Posted on October 8, 2020 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

 

“We’re just another animal.” S.R.

Like most people my age, I have a lot of miles on my feet. I might have a few more than most having run marathons for a number of years. When my body begged me to stop running, I took up walking and like so many other things in my life, when I find something that I’m passionate about, I’m “all in”. In the spring of 2019, I walked across Spain (713km) completing the Camino, easily one of the highlights of my life. Last summer, I walked around the scenic Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. While this latest jaunt was a mere 300km, the degree of difficulty was quite high, as were the four mountains I had to climb along the way! I guess you could say that I have become a marathon walker in my golden years.

These are well travelled paths. I have walked along many trails over the years, from the Galloping Goose in Victoria to my old favourite, The Landing in Antigonish. I have meandered through many beautiful parks in Hyderabad and New Delhi, India, the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Stanley Park in Vancouver and Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. All of these and many more have captivated my imagination. Nature is always the backdrop and the reason for going.

Lately, I have done more hiking than I have ever done before. It started in the spring when I returned home at the beginning of the pandemic and spent the better part of four months with my son. Six days a week, we completed a hike, usually followed by a cold beverage and a great meal. Good work if you can get it, as the saying goes.

I arrived in the north last November when winter was in full swing. While I did some walking, the weather and my busy teaching schedule kept me away from the land but this year, I arrived at the beginning of August and have had the time to get out and explore the tundra and the mountains. Every weekend, I have gone for a hike and occasionally a long walk thrown in for good measure.

Now, most of the parks that I have visited and trails that I have walked are the creation of man. I suspect millions of people have walked over the exact same terrain in Central Park in New York. Sadly, I am not one of them. Not yet but a full exploration of New York is on my “uncompleted” list. Or is it? Do I really want to go to another big city to be pushed and jostled on the subway? Do I want to breathe polluted air and put up with the hassles of travel to and from the Big Apple? Travel has become a chore and in the middle of a pandemic, not my description of fun.

Have a I had it with big cities and global travel? I hope not but at my age, the simpler pleasures of life are taking root. Staying home and reading, playing tunes at a gathering of friends, preparing a good meal, enjoying the company of friends and, of course, spending time in the great outdoors all hold great appeal.

Last weekend, me and two colleagues went for a hike on the land. The land up here is rugged and rocky, interspersed with tundra. At first blush, it can look rather bland until you start to create your own trail. You see, there are no marked paths up here. When you go exploring the land, it is quite possible that you are the first person in millions of years whoever trod this particular piece of terrain. It can leave one awestruck when you think about it. You trundle over rocks and then get a reprieve as you step onto the spongy softness of the spectacular tundra.

My walking partners and I were talking about the wildlife we had seen on our hikes. It was during this discussion that Serge made a very interesting observation about our place on the land, on this day, at this moment. “We’re just another animal.” I thought about this for a long time.

The vastness of the north, the raw beauty, and the total serenity are what captivates many who come here. It’s not for everyone. The winters are long and can be harsh. But like many of the hikes that I’ve been on up here, patience is rewarded as the north reveals itself in subtle and often spectacular ways. To stand by an inukshuk several kilometers from the village, on a dark night, without neon lights to spoil the view, with a billion stars all around and gazing at the Northern Lights, is a moving, spiritual, mystical experience.

The next time I see a caribou or silver fox on one of my hikes, I must stop and thank them for allowing me to share the land with them.

I am just a two-legged animal.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend. Despite these challenging times, we still have much to be grateful for if we are healthy and have good friends.

P.S. If I meet a polar bear on one of my hikes, I will thank him oh so briefly before making a hasty retreat!

 

 

 

Posted on October 5, 2020 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Chesterfield Inlet December 1958

The photo above was provided through the generosity of Piita Irniq who attended a residential school. He told me that it was the first time that he had seen a Christmas tree, let alone any tree!

Another September is in the rear-view mirror. Some would say “good riddance”. Many people love September. Back home in Nova Scotia it signals the changing of the season. The leaves start to turn color, the days are becoming shorter, and there is a decided nip in the air. Here in Northern Quebec, we have already had snow, a harbinger of winter just around the corner. And of course, September is the traditional start of the school year.

“Back to school” days are different this year. Some students are back in classrooms while many others are learning virtually. The results are mixed and it’s far too early to predict what might happen in the ensuing weeks and months. As difficult and challenging as this appears on the service, it pales in comparison to what young children from the north were subjected to for nearly a century.

September 30^th was Orange Shirt Day in Canada. It was the day to show love and support for survivors of the residential school system.

Stop for a moment and think about this. What if someone arrived on your doorstep one day and told you that your young children would be taken from you and moved to a far-off community where the language and culture were totally different?

This is precisely what happened to thousands of Indigenous children in Canada.

Once again, I quote from the excellent book, “The Right to be Cold” by distinguished author Sheila Watt-Clouthier.

“The history of residential schools in Canada spans nearly a century, with the last school closing as recently as 1996. During this time, the federal government, in an attempt to aggressively assimilate Aboriginal children, oversaw the schools, many of which were run by Christian churches. Approximately 150,000 children in all were taken from their families to be “reeducated” in English or French and Christianity. Resistance was rewarded with punishment, and many students experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Today people are still trying to heal from these horrific experiences. What’s more, families were torn apart and unable to pass on tradition and culture when their children were abruptly removed from their communities. This has resulted in generations of trauma suffered by Aboriginal families across Canada.”

I am slowly coming to understand the plight of Aboriginal people. A number of people who live in my village went to residential schools. Many of their stories are documented in the excellent archives at the local museum.

None of us personally can right the wrongs of the past although governments have the duty and responsibility to honor treaties signed in good faith.

It pleases me to no end that our school is doing everything it can to keep the language and culture of the Inuit alive and well. Daily classes in Inuktitut are a staple and students in upper elementary and secondary take classes in Culture where they continue to learn about their heritage in meaningful, hands on fashion. There are after hours programs offered to those who want to learn more about the land, hunting ,and survival.

One suspects it will take a few more generations for the trauma of residential schools to subside. It will never completely be eradicated but more Canadians need to understand this shameful part of Canadian history.

Have a great week.

 

Posted on October 1, 2020 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Best friends

 

Loyalty.

“The quality or state of being true and constant in support of someone or something.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Is there anything as comforting as having someone that you can truly count on and who has your back in good times and bad? For the purposes of this piece, I have opted not to include four legged friends. Their loyalty is unquestionable.

For many people these are bad times, uncertain times, highly unusual times. A lot of us have had to lean on family and friends during Covid for all manners of support, especially those of us who have had to quarantine one or more times. If the pandemic has made one thing crystal clear, no person is an island. We need each other, maybe now more than when Covid first reared its ugly head.

This was a novelty at the beginning as we started to learn about the virus, flattening the curve, and practicing social distancing. It is no longer a novelty and one senses a big dose of “pandemic fatigue”. We are being asked repeatedly to not let down out guard, but with the surge in cases, it is obvious that this is far from over. It has put a strain on relationships, finances, and on mental health.

Most of us would put our immediate families at the top of the loyalty list. I know that I can count on my children and my siblings to answer any call coming their way. They are simply the best friends that I have.

Some people are loyal to certain brands and many companies have loyalty programs to get and keep customers.

Of course, I am enormously blessed to have so many people who have followed my writing for the better part of ten years. I still can’t believe that I continue to pump out the most mundane pieces and somehow you keep reading. Someone mentioned Stuart McLean’s name the other day. I was fortunate enough to meet Stuart on three occasions and he even wrote a story about me many years ago. He was such a wonderful storyteller. I really miss Stuart and The Vinyl Café. I’m certain many of you have your favourite Dave and Morley story. I am in no way comparing myself with Stuart. I just had to find a way to get his name into this post!

What really prompted this post was the response of the eight businesses who advertise on Week45. Despite the havoc that Covid has wreaked on the economy, these businesses have remained 100% loyal to me. Every time their contracts comes up for renewal, they respond in such a positive manner. I want to acknowledge the support of EMM Law, A&W, The Maples, Trimac Toyota, MacIsaac Funeral Home, Highland Hearing, Keltic Ford and Success N Planning. You guys are all amazing and I am proud to be associated with you.

As I write this, it is dark, and it is snowing. Many people dread the thought of winter, but I am grateful every day to see the sunrise and the sunset. It beats the alternative.

Let us continue to be loyal to those around us until we finally emerge from the shadow of this scourge of Covid.

Have a great weekend.