Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Pond Inlet (Sep 05/05) - During the HMCS Fredericton's Northern tour, folks in Pond Inlet and Clyde River explored the ship and met a very excited visitor - the ship's commander.

Alko Anjukjuak offers his recently carved polar bear for sale. "When he realized my plight of being stranded on the beach at Clyde River in the cold rain because my radio had failed, he raced home to get the key to his boat. In no time at all we were being whisked out to the ship," said HMCS Fredericton Commander John Newton. - photo courtesy of John Newton

The warship bolted north from Halifax on Aug. 18 to investigate fishing activity between Greenland and Canada.

But the tour was also to say hello to isolated Northern communities, namely Pond Inlet.

Ship commander John Newton is a big fan of the North. In 1973 as a 14-year-old boy, he toured the Nunavut coast with his father on a Canadian navy supply ship - HMCS Protecteur.

"Pond Inlet was my favourite," said Newton. "It's so beautiful. The icebergs, the mountains and above all else, the extremely friendly people."

Newton never forgot the people he met in Pond Inlet, and it turns out they didn't forget him either.

Martha Kayak exchanged memories with Newton of the Protecteur's 1973 visit.

"On that visit we played a navy operation film on the ship and kids came aboard to watch it," said Newton. "One film had a person dressed as a sea monster in it. This had a profound impact on some of the girls."

Pond Inlet community corrections officer Norman Simonie toured the HMCS Fredericton twice.

"The captain really wanted to meet with the elders. That was his big goal because he thought he would see people he met before."

Clyde River rescue

On the way back to Halifax the HMCS Fredericton was forced to transfer fuel and therefore needed a safe place to harbour. They found that in Clyde River.

Newton and some crew went to shore to explain their purpose in Clyde River and received a warm welcome from the mayor.

When trying to return to the vessel, Newton found himself without a way back. Until he met Elko Angutikjuak, who raced home to get his boat to take the stranded visitors back to their ship.

"It was the right time to approach them and take them back to the ship because it looked like they were getting cold standing there," said Elko's daughter Jetita. "He was then rewarded with pop and he was really glad because that is what he wanted. He was glad to meet them."

"The people in the North have so much heart," said Newton. "You can just hold your head up and talk to them and they'll tell you everything."