The kids had a good Christmas. They both got a cell phone and James got a brand new Ski-Doo, courtesy of his Nan and Pop. James don't jump for joy or show emotion like other kids but I could tell he was beaming.

It is really warm. Plus 8 degrees Celsius on December 26 and it doesn't look like it is going to cool off much over the next week. I hope we don't have another winter like we did 11 or 12 years ago when we had spring instead of winter.

Christmas is almost here again. I think this is the busiest I ever was.

Went to Goose bay five days ago, on Saturday. The road was bumpy. Left in the dark and got back in the dark. Rosie and the kids were really glad to see their Mom.

Gonna be really warm and wet over the next few days. The harbour is still not froze over proper. We are after having quite a few warm spells this fall and winter.

Almost forgot. I am now the mayor of Cartwright. I was nominated a week or two ago. No one else wanted it, I was nominated and accepted. I will stay on till the next election at least.

I have been truly blessed. I got a job, a permanent full time job with good pay and benefits. I got back from Goose Bay Dec 04 after doing my orientation training. They paid for my meals and 4 nights stay at the Royal Inn in a room that was essentially a small apartment. My official title is Resource Technician with NunatuKavut. I like my job so far. NCC is a great bunch to work for.

While I was there our winter turned to spring. We had lots of rain and very warm temperatures. Apparently it was like it all over the north.

There was a lot of snow on the ground going down. But coming back it was all gone, except between Beaver Brook and Paradise River was all ice. Was a long drive even though it only 41/2 hours.

Paradise River on the way back

We had another foot of snow Dec 08 and another long warm spell. The snow was heavy and wet too. It is supposed to cool off again soon though. Seems like every once in a while we will get long stretches of well above normal temperatures.

Someone in Sheshatshiu tested positive for Covid 19. I didn't see anything in the news though. The good news is a vaccine will soon be distributed possibly in a week. The Canadian Rangers may be tasked with distributing it.

I am working from home for a bit due to issues with the office.

Chuck Yaeger died Dec 07.

 Oh my, what did I get myself into now I wonder. I attended a council meeting last night and I am now the Mayor of Cartwright. No one else wanted the role, I was nominated, so I accepted. I'm busy enough as it is with a new job. We'll see when elections come around in a year I guess whether or not I want to stay on as Mayor.

 Aand we got cell service. It remains to be seen how good it is though. I heard coverage up to Port Hope Simpson and Mary's Harbour was poor. The tower was put down not far from the school when it should have been put on top of Black Head, the hill overlooking town, where it's signal would reach many miles across the bay. Internet has been really bad for around 2 weeks or more now. It might have something to do with the new cell service.

There was another two earthquakes up near Makkovik again. Experts say it was aftershocks from the previous two earthquakes they had a couple weeks ago.

 Man we had some nasty weather today. We had a lot of snow. Winds were gusting up around 100kph later today. It was blowing even harder on the North Coast I think. Goose Bay and the North Coast experienced a blizzard. Goose Bay had a record snowfall, 70 cm or more. It's wet heavy snow too. It wouldn't surprise me if the power went out tonight. And it's only November yet, very early in the winter.

Blizzard Hits Labrador

 A little while ago someone said something to me about alcoholism and drug addiction, that it was a lifestyle. I don't know whether to call that ignorant, ill informed or what because it is just not true. It's not a lifestyle, it's not a choice. I've lived with alcoholism my whole life and I'm still trying to get away from it. My Dad was an alcoholic until he gave his heart and soul to God. I have Aunts and Uncles who are alcoholics. Where I grew up there was always alcohol. It's not something that you choose, it's something that chooses you. It's a complex issue brought on by any number of factors including mental illness such as anxiety and depression, post traumatic stress, violence, sexual or physical abuse or other life experiences growing up. I quit drinking about 14 or more years now, started when I was very young. My Dad quit around 8 years ago I think. I'm waiting for someone else in my life to give it up and to get help. I pray to God that my kids never touch it. It's so harmful. It affects everyone around you, the ones that are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Some people look at it in totally the wrong way when they should be looking at it from a different perspective because the people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs are victims, victims of their own circumstances.

 Some good news and some bad news in the media lately. Two vaccines, one by German/US firm Pfizer and BioNtech and the other by US firm Moderna showed to be 90 and 95 percent effective respectively in late stage trials. There has also been significant developments in vaccine trials in China and Russia. But those are two countries you shouldn't trust what they say, especially China. Not surprisingly the effectiveness of China's vaccine has not been released. So hopefully a vaccine will be available to the wider population soon.

The bad news is that we are well into the second stage of the pandemic, with large numbers of active cases in Alberta and Ontario especially. Nunavut which had no cases suddenly has 60 centered around the community of Arviat. Even more worrisome there is the cases of covid 19 is through community spread and they haven't been able to trace the source.

 Really nice day for a change. Took the kids down to the big marsh to go skating this afternoon. It was the first time I was pond skating since I was a teenager I think. There were 50 plus people showed up.

 Man it never stops blowing. The weather has stabilised somewhat but not the winds. Looks like I won't be getting out for a hunt to get a winters supply of ducks. Not many complaints about the ferry service this year compared to last year with the exception of the Black Tickle run, namely being she didn't get in one time early on this fall when she could have.

The kids went down to Goose Bay with Mom and Dad for a night. The kids were glad to see their mother.

Me and my boy.

Remembrance Day was different this year due to the pandemic, as was many other things. There was no ceremony or parade.

Trump lost the election but still has not conceded defeat. He has launched numerous lawsuits to get votes tossed out in several states with no evidence to support electoral fraud, despite it being the most secure election in U.S. history.

Bonfire Night aka Guy Fawkes Night

Bonfire Night was a day later for us this year because of high winds. The next night was good, not very cold and hardly any wind. For anyone that don't know Bonfire Night started after the Gun Powder Plot to blow up the House of Lords  in 1605 England. Ever since then people have had bonfires to commemorate the event and it is common to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes in the fire. I'm not sure if it is common in the U.S. but it is in Canada and the UK.

 We had some really high winds night before last. Could even feel the house shake and that rarely happens.

Had a busy day today. Cleaned the chimney out and cut some trees down on the end of the house so Dwight could dig a ditch for me with his excavator. I was cooking supper at the same time, and almost ruined it in the process. Then this evening I had a council meeting.

Something woke me up last night. After I got up I learned there was an earthquake up near Makkovik. It could be felt in Rigolet. Maybe that's what woke me up.

 The weather is up and down again from one extreme to another. The planet is warming but that doesn't mean the warming is evenly spread. What you're actually seeing is areas such as the North warming much more than everywhere else. And one of the biggest impacts of climate change is more extreme weather events; more storms and hurricanes, more wildfires, El Nino and La Nina becoming more pronounced and lasting longer. Where I live the ice forms later and is not as reliable as it used to be. Happening right now as I write, it is raining and forecast to get up to 10 degrees and high winds when it should be 0 degrees down to about -5 degrees. Tomorrow the temperature will drop to -5 degrees in the afternoon. That's typical. This summer I think it was twice we had high temperatures for a week or more that were higher than normal. I was on patrol with Canadian Rangers in August in Goose Bay and it was HOT. One winter, I think around 10 years ago, we didn't have a proper winter, it was more like Spring all winter. We had a very warm winter that year, a lot of wet weather and flooding of rivers and lakes made it very difficult, even hazardous, travelling by snowmobile. Snowmobiles are very important for travel in the winter around here, Cartwright.

So overall, climate change isn't just a global rise in temperatures. It is more extremes, extremes in temperatures, extreme weather events and more inconsistent weather patterns.

Another Halloween over with. Cold one as usual. There was a lot of kids at some places. Good to see lots of kids out. I wasn't too impressed with the construction going on into dark on the other side of the harbour. They should have stopped with all the kids getting around.

Time went back an hour again last night. I wish they would stop with that. It's been over a century now, since World War I that they started changing the clocks twice a year. There are no tangible benefits, more harm than good really.

What is an Inuk?

 

Does an Inuk have to have dark skin and dark hair? Does an Inuk have to look  Inuit? If you judge a book by it's cover maybe they do, but no. Looks are more than what defines an Inuk.

I am a member of NunatuKavut. I have white skin. But so do many beneficiaries of Nunatsiavut. I know many people from my community who look more “Inuit” than some people from the north coast. I look at pictures of Mik’mak of Conne River and I see a lot of white skin, yet they are accepted as a First Nation, as indigenous. The Sami people of Scandinavia are an indigenous group. They have white skin and light hair. Early Europeans had very dark skin and blue eyes. The Innu are absolutely opposed to the existence of NunatuKavut, at least politically. They see white skin and they think we are just a “settler organisation”. Probably the biggest obstacle to NunatuKavut is not land claims but acceptance as an indigenous organisation/people. I've been on the receiving end of discrimination before, by someone from one of the other indigenous groups in Labrador because I had white skin and despite my ancestry. So does the colour of your skin really matter? It shouldn't.

From Among The Deep Sea Fishers Vol 31 Issue 1

John Curl family, Spotted Island, Eva Luther collection

So what makes us unique besides our ancestry? We don't speak Inuktitut anymore but it was spoken up until about the 1970’s. We still use some Inuit words. We still hunt and gather for subsistence purposes. We still make traditional clothes and crafts that are unique to our culture. We have an accent that is unique. Some of the foods we harvest and the way we harvest /utilise them are unique to Inuit. Up until modern rifles and knives became readily available we still used tools like ulu's and harpoons. Our concept of sharing food and respect for our elders is different than what you would find on the island portion of the province. There is probably a lot of other stuff that makes us unique but I can't remember all of them.

Robyn Dyson/Lona Williams family origin Cartwright/Seal Islands

Back in the 1700’s, 1800’s there were many Inuit in the south of Labrador. Their presence is documented as far back as the year 1500 at least. When Europeans came over there were very few European women. So many European men took Inuit wives. Some people say there were no Inuit south of Rigolet, no year round residents. The archaeological record disproves that. Many of our people still have dark skin, dark eyes and dark hair, if that matters. There are many families where some children born to parents have dark hair, eyes and skin, and the other siblings have light skin, hair and eyes. My mother in law’s family is a good example. I'm talking about physical characteristics by the way.

My Great Grandfather James Holwell

In the 1740’s when George Cartwright was here he described in his journals a village of Inuit on Spotted Island, my ancestral home. The Onomastics of Inuit/Iberian Names in Southern Labrador in the Historic Past by Greg Mitchell and Ihintza Marguirault mentions the marriage of "John Holwell to Joanah Pennyhook on 15 August of that year", which is 1827. John Holwell is an ancestor of mine and Pennyhooks Cove is next to Spotted Island. And there are several other marriages mentioned including that of Sara Penni-Ook.

In fact George Cartwright's journals document the presence of Inuit as far south as Chateau Bay, Labrador. It wasn’t until the Moravians arrived that many Inuit moved to settlements on the North Coast. But there still remained many “Inuit” on the south coast. After the containment of the Inuit north of Hamilton Inlet following a decree by Governor Palliser and an arrangement he had with the Moravians that "Numbers of Inuit continued to appear in southern Labrador and were never stopped altogether", Marianne P Stopp. In the 1950’s when there was a radar site on Spotted Island, the Americans who manned it called the villagers on Spotted Island "Eskimo’s". Why would they call us that? We still use several Anglicised Inuit surnames(I say Anglicised because before Europeans came here Inuit only used one name) such as Toomashie, Kippenhuck or Paulo. There are photos of people in St. Lewis and Spotted Island that I have seen and they are clearly Inuit. And there are records of them in  nearby Battle Harbour from 1798. The English trading firm Slade's account books list a person named Pompey in it's ledgers along with at least 40 other names of Inuit origin.

Curls of Spotted Island/Rocky Bay, courtesy Nancy Curl

Phil Curl of Spotted Island/Rocky Bay, courtesy Shelly Toomashie

Burdett's, family origin Indian Tickle/Sand Hill Bay/Spotted Island, courtesy Brenda/Daryll Burdett

Excavations and archaeological surveys by Lisa Rankin and Marianne P Stopp along the southern Labrador coast document numerous Inuit dwellings at places like Indian Harbour and North River at the mouth of Sandwich Bay, Spotted Island, Frenchman's Island and many other places. So the evidence of Inuit occupation is undeniable. Some people say "Well where did they go?" As Todd Russell, President of NunatuKavut, once put it, "We're still here." Our looks may have changed a bit but we are still Inuk.

This very large sod house at North River was found to have both European and Inuit features.

 There was a fisheries patrol plane circling overhead today for quite a while, at least an hour, today. Shortly after she left a C 130 started flying overhead. After a while two parachutists jumped out and landed up at the air strip. I assume they were sar techs practising. Quite a bit of excitement for our little town for a little while. First time I ever see a traffic jam on the way back home.

Man was it ever warm today, 19 degrees, 17 yesterday. It was warm enough that there are enough biting flies around to bother you. It never stops blowing, at least not for very long.

Internet and phones was restored over on the other side of the harbour after a week or more. If this happened down on the island portion of the province it wouldn't have been nearly so long to get services restored.

The lobster dispute continues in St. Mary's Bay, NS. A fish plant was burned down, lobster pounds destroyed, many people assaulted, intimidated and harassed. Even people's families and their children were harassed. I had some sympathy for non indigenous fishermen at first but then as time went on I realised it's all rooted in racism. So I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever now for the non indigenous commercial fishermen. Non indigenous fishermen are claiming the fishery is illegal despite the supreme court ruling which states indigenous fishermen have a right to fish wherever and whenever they want. Non indigenous fishermen are also saying the indigenous lobster fishery will harm the lobster stock and is a threat to their livelihood despite the fact that there are only 11 indigenous licences issued compared to 979 commercial licences issued in the area to non indigenous fishers AND the fact that there is a year round fishery in the state of Maine with no apparent harm to the stocks.

Nova Scotia Lobster Dispute Shows Racism Rooted In Canadian Fishing Industry

 Jazmin went to Goose Bay yesterday with her Nan and Pop for the night, back again this evening. She was glad to see her Mom. She stayed with her Aunt Joce for the night.

We are in the process of getting a new top put on the town roads. I think they are supposed to replace the top at least as far as Paradise River, which is good because the road hasn't had a new top in 20 years.

Phone and internet is gone over on the other side of the harbour. The contractors working on the sewer upgrades bust the cable somehow. Five days now they been without phone and internet I think, including the clinic and Pardy's store.

 I’ve seen yet another one of those posts suggesting we help our own veterans or poor people before we let in refugees. Total nonsense it is. Veterans issues and poverty are complex issues and they won’t go away. So why would anyone want to stop refugees or immigrants or any other group from entering Canada? It’s racism, nationalism or xenophobia is all I can think of. Well here’s an analogy to ponder; when Jesus fed the poor he fed all of them not a select few.

 The wind and rain are never ending. Don't know when I will ever be able to get out in boat for a hunt. The ferry run for Cartwright and Black Tickle was cancelled because of the weather leaving people stranded in Black Tickle for at least another week, maybe more.

Looks like cell service is becoming a reality. How good it is remains to be seen though. They are putting up a small tower right in town. If it were up on top of Black Head where the microwave towers are the signal would obviously have a much longer range.

Work is well under way for the next phase of our sewer upgrades. And blasting and crushing of rock is being done at the Salt Pond quarry to replace the top on the town main road and Cartwright Access Road.

 

Got back from Goose Bay a few days ago. A lot of activity on the highway with the widening and paving. It blew a gale the morning I left to come back and the night before. It was also really warm, like around 23 degrees. And that was around midnight. So weather wise, coming back, you couldn't ask for much better; warm and no flies. Cartwright access road going as far as the junction is in bad need of a new top. It is the oldest part of the highway and therefore I would expect for it to be in  worse condition compared to other sections of the highway.

 Well well. What's the world gonna come to I wonder. Donald Trump is hospitalised with the Corona Virus. The phrase "I told ya so" comes to mind. A lot of his close associates were exposed after attending a Rose Garden event I think. You look at this BBC News article and it's easy to see why so many people are being infected. The question is will this change anything, will it change attitudes south of the border. Not likely. Trump's White House event in focus over Covid spread

Had a pretty busy day today. Went up to the White Hills this morning to do a site check with the Rangers. After dinner I had meetings with our MP Yvonne Jones and MHA Lisa Dempster at the town office to discuss a number of issues affecting the town. Then we went to the gym to discuss rec issues and from there out to the dock to discuss Small Craft Harbours.

 I previously referred to Republicans as lackeys to Donald Trump. Maybe lackey is a bit harsh but you get the point right? The point is most Republicans in the senate are too afraid to speak up against Donald Trump and the things he does. And I say most, not all. Some have spoken out against him on numerous occasions. Like the late senator John McCain. Now he would have made a good leader.

A lot of talk in the media after Justice Ginsberg passed away about President Trump and the Republican controlled senate choosing a new supreme court justice during an election. Trump and his Republican lackeys will have the chance to shift the ideological balance in the supreme court with a conservative justice. Isn't a judge supposed to be impartial? I don't think they are supposed to be conservative or liberal. And that's not the worst part of the whole thing. Everyone is polarised on the issue. Opinions are split along partisan lines. Whatever happened to right and wrong, good and bad. Why does it have to be Republican and Democrat. America has never been so divided since Trump came into power. Make America great again they say. In my opinion there was nothing really wrong with America in the first place. But there sure is now. Donald Trump should be leading the United States but instead he has been assaulting American democratic institutions and dividing the country.

 Quite chilly this morning and yesterday. I don't think we're gonna see anymore plus 30 degree temperatures. Mom and Dad and the kids are gone over to North River again. Their original plan was to send the kids back with David and Jenna because they were gonna stay over for a couple nights to get some red berries, also known as partridgeberries, but the berries might not be ripe yet. Red berries are really good for treating diabetes and Dad gets some every fall. Bakeapples, aka cloud berries, arpik or akpik depending on the Inuit dialect being used, were scarce this summer.

Walked up on top of Black Head yesterday, or "the Base" as everyone calls it here, because there used to be an American radar station there, part of the Pine Tree Line of radar stations built in the late 40's early 50's. Took me about 30 minutes up and 20 minutes down. The old road is in really bad shape, completely washed away in some places.

A bit chilly today today. Been blowing hard now for two or three days.

Jazmin came home yesterday evening from the playground and told me P*** and G***dog was trying to hump her and the other kids. I was savage mad cause he gave her a pretty good scratch. I decided to calm down and wait till today to call about it.

Got to go to Goose Bay Sept. 30 for a CT scan on my back. It has been bothering me for several months and has gotten worse. It is not your typical lower back pain. It is right in my spine.

 Sept. 12-2020

Took James and his buddy Spencer over to North River. Blowing a bit going over. We were at the cabin a bit, had dinner there, some MRE's. Then we went on the 4 wheelers as far as Cat Brook. Cat Brook is in Trunmore Bay which is part of the Wonderstrands. The Yamaha was overheating quite a bit on the way back. Saw a bull caribou. He was right quiet and got really close. We saw him in the same spot on the way back. There was a fire still smouldering in over the bank where the spring is.

Saw the doctor about my back yesterday morning. He is going to order a CT scan. The pain in my elbow is tennis elbow apparently. My blood results were good.

Sept. 11-2020

Kids had their first day of school Wednesday. Very different. they got to wear masks on the bus and in the hallways in school and at the Family Resource Centre, anywhere physical distancing is not possible.

Julie is on different puffers. She says they are way better than her orange one.

Me and James went over across the run to Earl Island in Dad's little square aluminum boat.We walked around the point and along shore inside Earl Island for about half a mile. Saw two big companies of ducks and had a shot at one. Really nice over there. We also saw a caribou. I let James have a shot with my shotgun so he would see what it was like.

 Aug. 28-2020

Wes Bird died today. Mom and Dad and the kids are gone up to the Straits to get some stuff for the house.

Sept. 02-2020

I found out this evening, Penney Flight, a girl I used to share an apartment with in St. John's along with my friend Curt and his girlfriend, passed over a year ago. I was talking to Curt on Messenger and he said that she was murdered. I couldn't stop thinking about it. How can someone do something like that?

Sept. 06-2020

Both the budgies died. One yesterday and one this morning before I got up. Julie was upset.

Mom and Dad and the kids are over to North River for the weekend.

August 25-2020

 Got to wear masks or face coverings now in indoor public spaces. The kids got to wear them in school in the hallways but not in class. Julie starts in person classes Sept 1st. She is 

working at Dairy Queen now, a new place in Goose Bay. She loves it so far, her new job.

Got a lot of mushrooms yesterday evening and this morning. Four bags full 15-20 pounds. Most I ever see I think. Some places there are great big clusters of them.

Got back from an unplanned night at Batteau a couple days ago. Me, Joce and Scott went up to bury Loni's ashes at Sand Banks. It was rough, wet and foggy going up and there was a big sea on. Julie couldn't come because she just started a new job. Good thing she didn't too because she would have been scared. Scott got bad sea sick from Devil's Lookout to Indian Tickle. We stopped in to Indian Tickle to get Faith, Junior, Darryl and Krista. Then we all went to Sand Banks to bury Loni, stopping at Black Tickle to get Jamie.

Good thing I had my GPS because I would have got lost.

Dougie Morris and Suse was with us in their boat. So was Wanda Cabot and Rodney Webber in their boat, which was good to travel in company. Dougie lost his bearings and turned around  in the opposite direction at Devil's Lookout. I had to catch up to him and show him the right way. He had a GPS but it wasn't working properly or something.

It was a long rough ride but it was much better coming back. We stayed at Clyde Morris' cabin at Batteau. We had lots of room, 3 single beds and 2 queen size beds. Him and Willie and Jamie are staying there while they are fishing. Clyde and Willie are fishing for Cod and Jamie works for the Shrimp Company at the wharf in Black Tickle.

 August 14-2020

Got back from Goose Bay yesterday afternoon after a week. Had a lot of anxiety at first but after the first ride it was good. I had a good time, definitely memorable. It was hot. The temperature was up around 30 celsius for days. The thermometer inside the vehicle was reading 34 degrees one day, the highest I ever seen it. It was good on atv though.

We spent one night in building 306 or 305 the moved to building to building 315 which had air conditioning. The thermometer in my room before we moved only goes up to 30 and the needle was gone way past.

Meals at the mess hall were good. Had pizza from El Greco with Joce and Julie at Joce's place for supper.

Really hot where Julie was staying. Turns out the heat was on and she didn't know it. Got her a window air conditioner for $100.

The first day we went down to Mud Lake Road. We had trouble with two machines and it was incredibly dusty. We were filthy by the time we got back. And we got separated from the front of the group. Second day we went on Goose River Resource Road and down to Wilburn Bay. It was really nice down there. Third day we went to North West River on the road. On the way back we were stopped by the police. They were waiting for us. Someone didn't like us on the roads and must have called. Really hot. Fourth day we went up on Dome Mountain.

Our leader was Lieutenant Adams. He was a cool dude and a good leader. Sergeant Miles was at building 295, the Ranger training facility, also. He was our instructor when we were down a couple weeks ago for GSK and shooting practice. Sergeant Hunt came with us on our last trip up Dome Mountain. Our CO, Colonel I don't remember his name, and Captain I don't remember his name also, was there for an award ceremony for a former instructor.

I met a lot of people, most of whom I don't remember their names because I am really bad with names. But they were just like family.

Got a flat just as we were getting back into town. A lot of construction going on on the road but still no pavement.