SANIRAJAK/HALL BEACH
Few people have the necessary mix of "grit and wit" to compete on the Discovery Channel reality show Canada's Greatest Know-It-All. Among them, only Hall Beach's own Abe Qamminiq knows that a walrus stomach full of clams makes the perfect dinner.
Abraham Qamminiq will be the only "know-it-all" from Nunavut when Discovery Channel's Canada's Greatest Know-It-All airs Jan. 14. - photo courtesy of Discovery Channel
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"That's a precooked meal right there," said Qamminiq, who, along with nine other contestants, tested his mettle during the month-long shoot in Hamilton, Ont. last June. As the only contestant from Nunavut, the others were fascinated with Qamminiq's photos of seal and walrus hunts and shared facts, according to Qammaniq.
"I said, 'you rinse the clams off a little bit and they're really good.' They got a kick out of that one."
On Jan. 14, 51-year-old Qamminiq will be featured on the second season of the show. After the first season, he said he applied and had to answer several random questions. Out of 3,000 submissions, Qammaniq made it onto the show, which features 10 contestants doing 23 physical and mental tasks to test brains and brawn.
Discovery Channel describes the challenges as testing contestants' problem-solving skills, leadership, co-operation, and game-playing strategy. In one example, contestants are thrown out of an airplane and, during a 40-second free-fall, must memorize giant letters scattered in the landing field, then create as many words as possible. In another scenario, they scuba-dive and create a non-verbal language to decode and defuse an underwater bomb.
"You're put in this environment and you're clueless until they unveil the projects," he said. "It's great fun."
Qamminiq grew up on a DEW Line where his father worked, which sparked in him a fascination with radio operation and heavy equipment. The family moved to Hall Beach in the 1970s.
Qamminiq was still a boy but remembers when, in 1971, Tomahawk research rockets were launched from Hall Beach reaching altitudes of 270 km. Years later, this combination of a traditional Inuit upbringing and a fascination with tinkering have given Qamminiq a unique skillset.
His resume shows a diversity of Northern skills, ranging from being able to repair a vehicle's busted steering belt and ignition system in -45 C weather, to being able hunt, butcher and prepare a polar bear.
Qamminiq has served for 20-plus years as a Canadian Ranger and describes himself as a weekend hunter. These days, he works as a government liason and translator. He lives at home in Hall Beach with his wife Leah and their three kids.
