High-speed Internet saves the day in Salluit

ODILE NELSON

Regional government officials are praising the Internet as a valuable emergency tool after a severe blizzard knocked out all other external communications in Salluit Jan. 31.

The three-day snowstorm began Jan. 29 and raged across both coasts of Hudson Bay with winds measuring up to 120 km/h before subsiding on Feb. 1. But though it affected many communities, tearing shacks from their foundations in Kangiqsujuaq and delaying the search for a missing hunter in Nunavut, its impact on Salluit was particularly hard felt.

Strong winds interrupted the village’s electrical power several times on Thursday. Salluit’s health centre opened only for emergencies. The airport cancelled all flights for three days. Water delivery and sewage removal were stalled. Social and daycare services closed their doors. Pigiurvik School shut down for two days — the first because of high winds, the second due to concerns about taxing the school’s waste system.

And most significantly, the fierce winds eliminated almost all communication for 15 hours last Friday between the village of roughly 1,200 and the outside world. The storm caused fluctuations in the power supply to the community’s Bell Canada phone lines, which tripped a breaker-like safety mechanism in the phone system. Long distance calls were impossible, and local phone service was temporarily interrupted as a result.

The wind also interfered with Taqramiut Nunavimmiut Inc.’s daily radio programming and the reliable use of the village’s satellite phones.

Stephen Grasser, a project officer for the Kativik Regional Development Council in Salluit, said it was the Internet that allowed the village to contact the government in Kuujjuaq and let it know long distance lines were not working.

“Basically it was our only way of effective communication. It provided a ready backup for the phone system, which was down,” Grasser said. “It proved its worth and it showed it should be part of any emergency plan.”

The Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec has offered high-speed Internet in Salluit and Puvirnituq since May 2002 and in Inukjuak since August. Internet access was not disturbed because it relies on the FCNQ cable lines and not Bell Canada phone lines.

Craig Lingard, the assistant civil security co-coordinator for the KRG, downplayed the severity of the storm, pointing out extreme weather is common across the North at this time of year.

But he said the government would take another look at the potential of the Internet in emergency planning.

“We always review our emergency preparedness. With the addition of e-mail and Internet access, we’re going to have to review our planning and review and adjust accordingly,” Lingard said. “It’s a new technology for a lot of our communities and we’re not used to the capabilities, limitations or otherwise. It was a nice surprise.”

Salluit’s mayor, Qalingo Angutigirk, said Salluit could already attest to its value.

“This is the worst storm to hit us this winter…. Because of Internet access and other emergency measures we had nothing to worry about,” he said.

“We have used it in the past where phone lines failed. It’s a great tool that we didn’t have before and it’s very beneficial.”