I was checking my diary from my stay in the North and I see a very active few days before coming south for Christmas. We were in the middle of a deep freeze up and our utilidor froze completely. An utilidor is a heated pipe which carries the water supply from a tank beside our water lake to the hamlet tank. Our hamlet tank is used by the water trucks to distribute fresh water to all the homes and businesses.
The Cambridge utilidor is three miles long and is heated by four furnaces which pump hot antifreeze around the fresh water pipe. This is a normal procedure in the far north where temperatures and perma frost makes it impossible to pump water by conventional means.
I was preparing to go home any day but I could not leave until this problem was solved. It was a yearly problem so I thought we could fire up the furnaces and get the water flowing. The workers knew better and tried every trick in the book in order to get the water flowing. Time was critical because out Hamlet water tank was nearly empty.
Everyone in the hamlet was told to ration water and the hotels were put on notice that trouble was brewing.Our water foreman quickly put the emergency plan into effect. Clear the snow from the lake to make a portable pumping station. Open up a hole through the 8 feet of ice and pump the water directly through to the water trucks. This is easily done but it puts the pressure on the workers because of the distance they had to travel.
It being only the 9th of December the men in the water department could look forward to long hours for the next five and a half months. The men worked, the water was delivered and the hamlet went back to normal delivery schedule. The water truck drivers had a mammoth job keeping up with the demand so we hired more casuals to help and added an extra man on the night shift.
Down here we take water for granted. Up there it is a matter of life and death. I was always proud of the manner in which the workers prevailed in conditions that were brutally cold. Because of their tenacity I was able to leave there for Christmas holidays without worrying about the water.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Christmas Preparations In Ikaluktutiak ( Cambridge Bay )
The high Arctic has a geographic characteristic which makes it unique in Canada. The land is baron and free from ant trees. The Inuit were sheltered from any thought of Christmas until a short time ago when Christian Missionaries swept through the land and shared their propaganda with the naive Inuit. Churches were developed and some even flourished but the problem that came with the conversion proved to be costly. The white man brought disease and a way of life that changed the face of the aboriginal people.
Christian rules and cultural differences caused many to become confused and the warm glow of the missionaries turned into something else when the government placed the responsibility for education in the hands of the churches. Residential schools were designed to take the Inuit culture out of the children and a whole generation of Inuit were left with few of their cultural and linguistic abilities. This is a shameful legacy from the people and institutions who fostered such a damnable system.
The idea of Christmas was one of the features that caught on with the Inuit and from early days celebrations were common in the Inuit families. Hamlets celebrated and Christmas trees were flown in and usually a large tree was decorated in the Hamlet community center. In our hamlet we had a local airline that used to take a plane load of tree in to the hamlet and many families decorated them in their homes. Schools and public buildings also became involved so the tradition was established.
The decorations were mostly hand made and in the old days but now everyone has access to commercial decorations. Christmas is a happy time with special events and in the darkest month of the Arctic winter Christmas is a bright time. I saw children with smiling faces singing Christmas carols and the spirit of sharing was strong among the Inuit. I loved the atmosphere of Christmas in the Arctic and it had a distinct Inuit flavor which carried over to the New Year.
Christian rules and cultural differences caused many to become confused and the warm glow of the missionaries turned into something else when the government placed the responsibility for education in the hands of the churches. Residential schools were designed to take the Inuit culture out of the children and a whole generation of Inuit were left with few of their cultural and linguistic abilities. This is a shameful legacy from the people and institutions who fostered such a damnable system.
The idea of Christmas was one of the features that caught on with the Inuit and from early days celebrations were common in the Inuit families. Hamlets celebrated and Christmas trees were flown in and usually a large tree was decorated in the Hamlet community center. In our hamlet we had a local airline that used to take a plane load of tree in to the hamlet and many families decorated them in their homes. Schools and public buildings also became involved so the tradition was established.
The decorations were mostly hand made and in the old days but now everyone has access to commercial decorations. Christmas is a happy time with special events and in the darkest month of the Arctic winter Christmas is a bright time. I saw children with smiling faces singing Christmas carols and the spirit of sharing was strong among the Inuit. I loved the atmosphere of Christmas in the Arctic and it had a distinct Inuit flavor which carried over to the New Year.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practise To Deceive
This quote has often been used after scandals erupt in any situation. Used after the fact it points to the true statement of telling the truth. Time after time individuals, companies, religious orders, and yes politicians ruin their lives by trying to deceive the public through less than truthful statements and schemes
Some of the most powerful men in the world have gone down because they refused to accept the truth and became involved in elaborate cover ups.. The latest of these actions are in the headlines every day. Mayor Ford and our Prime Minister thought they could cover up misdeeds by plotting elaborate schemes to fool the public.
People are usually ready to accept the fact that leaders make mistakes and are usually pardoned for their folly if they come clean and apologize sincerely. Our Prime Minister set himself up as the white knight when it came to integrity and transparency. He ran on a ticket saying he would clean up Ottawa and punish those who do not conform to the Conservative ideology. Well it was not long before his PMO became the den of all that is wrong with the politics in Ottawa under his watch.
Had the Prime Minister told the truth from the beginning he would have had most people in Canada thinking he was doing the correct thing by ridding the Senate of corrupt people. He however permitted acts of deceitful behaviour to be committed in his office. He began a elaborate cover up involving many people and he lied about it. Now he is stuck with a story which is a lie and it is dragging him down .
The RCMP has come up with evidence which makes the Prime Minister look foolish. It is a little late now to turn back and Harper is caught in that web which he helped to weave and for months has been under attack. I believe that even the most loyal of his friends realize that there was a cover up and it has hurt in a major way the manner in which Harper is being perceived today.
In every situation the truth will set you free if it is told openly and freely. This applies just as surely in personal life situations .
Some of the most powerful men in the world have gone down because they refused to accept the truth and became involved in elaborate cover ups.. The latest of these actions are in the headlines every day. Mayor Ford and our Prime Minister thought they could cover up misdeeds by plotting elaborate schemes to fool the public.
People are usually ready to accept the fact that leaders make mistakes and are usually pardoned for their folly if they come clean and apologize sincerely. Our Prime Minister set himself up as the white knight when it came to integrity and transparency. He ran on a ticket saying he would clean up Ottawa and punish those who do not conform to the Conservative ideology. Well it was not long before his PMO became the den of all that is wrong with the politics in Ottawa under his watch.
Had the Prime Minister told the truth from the beginning he would have had most people in Canada thinking he was doing the correct thing by ridding the Senate of corrupt people. He however permitted acts of deceitful behaviour to be committed in his office. He began a elaborate cover up involving many people and he lied about it. Now he is stuck with a story which is a lie and it is dragging him down .
The RCMP has come up with evidence which makes the Prime Minister look foolish. It is a little late now to turn back and Harper is caught in that web which he helped to weave and for months has been under attack. I believe that even the most loyal of his friends realize that there was a cover up and it has hurt in a major way the manner in which Harper is being perceived today.
In every situation the truth will set you free if it is told openly and freely. This applies just as surely in personal life situations .
Thursday, December 5, 2013
We All Shed A Tear For Mandela
Today the world lost one of the greatest men who effected change throughout countries crying for a leader to give them freedom. He was of the nature of Gandhi who believed in peaceful negotiated compromises rather than violence. A young man of six feet two and two hundred and forty pounds and a boxer and a physical presence who saw the means of change through negotiations dedicated his life to make the point.
Nearly three decades in a horrible prison working in the chock cliffs dimmed his sight but not his vision. He was released and immediately stared that freedom and change was in the future but through peaceful means. He stated on his release from prison that not a window should be broken but strength through quiet means will give them their goal. He worked miracles because of his leadership and rose to become the president of the South African Nation.
All of Africa claimed him and he was so much in demand that he had little time for personal family life but he managed. All the world cheered when he won the Nobel peace prize and in his humble way stated it was the people of Africa who really won the prize.
Everyone will shed a tear for this great man and it was a honor to be born in an era when such a great man made his mark. History will record his influence in terms of greatness next to only a few who had such a profound impact on the world in such a short time. I am glad that he is an Honorary Canadian Citizen.
Nearly three decades in a horrible prison working in the chock cliffs dimmed his sight but not his vision. He was released and immediately stared that freedom and change was in the future but through peaceful means. He stated on his release from prison that not a window should be broken but strength through quiet means will give them their goal. He worked miracles because of his leadership and rose to become the president of the South African Nation.
All of Africa claimed him and he was so much in demand that he had little time for personal family life but he managed. All the world cheered when he won the Nobel peace prize and in his humble way stated it was the people of Africa who really won the prize.
Everyone will shed a tear for this great man and it was a honor to be born in an era when such a great man made his mark. History will record his influence in terms of greatness next to only a few who had such a profound impact on the world in such a short time. I am glad that he is an Honorary Canadian Citizen.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Dreary December
December can be a dreary time if there is no snow. This year, as during most ,there is little chance for snow in Oakville. Everyone around will have a nice coating of the white stuff but we seem to miss it.Around us most people have their Xmas lights up and they look bright and cheerful, but without snow they pale to the time when the ground is covered
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People are beginning to get in the Xmas spirit and the malls are busy but I need some snow. We have an over winter bird who took up residence in one of our bird houses. Every night the bird blocks the opening with material from the nest but at day break opens up the doorway. There are two birds staying and I suppose they would stay here all winter anyway but we have never had birds staying in our houses before.
There is a real lapse in the bird population here right now and our cardinals and blue jays have disappeared. I trust they will come back to our feeders when I get around to filling them with sun flower seeds. The Canada Goose population has increased during the last few weeks but when the cornfields get covered with snow they will move south.
Until the winter birds return I will have to watch the large gray and black squirrels try to get the food from the feeders. Cannot wait until we have a real winter atmosphere.
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People are beginning to get in the Xmas spirit and the malls are busy but I need some snow. We have an over winter bird who took up residence in one of our bird houses. Every night the bird blocks the opening with material from the nest but at day break opens up the doorway. There are two birds staying and I suppose they would stay here all winter anyway but we have never had birds staying in our houses before.
There is a real lapse in the bird population here right now and our cardinals and blue jays have disappeared. I trust they will come back to our feeders when I get around to filling them with sun flower seeds. The Canada Goose population has increased during the last few weeks but when the cornfields get covered with snow they will move south.
Until the winter birds return I will have to watch the large gray and black squirrels try to get the food from the feeders. Cannot wait until we have a real winter atmosphere.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Conservatives Learn From Toronto Council
Toronto city council were fed up with the Mayor and so rebelled and took away most of the powers that the Mayor had. The House of Commons and the Prime Minister were experiencing a similar problem. The worthy backbenchers elected to serve in the house were muzzled by the PMO. The Prime Ministers Office is a group of unelected people who support the PM and do his bidding.
The members of the house became tired of the administration and the scripted manner that was demanded of the members. They were also tired of taking orders from the nonelected people from the PMO . The scandal in the Senate brought this discontent to a boil and this week there is a Conservative motion coming to the floor of the house curtailing the powers of the PMO. This is a rebellion of sorts and shows a divide in the caucus.
It is a long time coming and depending on the outcome could bring a wave of support for a new leader. Prime Minister Harper is a victim of his own making as we have been experiencing the most autocratic government ever in the history of Canada.
We will watch and see just how the PM will try to hold on to powers to keep his administration intact. Personally I see this as a great step forward for the party who might see it is the time for a change at the top. In any case we will see some movement away from the dictatorial manner in which our country has been controlled.
The members of the house became tired of the administration and the scripted manner that was demanded of the members. They were also tired of taking orders from the nonelected people from the PMO . The scandal in the Senate brought this discontent to a boil and this week there is a Conservative motion coming to the floor of the house curtailing the powers of the PMO. This is a rebellion of sorts and shows a divide in the caucus.
It is a long time coming and depending on the outcome could bring a wave of support for a new leader. Prime Minister Harper is a victim of his own making as we have been experiencing the most autocratic government ever in the history of Canada.
We will watch and see just how the PM will try to hold on to powers to keep his administration intact. Personally I see this as a great step forward for the party who might see it is the time for a change at the top. In any case we will see some movement away from the dictatorial manner in which our country has been controlled.
A Gift From The Past
I am a person who collects almost everything.Little items that were collected from the past were often tucked away in my many boxes of treasures. One of my oldest personal items came to my attention the other day when I was seeking some pictures for a book I am completing.
I was looking for pictures from the early fifties and came across two small items in an envelope. One item was a address book in black leather with gold gilding and the other was a gold eversharp pencil complete with extra leads.My oldest sister Grace gave them to me in 1955 before we began our travels to Pointe Claire, Quebec.
I was thankful for the gift and filled many of the spaces in the snall book with family and friends adresses, birthdays and phone numbers. I used the book and pencil for years but
whnr it did not meet my needs anymore I retired it to the treasure box with the gold pencil.
When I found it the other day I immediately opened it and to my amazement most of the names in the book were either unknown to me at present or passed on. The family names are still relatively still active but the others are history. I checked the addresses against my present book and only a few were still there. For fun I attempted to phone a few of the numbers and only a few were still active.
This little book gave me an opportunity to bring back memories of the people recorded and I shared a short visit with them as I looked through a gift from the past.
I was looking for pictures from the early fifties and came across two small items in an envelope. One item was a address book in black leather with gold gilding and the other was a gold eversharp pencil complete with extra leads.My oldest sister Grace gave them to me in 1955 before we began our travels to Pointe Claire, Quebec.
I was thankful for the gift and filled many of the spaces in the snall book with family and friends adresses, birthdays and phone numbers. I used the book and pencil for years but
When I found it the other day I immediately opened it and to my amazement most of the names in the book were either unknown to me at present or passed on. The family names are still relatively still active but the others are history. I checked the addresses against my present book and only a few were still there. For fun I attempted to phone a few of the numbers and only a few were still active.
This little book gave me an opportunity to bring back memories of the people recorded and I shared a short visit with them as I looked through a gift from the past.
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