ARVIAT - Staff members at John Arnalukjuak high school in Arviat rallied to the aid of local residents when a power blackout struck the community earlier this month.

The power outage hit at about 1 a.m. on Jan. 13 and lasted until late afternoon the following day as temperatures fell well below -40C with the wind chill.

John Arnalukjuak high school teacher Bob Wells and hamlet SAO Cary Merritt, right, helped keep more than 100 people fed and warm at the school during a power blackout in Arviat earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Gord Billard

One section of the community was totally without power for about 12 hours.

The problem was identified during the afternoon of Jan. 13, and it was determined the part needed to restore power would have to be flown in from Baker Lake.

From that point on, until power was fully restored, crews initiated rolling blackouts in the community every 90 minutes in an attempt to share energy and keep residents and their homes safe.

School principal Greg Campbell said it was a difficult situation for people in the section of town with no heat or power for the first 12 hours.

"We decided, through a community emergency measures team, that I would open the high school to people in the community who needed to take refuge from the cold," said Campbell.

"We had more than 100 people come into the school during a five-hour span from about 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 13.

"We had a lot of parents come to the school with little kids and infants."

The hamlet's senior administrative officer, Carey Merritt, got involved with the effort and secured funding from the hamlet to purchase hotdogs, coffee and tea, as well as cookies and other snacks for those who came to the school.

The combined effort allowed the volunteers to feed and warm people until they were told of the plan to execute rolling blackouts to provide everyone with intermittent power.

Campbell said in addition to he and Merritt, teachers Bob Wells and Terry Pentney (Qitiqliq school) helped keep everyone comfortable at the school.

He said people in every community should be aware that schools have power generators and can house people for extended periods of time in a similar situation.

"It's a good example of the school working with the community to overcome a less-than-ideal situation.

"We were able to go on CB radio and let people know what we were doing, plus the local radio station maintained its power and was able to spread the news to those who could tune in.

"If it had been needed, we could have allowed people to stay at the school overnight in the gym area."