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A Canadian summer from coast to coast to coast.

Celebrating our country’s diversity on Canada Day and throughout the summer.

Canada Day from Baffin Island, NU to Gabriola Island BC and across this great country to the shores of St.

John’s NL — we have a special connection to each of these places! Summer and National pride are a

wonderful mix with us at SILA. We celebrate Canada’s deep and abiding respect for cultural, political and

regional diversity. It is this variety of perspectives and respect for same that runs across this great land

and makes us notable as Canadians — regardless of our backgrounds, heritage and history.

Although it has been a bumpy ride at times, Federalism has served Canada’s, the Provinces’ and the Ter-

ritories’ diversity well. While challenging to define exactly what being Canadian means, we are a country

that embodies differences of opinion about every aspect of how we choose to live and this is what

makes us a truly great country from the Pacific to the Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean.

We are not Canadian because we have the same ancestors. We are Canadian because our country al-

lows us to be whoever we want to be. So we at SILA hope that on Canada Day, you will make a toast to

this country’s diversity and remember we deserve to celebrate our many cultures each and everyday.

In this, our Summer issue, we are including pictures from both family and SILA’s Associates - wherever

they found themselves working and/or celebrating from coast to coast to coast on July 1st - Canada Day.

We hope you enjoy this Summer edition of SILA’s newsletter and its uniquely Canadian theme.

Robbin R.R. Sinclaire and Jim Ewart

Co-Editors

Contents

A SILA Summer P 1

President’s Musings P 2

Kili Climb for Life P 3

A Sea Yarn P 4

Coast to coast to coast P 6

Kid’s Summer Art Contest P 8

Company Activities P10

We are always amazed by the power of storytelling and the ability to evoke so many human emotions in just a few words.

With summer in mind, we wanted to make this Newsletter an entertaining “read”, full of fun articles and a photo essay about SILA, Canada and the Terri-tory.

And, if you want a summer shiver, read about the People from the Center of the Earth. A “true“ story from a real sea captain.

SILA’s Summer Stories

Hey kids, enter SILANorth’s 1st an-

nual “Arluk the Arctic Hero” summer

drawing contest.

If you are 12 years old or under and

live in Nunavut, you can enter SILA’s

children’s summer drawing contest!

The rules are simple and you could

win one of three gift certificates!

Draw or paint whatever you like. The

theme is your community and/or

your Nunavut. The winner will be

selected by a panel of our Associates

and featured in SILA’s Fall News-

letter and online at silanorth.com.

Contest details on Page 9.

SILANorth.com Art Contest

ISSUE # 4 Summer 2013

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

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Celebrating our second decade of serving Nunavut

Summer in the Arctic by Robbin R.R. Sinclaire

Summer in the Arctic brings many exciting cele-

brations such as Aboriginal Day, Nunavut Day and

Canada Day. There are festivals such as the Rock-

in’ Walrus in Igloolik, Alianait in Iqaluit and Oming-

mak Frolics in Cambridge Bay to name a few.

Whispers about a flashmob or two somewhere in

the Capital City are swirling and has everyone in

high anticipation. With the long hours of daylight,

people are out and about, mothers carrying their

babes in amautiit, children playing basketball,

families traveling on ATVs and hardcore bikers

opening up the throttle leaving behind a plumb of

dust. There appear to be about a dozen motorcy-

cles of different varieties now in the Capital City of

Iqaluit – some dirt bikes, some low riders, maybe

even a Harley? Such a change from a few years

ago. I do know that there is a Yamaha V-Star out

there too….much like mine on Gabriola. Rumour

has it that the rider is starting a “Babes of Anar-

chy” Chapter so I might just have to get out and

ride too.

One of the most exciting times, though, is the

arrival of the first boat with sealift supplies. Out-

side sealift season, all goods need to be flown in

and this leads to some pretty expensive items.

More recently a Facebook group was created by

Leesee Papatsi - Feeding My Family – to highlight

the high cost of groceries on the store shelves in

Nunavut. Buying nutritious food and maintaining

adequate supplies of essential items such as dia-

pers can be extremely costly. Those who are able,

order a year’s supply of items and have them

shipped up. It used to be that many communities

only saw one boat a year but now for Iqaluit there

can be a few sailings. The arrival of the first boat is

always exciting. The first indication that a ship is

near is the familiar sight of the red and white of the

Coast Guard icebreaker in Frobisher Bay. As the

tide recedes (sometimes in the middle of the night),

the trucks and cranes drive onto the seabed and

begin the ardous task of offloading the seacans and

crates from the ship. Sometimes goods are also

loaded onto barges and then slowly drawn ashore

to higher ground for offloading.

The flat bed trucks transporting crates to various

residences and businesses always causes a buzz.

“What did they get? New furniture? Groceries? A

big screen tv? A new car?” For those who placed a

sealift order often months before, opening the

crates can be a surprise too!!! “I ordered this? Oh

right, I ordered new sheets, towels and a duvet. I

can hardly wait to try them out. Yes, and a new

tricycle for Lucassie. Wow. Now why in the world

did I order 10 cases of peanut butter?” And, that’s

when the real trading begins. “I’ll give you two

boxes of this for three cartons of that.” All this

excitement is often referred to as Christmas in July.

Even the crates of office supplies delivered to local

businesses can be exciting to open. It can feel like

the start of a new school year as everyone gets

new supplies for the year ahead. Those who are

industrious go around town and save the pallets

and crates for firewood or to make things such as

deck furniture or work benches. Everything gets

used. Being in the north, you have to be resource-

ful!

The first year of sealift ordering is always the chal-

President’s Musings “When people ask me how I developed an affinity for the north, all I can say is that it was al-

ways there. For those who ask me what it is like, all I can offer is ‘You have to experience it

firsthand’.” Robbin R.R. Sinclaire

SILA North

Building our new future

At SILA we are building the

future of the company and we

are very excited to be releas-

ing to our clients an updated

suite of services in the Fall of

2013.

After ten successful years of private busi-

ness, SILA’s president, Robbin, has decided

to rebrand the company as SILANorth to

better illustrate its dedicated presence and

commitment to Nunavut. The new logo is

now complete. (Shhhh. There’s a quick

glimpse above.) The launch date is Septem-

ber, just in time for the Nunavut Trade

Show! We’ll hope to see you there!

lenge. Have you ever thought about how much oil

you use in a year, how much detergent you might

need, even how much toilet paper to get you

through the year? Not to worry. There’s always the

local NorthMart or coop store to make purchases,

especially for produce. Should you find that at the

end of the year, you’re stuck with a dozen packages

of all purpose flour, well that’s what the Saturday

“yard” sales are for or, if it is not expired, the Food

Bank will gladly take it for distribution to needy fami-

lies in the community.

So the summer brings many celebrations and with it

many bounties…..

ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ Qujannamiik / ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ Nakurmiik

ᖁᐅᓇ Quana ᒪ'ᓇ Ma'na Merci

At SILA, we’re also celebrating a special birthday in July. Sakku turns 8. Sakku has always been an integral team member. She spent the first half of her life in Nunavut but now enjoys being a beach “dawg” on the west coast.

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Meaningful Connections

with SILA North by Fe Wyma

Though there are many challenges in running a

business, there can be many more rewards. One of

the greatest is the ability to focus efforts on work

that one finds truly meaningful.

For five incredible years, I lived in Nunavut where I

met Robbin Sinclaire. I’ve always admired Robbin’s

business acumen, professionalism and determina-

tion, and was happy to reconnect with her after

leaving the north. It’s given me the opportunity to

participate in SILANorth’s evolution, and – I’m

pleased to say – join the Kili Climb for Life team.

The Kili Climb for Life campaign goal is to raise

funds for lung health research. This cause is espe-

cially important to me: an aggressive form of lung

cancer unexpectedly took a dear member of my

family. Having the opportunity to make a small

contribution to improving lung health means I can

be proactive in helping others.

My connection with SILA allows me to explore new

approaches and new professional experiences.

This captures the best parts of being an entrepre-

neur: doing work that is meaningful and collabo-

rating with a talented and professional team. I

look forward to seeing the tangible products of

our work together, and I especially look forward to

success with Team Kili!

Bio: Fe Wyma manages Kapwa Communications, a

design and communications agency dedicated to

promoting client diversity, making it visible, engag-

ing and sustainable.

www.kapwacommunications.com

Robbin’s Personal Initiative - Kili Climb for Life

A climb in support of good lung health.

“For those with lung disease, everyday living can feel like climbing a mountain.” Robbin R.R. Sinclaire.

Robbin is preparing for the climb of her life – a trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanja-

ro with Tusker Trails — to raise funds for much-needed lung research through the Ca-

nadian Lung Association.

“I have seen firsthand the impacts of COPD and tuberculosis – two lung diseases that

continue to cripple and destroy thousands of Canadian lives every year. My goal in

committing to this climb, which I am calling Kili Climb for Life, is to build awareness and

raise research dollars to create healthier lives and communities,” says Robbin.

Robbin lost her grandfather and mother to COPD, a debilitating chronic disease of the

lungs and the only leading cause of death still on the rise in Canada today. She has also

witnessed firsthand the violent spread of tuberculosis during her work in Nunavut.

Robbin has also traveled and volunteered in south Asia where due to overcrowded

living conditions and poor health, the highly infectious disease TB is rampant and un-

forgiving. More personally, and hitting very close to home, Robbin suffered an almost

fatal health scare in September 2010; pulmonary embolisms (extensive blood clots in

both lungs) from which she has since fully recovered thanks to advances in medical

care.

Grateful for her own restored health and intent on improving health conditions for

others affected and suffering from lung disease, Robbin wants to give back. In 2014,

with the generous support of sponsors old and new – Robbin is aiming to raise $10,000

in donations to help fund advances in care for Canadian COPD and tuberculosis suffer-

ers.

Please support Robbin – and the Canadian Lung Association – in our quest to help fight

lung disease.

Note: Robbin is personally handling all her own expenses related to her Kilimanjaro

Climb in Tanzania to ensure all funds raised will go directly to the Canadian Lung Asso-

ciation in support of further lung health research.

Watch for further updates on www.kiliclimbforlife.com or follow Robbin on Facebook

(Kili Climb for Life) and on Twitter @kiliclimb2014 .

Picture to right: Not new to high altitude trekking, Robbin is seen here setting out on a

successful trek to Everest Base Camp, Nepal in 2008.

www.kiliclimbforlife.com

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had always struck me as a rather solid individual. As we both looked out through the windows at the miles of sea ice around us, ice that totally engulfed the icebreaker’s hull, I saw a large shad-ow move across the ice under the bril-liant deck lights that came from the ship. It caught my eye and I followed it until it was lost in the darkness near a large tall ice ridge.

I said, “Albert did you see that?”. “Yes”, he replied “Some sort of shadow moving across the ice”. We both then agreed it was not just our eyes playing tricks. I said “It must have been a seal or some-thing, maybe a polar bear” which was not unheard of in the area where we stopped between the Quebec north shore and the west coast of Newfoundland – the water-way known as the Strait of Belle Isle. Albert only said “Perhaps a seal”. Yes, perhaps.

What I also knew that night was there was a bit of a party below decks. We also had a number of “characters” on the ships in those days and it was not un-heard of for any one of them to hop over the side at times and go for a walk on the ice, just as they did during the days of the great seal hunts. I then asked Albert to go down below and see what was going on as I knew I would be in deep trouble with the Captain if that was indeed the case this night.

A Sailor’s Yarn

The People from the Center of the Earth - Believe it or not! by Capt. Jim Ewart

During the cold winter months of 1980, I was a young third officer on a Coast Guard icebreaker. At the time, I crewed out of the port of St. John’s, Newfound-land and our assignment was to escort commercial ships through the ice on their way to ports in Newfoundland or up the St. Lawrence River towards the ports of Quebec City and Montreal.

The night watches on a ship of that type are always long and even more so when the ship is stopped or stuck in ice at night when the men and women on watch will spin a yarn (tell a story) about life at sea and always, with a tale of ghostly propor-tion. First I will admit, sailors are by na-ture superstitious. You never turn the ship in a direction “through the sun” as that is bad luck, you never whistle on the ship’s bridge as that will bring on the wind and you never question the validity of ghost ships at sea.

One bridge watch that I will never forgot was the night I was told about the People from the Center of the Earth. The Quarter Master on my midnight watch (the wheelsman or QM) was the son of a sea captain who had travelled the world and he had also worked as an icebreaker Cap-tain in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Albert, my QM was a fellow about my age and

I strained to see the shadow again. I turned on the ship’s powerful search-lights onto the area I last saw the shad-ow…but I saw nothing. Albert returned to say all was quiet down below, every-one was in their bunks. I said, must have been a seal then, to which Albert re-plied… “Well it could have been someone from the center of the earth”.

Even though the light was low in the bridge so as not to destroy our night vi-sion, I could see no grin on his face as he said those strange words… in fact it was a face of seriousness. I remember shaking my head and saying…”Right, ok” Thinking for sure there would be a sailor’s yarn to follow that was full of untruths. Albert looked at me and said, “It is all true”. He then told me this story, told to him by his father the sea captain, a story which he grew to believe as his father told him to never to take amusement from it... nev-er.

Albert’s father was the Captain of a gov-ernment icebreaker, based out of Char-lottetown, PEI through the winter months of the 1960s to provide shipping assistance to cargo vessels and ferries in and out of the island’s various ice choked ports. (Remember, there was no Confed-eration Bridge at that time.) The ships in those days all carried marine radio opera-tors by law, no different than the ones on the Titanic, using Morse code to send out all the ship’s communication. Today we just basically use email. The regular Ra-dio Operator (RO) had to get off the ship due to a family emergency and requested to be dropped off in the next port. The Captain arranged the RO’s request and discussed the requirement for a replace-ment with shore side management. He was later informed by message a relief was found and would be at their next port – Charlottetown.

In Charlottetown, the personnel ex-change was completed as planned how-ever, the replacement RO was immedi-ately found to be…a little different. He dressed out of fashion and seemed to a bit dazed by the ship and her crew. He spoke little, reluctantly signed on the Ship’s Articles (the contract terms for employment), was shown his cabin, the ship’s radio room (his post) and was briefed on the location of all the regular safety equipment, a requirement when joining a new ship. The ship then sailed again for the ice.

SILA Marine Division

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Over the next few days and weeks that fol-lowed, the Captain, officers and crew be-came increasingly alarmed and concerned with the new RO. He rarely ate, rarely slept and talked very little. If he did join a conver-sation, it was about his family, his family that he claimed lived at the center of the earth. Now, you must remember this was the 60s… the era of free love and live life to its fullest. So the old salty sailors on board had no idea how to read this fellow.

If anyone were to challenge him about the location of his family home, he would get very upset, almost violently upset. He would say it was all true, that there was a commu-nity they (surface beings) knew nothing of, that there were several portals on the sur-face of the planet to access their home. There was one to descend in the Strait of Belle Isle (where we were that night) and one to ascend in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the coast of BC…and others that would remain secret.

As the icebreaker made her way out to the ice fields the ship was eventually located in the area of the Strait of Belle Isle. It was then the RO told the Captain one day, it was time for him to go home. His father had contacted him and that it was time. The Cap-tain asked him how he had talked to his fa-ther (no cell phones then, radios all con-trolled by the Captain) … to which he replied “from the ice”. Obviously by then all the crew had grown suspicious of this RO and as superstitious sailors they were likely very uncomfortable by his stories on the society at the center of the earth.

The Captain knew he had to leave, or he may “disappear” overboard at night (perhaps with the help from the crew)….and so he told the RO he would take him back to Char-lottetown … to which the RO said that was not necessary. However, after a lengthy heated discussion with the Captain, ada-mantly telling the RO he was not being put on the ice… they sailed for Charlottetown.

As they approached Charlottetown, the ship’s Chief Steward carried out all the nor-mal sign off routines, completing all the pa-per work, salary payment and last - to sign off the Ship’s Articles which was always done in ink. When the icebreaker docked, the Captain instructed both the Chief Steward and the Chief Officer to accompany the RO to the airport to make sure he got on the plane (for obvious reasons). As the two offic-ers awaited the RO to come down the gang-way to the awaiting cab, they saw him carry-ing two bottles of Scotch liquor around his neck tied together with a shoe string (the

ships had bars onboard then). They both told him he would never get on the plane with booze like that (even before airport security) to which he just replied “They will not see me, it will be invisible to them!” They just shook their heads and climbed into the cab with him and said to each other “Let the airline deal with him”.

Now at the airport, successfully checking his bag (with booze around his neck) he wan-dered off to the departure area saying a quick good bye to his shipmates and that he would be home soon… the booze? Oh that was not for him, it was for his father who loved a drink of Scotch now and then … as there was no booze at the center of the earth.

The Chief Mate and Chief Steward watched him get on the plane and take off for Halifax. They returned to the ship feeling they had done their job well getting rid of yet another nut case that tried going to sea. They re-joined the ship, a regular RO had also re-joined the ship and off they sailed again for the ice. A few days later, the Captain had a strange feeling of unease and a radio tele-phone call to his head office was made to ensure their estranged RO had gotten back safe to Halifax. The office said, there was something odd as the airline claimed he nev-er got on the flight to Halifax… but he did get

on the Captain said, my officers witnessed it! Plus the office was having trouble locating any records of his records in their files. The Captain said he would check the ship’s rec-ords. When the Captain did, in the company of the Chief Steward (he was in charge of ship’s business) they too found that the rec-ords were gone! And when they checked the Ship’s Articles where he had signed in ink… only a blank space appeared in front of them.

So, that is the story of the people from the center of the earth, a true story, not a tall tale, not a ship’s questionable yarn. Nearly twenty years later, I met a colleague that sailed with that same Captain for many years. Over a beer we discussed ships and sea stories and then I mentioned if he had ever heard the story of the people from the… to which he finished the sentence… center of the earth. We both looked at each other and said nothing more.

So never underestimate a shadow if you see one on the sea ice! Perhaps one of those secret, never revealed portals is within the Territory? It would make sense on top of the world… maybe there is a Nunavummiut story out there to tell about the people from the center of the earth.

Capt. Jim Ewart Senior Marine Consultant / Ops Manager

On July 15, 2008, a 27 km² ice island broke off from the Petermann Glacier near the north-

eastern tip of Ellesmere Island. This above picture of that same ice island named

“Petermann”, was taken off the Labrador coast in 2011. A much smaller, yet still visually

enormous Petermann later broke up that year off the northeast coast of Newfoundland.

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Canada Coast to coast to coast

A photo essay by SILA’s Associates in celebration of summer celebrations across Canada.

Top left: Habitat for Humanity’s van in Iqaluit NU.

Bottom right: Repel the mainlanders! Canada Day potato cannon competition at Gabriola Is. B.C., SILA’s western home.

Top right: SILA’s Associate Adrienne Ewart at the “Hill” on Canada Day.

Middle right:: Teresa Qiatsuk assisting with SILA’s project research in Iqaluit.

Bottom right: Cake for all Gabriola Islanders on Canada Day.

Picture Descriptions

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SILA’s brochures are available at silanorth.com in English, Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and French.

Top left: Our “Prez” Robbin seen here at “EdgeWalk”, on top of the CN Tower in Toronto. She says altitude clears her mind!

Center left: Robbin and her V-Star… a commuter must have for Gabriola.

Bottom left: Robbin and Jim during recent Ottawa Sparks St. visit before heading to Iqaluit.

Top right: Atlantic Coast. Leaving Canada’s most eastern port behind. The Narrows, St. John’s, NL. Home port of Canada’s largest icebreakers.

Bottom right: SILA Associate Samantha Ewart spent a quintessential Ontario Canada Day at beautiful Reta Lake, outside Thunder Bay.

Picture Descriptions

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Remembering Arluk the Arctic Hero

Arluk was a loving, loyal and gentle Siberian Husky. He enjoyed a wonderful canine life and was commonly known as VP of SILA. He trav-

eled at the age of one to the high Arctic from the condominium life of Toronto. Arluk’s rescue from the concrete city was his break in life

and he loved his new home digs with Robbin in Iqaluit. He went everywhere with her, to the office, to the store, for walks on the tundra

and he grew to love her deeply. Arluk’s life was all about Robbin and for Robbin, Arluk was her life. In Iqaluit he became her lifelong hero.

He literally dragged Robbin home in a blinding whiteout blizzard after a winter storm blew in unexpectedly and his instincts told him his

“R” had lost her directions on the tundra. He tugged, pulled and towed her to their doorstep even though his eyes were nearly frozen

shut.

He later journeyed west to retire by the Pacific Ocean. He learned to love the beach dog life and Robbin is not really sure if he ever figured

out why the “boo”(caribou) on Gabriola Island were so small and strange looking compared to the northern ones (they were actually Gab-

riola deer Arluk!) and why they were just as curious about him as he was of them.

It was at his western home where he again performed a second act of heroism. This time however there was no blizzard on the shores of

the Pacific, there was a medical emergency in his family. Arluk cared endlessly for Robbin on his own when she fell so ill from pulmonary

embolism in the Fall of 2010 until her sister Kim and later Jim could take over. (Jim had to travel right across the country.) Arluk stood

over her tirelessly, nudging her with his soft nose on a regular, almost nurse-like schedule to make her move and ensure she was breath-

ing.

Arluk will always remain Robbin’s hero and it is so sad that a custom-made courage medal ordered for him did not arrive in time for him to

wear it proudly, if only once. So this year, we at SILA have decided to dedicate an annual children’s art contest in his name to honour the

unwavering, devoted, loving, powerful yet gentle animal he was to so many. Arluk loved kids and would be proud to have his name on

this contest. Arluk was always known as the “greeter” and was a loved mascot for many charitable events—including the Niqinik Nuatsivik

Nunavut Foodbank’s annual “Stuff a Bus” event. When he lived in Iqaluit, he would welcome everyone at the airport with deafening

howls, just like his sled dog friends did on the tundra. We know Arluk would wish you all good luck in “his” art contest!

silanorthartcontest@gmail.com

Hey kids, enter SILANorth’s 1st annual

“Arluk the Arctic Hero” summer art contest.

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SILA’s first annual!

“Arluk the Arctic Hero” Summer art contest for Nunavut children Website: www.silanorth.com/artcontest

Email: silanorthartcontest@gmail.com

Your Nunavut What does Nunavut mean to you? Draw or paint whatever you like, the theme is your community and/or your Nunavut.

Who can enter?

To be eligible for the gift certificate, en-tries must be in the mail by August 31, 2013. The winner will be announced September 30th on SILANorth.com.

When is the deadline?

What can I win? The contest is open to all children 12 years of age and under who live in Nunavut.

Contest rules and details

Draw or paint whatever you like, the theme is your community and/or your Nunavut. Give

our judges a description of your artwork.

1. Artwork will not be returned after the contest.

2. Use letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11), preferably in “landscape” orientation.

3. Include artist’s name, age, mailing address, parent’s email, parent’s phone number, de-

scription of picture, and signature of a parent or guardian.

4. The artist’s first name, age, city or hamlet, and artwork will be published in our fall News-

letter and online at SILANorth.com. Other personal information collected for the contest

will remain strictly confidential and will not be used or shared by SILA for any other pur-

pose.

5. Please do not include writing on your drawing since the winning artwork will be posted on

SILANorth.com. Please mark on outside of any mailed envelope, “Art Contest”.

You could win one of three gift certifi-cates; fifty dollar ($50) for 1st prize, ($25) for 2nd place and ($10) for third place.

Description of artwork: _____________________________________________________________________

What does your community or your Nunavut mean to you? _______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Contestant name: _______________________________________________ Age: ____________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

City/Community/Hamlet of Nunavut: __________________________________________________________

Postal code: ________________________________ Telephone: _______________________________

Parent’s email: ____________________________________________________________________________

Name of parent/guardian: ________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Signature of parent/guardian: ________________________________________________________________

Mail your entry to - SILA Management Services Inc. P.O. Box 209 ,Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 or scan and email to: silanorthartcontest@gmail.com

Please include this

slip with your artwork

and mark envelope

“Art Contest”.

or Scan and send with

electronic copy of

your drawing to the

contest email address

at the top of this

poster.

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Company Activities

A Day in the Life of MCTS

SILA Management Services Inc. Iqaluit Office: P.O. Box 209 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 (867) 979-4466 office (250) 247-8327 fax (during office relocation)

Western Office: 1608 Pequod Cres. Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X5 (250) 247-8323 office (250) 247-8327 fax

Website: www.silanorth.com Twitter: @SILANorth Email: info@silanorth.com

SILA Quarterly - ISSUE # 4 Summer 2013

Contact SILA

Mayday! by Adrienne Ewart

When that call comes over the marine radio, marine communications and traffic services (MCTS) officers with the Canadian Coast Guard often provide the initial response to ships in a distress situation. Although the job involves many responsibilities, the most important is monitoring the distress and calling radio frequencies. No matter what else is happening in the operations room, everyone is listening closely for a vessel in difficulty.

Since MCTS centres are operational 24/7, a typical day of work starts with getting a turnover from the outgoing shift. This could be information regarding ongoing cases, weather, or equipment issues. Next, a circuit check is always done to make sure all the equipment is working properly. The last thing you want to be doing is troubleshooting when you need a radio channel to assist someone in trouble on the water. A typical day ends there and you never know what will come across the radio waves next; a vessel taking on water, a pollution report, a request for how best to remove a rodent from a pleasure craft, or a report of dangerous weather.

Working with MCTS is fast-paced and rewarding, and means never quite knowing what to expect when you walk into work and always having to be on your toes!

Bio: Adrienne assists SILA during her winter months off when freeze-up on the Great Lakes closes the St. Lawrence Seaway. We asked her to write about her interesting job as a Marine Radio Operator as Nunavummiut may be interested in pursuing a career as an MCTS operator. Minimum academic entrance requirements for MCTS training is a high school diploma .

SILA is very pleased to introduce our newest associate Captain John Broderick. John is a Master Mariner with three decades of com-mand experience in the Arctic and ice cov-ered waters. His activities in the Arctic in-volved the planning and delivery of a variety of Federal government maritime and scien-tific programs in addition to assisting the launch of northern expeditions as command-er of Canada's largest and most powerful icebreakers.

In addition to his seagoing activities, John acquired significant fleet management experi-ence within the Canadian Coast Guard. He has also recently served as an advisor to the Coast Guard's Polar Icebreaker Project and has worked as a lecturer and marine training consultant for the Marine Institute in St. John's, NL.

SILA welcomes on board Capt. John Broderick MM

SILA has been recognized as an approved Nunavut business and has secured Standing Offer Agreements (SOAs) with the Territorial and Federal governments. Currently, SILA has a number of SOAs with the Government of Nunavut which span numerous areas of expertise, such as:

Program planning and implementation;

Program and policy evaluation;

Quality assurance;

Project management;

Program management;

Community consultation / public engagement;

Private / public partnerships;

Financial reporting & management support;

Other related services.

Please contact us directly for a complete listing of active SOAs that SILA has been award-ed.

We would also like to advise all our clients that SILA has moved to a new location in the recently constructed Nunastar Complex at Creekside Village in Iqaluit. This will allow SILA to better service our clients and provide you an offsite environment to meet one on one with SILA representatives and discuss your needs. Note: SILA contact information is unchanged.

SILA Management Standing Offers of Agreement with the GN

SILA’s continuing support of Habitat for Humanity Iqaluit (HFHIQ)

Habitat for Humanity Iqaluit (HFHIQ) is build-ing a fourth home in Iqaluit this summer. The new home will be built on a lot made availa-ble by the City of Iqaluit in Apex.

SILA is a proud sponsor and partner with Hab-itat for Humanity Iqaluit sharing in its goal to build affordable homes in our community for well deserving families. SILA extends a hearty thank you to the ongoing generous support of the many wonderful volunteers that help make each build happen.

Now in its eighth year, SILA has maintained its sponsorship and familiar spot at Hole #7 at the annual HFHIQ golf tournament. Come join HFHIQ for this fun and important event and help build a home for a well deserving family.

“Building Homes, Building Hope.”