Winter gifts to Resolute
Ontario school sends books, hockey gear and clothing to hamlet
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, October 10, 2016
QAUSUITTUQ/RESOLUTE
Children in Resolute will have new books, winter clothes and sports equipment this winter, thanks to a donation from a Grade 12 class at an Ontario high school.
Two loadmasters from the Royal Canadian Air Force prepare to launch a buoy from a Hercules during search and rescue training in Arctic Bay and Resolute on Oct. 4 and 5. - photo courtesy of Robert Desjardins |
The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) delivered 1,000 lbs. of goods Oct. 4. Mayor Ross Pudluk accepted the gift at a presentation ceremony at the Kenn Borek hangar.
"Winter is approaching fast here and it is getting colder," Pudluk said. "No doubt some of the kids need clothing. They are greatly appreciated and accepted by the community and the children."
Students at East Northumberland Secondary School in Brighton, Ont. collected more than 3,000 lbs. of donations last June. The first 2,000 lbs. was delivered to Kuujjuaq in the spring.
Qarmartalik School will sort through the 100 box delivery before distributing the clothing and putting the books in its library.
The hockey equipment will be well used too.
"Students just love playing hockey here," Pudluk said. Temperatures are hovering around -10 C and the snowfall has started, so "we're going to ice up the arena, hopefully this week."
"I'm planning to set up correspondence between students in the North and my classroom," said East Northumberland's Debbie Kilmer, who organized the drive, and will be teaching an indigenous studies course with one of her Grade 11 classes. This could be in way of a podcast or video chat, so students "have a chance to reach out and communicate."
"We all know it's time for truth and reconciliation," she added. "It is up to educators to educate our up-and-coming citizens to be more community-oriented and as well to reach out and make a difference for what has happened in the past."
The spring donation included letters from the students, so they could start up a pen pal program. The school is planning another donation drive for Northern communities in the spring.
The delivery coincided with search and rescue training by CASARA and 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. The military conducted search and rescue training in Arctic Bay on Oct. 3 and Resolute on Oct. 4. Part of the donation was given to Arctic Bay.
Arctic Bay residents were educated on climate change, as well as air training. Resolute residents received ground training, but not flight training, as the Hercules aircraft experienced mechanical problems and had to return to Trenton. This also shortened the rest of the CASARA training tour, which was set to run until Oct. 7.
The trained community volunteers supplement military search and rescue in Northern regions.
CASARA representative Terry Nord said they are training to find the lost.
"It's all air search, we're training for people that are overdue or if there was an air crash," Nord said.
Community residents are not required to have aviation training to participate. Air search and rescue training will continue in June.
