“We’re in good hands, folks, real good hands. He cares about the people way up North, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what’s going on up there. And what’s going on up there ain’t good. It’s maybe worse than it’s ever been… It’s really, really bad, but we’re going to figure it out, you’re going to figure it out. It’s maybe worse than it’s ever been, so it’s not on the improve. (But) we’re going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help.”
Sometimes things just align. And sometimes synergies and learning and lessons come from unusual places. The past few days have proven that. Two situations, seemingly unrelated have done exactly that.
During the past year and a half I have been working (with others) diligently on a very challenging, almost logistically impossible and ambitious Canada 150 project. I have met with naysayers, hit roadblocks and invested much time and energy in something that I believe in. The Canadian Arctic Aviation Tour 2017 would bring a chance for the people of Northern Canada to truly be part of Canada’s sesquicentennial in 2017. I have talked often of my understanding of the lives of the people of the North but in the past week I have learned I actually knew nothing. Through my first unexpected event I have become a part of the Facebook world of the small, isolated communities of the north. I have learned a lot that truly gives me a new lens for my work, learned that when someone is missing you can’t wait for search and rescue but the community rallies, when you want to make potato salad for your son’s birthday but have no mayonnaise you don’t run to the store but learn that your friends cousin had a jar and maybe they can help, and that every night there are auctions for what seem like easy to access items to us such as a package of Tang or 2 cans of pop. But even more importantly as I have entered their homes through this social media relationship I have been allowed to be part of I have seen the love, the resilience,the true sense of community but sadly the absolute isolation and often despair.
And then this…It has been a weekend of deeper understanding of this country and it’s people. As a long time Tragically Hip fan I was of course watching with millions of others with my tissues in hand as Gord Downey, my favourite poet, spoke to us through his music and his lyrics. But at the end of the concert when he turned to Prime Minister Trudeau and spoke the words above I knew that I would continue my efforts to bring the event I have worked so hard on to the amazing people of the North. Thank you Gord Downey for using your illness and your celebrity to be a social justice advocate for these people.
For myself I am changed forever by what I have learned from this project. A greater understanding and appreciation for ALL Canadians. The possibility of bringing hopes, dreams and opportunities to the people of the North outweighs any difficulty I may face in my efforts. I will continue to work on this amazing event always keeping in mind that it is not the destination but the journey! So…. ‘we are going to get it fixed’ but it isn’t just up to politicians folks. We must ALL have a part in this!
Nancy's Notes 