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September
14 , 2001
Terror touches Nunavut
The horror in New
York and Washington caused concern, confusion in the Arctic
AARON SPITZER
Nunatsiaq News
Nunavut's
transportation minister, Jack Anawak, says RCMP and medevac flights
will continue as usual.
(PHOTO BY AARON SPITZER)
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IQALUIT — Tuesday’s terrorist attack in the United
States sent aftershocks shuddering through Nunavut.
Hundreds of Arctic travellers were grounded this week after the
unprecedented suspension of all Canadian air traffic — a
move meant to prevent further hijackings such as those that led
to the devastation in New York City and Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, emergency coordinators in Iqaluit scrambled to prepare
for the arrival of international flights being diverted to Canada
from their original U.S. destinations. Though Iqaluit was at first
expecting up to 15 trans-Atlantic jets and 3,000 passengers, the
planes were accommodated at southern airports and none came to
Nunavut.
The atrocity struck at the hearts of Nunavummiut, many of whom
kept vigil in front of their TV sets as the terror unfolded. Flags
dropped to half-mast around the territory. Premier Paul Okalik
issued an official message of condolence, and churches in Iqaluit,
Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay held special prayer services.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, municipal and territorial
leaders were grim.
"It’s a day, certainly, that we won’t forget for
a lifetime," said Iqaluit Mayor John Matthews.
As a precaution on Tuesday, Nunavut government emergency officials
stationed an additional security official at the Iqaluit airport.
Though no scheduled passenger planes were allowed to fly, officials
assured residents that medevac flights and RCMP planes would operate
as normal.
By Wednesday, aircraft carrying food had also been given the
okay to fly in Nunavut. On that day, First Air planes carrying
bread, milk and produce were slated to visit each Baffin community
in a bid to ensure that residents of isolated hamlets don’t
go hungry.
On Wednesday morning, a First Air flight carried 32 passengers
from Kuujjuaq to Montreal. Another flight took off from Iqaluit
bound for Pangnirtung, but Transport Canada officials ordered
it back to Iqaluit minutes later.
According to First Air vice-president Jim Ballingall, Transport
Canada had earlier given the airline authorization to carry passengers
on its food resupply flights. That authorization was rescinded
moments after the Pangnirtung-bound flight took off, he said.
Mike Ferris, the deputy minister of community government and
transportation, said the GN is providing grief counselling to
residents who had friends or family involved in the tragedy.
Ferris also said Nunavut is working with the federal solicitor-general’s
office in Ottawa to learn what help Nunavummiut might provide
to assist with the rescue and recovery effort on the U.S. east
coast.
He said the territory has a certified team of about 15 critical-incident
stress debriefers — people who work with victims and emergency
responders to help them cope emotionally with large-scale tragedies.
"Anyone on that list could be asked to assist," Ferris
said.
The terrorist attack also affected Nunavummiut outside the territory.
In Toronto, Tuesday night’s scheduled debut of Atanarjuat
at the Toronto Film Festival was put on hold when the day’s
festival activities were cancelled.
As of Nunatsiaq News press deadlines Wednesday, the scope of
the atrocity was only beginning to become clear.
More than 200 people died in the four hi-jacked aircraft alone.
Several hundred other fatalities were expected at the Pentagon
in Washington, D.C., and thousands of people — perhaps tens
of thousands — are thought to have died when the World Trade
Centre collapsed in New York.
On a typical day, the centre’s twin towers provide office
space to 50,000 workers — a number nearly twice the population
of Nunavut.
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