Spring Melt?

Today we had the day off school, as it was closed due to a large percentage of sick students and staff. Overall, 46% of staff were either off sick or came to work sick and 44% of students were sick. The maintenance men disinfected the school today by using a hospital disinfectant that they had left over from last year's H1N1 scare. Hallways, desks, chairs, etc. were wiped clean. We used the day to relax and refuel for next week.

Today, RJ and I went to the store. While we were there, the worker at the Post Office (a cubicle and part of the Northern Store) asked if Amanda was there. I told him no, so he gave her package without signature or anything. One thing that we have loved about being up here is the closeness. Everyone is on a first name basis.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across something about my Grade 9s. I realized that from September-December few students mentioned celebrating their birthday, so I looked on my class roster and found this out (number of birthdays listed per month):

January - 6
February - 4
March - 1
April - 1
May - 1
June - 1
July - 2
August - 0
September - 2
October - 1
November - 0
December 1

Overall, 50% of the grade 9 students were born in the first two months (and February is the shortest month). And, for those of you who like numbers you'll really like this: The last birthday in February is the 15th. So 50% of the students are born in the first 46 days, or the first 13% of the year.



This picture was taken today at 1:07 pm. And no, it wasn't doctored at all. It was indeed 0 degrees today.

The temperature rise has been nice, but locals are worried as it means the winter road won't be open as long as usual. As it stands now, the winter road is open to vehicles, but is still too small for big trucks. The community ran out of gas today at 4:30 pm today. The planes won't fly in fuel because it is too much money while the winter road is open, and the forecasts aren't looking good for the ice to thicken even more. Early prognosis is that we will be without fuel for 3 weeks. Rough guess, and I am sure one that will be moved forward.

An alert of our own

So, reading the St. Catharines Standard and watching CHCH we witnessed the Blizzard Warning in effect for all of Southern Ontario. While we didn't get any snow, albeit an inch or so after school today, we did have an alert as well. A big, black wolf was seen about 75 m from school and directly in front of our teacherages. An alert means that all students MUST go on the bus and staff find rides home.



Last week we were driving to the store and I noticed that a vehicle coming my way was a student's father. As we got closer, I soon realized that it wasn't his dad driving, but just him. Definitely took me by surprise.



We have now finished our Midterms and Final Exams for two classes: Greg - Science, Claire - Visual Arts. Only 1 student, the same boy, failed both courses. The school is having him come in on weekends and catch up and improve his mark so he can pass. The school is paying us to do this on weekends, which is pretty nice. Since we usually are at the school on Saturday, it works out. We had a meeting with Julia and him and his attitude has changed. He is now working during classes and willing to put forth the effort. During the meeting Julia told him that if he continued and chose not to work hard he would end up failing high school, not getting his diploma and sitting on welfare his entire life. He then asked if he would end up like his dad. Man, it's a different world up here.



Found out this week that our fundraising total is at $17,100, with three cars already purchased. Pretty amazing that in a community the size of 800-1,000 people, that much money can be raised. Although disappointing it is from welfare/child tax cheques.



Either tomorrow or Friday the Grade 8/9s are having a rabbit soup fundraiser, which will apparently make a ton of money. We'll try to post pictures of it later.

Indian Recylcing: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce to Ashes?

So it has been a little too long since we last posted but Claire and I have been busy with the Grade 9 midterms. Every night this past week, we would come home and mark/plan from 5:00pm straight to about 11:30pm. Good news to report though. Only 1 student failed the two classes that were ending, Science and Visual Arts. No surprise to the student, but it was nice to see the rest of the class pass.

Last Saturday, the SRC, our student council that Amanda, Claire and I run, held a floor hockey tournament for the Grade 7-9 students. It was a success and all the students that came had fun. It turned out to be a long day, but was worthwhile. Afterwards, two students were going to go home via snowmobile. They couldn't get their machine work and so we tried everything. My first comment when I went outside was if their was any gas. The machine's owner said yes, of course. 15 minutes later, RJ came out and asked the first obvious question, "Is there any gas?' Again the student replied with yes. Several minutes went by and I then decided to make him check the gas situation. He stuck a stick down the tank and checked it, again replying that it was three-quarters full. Alrighty then. Finally about an hour after we started trying anything he phoned home and his mom came and picked up the two students. The next day, I asked him what the problem was and he sheepishly replied, "Ran out of gas."

On Friday night, we went to the school for Bingo. I helped Amanda run the evening while Claire tried out her new bingo dabbers. It was a good night, as Amanda and I had everything smoothly run, and Claire even managed to win a game. Must have been the christmas present.

As our year end trip draws closer, fundraising is picking up at the school. Bingos are now held every week and a fundraising lunch or food related thing is run on a weekly basis. Down south, it is not unheard of to hear schools have a fundraising lunch for the students. Be it pizza, subs or even hot dogs. Not up here. While pizza is somewhat popular, the school is getting ready for a rabbit lunch this week. Yes, you heard it right, rabbit. There is an advertisement on our school bulletin board from the coordinator, asking for teachers to donate any rabbits. Claire and I have discussed it, and are deciding to keep ours for ourselves. (I am only joking of course, about even having any rabbit).

Also, the grade 6s had their cultural program this week and did something new this year. They school had been given three geese and the grade 6s were the 'lucky' ones to pluck and cook the birds. Because this activity takes a while and the birds would need to cook, they started in the morning. And because it was too cold to do it outside, they did it in our Home-Ec room. This room is situated in the middle of the school at the intersection, meaning all day you had to walk by it to to go basically anywhere. As well, apparently the room is connected directly to the air venting system as the smell of goose guts and blood was carried to every room in the school. Yah, that's what you want to smell on a Friday morning at 10:00am, goose blood and guts mixed with hot air being pumped into your classroom.

Last bit of sad news, our head maintenance man suffered a major heart attack on Friday morning while still at home. He went to the Nursing Station and was waiting to be airlifted to a major health facility. After at least 6 hours, he was still waiting, just laying on a bed. For all of us from the outside, situations like this remind us of how secluded we are and to be safe.


Claire and I watching the floor hockey tournament. We had three teams, 6 per team, compete.

The winning team: (L to R, Grade): Jon (9), Krista (7), Chantelle (9), Huntter (9), Evan (8), Grant (seated 8).

The teacherages borrowed a spade from the school to clear off the 4 inches or so of compacted snow that had raised all our decks/porches. Amanda working on hers.

Me working on ours.

And now to our title reference. We don't have any recycling program and so our cardboard or big boxes have added up over our time. To get rid of it, we needed to burn the boxes. So I lit the boxes full of cardboard and watch it burn.

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.

The One with the Sweater

So there aren't any new pictures to add, but a few interesting stories to relay. Last week, we went to the Brown Store (the small shop open opposite the Northern and run by a man who flies in every couple of weeks or so) for a bite to eat. While waiting for our food, a someone came into the store and approached the counter. The woman asked the man if he had any floss. He wasn't quite sure he heard her right and asked her multiple times in a variety of ways to ensure that is what he heard. After realizing so, he then noted to her that in the six years he has run the store, this is the first time someone has asked him for that particular item.

Another story involved Claire and the Grade 2 teacher, Marla. During a lunch break, Marla broached the subject of children. Claire noted that no we don't have kids yet and she is 23. Marla, seemed shocked and replied that a typical rez kid would have already had 3 children by 18. In fact, Marla, a single mom, is already impatient that her 17 year-old daughter has yet to have children.

Tonight we went to the store and while shopping, Claire was approached by two people who stopped and said hello. We really do feel part of the fabric and comfortable out and about in Deer Lake.

Also to relay, are a couple of observations we've made lately. Firstly, we have noticed that money is the motor behind anything that runs, something that is true anywhere. But in Deer Lake, money is the source of everything. School functions are built around paydays. The whole community, no matter the few occupations people have, get paid the same day. When the school organizes anything, it is always with a calendar in hand, with pay weeks circled. Second, and something that hit me last week, was that many people (and this observation is based mainly on students) do not know how to shop. Down south we have the luxury of having multiple stores and sources to purchase items. Up here, the Northern is the final stop for all purchases. If you want a pair of shoes, you go to the one store and buy the pair. Down south you might shop for a deal or look for sales.

Last bit of news. For those of who don't know, Claire bought me a sweater for Christmas that is gray with yellow and red stripes. I was hesitant at first about the sweater because the red looks very close to pink, which is something that is not me. I am not a manly man by any means, but I am not that comfortable with my feminine side to pull off pink or purple clothes. Anyways, tonight at the Flea Market I was wearing the sweater and a Grade 7 girl came up to me and asked very innocently, "Are you wearing a girl sweater?" I turned right around to Claire and started taking it off right then and there, with a look of 'I told you so!'

-37 and Wolves

Well it has been very interesting and different around here lately. The weather has been pretty cold. Yesterday it was -37 without the wind chill. At -40 they close the school. It was so cold walking to school daily now our warm breath turns our eyelashes and hair white from condensation freezing. If our head aren't covered completely with a hat you will get a headache from the cold against your for head. The air just hurts everything it touches, if you are out in it to long.

Two of our students came to school after the weekend this week with frostbite on their faces, from being outside playing hockey. Greg and I have a thermometer that we look at constantly to find out what the temperature is. We are the only people in the teacherages with a thermometer so I think we are the unofficial ones who run over to the principals house to let them know it is -40.

It seems that daily now we are hearing sighting of wolves. They are seen all through the day too, often times by what the locals call the lagoon. The lagoon is half way between town and Duck Lake (we live in Duck Lake). I keep hearing out this big black wolf hanging around. Thankfully we have not come across it yet, and I hope we don't. Greg, Amanda and I walk around here so much going back and forth from the school all the time, so I am a little nervous that we might run across it. The students show no fear about them, but I am sure they are putting up a front too.

Anyways I just thought I would share a little bit about what life is like in Deer Lake in the winter.

Story from Greg this week. The school is having a raffle for a car they have purchased from Red Lake. The car is a 1998 Chevrolet. He was telling the grade 9s about it, as they were going to be selling the car. Immediately some students started saying that they were going to buy tickets, because, well at 14 it's time to look for a cheap car. Anyways, he just told them they were selling a car. For us typical first responses down south may include questions about make/model/year/colour. One student immediately asked, "Is the car rezzed out?" After asking her, he found out that it meant a car that has seen any length of time on a Northern Reserve.

Life is a Highway

On Saturday, Greg, Amanda and I had the opportunity to do something we had never done before and that made us a little nervous (Amanda and I more so then Greg). We went out for a drive on the WINTER ROAD! For those of you who don't know what the winter road is, it is a road over the lakes. Basically it is a plowed strip going across the lakes, leading all over northern Ontario and down to the connecting highway in Red Lake.

The thought of driving on ice made me alittle nervous, and of course I think about all the things that could happen (like the ice breaking). However, it was pretty solid only a few places looked a little iffy. The winter road actually isn't even officially open yet. The locals are waiting for it to be officially opened any time. For them the winter road means they can get out and go visiting to other communities. The closest community to us is about an hour and half drive away (North Spirit). To get to Sandy Lake (20 minutes by plane) takes approximately 4 hours to drive.

Anyways the road was really neat, it was pretty smooth. Our part of the winter road is really wide but I have been told that other parts in other communities is really small. Also cars drive really really fast on here, I couldn't believe it. In Deer Lake there are two parts to the winter road. The first part is leading from Duck Lake into town (this is the part we travelled). The second part is leading into the wide open north, going to other communities (we didn't go on this part because we were still to nervous and it hasn't been officially opened). Once it is opened things will really start happening in the community. Things will start coming in like gas and oil, trailers (for homes), wood etc. All the bigger things that is difficult to fly in. Also weekends will have a lot of comings and going, people will be travelling from community to community. Needless to say, the winter road creates a lot of excitement in Deer Lake.

On another side note. On Saturday evening we had a knock at our door around 10:00pm, we opened our door and found 3 of our students standing there. The wanted to know if we would go snowmobiling with them. So we did. They drove and we sat in the sled behind the snowmobile. The sled is basically ply wood made into four walls and a bottom. This was a very painful experience and I am still bruised from going over all the bumps. We went a long the trails in the dark and I will not lie the thought of wolves crossed my mind (there have been a lot of sightings lately), on Sunday morning Crystal (grade 7 TA) opened her front door and found a wolf outside her front door. We then went snowmobiling around the school where we met up with other students having fun late at night, they seemed really excited to know we were out bombing around. Anyways it was fun snowmobiling, however it wasn't a great first snowmobiling experience for Greg.
The students were surprised he had never been.

The Winter Road.

Greg and Amanda in front of the vehicle on the Winter Road. Julia is in the background by Amanda's head.

Greg and I, we were both dressed in all our winter gear. The next day Greg was wearing his shorts around town. He definitely got a lot of comments from people.

More of the winter road. The little pine trees show its sides along the way.

We also went to the Dam for a quick visit. This is a picture of the water and ice. This is no where near the winter road.