Passengers stranded in Arctic Bay since Tuesday await next flight; fuel truck breakdown cited
Say lengthy delay is costing them $450 per night and they’ve been told they won’t be compensated
Passengers due to be on a flight out of Arctic Bay on Aug. 23 are stuck in the hamlet, Olivier Forbes, Christy Rouault and Scott Garrison said. (File photo)
Passengers of a Canadian North flight that was supposed to depart Arctic Bay for Iqaluit on Tuesday say they’ve been told they’re stuck in the hamlet until at least next week after their flight was cancelled.
While at the airport, they were told they won’t be compensated by Canadian North for their longer stay in the hamlet, which is costing about $450 per night for a hotel and meals, according to one of the passengers, Olivier Forbes.
“We still don’t know when we’re getting out of here,” he said.
Forbes, who lives in Kugluktuk, said he was told by a Canadian North employee the cancellation was due to weather. But Forbes said it was a sunny day without much wind on Aug. 23.
When he pressed Canadian North about the weather, the employee did some research and said the delay was caused by the airline’s fuel shortage in the High Arctic, Forbes said.
On Aug. 16, Canadian North announced its fuel provider had issued shortage notices for four High Arctic airports: Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet, Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord.
The Aug. 23 flight was initially rescheduled for Thursday, Forbes said, but on Thursday that flight was cancelled as well.
After that, he said, he received an email indicating his flight will now leave Arctic Bay on Tuesday.
However, two other passengers on the cancelled flight, Christy Rouault and Scott Garrison, have not received a new flight itinerary, Forbes said.
Outside of the financial impact of staying in Arctic Bay, the delay is also impacting their personal lives, the three passengers say.
Rouault said she is getting married in two weeks.
“I have to really be home in seven days, or I’ll potentially miss my wedding,” she said.
Forbes said he was scheduled to go to Sanikiluaq on Thursday for a public hearing on the hamlet’s new community plan and zoning bylaw. He had to cancel those plans and now will need to return to Sanikiluaq in a month or two.
Forbes believes there are at least 12 passengers stranded with him currently.
Having that many people staying in Arctic Bay beyond their planned visit is putting a strain on hotels, which are trying to accommodate the passengers, he added.
“Everybody’s bunking up with complete strangers,” Garrison said.
Forbes said hotel managers are trying their best: “I feel for them as well, it’s definitely a tough situation.”
Bernard Bourque, director of the Government of Nunavut’s petroleum products division, said Arctic Bay has enough fuel. The issue, he said, is a mechanical problem with the truck that delivers fuel to the plane. The problem occurred on Aug. 22, he said.
Bourque said the petroleum products division is waiting for a part to be flown in so the truck can be repaired. He hopes the part will arrive in Arctic Bay tonight.
“We’re trying as hard as we can,” Bourque said.
He said he is not affiliated with Canadian North and cannot speak for the airline.
On its website, Canadian North states it compensates passengers with overnight accommodation if their flight is cancelled for reasons within the company’s control.
Canadian North states reasons beyond its control include weather conditions and airport operation issues.
Rouault and Garrison, who both work as engineering consultants, are having their accommodation paid for by their client.
“But it’s starting to get a bit unreasonable to ask our client to continue paying for all of your time up here,” Garrison said.
Communication has also been a problem, Forbes said. It takes hours, if not days to get hold of an airline customer service representative.
Rouault and Garrison have their flights booked through an agent, but that agency has told them it has been disconnected from Canadian North six times when trying to call the company, Garrison said.
“The lack of communication just makes the whole situation worse,” Forbes said.
He’s lived in Nunavut for just under five years and said this type of situation is not something he’s heard of anyone having to deal with.
Canadian North did not respond to a request for comment in time for this publication.
Just wondering why they are blaming the airline for GNU’s fuel shortage? I am not sticking up for the airline but they don’t own the fuel supplied in each hamlet, so why would you hold the airline accountable for something that isn’t in their control?
It’s not even the hamlet they don’t own the fuel. It’s GN who owns the fuel in all communities through the Petroleum Product Division (PPD). These guys are willing to fly their friends from Quebec on 3 or 4 day $100,000 charters and earning a premium wage, hotels and meals to spend a couple hours on the ground, then fly back. Even the PPD employees (Inuk holding positions in PPD) were embarrassed how things were being managed with senior management giving such lucrative business to their friends, all to the detriment of the services in the communities. That where the accountability needs to be focused. That’s where the failure will be found. If anyone has the courage to look honestly.
The part to fix the fuel truck come in on a Canadian North flight. So isn’t it sort of their responsibility that the part isn’t there yet?
You do know that if a truck breaks you have to determine which part it needs then source it. Then it gets dropped off in Ottawa?
When Co-op or business wins a PPD contract from GN, PPD provides fuel truck and delivers diesel, Jet A fuel, gas, etc. to each Hamlet. It’s not up to contractor how much Petroleum Products are delivered by oil tanker, it’s up to GN. Providing adequate fuel trucks are also GN’s responsibility. This is on you Government of Nunavut!
Maybe someone can get in touch with Salam? He often has room in his place and can definitely rent our rooms for a much cheaper price.
when Salam was here things were really organized
another fiasco !!!!!!
How much more can the people endure before they get real mad and require proper answers and proper functioning government n?
Nunavut must be the No 1 jurisdiction in the world for passing the buck to someone else.
Could be interesting to know what the real problem is with the truck.
I bet it could be something that proper vehicle management could have averted by keeping parts in stock in such a remote location.
But the lies being told to the customers must stop. Telle the people the truth instead of covering your but.
Thanks
few passengers, no big deal. I wish the governing bodies would have the same concerns that are in desperate need of mental and physical counselling and look at the social ills that are available to the rest of Canada. The great concerned of the few passengers; is it because they are from parts of Canada maybe that is void of indigenous population?
I always thought airline should always have enough fuel on board to use an alternate airport? Maybe their new milk run plans are not working. who would have thought that on a regularly scheduled flight that they would need fuel once again. what happened to the backup fuel truck? Enquiring minds want to know.
You do understand what that means for an alternate airport is correct? It means that if the plane does not land it had enough fuel to continue to the next airport within range (with the fuel they have on board). The plane landed with whatever fuel it had and it wasn’t enough to leave to its next destination or an alternate destination.
It really is not the airlines fault the GN does not want to spring the money to charter a King air to bring the part to Arctic bay when it is The Government that is responsible for aircraft fueling equipment. A King air 200 from Air Nunavut has the range to do that run and make it to another community that has fuel or possibly even make it back to Iqaluit after dropping the part off and all they would have to do is call Air Nunavut and pay the charter fee. The GN has no contract or obligation to use Canadian North Cargo to get the part for their truck there. This is the GN passing the buck because they know the airline will be blamed even though the airlines plane is most likely working it just can’t get fuel. If the government kept spare parts in the communities in the first place this would not even be an issue for longer than the time it took to change the part on the truck.
Shows you how a conglomerate operates now ? Airline of the north.
Your comment is super irrelevant to this post, how is it the airlines fault there is an issue with fuel or the fuel truck? Maybe you should read the article before commenting on the post.
Give it a long hard thought, who owns the fuel truck? If a part breaks who has to fix it? If the community is out of fuel is it the airlines fault? No and no, SMH
We’ll give Canadian North another 110 million for this service, they are the airline of the north deal with adversity,but no cannot think past our profit margin, truck breaking down waiting for parts feeble excuse,
There is an old saying… If you want to make an million dollars in the airline business start with a billion. I am not sure why people keep saying it’s all about Profits the market size is not one where you make profit. People who work for Canadian North are lucky to get paid every payday. Without government support there would be no airline servicing Nunavut or they would be just going Ottawa to Iqaluit
Canadian North and First Air should have never merge as it has been difficult flying since it has happen.
You do know that this merger was regulated. Frequency of flight had to be maintained and prices controlled. Look at both airlines lowest economy airfares from 2018 and compare it to now.
This article heavily mentions the airline yet they have no control over fuel. Everyone likes a big bad airline story. People mention they want competition but look at every Canadian Airline and there are tons of similar complaints
Frequency of flights was not maintained. Many communities that had both a daily first air and canadian north flight now only have 1 flight per day. If my math is correct, that would be a 50% reduction in service.
If both airlines were flying with 5 people and not there is 1 fight with 10 that is the same thing creating efficiency
So if you opened a business that competes with another similar business and you were both bleeding money would you continue to bleed money or would you do the next best thing to ensure your employees retain a means to survive? Or to continue providing service to customers?
Come on its not a hard choice, no business is in their line of work to bleed money.
Canadian north has to fix the reservation line . They always say they are busy and please provide us with telephone # and they will call back . Also airport tower operator not always at airport when flight about to land .
Need to find a solution to avoid these challenges .
Company makes enough $$$ just need to hire more people but I’m sure lack of people Too .
The struggle is real
what ever happen to common sence , anyone even i can start pumping by hand as they used to before and finish the job to the next filling station.in any emergency and stategic pal has to be in place before heading into air.
A few can say they went to the arctic, these three has endoured the rushing ways. Why not smell the roses (expression of speech), whole your in the most isolated lands in the Americas. Nope they just want go to for a ride and not smell the rosds
I love when all the Experts write the panel, love it!! Some of the greatest reads of the day. It’s government fault, Heli!!
I leave in a small town and everybody is , a expert in one field or another. For a town , full of experts, we re very disfunctional !!
What people expect when they travel doesn’t always happen! what is the difference? prepare for your return home in the future.
Put the Jet B in barrels and drive it to the plane in an ATV or pick and then pump it into the plane by hand. How hard can this be really!
Its too simple, not going to work.