TALOYOAK/SPENCE BAY - Taloyoak had a new fire chief for the day on March 10.

Owen Keenainak, a nine-year-old Grade 4 student at Netsilik School, earned this honour after winning Nunavut's Duracell Junior Fire Chief poster contest.

From left, firefighters Gloria Kootook, Shamus Poodlat, Simon Poodlat, Jason Niaqunnuaq, Wesley Totalik, Abel Qingatik and fire chief Joseph Oleekatallik present Owen Keenainak with a certificate for winning Nunavut's Duracell Junior Fire Chief poster contest in front of his classmates at Netsilik School in Taloyoak. - photo courtesy of Gina Pizzo

As junior fire chief, Keenainak got to ride around Taloyoak for 30 minutes with the community's volunteer fire department.

"It was fun," said Keenainak.

He said it was the first time he had ever ridden in a fire truck. The junior fire chief said he enjoyed the bumpy ride and that he liked the look of the shiny red truck. He said the inside of the truck looked like "a giant house with lots of buttons."

Little did Keenainak know that firefighters were hiding in the backseat of the fire truck to surprise him. He said they did a good job of scaring him.

In addition to the ride in the fire truck, Keenainak got a certificate, a $100 gift certificate for Canadian Tire, a wind jacket and matching pants, a Duracell hat, a flashlight with batteries and a charger, a smoke detector and a game called "Fire Call."

Keenainak said he and all of his classmates coloured the posters as part of a project at school. He said when his teacher told him that he had won the contest, he was very excited.

When all was said and done for the day, Taloyoak's junior fire chief said he had a good time and that everyone was very nice.

"The firefighters help everyone in town," he said.