Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Nov 15/02) - A gift of sporting goods, toys and winter clothing arrived in Inuvik last week, from a man down South who wanted to fulfil a promise he'd made some 20 years ago.

Two-year-old Elijah Day checks out some skis that were part of a shipment of sporting goods and clothing donated to Inuvik from a couple in Summerland, B.C. - Terry Halifax/NNSL photo

Terry Collins, youth centre co-ordinator, could hear the telephone ringing one morning when he arrived at work.

"I answered and the voice said, 'Don't hang up, this is not a crank call,' " Collins recalled. "He gave me his name and where he was from and how he had these boxes of skates and clothing."

The boxes were in Edmonton and he was looking to ship them into the Arctic.

Collins made some calls and soon the goods were on their way North.

"Lo and behold, we got 30-some-odd boxes last week," he said.

Lloyd Johnson lived and worked in the North for about 25 years. He travelled from Old Crow to Labrador working for various airlines.

One day, he and some co-workers were watching some children play ice hockey on a pond in Cambridge Bay.

"Something that caught my eye, was there would be 25 or 30 of them out there and only two of them would have skates," Johnson said. "They were playing with sticks and tin cans."

"There was this one little guy with no skates -- he had rubber boots on and was using a piece of wood for a stick," he recalled. "He came toodling by and he said, 'Look at me! I'm just like Darrel Sittler!' "

"I thought to myself, one day I'm gonna help those little buggers out," he said.

When he retired and moved South, he'd always noticed skates at garage sales selling for 50 cents or a dollar and he and his wife Jean started collecting them.

In addition to the garage sales he also found a used clothing store that will throw clothes away if not sold within 30 days, so he began collecting winter clothes from there too.

About 18 months ago, he made his first shipment.

"I sent 48 pairs of skates to Cambridge Bay," Johnson said.

He's since expanded his operation to include winter clothing and has shipped to Old Crow, and a recent shipment of 10 boxes to Aklavik.

"Once I get it to Edmonton, Matco said they'd take it North for me," he said.

He's also had help from Canadian Freightways and Byers Transport and Aklak Air and he's already got another shipment set to go.

"I'm sitting here with 20 cartons I have to get to Edmonton, and I'm waiting to hear from someone who might take it," he said.

The next shipment will also be coming to Inuvik and includes 170 stuffed toys, 10 pairs of skis and boots and 20 boxes of winter clothing and boots.

Johnson said after this shipment he plans to send one to Yellowknife.