Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (May 07/01) - There will be a distinct difference to some of the voices being heard on Northern waters this summer
The Inuktitut Language Marine Safety Service is scheduled to hit the airwaves on July 1.
A proposal for the Canadian Coast Guard operated service for Inuktitut speaking hunters, trappers and boaters in the Iqaluit area was approved by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat.
Project manager Jean Pierre Lehnert said the service will provide a safety watch on the hunters and trappers frequency (bush radio).
"We'll be providing the service on 5210 and 5031 kHz, which are the hunter and trapper frequencies," said Lehnert.
The service will be on the air seven days a week from 6 a.m. through to 10 p.m. from July 1 through to Sept. 30.
Lehnert said the cost of the service is going to be much higher than anticipated.
"Normally, when a person is being trained at a Coast Guard college, they're paid $350 per week.
"In the Arctic, people won't come in for training at that rate, so we had to increase it to almost $900 per week.
"That alone significantly increased our budget, as did adding a second instructor for eight people."
Three operators will be hired from those who complete training, which began today, May 7, and runs until June 29.
Lehnert said the radio service will provide a viable alternative to many costly search-and-rescue attempts and could also make the difference in life-or-death situations.
He said in every Canadian province boaters have a channel to call for immediate response if they get in trouble and it was time for such a service to be available.
"Instead of searching for someone who has been reported missing, and having planes flying around, someone in trouble can make a radio call and we know exactly where they are.
"This will enable us to save a lot of time and money while, at the same time, helping to save lives."
The project is now funded by the federal government, but Lehnert said he hoped community governments will be able to pay some of the cost, allowing the service to be expanded.
