are not contagious but should be treated with medication in Nunavut to prevent getting sick with active disease.

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ - inuit

The Globe and Mail ran an article about Nunavut earlier this month. It’s called The trials of Nunavut: Lament for an Arctic nation written by Patrick White. This article has garnered a large amount of criticism and compliments as it examined the current state of this territory. The good. The bad. The ugly.

I find Patrick White’s comparison of Nunavut to Haiti very poignant. The word “Haiti” brings to mind pictures from the earthquake; wounded adults bleeding in the streets, crying orphans with empty bottles, starving men rushing the food aid trucks. Nunavut is not suffering from a literal earthquake that shakes the ground and knocks down buildings. It suffers from a force much more dangerous.

Self destruction.

The history and culture of the Inuit is a beautiful and unique heritage that reflects the ingenuity, hard work, creativity and determination of a people who survived for decades in a frozen land. The arrival of explorers, traders, whalers, priests and nuns to the land in the late 1890s, early 1900s and beyond eventually led to a transition from the time-honoured nomadic life to a forced European ‘education.’ The children were taken away to residential schools. Here, they were forbidden from speaking their native tongue, told their heritage was uncivilized and banned from seeing their parents for months on end. Abuses of every nature were imposed on these youngsters. The Inuit are starting to share about these experiences with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, in recent years, in an effort to bring a process of reconciliation and renewed relationships that are based on mutual understanding and respect.

The abuses, separation and isolation that these children endured have affected the generations that followed, and the cycle continues today. The self destruction as a result of these issues is evidenced by the substance abuse, violent domestic life, truancy, sexual abuse, alcoholism, poverty and suicide rates that exist today. Before coming to Iqaluit, I was told that I shouldn’t walk around the town alone because its residents are dangerous. I have not found that to be the case and have experienced no danger. And this is why; the danger lies within the hearts of each person affected by this tragic past. As a result, the hurt and anger leads to self-imposed destruction in an effort to dampen the pain in the only way they know how.

On this Easter weekend, Chris Tomlin’s song “God of this City” has been running through my mind over and over as a prayer for Nunavut. The cross that overlooks Iqaluit is a reminder to me that Jesus is the Light in the darkness, the Hope to the hopeless and the Peace to the restless. Even here, where light, hope and peace seem like things the government tries to achieve by pouring millions of dollars into committees, expert studies and reconciliation commissions. Their intentions are good, but they are missing the truth of Jesus’ salvation and healing that is so necessary to bring true, complete healing to these people. 

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.  

John 3:16-18

Christ didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Romans 5:6-8

Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!" Romans 10:10

So, to all our friends and family; may you experience the love and grace of Jesus in your own life this Easter season, as you reflect on the true meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

 

ᕿᒻᒥᖅ - qimmiq - dog

This weekend was the Toonik Tyme festival in Iqaluit. This festival celebrates the "warmth" of spring and the start of long, sunny days. "Warmth" is defined as -20C in this context. The festival included igloo building, tea and bannock contests,craft sale, seal skinning, and dog sled racing. Unfortunately we had to work through the entire festival. However, Josh was able to get out to watch the dog sled race. So, we'll count our blessings that one of us was able to see one thing! 

Teams of 7 or 8 dogs raced for 30 km

The qamutik is flipped over so the dogs don't run off with it

Winner of the race with his seal skin hat, jacket, mitts and kamiks

Josh and the winning dogs

ᐄᐳᕆ - iipuri - April

We are already two weeks into April. I have been in Iqaluit for 3 weeks. Josh has been here for 8 weeks! Wow, pretty hard to believe. This past week has been an exciting one for us. I started my job at the hospital and we moved into our apartment!

My first four shifts at the hospital went very well. The staff is very team oriented and come from a large variety of backgrounds. Everyone has been very open and will to answer my questions. Thus far, I have found the unit less acute than 5 West, but am challenged by the wide variety of patients that we have come through the doors; heart attacks, seizures, psych, sick newborns, overdoses/withdrawals, abd pain (yay, I know what to do with that!) and post operative patients. Oh, and did I mention babies? Babies galore. Nunavut has the highest birth rate in Canada and the majority of Nunavut babies are born in our hospital. These absolutely adorable newborns have held my fascination. That nursing has taken me from a non-stop busy surgical unit to be able to rock a newborn babe, has me completely dumbfounded. When it comes to nursing babies and children, I am the first to say that I have no idea what I am doing! Adults and kids are so different in their needs, their normal vital signs, their communication styles and their medication dosages. I find it rather terrifying and exciting to have the opportunity to learn about this population of munchkins. Most of my colleagues have been up here for a few years and are very experienced with pediatrics and I am enjoying everything I have learned so far from them. 


The other really neat thing about nursing here is how integrated health care is with aviation. We rely on medevacs to get acutely ill patients to the Qikiqtani hospital and/or to send them to higher levels of tertiary care in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Montreal. There are no roads that connect the 27 communities in this territory, so air travel is the only means of viable transportation. (Going on a 8 hour snowmobile trek when you're having a medical emergency is not a wise idea). The health care system here also uses scheduled airline flights to bring patients from up island down to Iqaluit for specialist appointments and tests. Having to factor pilot duty time (the amount of hours they can fly in a 24-hour period), mechanical plane issues and weather conditions into my patients' care is another aspect of nursing that is new to me. 


Well, I could talk about nursing forever, and I'm sure I will again. But I should mention how awesome it feels to have our very own place. We received our housing assignment a week after applying and are so thankful for God's prompt provision. Living at the crew house was great. It enabled me to be able to join Josh sooner than if I would have had to wait in Edmonton. It allowed me to get to know the crew Josh has been working with. And let me say, what a good bunch of guys they are. It also is located in a perfect spot to explore the whole town with ease, which I did during my fourteen unemployed days. That being said, we are so thankful to have our own place now. Josh especially enjoys coming home and being able to leave work at work. For the first time since he started this job, he can unwind in the comfort of his own home. Our apartment is smack dab in the middle between the crew house and the hospital, which is ideal for both of us. It is connected to a hotel and a second apartment building. This means we can go to the restaurant, movie theatre, grocery store and gym wearing flip flops and not worry about frostbite. (I should note that I find this a novelty, Josh is less motivated to wear his sandals then I am). 


Well, that about sums up our week. Weather wise (because people always ask) we're not flooding, blizzarding or melting like Alberta. It's just a bright and sunny -20C with 30km/hr winds. And oddly enough, that feels very warm.

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕆᐊᖅᑐᖅ - iqqanaijariaqtuq - she goes to work

Yesterday was a good day. Today is even better! Today I will get my letter of hire which will allow me to start work at the Qikiqtani General Hospital. I will be working with medical, surgical and pediatric patients. The Inpatient Unit also has two intensive care beds and six obstetric beds. I won't be working with these patients as I probably won't be in Iqaluit long enough to be trained in these areas, unfortunately. But, that could very well change! For now, I think I'll have my hands full with med, surg and peds. My nursing experience thus far is in adult general surgery. I used to worked on a high acuity general surgery unit which focused on breast, abdominal and thyroid surgery. I learned so much on 5 West about time management, stress management, handling life threatening situations, team work, wound vacs, pain management, ostomies, post operative care, sleep management, how to be a teacher and how to be charge nurse. My time there has shaped me into the nurse that I am today and I am so thankful for that! What my time there didn't teach me was how to speak Inuktitut, how to nurse kids and how to nurse in a northern hospital. I am a bit nervous about starting at this hospital because I know there is TONS that I have to learn. I expect to be severely humbled and that I will feel like I know nothing. But I am extremely excited for the challenge and what I will learn as a result of my time here. Growth means change, and change involves risk, stepping from the known into the unknown. In my life experience, it has never been a bad thing to take a risk and try something new. It is rarely easy, but it is always valuable and beneficial. 

This past weekend it has been settling into my mind that we live on Baffin Island. On the far eastern edge of Canada. Next to Greenland. When I first got here, I would look around at the ice and snow and just giggle at the fact that I live here. This is home, now. It is funny where life takes you. And yet, Josh and I wouldn't have it any different. We have been able to clearly see the Lord's hand in leading us to Iqaluit. And we feel peace about being here. Jeremiah 29:11-14 talks about God's control over our lives and how He wants to be involved with them; "¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you."

This is a promise that I really hung on to when I was away from Josh, waiting in Edmonton. To trust that God had a plan, no matter how much I disliked being away from my husband, forced me to rest in God's faithfulness and trust Him. Once I started to do these things, I realized that trusting God for my future by seeking His will in my life leads to gladness, joy and rest. And He wants to do this for you, as well.

Rely - daily giving my concerns, worries, fears to God 
Exalt - praising God and showing my thanks for His faithfulness 
Surrender - the act of letting go of my plans and wants to follow Him
Trust - believing that God is in control, and is good and that He loves me

So, while it can be difficult to be away from Edmonton...especially when awesome things like Ashley having a baby, family gatherings and our dog being cute, happen...Josh and I REST in the truth that God has us in Iqaluit for a purpose. And rather than being homesick, we are embracing that and enjoying our time here. 

Feels like we live in outer space

First real dog sled I have seen

A guy kite snowboarding on the frozen ocean

Airport sunset

ᓂᕿ - niqi - food

It has been a quiet weekend. I’ve indulged in the benefits of being unemployed and am almost done watching season four of Bones. This week, I aim to be more productive and keep exploring and maybe work on some nursing stuff. Josh has been working, getting the crew houses and hangar ready for the large number of crew we have here now. There are people everywhere! It’s fun…other than the fact that I have to sleep on couch cushions. Ha. Just kidding, we want the pilots to have a good night sleep before their morning flights. They need it more than I do.

A few weeks before Josh went to Iqaluit, the Edmonton Journal ran an article about expensive food prices in Nunavut. Knowing that grocery prices were considerably more than what we pay in Edmonton, we packed as many canned and dry goods as we could squeeze into our luggage. After being here for almost two weeks, I have decided a few things about the food prices.

Expensive is a relative term. It has not taken long for us to adapt to the fact that everything we buy is more expensive than what we paid in Edmonton. Food is expensive, but not as expensive as I expected. I do not get chest pain or anxiety attacks when looking at the prices, like that Edmonton Journal article implied. Mostly, I just try and forget about how cheap I could buy that item for back home and am thankful that we live in a northern community where so much food is very accessible. I think the grocery prices would be worse farther north.

Frugality leads to starvation. There really is no other option to ‘eat cheap.’ The less expensive brands are still expensive. We could cut back to two meals a day instead of three, but I get cranky when I’m hungry, so that is a very bad idea. Ha ha. You just have to accept the prices! Initially, I refused to buy fresh produce, because who really wants to pay ten dollars for a head of wilted lettuce. Honestly! So, we opted for frozen veggies to complete our nutritional needs. But the tastiness of frozen peas and carrots doesn’t last for very long. So today I bought fresh vegetables and just tried to avoid looking at my receipt. And yes, my salad tasted delicious!

Let’s eat out. One of the perks of having to buy expensive groceries is that we eat out more often. Some of the pubs and little diners have very affordable menu selections that make cooking at home more expensive than eating out. Granted, they’re not necessarily the healthiest choice, but they are an alternative to the high grocery prices. One of these little restaurants is the Grind & Brew, right on the waterfront just past the museum. (That is how they give directions here; they don’t seem to use street names.) It is an all day meal kind of place that serves coffee, breakfast sandwiches, delicious pizza and lunch specials, and a wide variety of supper meals. They also deliver and their food is tasty and quite healthy.  

Here are some examples of prices that we’re paying in Iqaluit. Keep in mind that the federal government just reinstated their Nutrition North program to subsidize flight costs and make healthy foods more “affordable” until October 2012.

1 Block of Butter $7.65

3 Onions $ 6.79

5 Bananas $ 4.56

2 lb Carrots $4.49

500 g Ground Beef $7.09

2 boxes of Cheerios $21.33

4L Milk $11.65

5 lb Potatoes $7.79

1 bag Frozen Peas $5.79

1 dozen Eggs $3.45

So as you can see, it is more expensive, but not horribly so. I thought we would be surviving this summer on Kraft Dinner and beans to compensate for the grocery prices. But we’ve decided to just accept it, watch for sales and enjoy.

Bon appetite.