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Foundation feet on Arctic ground
Rear admiral and Jim Balsillie team up to build relationships

Adrian Schimnowski
Special to Northern News Services
Monday, May 11, 2015

IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
Rear Admiral John Newton, Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic and Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic, and Royal Canadian Navy Honourary Captain Jim Balsillie, founder of the Arctic Research Foundation, were in Nunavut to witness the naval dive team of Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic lead the divers of Parks Canada in the conduct of a safe ice-dive on HMS Erebus April 16.

The historic dive on HMS Erebus was an operation that took months of preparatory effort between the navy, Parks Canada underwater archaeologists and Joint Task Force North. This dive was supported by a complex military operation out of Yellowknife and military personnel and aircraft sent forward to Cambridge Bay.

Balsillie and Newton received briefings and explanations regarding the operations from military leaders at the large CAM-M radar site encampment on the Ranger patrol and training at Lake Tahoe, an army patrol to Jenny Lind Island, and diver survey operations on the wreck of HMS Erebus.

The two leaders witnessed firsthand the degree of complexity and difficulty in launching and sustaining a military operation in the North during the late winter season.

Maj. Martell Thompson, public affairs officer from Joint Task Force Atlantic, noted the importance of building mutually beneficial relationships between the Canadian Armed Forces, Northern communities and Arctic stakeholders.

"We must create the conditions to resolve conflict and promote mutual understanding and respect between our partners in the North, the media and Canadians at large," stated Thompson.

In the interest of building open lines of communication, reporters from the Toronto Star, Maclean's and Business Week accompanied Balsillie and Newton and wrote several articles for their media outlets pertaining to military operations and other subjects learned during their visit to Cambridge Bay.

While in Cambridge Bay, where the Arctic Research Foundation's research vessel, the Martin Bergmann, is based, Balsillie introduced Newton to the activities of the Arctic Research Foundation.

The vision of the foundation is to support long-term sustainability in the Arctic through innovation in knowledge and research capacity. The Arctic Research Foundation focuses on a holistic approach to partnerships linking Inuit cultural history and arts, traditional knowledge and contemporary science.

The research vessel, Martin Bergmann, is used as a science platform supporting many science groups and functions from July through to the end of September as one of the main supporting platforms for Parks Canada's lead Franklin Expedition.

The vessel has overwintered in the community of Cambridge Bay over the past four years where it is locked in the ice at the wharf and waits for the spring thaw to break free.

Over-wintering the RV Martin Bergmann in Cambridge Bay has a huge advantage in that its platform can be deployed as soon as the ice clears, creating a larger operating window and maximizing the potential to sail the open waters of the Arctic.

Newton stated that Navy sailors have participated in crewing the RV Martin Bergmann over the past two years and exciting new co-operative efforts are being explored between the Royal Canadian Navy and the Arctic Research Foundation.

"The navy seeks to increase its overall effectiveness in Arctic operations as the construction of six new Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships is set to commence this summer, so these sailing opportunities in the Western Arctic are invaluable learning opportunities," Newton stated.

While the Navy is very active in the eastern Arctic with fishery patrols, hydrographic charting, surveillance and community visits, this was the first opportunity for the admiral to visit a Western Arctic community. He and Balsillie spent time with the people of Cambridge Bay to further build upon two-way communication.

A discovery feast was celebrated on April 17, open to all Cambridge Bay residents and visitors to the community. Country food was served, prepared by chef Andy Poisson and his six students attending the culinary program of the Arctic College. The dinner was beautifully prepared, muskox roast and Arctic char baked to perfection.

The discovery feast was about unifying people as equals and celebrating success through storytelling of the Franklin exhibitions, providing imagery of Operation Nunalivut, listening to throatsingers, feeling the rhythm of the drum dancers song, Arctic sports competitions, learning from the elders through prayer, drum dance and the traditional ceremonial lighting of the quliq.

Tables were not provided for this feast, chairs were placed around the hall and people had to sit on the floor or on chairs - adults and children placed at the same level. People were encouraged to be open to one another, to ask questions, engage in conversation and enjoy the cultural gathering.

Every component of the evening was delivered from the heart and as the celebrations evolved the community attending the event was unified in spirit.

"My main goal was to plan a community feast to say thank you to the community for supporting Arctic Research Foundations crew and providing a home to RV Martin Bergmann as well as to introduce the collaborators of Operation Nunalivut and the Franklin discovery partners," said Balsillie.

The admiral's party took the opportunity to visit school children playing on the ice of the bay, see the beauty of the community setting and the river and cemetery, visit the wreck of the Maud and go to the old Catholic church.

"All in all it was a productive and rewarding visit that helped facilitate new ideas for naval operations in the North and an exciting anticipation of a new class of ships purposely built for Arctic operations." stated Newton.

Before leaving the North, Balsillie and Newton flew to the Eastern Arctic where introductions were made with key leaders at the Mary River mine operation on northern Baffin Island, and the Polar Continental Shelf Program at Resolute Bay.

At both locations, the Royal Canadian Navy explored new relationships and potential deployment activities as their new class of Arctic ships come on-line in a few years time.

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