The Animals Are Stirring!

Welcome back to my blog! Since my last email, we've experienced a bit of melting in Baker, but not to the extent that I expected. The streets are just now starting to replace the well-worn snow tracks with squishy red mud. However, with the sun now rising at 3am and setting after 11pm,it will only be a matter of time before the snow is gone off the land. The massive lake that borders the town and its namesake, Baker Lake, will not be clear of ice until well into July or August.

With the change in weather and the long days of daylight, the locals are getting ansy to get out on the land. I sat with a local at a recent farewell feast for a local southerner who was returning home to Newfoundland after many successful years in the North. The local was very excitedly telling me about catching his first grizzly bear during the previous week. I asked him what he planned to do with it and he said he wasn't sure but hoped to get a good pelt out of it. If the quality wouldn't allow him to keep the head, he hoped to harvest some teeth. I asked about the grizzly's claws. He said if he couldn't keep them with the pelt, he'd give them away. I'm hoping he remembers our conversation and offers one to me!


I was surprised to learn that grizzlies are so abundant in this part of Nunavut. This past week, someone past on a warning to us to not venture outside of town without protection, because a grizzly was on the prowl just outside of town. I have definitely listened to that advice!

On a trip around town this past week, there were at least 3 homes that had grizzlies (not alive!)outside in their yards. I took a picture of one of them and it is included with this blog. Unfortunately, you can't see his head very well as it is tucked under.

The other pictures I took while walking around town were of a muskox, two arctic wolves, an arctic hare (a live one)and a herd of caribou. It was the closest I'd even been to a muskox, and I can tell you it looks scary, even when it's only the head! I didn't want to touch it... I guess the spooky stories told by the locals of animal spirits was front and centre in my mind! The arctic wolves look majestic, even if only from a distance. I've included that picture in my blog as well.

The other picture is of an Arctic Hare that seemed quite curious about what I was doing. According to the locals, he was not a large hare, however, I think he could take down a small child! Unfortunately, my picture of the caribou herd didn't turn out very well. The herd, about 15 or so, was grazing in the field close to my house, just behind the sled dogs. Two other herds have been spotted close to town and creating excitement for the locals.

I asked a local about what parts of the caribou they would harvest and they went into great detail about the stomach, tongue and other parts that surprised me. Probably the most surprising were the delicacies: the brains (supposedly they taste better than yogurt (!)), and the eye balls. If offered, I have already decided to pass. Sorry, I just don't have it in me to try either of those!

I am off for a month, one week in Iqaluit, two weeks in the south visiting family, and one week in Kugluktuk (in the western Arctic, formerly called Coppermine). By the time I return to Baker, I'm hoping the snow is all gone, the roads have dried up, and I can try my hand at fishing for Arctic Char or the massive lake trout that lurks in the many lakes around Baker. Until then, have a great spring!!

A Whale of a Story!

Happy May! I've just returned to Baker after being on duty travel for 11 days. It was nice to get back home. I spent the first four days in Toronto at a provincial-territorial meeting. It was a great opportunity to meet counterparts from other provinces. And, unbelievably, I met someone at the meetings that I went to university with and hadn't seen for 30 years! How special that was!

While in Toronto, I stayed right on the waterfront and spent every free moment walking the boardwalk and taking in the sites and sounds of the waterfront, boats, birds and spring. I wanted to roll in the green grass, like my dog used to do, but thought that might attract too much attention! I guess my long days of winter are finally getting to me!

I left Toronto and flew to Iqaluit for 7 days of meetings. Needless to say, the green grass wasn't anywhere to be seen in Iqaluit. Spring is definitely on the way, but it is a few weeks away yet. Likewise for Baker. We still have snow everywhere, however, the long days of sunlight (the sun is rising at 4am now, and getting about 6 minutes a day earlier each day) will start the melting soon. I'm told that if the snow melts rapidly, it will be quite a mess. Baker Lake is built on a hill, with the main roads at the bottom of the hill, beside the lake. The runoff can be dramatic. I've got a pair of new rubber boots and expect I'll get great use of them soon. Red mud, water, it's all coming soon!

I am starting to see notices posted regarding wildlife and fishing tags that are available for locals. Muskox, for example, are a controlled species in most ares of Nunavut, with a lottery among locals for the right to get a tag. This reminded me of my visit to Repulse Bay earlier in the year and the story I was told about their recent whale hunt. My blog pictures are of the Repulse whale hunt this past fall.

Modern whale hunting goes back to the 1800s, mainly by Americans and Scottish whaling ships. The Inuit helped the foreigners hunt and render the whales, getting guns and ammunition and other technologies in return. The foreigners introduced round dancing (for runner of square dancing?) which is still popular today and what I witnessed first hand a couple of months ago in Iqaluit! Unfortunately, the foreigners also introduced diseases that the Inuit had no protection for, causing a lot of death and hardship.

Interestly, it is thought that the orignal inhabitants of Nunavut, the Thule, arrived in the 1200s, chasing whales and finally settling on Nunavut as their home. Today, whale hunting continues to be important, with the Inuit hunting beluga, narwhal and bowhead whales.

Bowhead whales are a protected (endangered) species in Canada and most places in the world. They are immense, the size of a school bus! Communities are allowed to hunt the bowhead if they have received special permission from the federal fisheries office. Because of this, the year that a community receives a license to catch and harvest a bowhead whale accompanies a great celebration. To underscore how special the event was in Repulse, only five bowhead whales have been harvested in Nunavut since 1991 when the Canadian government established strict limits.

In Repulse, the harvest began with a gathering of people at the shore and a spiritual send-off to Inuit locals who would hunt the whale. The Inuit believe that there is an entity greater than themselves who provides for all living things. This send-off was a blessing not only to the hunters, but also to the whale whose life would be sacrificed for the betterment of the community.

Some communities use traditional means like the harpoon on these spiritual quests. Others use more modern means like rifles. I'm not sure which method was used in Repulse. The Inuit used an open boat called a umiaq. At one time, they would use sealskin kayaks, but that isn't the case today.

The whale hunt is a very important source of protein for the locals. Without it, they would need to rely on southern food at their local stores (very expensive) or other country food like the caribou. Based solely on the size of the whale versus the caribou, the Inuit believe they would deplete the caribou herds if they didn't have access to whale meat on a regular basis. The Inuit often say they hunt the whale, not for sport, but for food.

Once the Repulse hunters killed the whale, they towed it into shore where the spiritual blessing was repeated. The locals then went about harvesting the whale. Every part of the whale was used, with the blubber, skin and whale meat being very prized. Once distributed among local residents, extras are shared with other communities.

I've included pictures of the hunt with this blog. And, while much controversy surrounds the right of Inuit to hunt a rapidly depleting species like the bowhead whale, I understand the context of the Inuit and their beliefs. I hope you enjoyed this blog and its insight into Inuit culture.

Until next time, enjoy!

Big City Issues

Happy Easter! I hope the Easter Bunny found you. He certainly found me, even way up here in Nunavut and with winter still firmly holding on. I guess even the Easter Bunny is resilient!

I've been busy at work and also struggling through frustratingly slow internet service. The speed seems to be picking up lately so I'll take advantage of that and update you on my latest adventures.

As you'll recall, I was in Iqaluit recently for meetings. It was the second time I've been to Iqaluit but the first time that I had some time to explore the city. Iqaluit is the largest community in Nunavut with a population of around 7000. It is significantly larger than any other community in Nunavut. The next 3 largest communities in Nunavut do not have the combined population of Iqaluit so it is considered the "big city" of the territory.

While I enjoyed my visit to Iqaluit, spending time in the city encouraged me to dig a bit deeper to understand its history and also its challenges. My impressions of the city was that it has the feel of a government town, with many federal and territorial departments and buildings standing admist its hotels and restaurants. Like all Nunavut towns, the choice of restaurants was somewhat limited and very pricey. However, I did have a great "Polish buffet" in one of the restaurants. I think I ate so much, they should have charged me double! In fact, I know that I was enjoying "pigging out" because one of the buffet waiters brought me a dessert and said "You haven't tried this one yet!". I thought that was so funny. I guess the big smile on my face must have showed how much I was enjoying this unique sampling of food!

With this blog, I've included some pictures from inside the Nunavut legislature. It is a beautiful building with many local artifacts gracing its interior. You will see in one of the pictures an antler carving that was done by a high school student. It is in the lobby of the legislature. Its intricate detail is amazing and representative of the many wonderful artisans in Nunavut.

Not to put a damper on this blog or my trip to Iqaluit, but I would be remiss if I didn't talk about some of the issues it faces, especially given that it's the only large city in Nunavut and suffers from many "big city" issues. Some of those issues are overcrowding and crime.

Since it became the capital of Nunavut in 1999, Iqaluit's population has doubled. In fact, the rapid growth of population across Nunavut is a problem, not only in the capital city but across its 28 communities. Nunavut currently has Canada's highest birth rate, with single young females significantly adding to this number. The high birth rate has added to immense overcrowding issues, with multiple families often sharing a single dwelling that is run down and sometimes barely inhabitable.

I have heard many stories of families where the chidren sleep on the floor of the living room because the bedrooms and couches are already overcrowded with adults from multiple families living in the house. The Nunavut Housing Authority recently overspent its annual budget by 100 percent (100 Million over budget). The saddest part of that story is that many believe that the money was not spent improving housing but squandered in questionable deals. Whether that is true or not, overcrowding issues are immense and not likely to go away soon. Compounding the issue is that Nunavut doesn't have natural resources (trees, for example) or industry capable of producing housing materials, so it has to import all materials from the south by barge or Hercules type aircraft, all extremely expensive.

Another issue that is alarming locals and southerners alike, is violence. The rate of violent crime per capita in Nunavut is 7 times what it is in the rest of Canada. The homicide rate is around 1,000 per cent of the Canadian average. If it were an independent country, Nunavut's crime statistics would rival that of South Africa or Mexico. While I was in Iqaluit, I did not go out at night, so I don't know if visitors to the city would feel threatened or intimidated by the reported violence and alcohol abuse.

When you discuss crime stats with people, they are quick to point out that the violence is not directed at "southerners". It is directed often at family members or locals and is often fueled by alcohol abuse. I have read that the Iqaluit RCMP detachment is one of the country's largest, and also busiest. The article also stated that RCMP officers in Iqaluit draw their guns more often in a week, than some southern mounties do in a career. Iqaluit's main jail, built to house 50 inmates, is reported to often have double that amount. Another overcrowding issue that is not going to go away anytime soon.

Perhaps one of the most troubling statistics and one that has reached the floor of the territorial legislature, is the issue of suicide. Often not talked about, the statistics are alarming: Inuit males aged 15 to 24 have a suicide rate 40 times that of their peers in the rest of Canada. During the 3 months I have been here, I have heard of 3 suicides. Given that I know few people and the reluctance to talk about suicide in communities, that statistic supports the belief that the problem is widespread and pervasive in Nunavut. The good news is that the gov't strongly supports making the issue more public and providing more support for those whose lives have been touched by the devasting affects of suicide.

In two weeks, I'll be back in Iqaluit for more meetings. During that time, I hope to talk with more locals about their city. I am hopeful to visit some of the galleries where many artisans from across Nunavut take their carvings and other crafts to be displayed and sold. That is the side of Iqaluit I'll be looking for, one that is hopeful and resilient, and demonstrates the unique culture of this territory. And, if I'm lucky, maybe I'll also be lucky enough to experience another "Polish feast"! Until next time!

The Traveller Curse Continues!

Hello again! Well, I have to admit that I mistakenly believed that, once the blizzard season was over, travel within Nunavut would be relatively straight forward -- you know, you book a flight, the plane arrives on time, you leave on time, etc., etc. Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty, fog in Nunavut can be just as big a headache as snow.

Last Monday I travelled to Iqaluit for meetings. The trip over was straightforward, but the leg home was not. When I arrived at the Iqaluit airport on Friday afternoon, the departures board indicated that my flight might not be able to land in Rankin, which was my transfer point. I thought, oh, isn't that interesting. I went to the First Air counter to ask them what happens if we can't land in Rankin. They said, "We'll continue on to Yellowknife and you'll stay the weekend there." Just like that, matter of factly!

In my head, I was thinking that wasn't so bad. Maybe I could hop a flight from Yellowknife to Edmonton and spend the weekend at home. I was all psyched up for the possibility. This was starting to sound like a great plan. But, it wasn't to be. The flight was able to land in Rankin. As I consoled myself that there would be no quick trip home, I prepared to spend the next 5 hours waiting for my flight to Baker.

After watching two movies (a double-bill!) on my computer, I eagerly awaited the call for my flight. I noticed people edging their way towards the windows as the magic hour approached. Hmm, I thought, what's up. I joined them to see what they were looking at. And, to my surprise, a large fog bank was making its way towards the airport. It was like I was looking at a ghost, eerily weaving its way up, then down, then closer to us. The people at the windows started saying "Oh, we're not going to get out tonight." And sure enough, they were right. Within minutes we were engulfed. We could hear an airplane above the airport, most likely our aircraft circling and contemplating a landing. As the sound of the airplane dulled in the distance, it became apparent that I would not make it home Friday night.

Dejectly, I walked up to the counter to ask what happens now. The response, "Come back in 24 hours. We'll try to get you on the Saturday evening flight." Well, add that to my growing list of travelling woes. People back at the office told me that it wouldn't be long before I got the dreaded Traveller Curse. They said it always happens on a Friday, when you've been away for the week and can't wait to get home to your own bed. Sure enough, they were right. I guess I can now proudly add the Traveller's Curse to my resume. I'm 3/3 for the curse, and all in 10 short weeks!

I was able to get a room at a local Bed and Breakfast in Rankin. There are two hotels and 2 B + B's in town. The hotels had some space for the stranded passengers, but I didn't know what I'd do once 11am came and would have to check out. I would still have 9 hours to kill before my flight home. I took my chances that the B + B would be a better choice. Of the two B + B's, one is owned by a man who runs a dog sled tour outfit. Now, normally, you'd think, given my love of dogs, this would be my first choice. But, when I checked it out, I realized that about 60 dogs, in a open air enclosure were directly across from the owner's B + B. A great location for the owner, but maybe not for the guests of the B + B. I understand the dogs tend to bark day and night! I took a picture of the dog pen so you can see some of the dogs. Not much sleeping would happen there!

My other choice was a little further away but promised to be much quieter. Wrong. There was a volleyball tournament in town and a group of young ladies from one of the competing teams were in 2 of the rooms adjacent to my room. And, they had a 10 month old baby with them! Needless to say, the night was interjected with adolescent laughter and baby cries! So much for my careful planning. Oh, well. The hosts were most gracious and allowed me to use my room right up until the time I had to go to the airport. They also provided an evening meal for me that was above and beyond the call of duty! Very nice, indeed.

Thankfully, I was able to make it home on Saturday night. I headed to bed right away and vowed never to let the curse get me again. I'll figure it out, I will! I've included a picture of the sign welcoming people to Rankin Inlet. As I've mentioned before, NHLer Jordan Tootoo is a local hero and admired by young and old. I've also included a picture of a statue outside the local Wolf Cafe in Rankin. Not surprisingly, a big bad wolf is the star attraction there!

In my next blog I'll share my impressions of Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital city. Until then... Have a great one!

Harsh Realities for Arctic Dogs

I’m back! I had a great week in Edmonton, even though I had to adjust to all the snow and the warm temperatures (yes, -10 does feel warm!). I barely made it out of Baker, as some nasty weather came up really quickly. We dodged the weather, getting out during a small pocket in the weather. I was so relieved!

As I returned to Baker, I was reminded that we truly are living in a harsh and unforgiving environment, prone with many risks for people and animals. I say that because, while I was away, wolves attacked and killed two dogs from one of our local dog sled teams. The dogs were tethered individually to their dog houses and would not have had a chance to defend themselves. The team is located just at the eastern edge of town. The owner of the dog sled team checks in on them every day, but no one lives immediately adjacent to them. The owner discovered the attacks the following day. The wolves not only killed the dogs, but also ate them.

My neighbour, who is an avid hunter and was out on the land the following day, said that he came across many wolf tracks. He believes it was a fair-sized wolf pack that attacked the dogs. The fact that they would have been able to smell human scent and know that humans lived very nearby, did not scare the wolves. Again, as I have been told many times, the need for caution is always there. Just because you live in a community, does not mean that you are safe from predators such as wolves who may be starving and desperate for food.

I love dogs, as anyone who knows me will attest to! Given the recent attacks, I’ve been asking the locals about the dog sled teams and how their use has evolved over time. The general consensus is that today, because of the use of snowmobiles rather than dog sled teams, hunters using snowmobiles do a lot more guessing. As one local said, “They do a lot of just driving around and looking and guessing with the limited senses that they have. In the old days the dogs used to have more senses than we do, because even if you can’t see the seal hole or the seal or the animal, the dogs could smell it. And today we’re basically hunting blind.”

Another local told me that the hunters were safer when they used the dogs rather than machines. If a blizzard was forming, the highly trained lead dog could sense a change in weather. They would also be able to smell the fire back at camp. Because of this, the locals did not try to direct the sled in severe weather. The hunter trusted the lead dog to lead everyone back to safety, even in zero-visibility blizzard conditions. She also told me that many more rescues take place today because people wrongly believe they can get themselves out of trouble, if need be, much like a lead dog would do. Sadly, this can often be a life and death decision.

For those that still use dogs, I found out that there are many dangers awaiting the dogs. As happened in our community, they can be hunted by wolves. When out on the land, dog sled travelers often prefer to use coastal trails, because food is more readily available for the dogs and there are many small communities located near the coast, ensuring help if needed. The winter and summer hunting camps are located in strategic places, not far from the floe edge and close to the sea mammals .

For dog sled teams, fall is the most dangerous time of year as some dogs will fall through the ice and into the frigid water where they cannot survive. It's not usually the lead dog that will fall through, as they change direction when they sense thin ice. However, the other dogs in the back who are not as familiar with the ice conditions can fall in. Because of this, the locals often take older dogs that are familiar with the ice conditions with them when they go hunting in the fall.

I’ve included a video of dog sled teams near the floe edge. The sound of the dogs is exactly like the sounds that I can hear from my place. You'll also see a kamatik (wooden sled) in both the video and the picture above. They are very unique, that is for sure, built with no nails. Rope is used to keep it together. The Inuit used to use sinew to do so, but that is quite rare today. My neighbour just built one to pull behind his ski-doo so I got a really good look at it. Very cool! Until next time!

Those Darn Nails!

Hello again! It's been awhile since my last update. I have the weather (always able to blame the weather!), and a very slow internet connection for my tardiness!

The weather played havoc with my planned trip to Iqaluit last week. My initial flight on Thursday was cancelled due to weather, then the make-up flight on Monday was cancelled due to mechanical failure, or "gone mechanical" as they say here. Makes you wonder when they have a term for something like that, that it probably happens quite frequently! My last attempt on Tuesday was cancelled again because of weather. Blowing snow, visibility less than .2K, wind gusts to 70 klics, all contributed to me staying grounded in Baker for the week.

The slow internet connection at my home is creating havoc with my blog updates. Unfortunately, my local internet service converts you to "dial-up" speed after you reach 3G of downloads per month. My nightly video Skype calls to my family eat that up within days! It really makes you appreciate unlimited high speed internet. As I type this, my internet is downloading at 1.5 K/per second. Now that's quite fast (not really, but at least I can get on my blog page)!!

Tomorrow I am heading to Edmonton for a week. I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that the plane will make it in tonight, so it will be parked and ready for my early morning flight. I'll fly over to Rankin, then down to Winnipeg and across to Edmonton. I'll return to Yellowknife and then across to Baker. Nothing like seeing the world, or a large part of it! I'm so excited to be going home for a visit... I just hope the weather and mechanical plane parts all cooperate!

My blog picture this week is of one of our stop signs in town. There are very few stop signs in town even though there are many intersections! The reason for so few is because when they first started installing stop signs a few years ago (trucks are relatively new here), the kids would take them home for souvenirs. It happened so much that the hamlet just stopped replacing them. So now, when you come to any intersection you have to stop, look 4 ways, and if something is coming, try to figure out who has the right of way. In my short time here, I've come to believe that ski-doos, ATVs, big trucks, dogs and pedestrians all have the right of way. So far, my theory is working because our company vehicle is still in one piece!

And what about those nails, what's that about? Well, when the temperature gets really low (-50s or so), the nails in northern buildings "pop" really loudly. The nails are getting heat from the interior of the building, then the extreme cold affects them and they start continuously expanding then contracting. The locals told me when I first arrived not to be worried about loud bangs or pops that I might hear during the night. However, I still wake up after hearing a loud bang and think, "What was that?". Then, groggily, I'd realize what it was and try to go back to sleep until the next pop. Last night was one of continous pops and bangs! Sure doesn't make for a restful sleep. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to that one. Oh well, as they say, never a dull moment! Until next time!

Food… I need food!

Well, my title may be a little dramatic but this past week I finally succumbed to the need to eat more than the rations I brought with me from Edmonton on my initial trip here! Protein shakes, canned chili and dry cereal just weren’t filling the bill for me. As you’ll recall from an earlier blog, I am still suffering sticker shock from the prices at the local stores. People like me have two options, they can grin and bear it, or they can use two options that are available for most of the communities in Nunavut – food mail and barge orders.

Needless to say, barge orders won’t work this time of the year! The barges (two companies serve Nunavut) make their way from Montreal or Churchill. They are dependent upon the ice thawing in the Hudson Bay, as well as many other logistical issues. Each company has one barge which arrives in late summer or early fall before the freeze up. Many people place big orders in the spring for shipment on one of the barges. ATVs, trucks, furniture, exercise equipment, you name it.

People order large bulk orders of food and supplies, like pepsi (remember how expensive it is here!), canned goods and other items that they can’t get through food mail. Obviously, I can wait and order items on the barge for the summer, but I don’t think I can wait that long! And, I do remember a couple of stories that the locals told me about the barge orders that makes me wonder if I should place an order this spring.

The first story was about office furniture. It seems that the person I am replacing placed a barge order for new office furniture in the spring of 2009. Eagerly, she waited for the barge to arrive only to find out that it wasn’t on the barge when it arrived! Somehow, somewhere, the order got left off the shipment. Yup, and you guessed it, that meant that she couldn’t get it until the next barge order – one year later!! As is, when I arrived the furniture was quite new, not by intention, but by real bad barge luck!

Another person told me that they found lemming droppings in some of their barge orders. Others have said that water damage can affect up to 20% of an order. There is no sending it back for credit, only the task of taking pictures and hoping that your vendor on the other end believes you and will provide credit that you can (you guessed it) apply for your next year’s order!!

Food mail is another alternative but it has its own ups and downs. Food mail is a national initiative to help get subsidized food to northern communities. Three companies in Winnipeg including Safeway, will take online orders that they ship out via the airlines. The government provides a large subsidy to help with the shipping costs and the companies give you the same prices as if you were shopping in their store. And, if you are a Safeway clubcard holder, you get those benefits as well as Air Miles! Sounds like a good deal!

The controversy regarding Food Mail is two-fold. One, the government decides what items will be eligible for shipping subsidy (called eligible items) and those that will not (ineligible). Surprisingly, and many local people would tell you frustratingly, the lists don’t seem to make sense. For example, I can order frozen pizza or hot dogs and get a shipping subsidy, but not chicken bouillon cubes, lemon juice, cans of diced tomatoes, soup or tuna (not that I’d eat tuna (!), but you get the idea) or pampers for babies (not that I need those either). Some of the locals told me they feel like big brother is telling them what to eat and they don’t like that.

More worrisome for locals is that the program is ending March 31 of this year. Instead of having the southern companies like Safeway and Canada Post look after providing the subsidy, it will be passed on directly to the local food stores. The concern is that it will never get passed on to the consumer. Some even say the recent spike in food prices is to offset the new “lower” prices that the stores will be offering once food mail ends. Who knows, all I know is that I’d better get busy and get what I can before this program ends.

As you will see in the pictures above, I did place my first food mail order! It arrived safe and sound (that can also be a problem when there are weather delays and your head of lettuce and fresh veggies sit in a cargo area, waiting for the next available plane)! I have so much food now, I don’t know what to do with it all. And yes, you guessed it, there were frozen pizzas and hot dogs in my order! I couldn’t resist. The good news is that I can put all the frozen items in my un-insulated back porch. Works like a charm as long as those sled dogs across the road don’t smell my cuts of meat! Oh, and those little critters in my kitchen, those are my virtual pets! Cute, eh!

I’m off to Iqaluit tomorrow, weather permitting. I must sound like a broken record, but once again my travel plans and those of my colleagues have been changed this past week due to blizzards in the area. I was supposed to go to Iqaluit on Wednesday. I will now leave (hopefully) on Monday! Other staff were supposed to return to Baker on Thursday and Friday, and they still aren’t back yet. Wish me luck!

Chat to you later from Iqaluit!