detail from: KRK Art dizajn

ON THE ALERT WITH THE BEAR

SIMO JELACA, Ph.D.

Sitting on the train with Daniella on the way home, Daniel mentioned how he would like to visit the far north of Canada, even preferably in the winter.

- But don't you think it's too cold and risky?, Daniella asked.

- I know it's cold, but I want to feel how it is. See and feel the conditions under which people can survive. The only thing is to find someone who wants to go with me. That will be much more interesting.

- I have two girlfriends at university in my year, one of them knows a guy from construction, he is an Eskimo and must be from the far north. I will introduce you to her, and then you will try to meet with him and make an agreement.

Daniel accepted and the next day they all met at Daniella's college, where she introduced her friends Blanca and Elvira. Elvira told Daniel about an Eskimo boy, whose name is Iluk, in the fourth year of civil engineering. Two days later Daniel went to the Faculty of Civil Engineering, asking the fourth year Iluk? Everyone knew him. He is very friendly with everyone, so they soon got to know each other. When Daniel told Iluk what he wanted, Iluk was surprised that someone would want to see his city. He immediately asked Daniel when he would like to go there, and was even more surprised when he heard that it would be during the March break.

- Maybe you will be cold, it will be winter weather, and really cold. You can plan for summer time, there is still snow.

- Don't worry, Iluk, I will be well dressed and prepared. Are you going home at that time?

- I'm going, but I'm experienced, we've been living in those conditions for centuries and we've adapted to it.

- We will be in touch, Daniel added, after the winter exams.

-So, what was the result of your meeting with Iluka? Daniella asked him on the way home.

- We agreed to go together. He goes home anyway. So, after the winter exam, we will get ready and go. I'll call you from there and tell you everything when I get back, if I get back?

- Don't talk like that, if you come back. You will be back for sure.

- The winters are very strong there, so you can freeze, who knows?

Soon winter arrived in Toronto, cold winds started blowing, temperatures were getting lower day by day. People were dressed more warmly and walked faster through the streets with their heads bowed. The students were preparing for the exams, as were Daniel and Daniella. When the time came, they didn't have time to meet for almost three weeks. Daniella studied the biology of computer systems; Biochemistry of Proteins, Lipids and Metabolism, while Daniel mainly spent his time preparing for Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering and Chemical Science Engineering, as well as preparing for Chemical Plant Design and Elective Thesis. When it was all over, Daniella got an average score of 95%, and Daniel 92%. She was a little better again, but both very satisfied. Parents congratulated both and prepared dinner in a restaurant for both families. At dinner, Daniel told them his plans for March break. Erika and Dennis (Daniella's parents) were surprised, while Una and Michael (Daniel's parents) were not. They knew their son well, so they agreed with what he wanted to do. Their approach was:

- He has grown up, we will help him as much as we can, and we always give the best advice, but it is up to him whether he wants to accept it or not.

The day after Daniella left for Saskatoon to visit her grandmother, Daniel and Iluk left Ottawa, flew to Iqaluit. The flight lasted about three hours. As advised by Iluk, Daniel prepared for the climate of the far north. He packed heavy winter snow pants, shoes, gloves and scarves, as well as warm pajamas and pullovers. While flying, Iluk informed Daniel about his city and everything he was about to learn. Iluk was glad that there was a Canadian, white, who wanted to explore his area, Nunavut.

When he arrived at the Iqaluit airport, the first thing that surprised Daniel was the airport building, which looked more like a large plastic tent. Furthermore, when going to the city center you can walk, go on foot, it is not far, but Daniel decided to ride on a dog sled, just out of curiosity and a unique opportunity. He took a room at the Capital City Hotel, located in the center of the city. Iluk went to his home, where his parents, father Takijok and mother Kaya, were waiting impatiently for him. Iluk promised Daniel that he would come for him the next day, to spend some time in his house, with his family.

While at the hotel, Daniel spent the first night learning about Iqaluit. He discovered that about 7,000 people live in the city. There are enough people to keep seeing new faces, but also enough people that you can't avoid running into at least a handful of people you know from shops, airports, restaurants, clinics and (best/worst of all) bars. Iqaluit is also a small enough town that everyone knows all the locals. Most of the people who live in Iqaluit have lived in northern Canada for thousands of years: the Inuit, who, along with the First Nations Indians and Métis, make up the Aboriginal people (Indigeenis people') of Canada. However, Iqaluit is also considered Nunavut's cosmopolitan hub, which means you'll see a surprising amount of ethnic diversity in Iqaluit.

So where is Iqaluit on the map of Canada? Look at the top right until you see Baffin's Island. Iqaluit will be marked because it is the capital of Nunavut. You are north enough to experience a treeless landscape, but south enough to avoid 24-hour days or nights. Iqaluit is generally accessible only by plane and, provided there is no ice, by boat. From the south, the only direct routes to Iqaluit are via Ottawa or Montreal. Iqaluit is located on Frobisher Bay, which is frozen from November to June each year. This means that the city is under ice for most of the year. It mentions that the frozen bay becomes a snowmobile highway, leading to uninhabited tundra and making communities accessible by "aircraft only" accessible on land.

Iqaluit has a typically arctic climate. It's cold. It's snowy. It's icy. October to May is quite wintery. Even during the "summer months" you can forget about wearing shorts and a T-shirt. It's rarely warm enough for that; when it is, the mosquitoes will eat you alive. That being said, Iqaluit is blessed with a "dry cold," meaning there isn't much moisture in the air. This lack of moisture makes cold temperatures much more bearable. You will see that on a calm, sunny, spring day, -15°C (15 degrees Celsius) is not only comfortable, but also pleasant.

What do people do for fun? Although Iqaluit is a small town, it has a lot of community spirit. Iqaluit is completely surrounded by wilderness and many people spend their free time "on the land." If you're not an outdoorsy type, you can immerse yourself in the cultural scene, which is influenced by traditional Inuit crafts (sewing, carving and printing). For the most part, you'll probably have fun the same way you do in the South: sharing food, stories, and laughs with your friends, family, and fellow "Iqalumiut" (people who live in Iqaluit). Of course, Iqaluit is all this and more.

As the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit, with a population of about 7,000, is the largest in the Nunavut Territory. Even in "the city", however, there isn't much to go from one end of town to the other. If you take a taxi, there is only one price for all distances. The museum, legislature, visitor center and several hotels are within walking distance of each other.

The next day, after breakfast, Iluk arrived at the hotel reception and invited Daniel to come down. He was ready, as Iluk expected. They walked to his house, next to Apex Road and Saputi Street. Iluk's house was located in Kullik Street. At home, Iluk introduced Daniel to his family members: father Takijok, mother Kaya, brother Nilak and sister Suku.

Daniel was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit Iqaluit, and especially to meet his friend's family, who live in northern Canada, something most Canadians can only dream of. He thanked for the invitation and asked Nilak and Suka, at least of the younger generation, to come to the "south" to be his guests in Toronto. Over coffee and talking about family matters and studies, as well as the Canadian north, Iluk's mom Kaya prepared lunch. For Daniel's surprise, she prepared roasted caribou meat and salmon. Iluk's father Takijok regularly goes hunting and fishing. His brother Nilak is a local mechanic, mainly maintaining snowmobiles and hunting weapons. His sister Suka was about eighteen years old and had only recently started working in a local workshop where they make Inuit souvenirs.

In the afternoon, Iluk and Daniel went out on his snowmobile to see the surroundings of the city. While riding the snowmobile, Iluk talked to Daniel about their town. He noted:

- Iqaluit is an interesting place to visit, even for a short time. About 60% of Iqaluit's population is Inuit. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Iqaluit was -46°C. On December 21st, the shortest day of the year, Iqaluit had only 4.2 hours of daylight. The longest day of the year is June 20, when Iqaluit has 20.5 hours of sunshine.

As of December 24, the sun doesn't rise until 9:25 a.m., and the earliest sunset is on December 17 at 1:40 p.m. Iqaluit has 20 kilometers of roads. Most of them are not asphalted.

Iluk also told Daniel about their history:

- In 1576, British explorer Sir Martin Frobisher landed on southern Baffin Island in search of the Northwest Passage. He established a settlement at a site that the Inuit had long considered a camping and fishing spot. On January 1, 1987, the city's name was officially changed from "Frobisher Bay" to "Iqaluit". The Northwest Territories were divided into two, and the territory of Nunavut was established on April 1, 1999. Snowmobiles and sometimes dog sleds are used for trips to the surrounding areas.

For his collection, Daniel took the symbols of Nunavut, because he liked to keep them for himself. While in Iqaluit, Daniel visited a museum where he learned many other facts about Nunavut. For example, the community is served by one K-12 school, Inuujaq School. Since the only outsiders in the community are government workers, the student population is almost entirely Inuit, and the first language spoken is Inuktitut. Like most secondary schools in Nunavut, Inuujak uses the Alberta Education Curriculum.

Iqaluit has a tundra climate, with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. Positive temperatures are only average from June to August. The record temperature in June was 18.5°C (18.5 degrees Celsius), the record in February was -72°C (minus 72 degrees Celsius).

Summers are cool, often around 8 degrees Celsius. Ah yes, 24 hour sunshine. When the sun rises on May 8, it doesn't set again until the first week of August. In contrast, it lasts until November 5, three months. Don't let that fool you; it is not "dark" for three months, because there is an ever-changing amount of twilight after sunset. Early in the dark season, the sun spends a lot of time just below the horizon. For photojournalists, this light here is magical.

Iqaluit has maintained a tradition of keeping working dog sled teams. Several owners have made themselves available for day trips and short trips. You just have to ask where they are and when they work.

The northern lights are magnificent, with spectral colors. There are no better places in the world to watch the aurora, but there are few visitors this far north. Iqaluit is close to the north magnetic pole and that puts it near the northern edge of activity. But the figures increase every year as the magnetic pole moves 41 km a year further and further. In winter there are activities most nights, with some spectacular displays, under an intensely dark sky. Of course it's cold, but the stars here are closer, brighter and seem bigger. Aurora and stargazing are strictly winter activities though, because hey, 24-hour sun, come summer.

On the third day of his stay in Iqaluit, Daniel decided to go dog sledding. The day was sunny and partly cloudy, but without wind, although the temperature was -27°S and the wind -36°S, which is usual for this region. The surrounding forests with mostly shrubs and conifers were covered with snow, giving the impression of a beautiful Canadian winter. When he got into the sled, the owner already had his eyebrows and mustache frozen. He was official in the comments, at the start, but during the ride he started to talk, giving information mainly about the dogs. He said:

- Our dogs are very intelligent, well trained and respond to verbal commands. Sled dogs in our area are used for personal transport and mail delivery. They are also used for dog sled races. When he mentioned dog sled racing, Daniel asked him about the length of the distance in that event. Then the driver replied:

- Our competition sometimes goes up to a thousand miles. -Is that possible? Daniel asked him. -Yes it is. I participated in some myself. They last a few days. We must feed the dogs well and rest them at night. Sled dogs need a lot of food. They require up to 1,700 calories per day, but when racing, Eskimo dogs in particular can consume up to 10,000 calories per day. Today, people breed dogs less and less, because they are replaced in transport by snowmobiles. So, in modern times, sled dogs are only used in races and for tourist attractions. This is one of the reasons why these trips are relatively expensive for you. I know, it's too much for you to pay, but conversely, we don't earn much, just enough for our lives and keeping the dogs healthy.

Daniel had the good fortune of being driven by twelve happy sled dogs. When they finished the ride and shook hands, the owner of the Yokona wished him a safe return.

Before leaving Iqaluit, Daniel went to Iluk's house to greet them all and thank them again for the wonderful lunch and hospitality. Everyone except Suka was at home. Suka was working at that time. They all sat for a while, drank tea, and then Daniel shook hands with father Takijok, brother Nilak, and he kissed mom Kaya. He continued his journey to Alert, even further north.

Arriving at the Iqaluit airport, Daniel telephoned Daniella, telling her how he had spent his time and planning his trip to Alert. Daniella was persistent in trying to talk him out of it, but to no avail. He was persistent in this, as he had planned. He also called his parents, just letting them know where he was, what he had done and what he still planned to do.

In an hour or so he boarded the plane with only eight other passengers. He knew that Alert was over two thousand kilometers away, and with that small plane it would take them about three hours to fly. In front of his seat he found a publication about the city and its surroundings which he read and made some notes in his notebook.

Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, 817 kilometers from the North Pole. Its permanent population was reported as zero in the 2011 census, but rotating military and scientific personnel were present. Alert has many temporary residents as it hosts a military intelligence radio receiving facility at the Canadian Forces Station. Alert, as well as Environment Canada's meteorological stations, the Atmospheric Global Atmospheric Monitoring Laboratory and Alert Airport.

Alert is a very desolate and barren area with less than 200 people. The soil here is frozen for almost ten months of vegetation (polar desert). The vegetation found here consists of plants that can photosynthesize quickly during the short summer, so they will be able to survive the cold, harsh winter. Vegetation is found mainly in wet areas of barren soil. The land around Alert has a layer of permafrost on it almost all year round that limits the growth and survival of many plants and animals. Overall, with all these features, we can definitely say that it is part of the arctic tundra.

Alert is located 12 km west of Cape Sheridan, the northeastern tip of Ellesmere Island, on the shores of the ice-covered Lincoln Sea. The warring states that the nearest Canadian city is Iqaluit, the capital of the Nunavut territory, although it is 2,092 km away.

The settlement is surrounded by rugged hills and valleys. The sea is covered with sea ice for most of the year, but the ice sheet moves during the summer months, leaving meltwater behind. Alert has a polar climate. There is snow cover for an average of 10 months of the year, and sometimes the snow from one year remains in the protected areas for the following year. The warmest month, July, has an average temperature of 3.4 °C, only July and August are above zero on average, and those are the months in which more than 90% of precipitation falls. Winter is also very dry, the driest in Nunavut. The most rainfall occurs during July, August and September, mostly in the form of snow. Alert receives an average of 17.4 mm of rain, the least of any place in Nunavut. September is usually the month with the heaviest snowfall. February is the coldest month of the year -67.7 °C. It is the second coldest in Nunavut after Eureka. The record high temperature was 20.0°C in July; The record winter in January was -64.7°C.

Alert is located north of the Arctic Circle and experiences polar nights from mid-October to late February and midnight sun from the first week of April to the first week of September. There are two relatively short twilight periods from around February 13th to March 22nd and another from September 19th to October 22nd. It was about time that Daniel visited Alert and had the opportunity to enjoy that natural twilight.

Of the eight passengers traveling with Daniel, two were women and six were men, one young man was a tourist like him, and all the others were soldiers. Even the plane was military. The young man, who declared himself a tourist, had a brother who served in Alert, so he was given accommodation in a military station. Daniel was sent to a private house, where he was received for three days, for sleep and food. There were only eight private houses, and only three of them had additional rooms for tourists. Daniel was lucky to get one. The hosts were Mr. Kanut and Mrs. Atka. They were very nice people, they explained to Daniel what he was doing while he was in Alert and offered to rent their snowmobile. Meals at Canute and Atka's home were seafood, with very few vegetables, which only came there by military aircraft.

On the first day, Daniel just walked around those few houses and military stations, and approached the ocean full of icebergs. It was quite cold, so he couldn't stay outside for long. After the first walk, he phoned Daniella and his parents, saying how serious it was. When he returned, Mrs. Atka made him hot tea and soon after dinner. They ate together like family members.

-What are you doing here? Kanut asked Daniel.

- Just my personal interest in the Canadian North. I read about the Eskimos, their history and life in a cold climate, and I couldn't imagine it, so I decided to try it myself. I would like to go a little further by snowmobile, to look around and get to know your area where you live.

-No problem. Tell me when you want to go, I'll prepare and fill the sled motor with gas.

Daniel paid him, as agreed, and telephoned home and Daniella.

The next morning, Daniel went to the military station looking for a friend who had come with him on the same plane, to go snowmobiling together. He came out, shook hands and said his name, Mickey. Both of them dressed well, they had warm jackets, gloves, boots, a fur cap like a spacesuit, and also warm underwear. When they started, they waved to Canute, and went along the shore.

At almost forty kilometers, they stopped in a small bay, enjoying the view of the surrounding hills and the water full of icebergs. Looking at the water, they suddenly realized that several seals were playing between the icebergs, but they did not notice when a polar bear with a cub approached them. Mickey and Daniel screamed and started to run to the snowmobile, but the big bear pounced on Daniel. Mickey only managed to say to Daniel:

-Pretend you're dead, don't even breathe, don't move.

At that moment when Mickey was trying to help Daniel, the bear also threw him to the ground. Even the cub tried to bite Mickey. The big bear flipped Daniel over, but luckily he had a heavy space cap firmly pressed against his head, he didn't scratch his face. He only had one big scratch on his forehead, he got it on a rock while he was rolling. Rolling him over and over, the bear just tore Daniel's jacket. Mickey also pretended to be dead, and after ten or fifteen minutes the bears left them, looking for food. When Daniel and Mickey realized that the bear was gone, they walked slowly and then stood up. Daniel was bleeding from his forehead, so he tried to stop the blood by holding his hand over the wound. They looked at their torn jackets, but were lucky to be alive. Daniel said that he felt severe pain in his back. Even the cub tried to bite Mickey. Mickey also pretended to be dead, and after ten or fifteen minutes the bears left them, looking for food. When Daniel and Mickey realized that the bear was gone, they walked slowly and then stood up. Daniel was bleeding from his forehead, so he tried to stop the blood by holding his hand over the wound. They looked at their torn jackets, but were lucky to be alive. Daniel said that he felt severe pain in his back. When Mickey looked, he saw a large scratch that was also bleeding. They didn't have a bandage, so Mickey said:

- Keep the vindyakna firmly pressed and the underwear will absorb the blood, and let's go back to the military station.

They started the snowmobiles and it took them almost an hour to get back to the military station, where the doctor on duty disinfected their wounds and bandaged them. The doctor also gave them both tetanus shots. After an hour or two in the ambulance, Daniel went to Kanut's house and returned the snowmobile to him. He told Kanut and Atka what happened to him and Mickey. He asked Kanut:

-What do you think, would it be wise to call home and my girlfriend, or should I tell them when I get back?

- I think it's better not to tell them now. You will only worry them, but they are unable to help you. You are relatively well now, so you better not.

While waiting for dinner, which Atka was preparing, Kanut and Daniel talked about Daniel's family, his studies and plans for the future. Kanut informed Daniel that some tourists come to Alert for sport fishing, catching turbot and shrimp. He also mentioned that Alert has more snowmobiles than cars, and that the North Magnetic Pole moves about 41 kilometers a year, which Daniel had heard once before. Speaking about the military station, Kanut said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) provides police services if and when required. He asked Daniel:

- Do you know how Nunavut get its name? Daniel's response was:

- I don't know, never heard of it.

-Nunavut means "Our Land" in Inuktitut, the Inuktitut language, Canute explained. Daniel really enjoyed being with Kanut and Atka, he learned a lot from them about the Eskimos, and he personally experienced their life, which was his intention.

The next day, Daniel left Alert on a plane that flies twice a week there and back. When he arrived in Iqaluit, Iluk was surprised to see him in bandages and immediately asked: - What happened?

On the way to Ottawa, Daniel told him in detail what happened to them.

When he arrived home, Daniel's parents were surprised to see him covered in rags and bandages.

- What's going on, screamed the mother?

- I wrestled a polar bear, joked, and I won.

- I see how you won.

- If I didn't, I would be dead, so since I'm alive, I won.

He then explained to them in detail what had happened. - After that, all the wounds will heal and I will buy a new parka, but my memories will remain forever. That's the main thing, the North is fantastic. It's worth seeing once in a lifetime. When he called Daniella that he was back, she immediately came to see him. She was surprised too, and almost left without saying a word. - My God, didn't I tell you not to go that far, at least not alone. Is that why you haven't called in the last few days?

- Yes, that's it. I was thinking, should I call you or not, and decided not to, because I will only worry you, but you will not be able to help me. I'm sorry I didn't call you, but I thought it would be better, and I still think it was better that way.

For a few days, Daniel didn't want to go out anywhere, anywhere, before the college classes started. Even when he came to the university, all his friends and professors were interested in what happened to him, he was in bandages. The next day, a humorist student wrote on the board "Polar bear wrestling, we have a winner, so we can organize a world competition."

The semester continued and the students of the fourth year began to prepare their topics for graduation. Daniel was mainly involved in cellular and molecular bioengineering and chemical science engineering. He even thought it would be good to work on the development of the Canadian North.

When Daniella and Daniel were sitting in the University Park, it was a beautiful sunny day, there was no more snow, she asked him: - Tell me honestly what makes you travel to the Far North, where there is almost nothing?

- If that could be an explanation, I will tell you that my grandfather traveled a lot. He has seen most of the world and writes books about his travels. Those books impressed me since childhood and I simply thought that when I grow up and know the world as my own, I will travel alone. - Next time, after you finish university, you will travel with me and you will see how great it is. -I promise you. How does one understand the love of travel that begins at a young age and continues until retirement.

Daniella listened, she didn't comment, she just felt sorry for what had happened, and what could happen in the wild. Then Daniel told her: - I love you very much, and I feel that you are now the only person who belongs to me with my heart.

Ottawa 2016

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