Nunavut Arctic College

Nine students are currently enrolled in the community-based program, which prepares graduates for employment in mining camps, hotels and restaurants across the region.

Funding for the Hall Beach program was provided by Kakivak Association, an Inuit community and economic development organization that supports business, employment and training services for communities in the Baffin region.

Hall Beach Elders David and Sabina Issigaitok taught a traditional ulu and knife sharpening workshop to the Hall Beach Camp Cook students. Photo courtesy of Zillah Piallaq

“David and Sabina brought their own knives and ulus and showed us how to sharpen and maintain them,” said Hall Beach Adult Educator Zillah Piallaq. “They also talked about the different kinds and uses for them, such as working on seal skins, cutting meat or veggies -- even for building an igloo.”

Nunavut Arctic College recognizes the traditional knowledge and expertise of Inuit Elders as being equal to other instructors.

“It was very interesting,” said Piallaq when asked about the workshop. “It went so far as talking about blades used for making ice-fishing holes and how the shape of the blade affects the efficiency of making the hole.”

“I brought my own ulu and he showed me why it doesn't work the way I want it to. He fixed it for me,” she said. “It is still very sharp.”

In addition to the Ulu and Knife Sharpening workshop, students also learned how to butcher caribou from local Elder Abraham Oolalak and recently held a breakfast for local community Elders.

In addition to Hall Beach, the College’s Camp Cook program is being offered this year in the Kivalliq Region communities of Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet and Arviat.

Proving the program’s popularity, more than 60 Arviat residents applied for their community’s 12 available spots.

To address the high demand, three of the region’s Community Learning Centres are being renovated to include commercial kitchen equipment. In Arviat, renovations are almost complete for their Febuary 21st start date. Renovations to the learning centres Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet will begin later this spring, once the current semester’s classes are finished.

Meanwhile, to help build experience working in commercial settings, the Hall Beach students have been working out of the local Co-Op Inns North hotel. Piallaq says the students are planning to host an appreciation lunch for the Co-Op’s Board of Directors and their General Manager as a way to thank them for supporting the program.

Financial support for the Kivalliq Region’s Camp Cook program is provided by the Kivalliq Mine Training Society (KMTS). KMTS is a non-profit organization comprised of Nunavut Inuit Associations, private enterprise and government partners. Their goal is to deliver comprehensive training programs aimed at preparing Kivalliq beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement for employment in the region’s rapidly growing mineral exploration and mining sectors.

Through funding provided by the federal Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRDSC) Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP), the society manages a comprehensive Training-to-Employment plan aimed at staffing more than 280 long-term positions at the Agnico-Eagle Meadowbank gold mine, located approximately 75km north of Baker Lake.

For more information on the Arctic College Camp Cook program, visit the Nunavut Arctic College web site at www.arcticcollege.ca for more information. Interested applicants can also contact the College toll-free at 1-866-979-7222.