magazine / apr08
 |
April 2008 issue |
|
|
|
Reverberations
Will power
The article by Christopher Frey (“It’s the freedom, b’y,” Jan/Feb
2008) is by far the best I have ever read about our region. He captures
the beauty of the Lower North Shore and the feelings and the will
of our people to continue. Thank you, and God bless.
RANDY JONES
LA TABATIÈRE, QUE.
I was thrilled to see an article on the Lower
North Shore in the
pages of your magazine! It is a great article and truly appreciated,
since it is a territory that I am deeply fond of.
But, to clarify, Lower North Shore students can complete their
high school here. Our students no longer leave for Montréal,
Lennoxville or Sept-Îles unless they want to pursue college
or university studies.
The brain drain you refer to has nothing to do with the fact that
university graduates do not want to return to the Lower North Shore.
They would, if they could. Unfortunately, there are not that many
job opportunities for university graduates in the region.
LUCY DE MENDONÇA
COMMISSION SCOLAIRE DU LITTORAL
SEPT-ÎLES, QUE.
I had the opportunity to take the Nordik Express cargo and passenger
ship from Sept-Îles to Blanc-Sablon and back in 1995, and
I’ve always longed to fit another visit into my schedule.
Thanks for giving me the next best thing. It’s also nice to
know that the hockey rink is still Harrington Harbour’s second
most conspicuous feature!
Regarding the extension of Route 138, I’m of two minds. I
know what it would mean for the local economy, but I worry that
these communities will forget what makes them special. Something
is invariably lost when an outport turns its back on the sea that
nurtured it.
GEORGE E. SOLLISH
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
I used to think a road would be bad for the coast, that it would
bring all the bad elements from the city. But after seeing the effect
of the road in the Labrador Straits region, I don’t feel it’s
such a bad thing. The road there has helped build the tourism industry
and enabled young people to find jobs in the tourism/communications
business.
As for the snowmobile being our only contact with things modern,
you should know that we do have satellite dishes, computers and
cars. We are in touch with the world through our computers. Most
of us are on dial-up, but at school, we have semi-high-speed.
GLORIA BOBBITT
CHEVERY, QUE.
Spared by a leopard
Paul Nicklen’s photographs (“Polar
Vision,” Jan/Feb
2008) are indeed very striking, and he was fortunate to have such
a benign encounter with a leopard seal. Like any large wild animal,
they can be dangerous and unpredictable. There are anecdotal accounts
of attacks on humans by these creatures, and one young British scientist
was attacked and killed while snorkeling in Antarctic waters in 2003.
BRIAN T. HILL
MOUNT PEARL, NFLD.
No race to the pole
“Slicing
the polar pie” (“À la carte,” Jan/Feb
2008) offers a foretaste of the situation that will confront the
Arctic coastal states (Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United
States) once all have developed outer limits for their extended
continental shelves (ECS), whereby they will be entitled to exercise
certain sovereign rights beyond 200 nautical miles from their coasts.
However, ECS surveying in the Arctic is neither a race to the Pole
nor a fight for the seabed. Two facts have gotten lost in these
pronouncements. One is that each coastal state needs to obtain approval
for its proposed ECS from a UN-sanctioned body known as the Commission
on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
The other fact is that the Commission will not intervene in situations
where two or more coastal states seek to include the same oceanic
area within their proposed ECSs. Contending parties will be told
to resolve their differences in accordance with the dispute-resolution
mechanisms that are part and parcel of international law.
Credit should be given to Paul Neto and Rob van de Poll, who published
the first maps comparing the median and sector scenarios described
in the article. These are by no means the only approaches open to
contesting coastal states. In the improbable case that all coastal
states were to agree to one or the other scenario, the largest trade-off
would occur between Canada and the United States. Canada would be
favoured in the median scenario, the United States in the sector
scenario. Ironically, Canada has tended to favour the sector approach,
while the United States has tended to reject it.
RON MACNAB
CANADIAN POLAR COMMISSION
DARTMOUTH, N.S.
Canada must do whatever is needed to support either the current
ownership of our Arctic territory or, at the very least, the Median
Line Principle. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea should consider comments from the five countries that ratified
the Convention and pay little, if any, attention to comments from
countries that have not ratified the Convention. The United States,
as most law-abiding nations know, will likely do everything possible
to sabotage any solution that does not favour its narrow interests.
JAMES C. POIRIER
KINGSTON, ONT.
top
Carbon balance
My compliments on a well-written and balanced presentation of carbon
sequestration (“Carbon
cemetery,” Jan/Feb
2008). Having
travelled extensively through the Estevan and Weyburn areas in Saskatchewan
over the last 20 years, I can speak to the visible signs of our
energy-thirsty lifestyle. The landscape is scarred by open-pit coal
mines, and pumpjacks are everywhere. Disheartening as this may be,
it is the road we have chosen, and so, at least for now, we are
locked into a culture dependent on those fossil fuels. While we
wean ourselves from this milk of the Earth, it is encouraging to
see programs such as carbon sequestering. They may offer some relief
from anthropogenic carbon emissions.
More encouraging, however, is the reasonable approach writer Allan
Casey has taken. In a day and age where it is fashionable to reject
any process or program that is not all-out green, Casey’s
article is a refreshing read. Alluding only vaguely to the problems
associated with carbon injection (and there are, no doubt, serious
problems to overcome), his presentation of the topic shows that
serious work is, in fact, being carried out, however imperfect it
may be, to try to develop long-term solutions to our present problems.
JEFF WOOD
STEINBACH, MAN.
Before we rush to implement technological solutions to climate change,
we should first debate some important but admittedly difficult questions.
Is climate change just a symptom of overpopulation? Can we reduce
CO2 emissions if human numbers continue to grow? Are our current numbers
sustainable in the long term? What is an optimum population for Canada
and for the world? Can Canadians influence other countries to limit
their numbers if we do not limit our own? (Our population will double
within 70 years if the present one percent annual growth continues.)
Do technological fixes such as carbon sequestration worsen the problem
by enabling more population growth?
BRISHEN HOFF
MASSEY, ONT.
Creek leak
Your short article on the Pingualuit crater, “The crystal eye
of Nunavik” (“Discovery,” Nov/Dec
2007), left me
wondering about the origin of the crater and how fish ever got into
the lake in the first place. A web search of “fish in Pingualuit
crater” led to the website of The Royal Astronomical Society
of Canada (www.ottawa.rasc.ca), which suggests that the crater was
formed by a meteorite impact, rather than volcanism. A gully eroded
through the crater rim indicates that during times of glacial melt, “the
water level in the crater was higher than it is today and drained
through this gully. Arctic char may have swum upstream in the creek
through this gully and into the crater from one of the local lakes.”
RUBEN KAUFMAN
CALGARY, ALTA.
Wrong range
The article “Waiting for the volcano,” (“Discovery,” Jan/Feb
2008) incorrectly locates Nazko Cone in the Cascade Range. The Cascades
are separated from the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains by the
Fraser River, well to the south of the cone.
VAL WUORINEN
WHITE ROCK, B.C.
Pardon me
The article on the Food Mail Program (“The
1,000-mile diet,” Nov/Dec
2007) highlights very well the complexity of delivering nutritious
food to northern communities. Having been involved with this program
since 1996, I can attest to the huge challenges of delivering perishable
products to one of the most rigorous weather regions on Earth.
Canada Post has handling guidelines for all involved with the Food
Mail Program to optimize quality and minimize spoilage. In fact,
these guidelines have allowed Canada Post employees to regularly
inspect shipments for compliance and quality standards (10 percent
of all shipments) in all active entry points. It was wrong for me
to say to your writer that there are no inspections for quality
taking place. I was referring to a formal system like that of the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, whose inspectors are looking mainly
for food safety hazards. Canada Post quality inspectors are looking
for higher standards of food quality, since weather and transport
conditions are more extreme compared with conditions found in the
South.
In early December, all those involved in the program were forwarded
a new document titled “Guidelines and Requirements for Food
Mail Program Users.” The intent of this document is to provide
clear accountability for all players involved. These new requirements
were developed with the collaboration of Canada Post, Indian and
Northern Affairs Canada and me, with the primary goal of improving
overall quality. Plans are to have the new requirements fully implemented
by mid-2008. This will make Canada a leader among circumpolar countries
dealing with the same transportation issues. I am very proud to
be part of such an achievement.
JEAN-PIERRE EMOND
QUEBEC CITY
top
It takes about 70 hours for a truck with a single driver to run
from Montréal to Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador. I estimate
it would take about 27 hours for a truck with three drivers to get
a load across the same distance.
The extra cost of expedited freight service would be repaid, at
least in part, by reduced spoilage. There would be fewer black bananas
if they spent 43 fewer hours on the road.
It used to take a week for a truck driver to get from Toronto to
Vancouver. Then Quikasair put two drivers in each vehicle and cut
the time to 60 hours.
Changes in trucking methods may be the easiest way to increase
the quality of fresh food in the Far North.
J. SANDY MATHESON
KITCHENER, ONT.
Bars like the BOO
What a wonderful piece by Laurie Sarkadi about the mood in Hay
River, N.W.T., while residents were in mourning for the Mountie
they loved (“In habitat,” Jan/Feb
2008). It brought
a tear to my eye. It has been a million years since I was a hard-working
pilot with Associated Helicopters out of Edmonton. I was through
and around Hay River numerous seasons in the Arctic. I have been
in bars like the BOO. Sarkadi hits the nail on the head, defining
the mood, the energy and the instant identification with a common
emotion. What a sweetheart to convey it all so clearly to the rest
of the world.
Most helicopter pilots I knew from the old days subscribed to Canadian
Geographic. Now a Calgary cousin sends me the magazine, and I drool
over the fantastic photos. I know exactly how hard it is to get
some of those shots.
RUTHANNE PAGE
GRANTS PASS, OREGON
I worked for many years as a nurse in the N.W.T. in Yellowknife
and in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut and had numerous encounters
with Mounties. Laurie Sarkadi’s column brought back many pleasant
and touching memories of my time in the North, and all the rewarding
experiences with RCMP and the people there. A friend sends me a
subscription to Canadian Geographic and articles like this one are
exquisite glimpses of northern Canada, reaching across the world
to Tasmania where I now live, a refugee from the cold.
HEATHER EMMETT
HOBART, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA
Moose off the map
I thoroughly enjoyed your “Wildlife
stories of the year” (Nov/Dec
2007).
The map in the article on caribou (“Caribou in decline”)
shows the distribution of woodland caribou over a region of Labrador
and Quebec that is, in fact, the general range of the George River
herd, which I always thought was the largest herd of barren ground
caribou in the world. There are isolated herds of woodland caribou
in Labrador, such as the Red Wine and Mealy Mountain herds, which
are endangered and are generally located in southcentral and southeastern
Labrador, the area not shaded on the distribution map.
On the Island of Newfoundland, the woodland caribou have been in
decline for a number of years, and it appears that predation by
coyotes is the main cause. However, caribou are still numerous,
and sightings in most regions of the island are common. The distribution
map in your article indicates an absence of caribou in some parts
of the island, such as the northwestern section. This area contains
a significant population of woodland caribou. I saw them while snowmobiling
there last winter. I also saw several small herds while landing
in Deer Lake Regional Airport in December. As well, there are local
populations of caribou on the Bonavista and Burin peninsulas, also
unshaded on the map.
JIM AYLWARD
ST. JOHN’S
The cat never left
The cat is not back (“Cougars
on the move,” Nov/Dec
2007).
In fact, the cat has never been away. About 15 years ago, I sent the
Espanola branch of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources photographs
of cougar tracks in the snow, complete with the marks of a ropelike
tail lashing from side to side as the big cat paused while following
the trail of a deer. Later that night, we heard the cougar screaming
on the other side of a frozen beaver pond.
STEVE HIGGINS
WATERLOO, ONT.
My husband and I live near the village of White Lake, Ont., about
80 kilometres west of Ottawa. We have two farms on McLachlan Road;
we live on one and pasture our cattle on the other. On April 29,
2007, I took my dog and my camera to the other farm to photograph
the damage to our granary done by a hungry bear. My black lab took
off across the field to check out a groundhog hole, and I started
taking photos. As I turned for a different angle, I saw my dog running
toward me, and about 40 to 50 metres away, I saw a cougar sail over
a rail fence and disappear into the bush. It was so thrilling. Yes,
I know, I could have been a hot dinner for that cougar.
DIANNE BREARLEY
WHITE LAKE, ONT.
Last summer, my son was startled by a cougar crossing a highway
20 kilometres northeast of The Pas, Man., which confirmed stories
of sightings by others in the area. This is much farther north than
the cougar’s original range as noted on your map.
Also, I last saw woodland caribou near The Pas in the 1960s, but
in November 2007, I was thrilled to come upon a group of four southeast
of The Pas on Highway 60, north of Lake Winnipegosis, an area farther
south than that depicted on your map.
VAUGHN WADELIUS
THE PAS, MAN.
top
Not veteran enough
Reading the article on Legion halls (“Meet
me at the Legion,” Nov/Dec
2007) got me thinking about the day I tried to join back in 1982.
I had just retired from the Canadian Forces (Air Force) after serving
almost 26 years. The person in the office told me that I would need
a sponsor to join, since I was not a veteran of any war. Despite serving
five years in Germany during the Cold War, I was not considered a
veteran because, I assume, we did not drop an atomic bomb on any enemy
nor were we ever attacked.
I have often wondered how many others who served during the Cold
War were turned away. Now the Legion will take almost anyone who
pays the membership fee. I see Legion halls closing their doors
for lack of members. Are the ones that stay open still going to
be called Legions when there are no veterans as members?
MIKE HACKETT
SACKVILLE, N.B.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Meet
me at the Legion.” However,
the decline in members shadows just how uninformed Canadian children
are about the Legion. It is satisfying to see that it is trying
to renew interest in the organization. Canadians need this knowledge
so that they can fully appreciate and understand our veterans. Maybe
recognizing the sacrifices of military men and women will bring
about an increase in support for our efforts in Afghanistan.
REBECCA BALKWILL
HALBRITE, SASK.
B.C. POWs
No story about German prisoners of war (POWs) in Canada (“Prisoners
of the forest,” Nov/Dec
2007) would be complete without including
their experience in logging camps in British Columbia. I’m not
sure how many camps there were in the province, but there were at
least three here in the vicinity of Clearwater. A number of former
prisoners returned here after the war, and now they and their families
are part of the fabric of the community. Also, like elsewhere, they
are aging. I’m sure they would have some very interesting stories
to tell.
IAN BROWN
CLEARWATER, B.C.
top
* Letters may be edited for length, accuracy and liability.
|
