Challenge #4: Connecting Canada

“We can learn about the other GW Challengers and see how they are experimenting with water in their area of Canada.  The kind of interesting things for me was that Toronto, in the 1900s, had an amusement park right on the beach. I also found the winter warming stations interesting.”

-        Braidy Tungilik

“It was interesting to read about the R.C. Harris water treatment plant being one of the most important facilities in Toronto since it’s the largest water treatment plant in the city. The R.C. Harris continues to operate producing 950 million litres per day (at construction it was only 455 million litres). This is WAY more than our water treatment plant here in Gjoa Haven.

I liked learning about how the Water Quality agreement has evolved in the past 50 years from Madeline. This agreement was successful in controlling phosphor, protection of some fish species, and drinking water quality. I just finished a project learning about how phosphorus cycles through the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere so it was cool to make that link.”

-        Brent Puqiqnak

“I learned that Faye took a job with Parks Canada. She moved to Tulita (Dene name, “where the waters meet,”it is located at the confluence of the Dacho and the Mackenzie and Great Bear Rivers). I think some water will be no good in the future. She said oil sands are threatening the downstream water quality.

Bridgeette is amazed with wate. She wonders how water rivers never end. Her goal is to take this Water Challenge because she is so in to water. One of the issues is the Ghost River. It is located near the South Saskatchewan River. The name Ghost River comes from a legend. They’ve seen ghosts picking up skulls of warriors in a battle against the Cree.”

-       Courtney Takkiruq

One thing we as a class noticed while reading the blogs is that water is important to everyone – whether you live in a big city like Toronto, or a small town like Gjoa Haven! A lot of water related geological features have first nation names as water was also very important to our ancestors’ way of life.  Tis challenge has made us more aware of water related issue throughout our country.

Challenge #3: 

Power of Networks and Community Engagement

To get more people talking about the Arctic Ocean our class surveyed our school asking "What does the Arctic Ocean mean to you?" Students and staff answered our poll in their preferred language, Inuktitut or English.

We then classified the answers as we are currently learning about taxonomy. After classifying the responses we posted them in the school for everyone to see. 

 Courtney posting peoples responses under the question written in Inuktitut.

 Courtney again.

Braidy adding to the bulletin board.

 Many students associate the Arctic Ocean with hunting and fishing.

We grouped physical and chemical properties of water together after learning about them in our first unit of the semester.  

It's true that the Arctic Ocean is veryyyy cold! Around our island it is frozen for 8-9 months. 

 This group was based on people feelings when they think of the Arctic Ocean. It is beautiful, but can also be scary. 

Many animals that come for the Arctic Ocean are eaten, and used for clothing. 

Relating back to challenge #2, Louie talked to us about how the Arctic Ocean, and more specifically the Northwest Passage, is a channel or gateway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific. This passage is used for travelling by local Inuit and others coming to the North.  

Though the Arctic Ocean is not the biggest of the World's oceans, it hold a big place in all of our hearts. 

Thanks for reading our blog post! In the comment section you should add to our poll!

What does the Arctic Ocean mean to you?

Challenge #2: We are explorers and "science" types

Ship headed to Peterson Bay
Louie Kamookak (C) 

Local historian and explorer Louie Kamookak came into our class to talk about water-related landmarks around Gjoa Haven. His story began when a ship left Peterson Bay outside of Gjoa Haven and headed west towards Simpson Strait. The boat was searching for the long lost ship of Sir John Franklin.

Aerial view of Gjoa Haven's Bay
Louie Kamookak (C) 

Many ships travel through Simpson Straight, known as Quqiruk in Inuktitut. It is used by local hunters, the coast guard, and cruise ships. Simpson straight is used so frequently because it opens early in the spring time. This is because of the relatively shallow water and currents running under the ice. As their gets to be less ice in Simpson straight we are starting to see a lot more sailboats using it as well. 

Malivolik river
Louie Kamookak (C)  

Along the Simpson straight you can find an inukshuk marking Malivolik. This is a traditional camp location used by Inuit and the site of the first Hudson’s Bay post in this area. Here the river meets the ocean, and many char use this river as a passageway to the lake. 

Sea life on board the Erebus
Louie Kamookak (C)  

Franklin’s ship, the Erebus, was found in an area of the Queen Maud Gulf called Ugjulik. At the site there are many scientists working on cataloguing the types of life that were found on the shipwreck. They found clams, seaweed, star fish, and sea cucumbers.  

These findings tell us that the ocean in our area has been travelled on for many many years. This makes sense because all of our communities in the Kitikmeot region are on the coast, and before there were official communities, people still stayed close to the coast.

Hunter travelling by boat in Simpson Sraight
Louie Kamookak (C)

Ship in Simpson Straight
Louie Kamookak (C)

You can learn more about the Franklin Discovery, Inuit Oral Traditions, and landmarks in Gjoa Haven on Louie's blog: 

www.louiekamookak.com 

Challenge #1: Introducing Brooke

My name is Brooke Boutilier. I grew up in Nova Scotia but am currently living and teaching in Gjoa Haven, NU. Our hamlet it situated on traditional treaty land, from the Nunavut settlement.

I LOVE the ocean. I have lived close to the ocean my entire life. When I was younger I wished I was a mermaid so I could live in the ocean, with the starfish, sea snails, and seahorses. I signed my class up for this challenge because I think it is important to understand how all of the world'd oceans and water are interconnected.

Gjoa Haven is in the Arctic Ocean watershed. Our hamlet is situated directly on the Arctic Ocean; you can see the ocean from everywhere in town. One issue I notice is the amount of garbage that can be found along the shores of the ocean.

DJ Porter is learning how ice can affect waves.
It is October 17th and we already have a thin layer of ice in our bay!

Challlenge #1: Introducing Courtney and Braidy

Courtney Takkiruq

Braidy Tungilik

I'm Courtney Takkiruq. I am from Gjoa Haven, NU. I am inuk, a first people. We live on treaty land, under the Nunavut settlement.

One time my science teacher let us do a project about water and gravity. So we got one cup of water, another one empty, and a string with both ends in each cup. We put the cup of water holding both ends of the strings tight and start to slowly pour the water down the string into the other cup. It's cool how gravity works, along with water's properties cohesion and adhesion.

I signed up for the Great Waters Challenge because I am taking a class about the ocean.

My community sits on the Arctic Ocean watershed.

A water issue I have noticed is that the ice here melts earlier than usual. It also comes later than usual too. We had an elder come into our class to talk about how the ice is changing.





My name is Braidy, and I am from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. I am inuk, a first people, and I lie on treaty land (Nunavut settlement).

I don't really have a cool water story, but I signed up because it looked pretty cool to do.

The watershed I belong to is the Arctic Ocean.

The local issues that I think people should worry about it garbage going into the water because sea animals don't know what it is and it can affect what they do, or affect their lives.