Transcript
The exterior of the polar continental shelf program warehouse is displayed on screen. Joel Houle, the Simply Science host, is standing at the garage door entrance to the warehouse.
Joel: “I’m here at the Polar Continental Shelf Program facility in Ottawa. The PCSP, as we call them, are kind of like the travel agents and outfitters for all scientific field work.
“This is the equipment warehouse. Scientists and experts can come here and basically get ready by borrowing just about anything they would need to do some scientific field work. So we thought we’d meet up with a co-ordinator here and go through the motions of what a scientist would need to do to get ready for field work.
“Let’s go see what an operational planning and service co-ordinator does in real life.”
The intro sequence plays. Joel inside the warehouse, meets with the Operational Planning and Service Co-ordinator, Polar Continental Shelf Program, Daniel Hepell.
“Dan, how’s it going?”
Dan: “Good. And yourself?”
Joel: “Very good, thank you.”
Dan: “Welcome to PCSP.”
Joel: “I’m really excited to be here. This is my first time at the warehouse. What do you guys do here?”
Various areas of the warehouse are displayed on screen.
Dan: “So here in Ottawa we have our warehouse and also our headquarters, so most of the administrative staff and operations staff are here. But 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.”
Joel: “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. The chartered aircraft are also in conjunction with one of our partners, the Department of National Defence, who’s also co-located in our facility in Resolute Bay.”
Joel: “So, your facility in Resolute Bay is kind of like a hub, right?”
Dan: “Correct.”
Joel: “Okay.”
A map of Canada appears with a drop pin indicating Cornwallis Island.
Dan: “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. We have recreational areas — chartered aircraft for local work or moving stuff and scientists to adjacent islands close to Resolute Bay.”
Images of charter planes and scientists are displayed.
“Not very much science takes place on the island of Cornwallis, but a lot of it takes place in adjacent islands in the Arctic, the Canadian Arctic. We have a mini-warehouse with field equipment. Not all of the field equipment that you’re going to see here is found in Resolute. But a good, a good selection of stuff is already pre-positioned in Resolute Bay.”
Joel in the warehouse in Ottawa asks, “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.”
Joel: “Sounds like a dream location.”
Dan: “It is. It’s a dream facility. It’s a dream job if you like outdoor stuff, too.”
Joel: “So, I’m kind of here with an ulterior motive. I was hoping that, you know, all this gear around, every … you’re here, I’m here. I thought maybe we can go through the motions of like pretending that I’m an expert or a scientist that’s going to do some Arctic research and, you know, like gear me up. What do you think?”
Dan: “We can.”
Joel: “Awesome. Let’s go.”
Dan: “I’ll take you all in through the aisles, and we’ll go through the equipment.”
A long aisle, with organized nooks holding various pieces of equipment is displayed.
Dan: “So, we can start here.”
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan: “This is our first aisle. Essentially, it’s all cookware, both camping-style cookware and industrial cookware. I got you some stuff already.”
Joel: “Okay, perfect.”
Dan: “So, first thing is the sat phone.”
Joel: “Okay.”
Joel, holding the case, opens it to examine the contents.
Dan: “And this will provide you with all the bells and whistles and the riggings that you need to operate it. So, there’s even a card in there that shows you how to dial and how to use it and how to reach us. But there’s no games in that.”
Joel: “I was just saying, there’s no games.”
Dan: “I knew you were gonna ask me that.”
Joel: “Yeah, somehow, right?”
Dan: “No, not that. Data and uh…”
Joel: “Do you have one with games?”
Dan: “…and text.”
Joel struggles to close the case.
Joel: “Okay. See, I can’t even work this.”
Dan: “It’s an IQ test. You’re not doing too well.”
Joel: “Yeah, I failed. What is happening? Oh, you have to press this down.”
Dan: “Yeah, that’s the thing.”
Joel: “Oh, okay. There you go.”
Dan: “Okay, so you got that.”
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan goes into the aisle and collects various items to hand to Joel.
Dan: “And I got some other stuff for you that you may need. Oh, here. You need these.”
Joel: “Oven mitts, of course. Yes, of course.”
Dan: “You don’t want to burn yourself.”
Joel: “Yeah, okay.”
Dan: “...first aid kit…”
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan: “…knife. Polar bear…”
Joel: “You trust me with a knife?”
Dan: “Well, as long as you don’t unsheathe it while I’m standing close to you.”
Joel: “Okay, sounds good.”
Dan: “…notebook, compass, clipboard…”
Joel: “Okay, perfect.”
Dan: “…water jug. Need a water jug, right?”
Joel: “Awesome, okay. There’s brooms as well. Do I need a broom, or you think I’m good without a broom?”
Dan: “I’ll give you a brush. I don’t trust you with a broom, so I’ll give you a brush.”
Joel: “Okay. Okay, sounds good. Okay.”
Dan: “So, let’s go down this way. Let’s go get your clothing.”
Joel: “Oh, cool. Okay.”
They 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.”
Joel: “Okay, I’m all geared up. I’m ready to go, let’s do this. What’s next?”
Dan: “Okay, so next is transportation, motor transportation. We have some ATVs here. When I look at the ATV behind me, for instance, I find it kind of small for you.”
Joel: “Okay.”
Dan: “So, I’ve got something else in mind for you, and you’ll like it. 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. There we go, I think I’m all set.
Joel sits on a camp chair.
“You know, I’m gonna.... Maybe I’ll start conducting some science here. Ah, yeah! I feel like a scientist. This is great!”
Canada wordmark appears.