The frigid waters of Great Slave Lake were home to an exotic species throughout the first half of March: divers from Europe, the United States, and several regions of Southern Canada.
The divers were in town from March 1-17 as part of the Canadian Armed ForcesSA国际影视传媒� (CAF) Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT. The majority came from Belgium and France, but there was one in town from Germany.
SA国际影视传媒淲e set up two dive locations: one was by the former Con Mine dock, and one was just north of Mosher Island,SA国际影视传媒� said Major J.L. MacDonald, an operations manager for Joint Task Force North and one of the facilitators of the operations in Yellowknife. SA国际影视传媒淲e were learning different lessons, learning (about) different pieces of equipment for the different nationalities, training everyone about under-ice diving, training them with surface-supplied equipment.SA国际影视传媒�
The initial portions of the training occurred at the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool, but when that was done, MacDonald and his colleagues SA国际影视传媒渃ut a couple holes in the ice and got them to practice the stuff that they did in the pools.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an opportunity for some of these nations to get some serious under ice diving where they might not have the same level of ice that we have up here,SA国际影视传媒� said MacDonald. SA国际影视传媒淐utting through a metre and a half of ice to get to the water was a new experience for a lot of them.
SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of them, this was their first time North, it was their first time ice diving, it was their first time diving under cold conditions, or sub-zero conditions, but everyone was all smiles. There was good camaraderie. It was a great time and excellent, excellent training to get everyone under the ice like we did.SA国际影视传媒�
While the Europeans and Southern Canadians were in Yellowknife for serious training, that did not preclude them from enjoying some leisure time.
MacDonald said many of them did SA国际影视传媒減retty much everything thatSA国际影视传媒檚 on the Northern tourism checklistSA国际影视传媒� from aurora watching, to dog-sledding, to snowmobiling, to ice-fishing SA国际影视传媒� though they didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have much luck with the latter.
SA国际影视传媒淲e didnSA国际影视传媒檛 catch a thing,SA国际影视传媒� MacDonald said, laughing. SA国际影视传媒淲e were totally skunked on that, but hey, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 part of fishing in Great Slave Lake. Sometimes you donSA国际影视传媒檛 get anything.SA国际影视传媒�
The cold didnSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to deter the visitors, either. A few of them even partook in a polar plunge.
SA国际影视传媒淎 bunch of them were stripping down to their shorts to jump in,SA国际影视传媒� the major said.
MacDonald has been living in the North for 14 years, and considers Yellowknife his home, even if he wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 born here.
He said he always enjoys showing visitors around, but drew particular satisfaction from this experience.
SA国际影视传媒淚 absolutely love bringing people up here and just letting them experience the North and participate in the activities that we can have up here,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 did have a personal level of pride and satisfaction in being able to have them come and experience what we sometimes take for granted in Northern life.
SA国际影视传媒淛ust watching them get excited, seeing it through their eyes that theySA国际影视传媒檙e doing this stuff for the first time and theySA国际影视传媒檙e excited and theySA国际影视传媒檙e happy about it, that was a good reward for me,SA国际影视传媒� he added. SA国际影视传媒淓veryone was thrilled to be here. The Belgians, the German, and the French, they all definitely want to come back again.SA国际影视传媒�
Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT SA国际影视传媒渟erves to strengthen the CAFSA国际影视传媒檚 presence in the Arctic while also enhancing our familiarity with the region,SA国际影视传媒� according to the Government of CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 website. SA国际影视传媒淭hrough the relationships built and maintained during Op NANOOK, the CAF helps to improve the military readiness of partners. This includes the delivery of training, as well as practicing techniques to ensure the CAF remains coordinated with our Allies and partners.SA国际影视传媒�
Resolute, Nunavut also hosted divers during the operation.
