1 dead as blizzard bears down on Kivalliq
Some in Rankin Inlet have been without power for more than 24 hours; wind gusts Wednesday break records
A blizzard tore off part of the roof of Rankin Inlet’s Simon Alaittuq Middle School on Wednesday. The storm affected several communities in the Kivalliq region. (Photo courtesy of Jim Wright)
A man in Arviat is dead and an unknown number of people remained without power as of midday Thursday, more than 24 hours into a blizzard that developed over several Nunavut communities on Wednesday.
RCMP say they were notified Wednesday at around 9:20 p.m. that a 27-year-old in Arviat had gone out nine hours prior and not returned.
“Due to extreme inclement weather conditions, it was unsafe for SAR and RCMP to deploy,” said RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Maj. Pauline Melanson in an email.
“The Arviat RCMP made attempts by phone to locate the male. The male was later located deceased just outside the community.”
Melanson said RCMP are investigating the death.
Red spots on an Environment and Climate Change Canada map show Nunavut communities that were under blizzard and snowfall warnings on Wednesday afternoon. (Image courtesy of Environment and Climate Change Canada).
The storm brought powerful wind gusts to communities in the Kivalliq region that topped 100 km/h and resulted in whiteout conditions. Temperatures fell to -20 C but felt closer to -40 C, factoring in the wind chill, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Videos and photos posted to social media appeared to show damage to some buildings and other infrastructure, including the roof of Simon Alaittuq Middle School Rankin Inlet.
Agnes Kanayak was one of an unknown number of people in Rankin Inlet who had been without power for more than 24 hours as of Wednesday morning. She was riding out the storm with a family member who does have power.
On Thursday morning, she said over Facebook messenger the weather was “still stormy but a little better than yesterday,” and that the hamlet had begun clearing roads.
Several offices and businesses in Rankin Inlet remained closed Thursday, including the hamlet office, Canada Post, library, Government of Nunavut offices, airport, co-op and public health.
Ivalu store, Qiniq Services, Sakku Enterprises, Kivalliq Inuit Regional Association and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. offices in Rankin are also closed Thursday.
Qulliq Energy Corp. issued an update for Rankin Inlet at around 12 p.m. ET, saying extreme weather continued to make conditions unsafe for crews to complete power restoration in the hamlet.
According to the company’s Facebook page, Arviat and Whale Cove also experienced outages Wednesday due to the storm. Nunatsiaq News has reached out to Qulliq to find out the full impact of the blizzard on Nunavut residents but has not received a reply.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the storm was expected to taper off by mid-afternoon Thursday.
I do not understand why the GN and hamlets do not have an emergency plan in place in our communities for extended power outages in very cold weather. My 90 year old mother in law was in her cold apartment with no power for more than 24 hours during the severe blizzard in Rankin Inlet. My daughter in a different area of town was also out of power for more than 12 hours. We all know climate change is here to stay and this will not be the last severe snow storm, it is just going to get worse. The GN/Hamlet need to invest in a bombadier type machine that can go where roads are closed to pick up people. Each community needs a warming centre like a community hall or school gym with cots, blankets, water , food etc for people to go to. There are washroom there. That facility needs a powerful generator to keep the place warm and lit. Please get organized, that is what the rest of Canada has in place down south. We were so worried about elders , mothers with infants, babies etc. It is not acceptable that people had to suffer like that.
It is completely unacceptable.
Which raises the question of where you mother-in-law’s family was?
It would be nice if government could help in all cases, but they can’t. Family and friends have responsibilities too. Families, if able, should not leave elders like that.
Roads were closed to Wheeled vehicles.. she is too old and fragile to get on a snowmobile. Hence the need for a bombadied typed enclosed tracked vehicle is needed. There are also people in wheel chairs, using walkers etc.
My condolences go out to the family of the young man who was lost during this blizzard.
The wind was high and the visibility was poor sending anyone out in those conditions was hazardous to their health.
I do agree there needs to be a plan in place if power could not be restored in a safe and timely manner during the next blizzard.
Maybe Municipality has plan, maybe it was not implemented properly considering a large percentage of people of residents were face a clear and imminent threat to their person and property.
Every home in Nunavut has or should have a coleman stove and lamp for days like this.
Are we getting so unwise that we need more to keep warm and have light?
They sell their Colman stoves for drugs and junk food.
They expected hamlet to buy Coleman stoves for the community
Can we talk about the stupid time frame that search and rescue uses to confirm search is needed. Like come on man. 24 to 48 hours is too long of a wait to start search and rescue. In the states, they don’t need a set time to start search and rescue. In Asian countries they don’t use time period before they consider a person missing. They have environment where is not so extremely cold. And yet they search when someone calls in and says that their loved one hasn’t come home yet from the land or field trip. They start searching right away. Nunavut is unforgiving place with unforgiving temperatures. Inuit needs to set their priorities straight and fast. Kangunaqpakuni. Inuit uqahuittut. No voice.
It’s better to closed down the towns when a blizzard is coming, instead of trying to remain open. Better to be safe than sorry.