History
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Poker
I enjoy poker. I enjoy playing poker from time to time and we pretty much watch one of the myriad Texas Hold’em Tournaments several times a week. (Sorry you had to find out this way mom.) Back when I was a summer student in Thompson I played somewhat serious poker, and pretty much doubled my
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Letters home.
The day before yesterday a parcel arrived from my sister. As one would expect this time of year it contained Christmas presents, but it also held other precious things. Earlier this year Michele and my dad had been searching for a letter from my Grandpa that I had been wanting. It was a letter he
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The Halifax Explosion
Today is the 89th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion, which, up until the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima, was the biggest man made explosion in history. In fact the Halifax Explosion was studied by some of those architects of the Nuclear Age at Los Alamos. Probably the chief lesson they took from it was to make
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They grow not old
Remembrance Day is one of the most important days of the year for me. It is also a very emotional day for me, for I spend a good deal of it thinking about my Grandpa. I can easily see him in my minds eye, giving the Veterans Benediction at Remembrance Days long past. If I
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Henry Larson
The CCGS Henry Larson was at Arctic Bay over the long weekend. Thus far, we’ve seen three of the five icebreakers in the Eastern Arctic fleet (the Larson, Terry Fox and Des Grosslier). The Henry Larson is named for an iconic member of the RCMP.Supt. Henry Larson was born Norwegian but emigrated to Canada and
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Pardon
A news item on the CBC announced that Britan is expected to announce on Wednesday that they are seeking a Royal Pardon for some 306 Commonwealth soldiers executed for cowardice or desertion during the Great War. This includes 23 Canadian soldiers executed at that time. Two others were executed during the war for murder. Canada
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The Somme
Today is the 90th anniversary of the Great War battle of The Somme. On July 1st an offensive was launched by the British and French armies against German defences at the Somme. The losses were staggering. The British (which included Canada and other Commonwealth nations) lost almost 20,000 men on the first day alone. Over
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Shooyook… Part 2
Link to Part one Before coming to Arctic Bay, Shooyook lived near Fort Ross. Fort Ross was a Hudson Bay Company Post at the eastern entrance of the Bellot Strait. Fort Ross was used for a number of years before being abandoned, due to uncertain ice conditions. The manager’s house, which still stands, has the
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Shooyook… Part 1
The High Arctic is rich in history, some recent, some ancient. People have lived in this area for at least 3,500 years. There are those who believe the Vikings visited here, not so far fetched an idea given our proximity to Greenland. There was certainly trade with them as some of their textiles or yarn
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The other Clare Kines
Sixty-two years ago today my namesake died, murdered actually. And although it may seem strange to talk about murder in the midst of war, he along with 133 other Canadian and two British POW’s were executed, well away from the front lines, by members of the 12th Panzer Hitler Jugen. He was 29. Clare Davidson