No fuel, No cash, No problem

Our first cancellation was today. We were warned at the beginning of the year to be prepared for constant cancellations due to weather/hydro/water and a host of other unforseen issues. We haven't been as lucky, that is until today. We got to school this morning and it was cool inside. After about 20 minutes, while students started arriving, they figured out that the broiler wasn't working. This happened last week, so there was nothing to worry about. After the announcements though, Julia came on the intercom and said the broiler was out of fuel and they were going to try and fill them soon.

After only a minute or so, Julia found out that they couldn't be replenished until at least the afternoon. So the students were dismissed and we had our first cancellation. Claire and I stayed at the school for an hour or so to photocopy midterm exams that the Grade 9s are writing this week.

Today was acutally a gorgeous day out. We had a high today of -15, which is warmer than most of you reading this. In fact looking at weather forecasts for later this week, we might actually experience a single digit (albeit still minus).

Interesting shopping note from tonight. We went to the store to pick up a few things, one of which was toilet paper. Ended up paying $16.99 for 12 double rolls. Yikes! Most of the prices don't shock us anymore, but this is the first time we have had to buy toilet paper up here. For more clarification, it is because we have usually brought plenty back with us, but were unable to after christmas.

Also, last thursday Mission Air came to the school to sell meat and groceries (a man who used to teach in Northern Manitoba and Ontario, who flys into communities on paydays to sell fresh groceries) . We normally buy something from him, and this time put through an order:

4L Skim Milk Jug
1L Chocolate Milk
1 lb Bacon
32 hot dogs

All of this for $45. Anyways, he told me that the community was out of cash, so he offered to sell me some. He has a debit machine he sets up and charged me an ammount and then handed me cash. A great man, and someone I look forward to meeting every other week. Hard to imagine living in a place where there is no money. Again, to live in the North, the thought of survival and the near future MUST always be in the back of your mind.