IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY - Cruise ship passengers visiting Cambridge Bay this summer will be shown historical landmarks and other points of interest by trained guides, thanks to an expanded cruise ship guiding program offered by the visitors' centre.

Fifteen-year-old Melynda Minilgak works at the Cambridge Bay visitor's centre on Aug. 6. Minilgak will be employed as a guide to show cruise ship passengers around Cambridge Bay this summer. - photo courtesy of Vicki Aitaok

Vicki Aitaok, manager of the Cambridge Bay visitors' centre, said the program's expansion is partially due to increased cruise ship traffic expected this summer.

The number of cruise ships has declined throughout the rest of Nunavut, Aitaok said, but Cambridge Bay is expecting four cruise ships this year, an increase over previous years.

Last year there were three.

"Nunavut-wide I think it's decreased, but for us it's increased," she said. "It's all Northwest Passage (traffic)."

"Usually we get three and usually we get one in July. This year we didn't get one in July," she said. "There will be two in August and two in September, so we're actually getting an additional one."

Aitaok said the guiding program began last year and primarily trained local high school students. This year, the program has expanded to include other community members as well.

"We're also opening it up to community members because we've had some people that have been here a long time that are really interested," Aitaok said. "People are showing up now that speak a few different languages, so it's great."

The first training session is scheduled to take place on Aug. 17. The first ship is expected to arrive on Aug. 22.

Aitaok said during the first day of training, the guides learn how to give a walking tour by watching her demonstrate proper walking tour techniques.

"I model how I will speak, how I turn and talk, how I point, even the speed we walk," she said.

She said the walking tour usually begins at the dock or the visitors' centre, then makes its way through town.

She said each guide is given a map and an information sheet marked with points of interest and historical facts to share with tourists. Guides are also encouraged to include any personal information they would like to share, such as stories about the land and other traditional knowledge.

"Any stories they have, they can add that into their talk," Aitaok said. "It's the little bits of personal info that make it so much more interesting."

On the second day of training, the guides take turns role playing. One person acts as the guide while the rest pretend to be the tourists.

"By the end of the walk, each one of them has to have been the guide at least once while the rest of us are the tourists, so we switch roles," she said.

Fifteen-year-old Melynda Minilgak guided last year and now works at the visitors' centre as an information counsellor. She plans to guide again this year and said she enjoys guiding because of the interesting people she gets to meet while introducing tourists to Inuit culture.

"You get to see how they react to the foods that we eat and how we lived and how we live now," she said. "You get to teach them about what it's like to be us."

Minilgak said people she has taken through town are interested in every aspect of the hamlet.

"There is a lot of stuff, like the history and the food and the modern day life in Cambridge Bay," she said. "And the furs."

Aitaok said she usually has 15 guides participate in the program, but this year she is aiming to train 20.

"The first ship has 165 passengers, so if we take 10 to 12 people each, we need at least 15 guides," she said.

Aitaok said participants who successfully complete training and participate in a guiding session are paid.

"If they do the two training sessions and show up on Saturday, they'll get paid $150," she said.