Age:
16
Sponsor:
Parks Canada/PBI
School:
Duke Of Marlborough
City:
Churchill, MB
Biography:
Hi, I'm Jake, a current resident of the snowy town of Churchill. I'm 16, and currently enrolled in the school, Duke Of Marlborough. My class is quite small, with myself and only 4 or 5 other people. Not much other than that....
I never actually thought I would come to live in Churchill, because before I did, when I was living in Surrey, British Columbia, I read about Churchill, and thought it was a cool place. I got a big surprise, when I was twelve, and my father got a job working, in a very odd place I might add, Cape Dorset, Nunavut.
Cape Dorset in a southern Nunavut community, situated above Quebec, and the Hudson Bay. My family stayed in Dorset for 4 years, until my father again got another job, in GUESS WHERE!!, Churchill! And we have been here every since, my mother working for the Manitoba Housing Authority, and my father working for the hospital as the Community Wellness Manager.
I am looking forward to this trip, mainly because I have never really seen a polar bear in or around town in the 1 year I've been here, although, I have seen plenty of pictures. I am pysched to go on the Tundra Buggy, and I think I'll have lots of fun, being around and meeting new people, and learning about the big white bears.
I hope that in taking this trip, I can walk away from this with some innvaluable knowlegde about the wildlife of Northern Canada, and what effects our northern settlements are having on the climate and habitat for the natural species.
Well, that about sums it up, hope you aren't asleep from reading that.
-- Jake LaJeunesse, September 23, 2006.
Friday, October 6, 2006
6:20 PM
?Day 8.
Today was so awesome. I loved it, waking up was the best, I can't believe it's gonna be over so soon, I'm gonna miss these guys/gals, sooo much. I don't know if the feeling is mutual about me, but whatever, if it is or isn't, I don't care, I love these people. This has been such a fufilling trip, learning more about the bears, and the people who rely on the other animals that live in the Artic. Well....me being one. Heh.
Anyways, today we got to go to the maternal den and play on the moss - Touch football anyone? On a more serious note, the ground was actually quite interesting, all squishy and plush, and very fragile, so no football. The maternity den was awesome, it was a cozy fit, but if I we're as big as a pregnant female bear, boy! Would I ever be cozy. We soon headed back to the lodge, and the helicopter ride back was as fun as it was going to the dens, we landed without a hitch, and back to the lodge we went.
The rest of the night was awesome. Dinner was pizza, and boy was it good! Anyways, my favourite time of the day was the helicopter ride, it was so cool, but it costs like 900 dollars an hour, and they round by the hour, and thats only the gas! I know I'm never going whirlie birding again. :( This trip was so fun, and I know it ain't over yet, but I'm so sad it's almost over. I'm gonna miss the people so much, sad to see them go.
Carpe Dium,
?ake
Thursday, October 5, 2006
7:20 PM
?Day 7
Wow... Today was....well...interesting. I have so many awesome PBI buddies...haha, So glad I did this. I met lots of wonderfull people, looc os era yeht. If you had problems reading that, look in a mirror ;)! Hmm...Let's do a person synopsis, Well....basically, emosewa. Anyways, the rest of the day included getting insane over a bear at breakfast, and being on a web confrence, about that, I was very nervous, I shook while talking, and the weirdest part of it all, was that they we're nine years old. So odd. Very odd. Anyways, did that, partied, and then went to work. On projects that is, not like we went outside and petted the polar people.
We worked on projects, and I finally read the whole ACIA book, TAKE THAT MOMMY. Anyways, yeah, trip was so fun, but trip aside, I miss my family, and want to sleep in my own bed. Not in something like 9, 999 other people have slept. Well...gonna stay up, it's 7: 20pm right now so, I'm gonna go bum brownies, and ice cream now.
?ake
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
9:19 PM
?Day 6
We woke up to the robust sound of Robert's melodic voice..."It's a wonderful MORNING...I HATE HIS SINGING...." I wanted to stab him at first, but it soon passed. Then I just wanted to clobber him. That passed, and was replaced with hunger. So I headed in for breakie, Snausages, and Bacon, and coffee. Thank god for that caffinated beverage.
On the tundra buggy, fully awake now, and barely 10 feet from the lodge. Watching what Kourtney calls the 'einstein' group. A momma and two cubs were meandering around the lodge. How fun....watching a bear at 7am, half asleep. WICKED. Wicked tired, and wickedly fun to snap pictures, in your fluffy coats, and mittens. :)
The rest of the day was uneventful, AND THEN, we saw the song. The awesome song, checkout Patrick King's journal to see it. It was sooo aweseome, and from then there on, the night was fun, joking, puking coffee on other people...etc etc... Anyways,
Carpe Dium,
?ake
My new classing system. Watch for them on the beginning of my posts. :D
? Bad Day
? Good Day
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
5:42 PM
?Day 5
Well, I woke up this morning, and it turns out it was actually 6:45am, rather than the time I was supposed to have woken up at this morning, 5:45am. I rushed outside, and all around the hotel, and then to Gypses. Breakfast was Yummy...yeah....Yummy...mmm...bacon. Then we headed up to the town, and got on the bus, and picked out mayonnaise soaked lunches. Then we went to the tundra buggy, and got on our way to the tundra. We drove forever, and then we came up on the coolest little bird EVER. A ptarmigan named Tarmie posed for us....very cool. Then we headed farther out, and we seen Foxxy the artic Fox, Bub the polar bear, and Floppy the Artic Hare. We named the animals. HOW COOL. Anways,
?ake
Monday, October 2, 2006
8:39 PM
?Day 4..
Well if you haven't already noticed, I'm posting my entries in 2 day incriments, due to the total anality of the journal situation at the hotels, and such. Today was a good day, yummy breakfast at Gypsys, and then onto a bus, with Mr. Kelsey - Guy. The bus ride was fun, but I really do wish I had brought my coat lining, I WAS SOOO COLD. Talk about middle of nowhere, just walking along beaches and stuff, then hiking back onto a bus to sit and do virtually nothing except act out, and talk. We ate lunch, then made our way to the study centre. We had a nice little episode there, much fun, didn't know that it was so big, or that it was the Armies, at one time. We went to the trainstation/museum thing, and had a presentation on Wapusk National Park, and it was fun, and shortly thereafter, we sat through a lenghtly show on the PBA (Polar Bear Alert) Program. A quite interesting little project that I think is cool, keeps me safe :), and then we made our way back to the hotel from there for a baby - play session, and then were off again to the Seaport for dinner. Yumm...food. We then returned to the hotal, and since this is when I'm writing this, I'll update you with what happened later...
?ake
Monday, October 2, 2006
8:31 PM
?Day 3
Whew! That was....fun.... Waking up and thinking I missed a plane....GRRRR!!!!! Well, rushed downstairs, and ate nothing. We we're scuttled through security at the airport, and then we sat at the terminal for like 45 minutes, before we got on the plane, and the taunting of Kourtney came into action. It turns out that she doesn't enjoy flying as much as regular( and I use this term loosely.) people do. We landed in Churchill, and then we had some bad news...... Angela lost all her art stuff. ( T-T Well...Insert your own teary eyed emote here. ) She didn't seem too unhappy, but disheartened none the less. Anyways, we stayed in our rooms, went to dinner, and then all congregated aroung Joseph and his guitar, and talked/laughed/etc etc... for a good 3 hours..... then went to bed.
?ake
Saturday, September 30, 2006
6:21 PM
?Day 2
Woke up this morning at 4am. Rolled over, and went back to sleep. Woke up again at 6 :45am. After which we all walked downstairs and congregated in the dining hall. We watched several presentations after which we went to the Leo Mol sculpture gardens, and then the Zoo...yay. We went back to the hotel, had dinner, and relaxed for the rest of the night.
?ake
Saturday, September 30, 2006
6:11 PM
Day 1
Arrival in Winnipeg, was uneventful, except for the fact that I was greeted by CBC television camera people. And upon entry of the terminal, an exuberant person by the name of Carolyn greeted me with a hug and a smile. Basically, the rest of the day was a meet and greet, fully adorned with Snowballs, and people to throw said balls of snow at. I met all of the other kids, and was surprised at how super nice they were. The beds here are so comfy. We all congregated at Room 514 last night and watched a movie...Yay. Then there after, I went back to my room, and slept.
L'hotel du quatre pointe est tres grande.
?ake
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