The Northern News Service interviewed a few of the Canadian Rangers when the patrols arrived back in Eureka after completing the 3-week operation. Two of the Rangers quoted, Douglas Nakoolak and Pitsiulaq Ukuqtunnuaq, were on Patrol 2 with scientists Derek Mueller and Andrew Hamilton.

Douglas, who was a very skilled scout for Patrol 2, rode ahead of the main party with another Ranger and found the best path through the rough ice. He refers to getting lots of information about ice caps, fresh and salt water and the future of the ice shelves from “one guy in our tent” - this is a rather humourous reference to Dr. Derek Mueller.

Pitsiulaq, known as Pits or Pittbull by the patrol was the jovial mechanic, he kept all the snowmachines going, changing clutches in -30ºC with his bare hands in under 7 minutes, fixing up a replacement spark plug from spare parts for the ice auger - he was a genius with all things mechanical. He was often referred to as “the professor.” Pits was a guy who was always quick with a laugh and whose broad smile beamed from ear to ear. He openly admitted he liked Derek Mueller the most because Derek had the best snowmobile accidents - Derek even crashed his komatic into building.

In the article Pits is quoted as saying he didn’t really know what the scientists were studying because he “never really talked to them.” This is a funny, and somewhat misleading quote from Pits, a guy we joked with constantly, So while we certainly did talk to Pits, indeed we even had to wrestle him (and all the other Rangers - it was a favourite fun pastime for Patrol 2), he’s probably correct in implying he didn’t learn nearly as much from we scientists as we learned from him!

Read the full article here:

Northern News Service Online - “Operation Nunalivut 08”