- Canada’s Ultimate Arctic Gear Warehouse
- How Canada gets Science Gear into the Arctic
- Inside Canada’s Arctic Science Hub
- Dressing for Arctic Field Work
- What an Arctic Scientist’s Camp Actually Looks Like
Canada’s Ultimate Arctic Gear Warehouse
Simply Science host Joel Houle is visiting the Polar Continental Shelf Program warehouse in Ottawa. He asks Operational Planning and Service Co-ordinator Daniel Hepell, “So, this is a big facility. What type of equipment do you have here?”
A photo of a charter plane in a remote Arctic landscape with scientists exiting with equipment.
Dan: “So, the type of the equipment we have here is like — picture yourself going to the Arctic on a remote island, isolated, away from any power grids or towns or infrastructure. And what do you need for you and your group to sustain yourself for the two- to three-week period you’re going to be there? Well, we have all of that equipment, everything we can provide you with except for food and water. I’d like to compare this to the ultimate outdoors store, if you want.”
How Canada gets Science Gear into the Arctic
Various areas of the Polar Continental Shelf Program warehouse in Ottawa are displayed on screen.
Operational Planning and Service Co-ordinator Daniel Hepell: “We don’t produce any science, we provide logistic support to science. Logistic support takes various forms — it could be loan of equipment, shipping and receiving. We move roughly 300 to 400 metric tons of goods every year.”
Simply Science host Joel Houle: “Metric tons?”
Dan: “Yeah.”
Joel: “Wow.”
Images of employees of the Department of National Defence located in Resolute Bay.
Dan: “Through ground, air and sea lift to the Arctic and across Canada.
Inside Canada’s Arctic Science Hub
A map of Canada appears with a drop pin indicating Cornwallis Island.
Operational Planning and Service Co-ordinator Daniel Hepell: “Correct. Our facility in Resolute Bay is located on Cornwallis Island, centred in the middle of the Arctic islands. It’s the perfect place for us to use as a launching platform for scientists.”
Images of the facility are displayed.
“So, as I said we support scientists, so we’ll support them with lodging accommodations. We have a full-fledged kitchen there. We can house up to between 250 and 300 people at one point, when it’s full capacity.
Dressing for Arctic Field Work
Simply Science host Joel Houle and Operational Planning and Service Co-ordinator Daniel Hepell walk into the clothing aisle stocked with winter clothing. Joel continues to carry all the gear Dan gave him.
Dan: “This is the clothing aisle.”
Joel: “Okay, clothing.”
Dan: “Now you said you wanted to go to get geared up as if you were going to the Arctic.”
Joel: “100 percent.”
Dan: “That’s what I’ll do. There’s your parka”
Joel: “Okay, it is like 30-something degrees outside.”
Dan: “Arctic or non-Arctic? What do you want?”
Joel: “I guess Arctic.”
Dan lays the parka on top of Joel’s pile.
Dan: “Good, this is yours.”
Joel: “Oh, oh, okay; perfect. All right, I got it, okay.”
Dan: “Trousers.”
Joel: “Trousers?”
Dan: “Same thing. You don’t want to get cold”
Joel: “Oh yeah, I think there’s room on top.”
Dan: “Okay.”
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan: “You all right?”
Dan piles the trousers on Joel’s pile, covering his face.
Joel: “Yeah, I’m good.”
Dan: “I’ll get the boots.”
Joel: “All right. Oh, thank you.”
Dan: “Next we’re gonna.... We’ve got to find you a vehicle.”
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan: “Right, let’s go.”
Joel: “This way?”
Dan: “Yep.”
Dan and Joel go to exit on the right side.
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan: “Actually, did we want to see the other side with the vehicles?”
They return and go to the left side.
Joel: “Oh, it goes this way?”
Dan: “Yeah.”
Joel: “I can’t see where I’m going.”
They walk to the vehicle section. There are skidoos, ATVs and other specialized vehicles on shelves.
Dan: “Okay, so the vehicles are down here.”
What an Arctic Scientist’s Camp Actually Looks Like
Simply Science host Joel Houle is visiting the Polar Continental Shelf Program warehouse in Ottawa.
Operational Planning and Service Co-ordinator Daniel Hepell: “We’ve got something set up for you outside too.”
Joel: “Really?”
Dan: “Yeah, so we have your own camp.”
Joel: “My very own field camp. That’s awesome.”
Dan: “Correct, yeah.”
Joel: “Cool. Okay, so do I need to put everything on?”
Dan: “Well, you should. Full experience, right?”
Joel: “See, that’s okay. Let’s put the rest of this stuff out, and let’s head to the fuel camp.”
Dan: “All right, let’s go.”
They exit the garage. In the parking lot they drive a utility vehicle to a camp. There are two medium-sized tents and a table installed. Joel exits the vehicle and walks around the camp exploring.
Joel: “This is a pretty cool setup. Check out my field camp. Got a tent, got a cot. Got a place to do some food, got some propane stuff, got my water, got my mitt and my science brush, that’s pretty good. Generator, chair, and I was told that this is for, you know, a privacy area for if you want to use a washroom, so that’s pretty good. And of course, the most important thing is I have my sat phone on me, because safety and security is paramount for PCSP.