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Amundsen's party planner

Ideas abound for explorer's 100th

Chris Woodall
Northern News Services

Gjoa Haven (Feb 10/03) - This party's just beginning.

Sailors from Norway, museum artifacts and a British documentary are parts of party plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of explorer Roald Amundsen sailing the Northwest Passage.

Interest in Amundsen's adventures is building as much overseas as it is at home, it seems.

"A film crew in England contacted us about a documentary reconstructing Amundsen's voyage," says Sterling Firlotte, the hamlet's assistant senior administrative officer.

Amundsen took nearly three years, but he became the first explorer to cross the Northwest Passage in his ship Gjoa from 1903-06.

Ideas how they'll do it have been changing, but it now looks like the film crew could be in Gjoa Haven in October for four weeks after a preliminary look-see in mid-May.

Elders are teaching youth to make traditional clothing and tools that could end up being worn by locals who'll be actors in the documentary, says hamlet SAO Raymond Kamookak.

A Norwegian adventure group called "Xantic" has been talking about sailing a boat to Gjoa Haven, perhaps arriving in August, then over-wintering here.

In response, the hamlet is going to erect a cairn and plaque on the site of Amundsen's observatory building to celebrate the anniversary with the visitors, Firlotte says.

Activity is already fast and furious, with elders building two traditional kayaks to greet the boat. A CD-ROM is being recorded to collect interviews with elders on what life was like when Amundsen came through here.

Less-solid plans include a return visit from a French crew who in 2000 were the first in their nation to sail through the Northwest Passage. The hamlet is also trying to invite grandchildren of Amundsen to come up for a visit, Firlotte says.

Putting it together "It's a matter of putting it all together," he says of the many plans and the international character of it all.

"A hundred years ago, buddy just showed up and then away he went.

"Now we have to go through several levels of government," Firlotte says.

"Maybe they should just show up!"

Another project is to enhance the community heritage centre's budding museum with artifacts on loan from the Norwegian maritime museum in Oslo.

A proposal along those lines is before the museum's board.

"Roald Amundsen there is like Wayne Gretzky here," Firlotte says of the explorer's fame.

"But the bugaboo here is do we have the proper facilities" to house museum-quality items, Firlotte says.

"So we're looking at renovations to the building and we are looking for proper display cases we can borrow."

All these ideas are in the early stages. More may come as people talk about it.