Iqaluit (May 15/06) - Albert Netser and Neco Towtongie are the two men who arrive to save the day when you lose your power.

The two Kivalliq residents travel the territory, fixing power problems where they land.

Neco Towtongie, left, and Albert Netser have their trade tickets. After four years of training, these two have qualified as journeymen linesmen, and travel the territory fixing power problems. - Kent Driscoll/NNSL photo

While using their own skill to accomplish their goals, they are a bit like a superhero duo.

They travel in the dead of night to remote communities and help solve problems. They may not be Super Shamu, but they will keep you from freezing on a cold winter night.

Netser, of Coral Harbour, and Towtongie, of Rankin Inlet, just finished a four-year training program, and are the first graduates of the Qulliq Energy Corporations' beneficiary training program.

They received their journeyman linesman certification through the course.

Both men say they enjoy being an example to the Inuit kids in the communities they visit.

"You notice a reaction right away from the kids," said Towtongie.

"They laugh and say 'It's OK, it's an Inuk', then they follow us around," laughed Netser.

In the four years since they began their training they have seen most of Nunavut. They have worked in 21 of the 25 communities.

Both were a part of the "boot camp" Qulliq held to pick its new linemen. They travelled to Manitoba several times to learn their trade, and followed it up with on-the-job training back in Nunavut. Leaving for training was the hardest part for Netser.

"When I first got the job, I left the day after my son Manuel was born. We bought a video camera, but I missed the first three months of his life," said Netser.

"A lot of times we travel, and we do miss our family. It is something we can't really get used to," said Towtongie.

All that travel has led to some interesting flights for the duo. How do you land when the lights are already out?

"In Grise Fiord, the whole town was out of power. We hitched a ride with a soccer team and they had to put flares on the runway. It wasn't too much fun landing," said Netser.

Both men love the outdoors, and it was a major reason for becoming linesmen. When you are on top of a ladder in the cold, your love of the outdoors can come into question.

"We were in Arctic Bay to hook up a new hotel. That was a big job. They said that it was the coldest day of the year. Luckily, we're Inuit. We're used to the cold. We can't stand the smell of cities," said Towtongie.

"The worst part is putting on rubber gloves in the winter," said Netser.

These two are the example to the next "boot camp" of linesmen. Three more - one from each region - have been selected. Qulliq has 51.8 per cent of their positions filled by beneficiaries.

The next time your community loses power, turn your eyes to the skies. The Power Team may arrive to save the day.