Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:
Good stuff Zig, save all your video and apply for a big money grant from the NFB for a 1 hour documentary of life on the road in the Artic. It’ll give you something to do from Nov. to Feb. Have you got any good story tellers up there, that’s one thing I enjoyed in a camp environment, stories from jobs long gone and a 40 lber of rum to start the night off with, the more rum the more animated the stories.
you got that right on storytelling nights.Most of the people are Canadians but have worked remote camps all over the world so the stories are quite good.
The one about the Turkish camps stands out,they dont use toilet paper there,just a finger,i'll leave out the part about the chocolate ice cream.
whats really amazing is how some one can come from Spain or China for a month and wind up knowing some of the guys at camp,small world but I think theres a bit of a network that they all use to keep getting work like this.Most are experts in their field and mucho sought after for their experience so they travel the world lots. I dont feel bad about useing an unheated outhouse after hearing what some have to go through in other camps.
They want to try and work us all winter,this should be interesting,theres a reason no one works there at that time,even the Innuit.I think we'll be confined to camp 6 out of 7 days for visibility.Cant even go snowmobiling or fishing then,just play cards.
One story I tell.
March this year I was at the Baker lake airport waiting for my flight home,the drillers were just starting to filter in for the spring season.I look and see this guy in sneakers and a jean jacket looking at his itinerary and trying to figure out which camp he was going to(there's 17 around Baker).I looked at him and said wow! you cant go up there like that.He started doing a little jig and saying he was willie from New Brunswick and a driller and was tough,could take it.Found out later willie was part of the "dumb and dumber" drill team for Boart Longyear.So the chopper pilot walks up,gives him the once over and says "Tell you what,i'll get you a ride into town and you can spend your first paycheque on a parka and boots......because theres no way your getting on my helicopter like that.When I came back from my break Willie was leaveing,he threw his jacket at the guys and said "give this to the next stupid bastard that comes to the Arctic without a parka" he was hilarious,we all looked forward to him coming back last week but he got thrown in jail around Winnipeg for something or other.So a drills parked,no drillers. We also hafe a Newfie and a Cape Bretoner on our crew so that alone is like comedy central when they go at it.
I nicknamed the Newfie "codgobbler" it stuck.
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