For two years, members of the Imaryuk (Husky Lakes) Community Monitoring program have been watching the rivers along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH).

Now, thanks to some grant funding sourced by project manager Kirt Ruben, they wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have to use their own vehicles on the job.

SA国际影视传媒淭he purpose of the pilot program was to implement a guardian-style monitoring program to help protect and conserve local fisheries, related community use and cultural activity from negative impacts that could result from the new access that could be provided by the opening of the highway connecting Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淔ish and fish habitat was the main concern when the road opened in 2017.SA国际影视传媒�

Since 2018, theySA国际影视传媒檝e scanned for sediment entering the water.

As the program is the combined efforts of both Inuvik and TuktoyaktukSA国际影视传媒檚 Hunters and Trappers Committee, advocated for by the Joint Secretariat, watching the waterways is split between the two groups, with the Inuvik team monitoring from kilometre zero to 70 and the Tuktoyaktuk team covering kilometres 70 thru 148.

As there was little to no enforcement on fisheries in the area, the idea gained traction very quickly among the HTCs, who hired four drivers to begin monitoring the waterways from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday from April to November.

SA国际影视传媒淎ll creeks lead to Husky Lakes,SA国际影视传媒� said Ruben. SA国际影视传媒淪o if thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a concern sediment and waste are affecting fish and fish habitat and we know for a fact one creek is going to lead directly to Imaryuk, we would just submit our data collection and documents over to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and we would start collaborating as to whether or not we would have to go further onto the land for the research.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen theySA国际影视传媒檙e patrolling the ITH from Inuvik to Tuk, weSA国际影视传媒檙e looking at creeks, lakes, bridges and culverts that are connected to lakes, and lakes that are connected to Husky Lakes.SA国际影视传媒�

The four water monitors, Lennie Emaghok, Joshua Teddy, Angus Alunik and Lawrence Rogers also work as unofficial ambassadors of the ITH, providing assistance to residents and travellers while on their daily patrols.

However, there was one caveat SA国际影视传媒� the organizations had the will and the people to do it, but they didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have any funding. So the water monitors took in on themselves to use their own vehicles in their data collection.

So, Ruben set about trying to fix that. He wrote up a funding proposal and sent it to the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program and they approved three years of funding, which enabled him to acquire two new Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

SA国际影视传媒淭his program is going to be ongoing and we want the continuation of it every year,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen personal vehicles are down, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 no data collection and we donSA国际影视传媒檛 know how long the vehicles are down for and itSA国际影视传媒檚 an added cost from our limited resources for training.SA国际影视传媒�

Having funding in place, Ruben said the HTCs had enough money left over to budget for wear and tear, so he expected they could get 10 to 15 yearsSA国际影视传媒� worth of work out of the trucks.

With the Imaryuk program now fully established, Ruben said his focus is shifting to helping the four water monitors improve their skills and credentials.

He noted the Joint Secretariat had a partnership with Wilfred Laurier University for training. During the height of the pandemic last year, scientists were unable to travel, so instead they trained the water monitors to operate scientific instruments on their behalf. Ruben said he wanted to expand on that and expand the capacity of the program by bringing in more training opportunities for his monitors.

SA国际影视传媒淲e want to ensure that every external researcher that wants to work with Imaryuk monitors or requests our services, that weSA国际影视传媒檙e ready with certified training that would not consider us research assistants any more, but equals in the fields,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淎nd also community outreach. Due to Covid-19, we suspended that until weSA国际影视传媒檙e back to normal.SA国际影视传媒�