The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

i Page 12 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, September 30,1998 Nursing in the Far North by Lorraine Manfredo Staff Writer Bonita Miedema is. back in Clarington after spending an unforgettable summer working as a nurse in the Arctic. Between May and September, she eared for patients in two far distant hamlets of Pangnirtung and Clyde River, both on Baffin Island. "/ was really enriched by their culture. They have a lot to teach us about care of the environment and appreciation of Canada." Bonita Miedema The experience left her with a deep respect for Innuit culture. She says Canadians elsewhere have much to learn from the Innuit's care and appreciation appreciation of the environment. Bonita Miedema trained as a practical nurse in Michigan. Practical nurses arc qualified to diagnose, prescribe and treat patients. Being able to function so independently makes practical nurses ideal for duty in northern settlements settlements where physicians are generally scarce. It was back in March that Bonita got a call in response to a resume she mailed to the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services a year ago. They asked if she was still interested in working in the north, and she said she was, if they would consider consider her for the summer. "I have always wanted to go there," she said. "Two friends had gone and worked there for a year and really enjoyed it." Mcidcma arrived in the North to join a small nursing nursing staff already stationed there. Three nurses are assigned to the facility in Pangnirtung, population 1200, and one other was stationed in Clyde River, a smaller community of about 700. Mcidcma quickly discovered discovered life in the Arctic meant lots of layers of clothing and little sleep. "I wore my winter coat pretty much all summer," she said. And, with close to 24 hours of daylight, residents residents don't have conventional conventional bedtimes. It seemed to her that the Innuit were up all night, their children playing outside outside at times made it hard to sleep. She soon abandoned her own regular bedtime, since she could almost always count on an emergency emergency case coming into the clinic overnight. She had to be prepared for everything. It could be a minor mishap among kids playing, or a more serious accident related to snowmobiles or ATVs, the main modes of Transportation. Transportation. Among the Innuit there is also a high rate of infectious infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, Mcidcma observes. This may be due to close living quarters. As many as 10 can occupy a dwelling about the size of a typical mobile home. High unemployment is an issue of concern and this can contribute to drug abuse and suicide rate. Life expectancy is short, Miedema says. Smoking and severe weather arc blamed for a prevalence of lung disease. "It was rare for me to see someone in their 80 or even 70s," she recalls. On the other hand, prenatal prenatal care occupied a lot of Miedcma's time, since the area boasts the highest birth rate in Canada. Working at an isolated medical facility was certainly certainly a challenge. These remote communities communities need health care, Mcidcma says, "but they must have someone who has advanced training. There's no hospital and no doctor. The first month was very frightening; it's a lot of responsibility." Letters from home helped. "I was supported by members of the Maranatha Christian Reform Church," she explains. Her husband, Mike, is pastor of the church. "I must have gotten gotten 50 letters. It really cased the stress and loneli ness." Looking back, she remembers the people of Baffin with fondness. For her, one of the most striking aspects of the culture culture was the range of artistic artistic work produced on available materials. She was impressed with figures of hunters and animals animals sculpted in soapstone, soapstone, Caribou antlers, granite, and baleen, a material resembling plastic which comes from the mouth of Bowhead whales. The hunt is still a large part of the culture. The peoples of the colder eastern eastern Arctic have managed to preserve their ways, she observes. "They have held very strongly to their language Inuktitul, and still are very traditional in their clothing and customs," she says. "I was really cnrichec by their culture. They have a lot to teach us about care of the environment anc appreciation of Canada." FREE LUNCH & SNACKS 12:30 PM TO 2:00 PM mmmnHcmommMimBKMxm kids mac mas, sm mines kids cimmumoi mcmsmcmi. , 2 noon to 3 pm V* BOWMANVILLE EAGLES JUNIOR "A" HOCKEY TEAM. EMM FREE GAME1ICKEJ 4 AUTOGRAPHED PUCK F0RFIRS1200 GUCSTS1IAMF01PM. Clarin hjCftfite n ..so close to home South West Corner of Hwy#2 & Clarington Blvd., Bowmanville (across from Cineplex Odeon Theatres) MOUNTAIN GUIDE -- Bonita Miedema (at left) spent the summer working as a practical nurse in the Northwest Territories (to be renamed Nunavut by 1999). When her husband, Mike, flew up for a visit, they made the thrcc-and- a-half hour climb to the top of Mount Duval on Baffin Island where they came across a line of Inukshuks, traditional stone guideposts for travellers. travellers. As a nurse in the north, Miedema developed developed a great respect for the eastern Innuit who have not abandoned their native language or customs, customs, despite influences from the south. In Brief Police Auction In Courtice Durham Regional Police Service will hold a public auction at their property bureau located at 19 Courtice Court on Saturday, October 3. The sale includes over 200 bicycles, along with other items such as portable stereos, car radios and tools. The event begins at 9 a.m, and continues until approximately four p.m. Courtice Court is located located off Progress Rd., which is south of Baseline Rd. How can I win a COMPANY'S COMING SLOW COOKER cookbook? Answer these cooking quiz questions and enter to win one of ten SLOW COOKER cookbooks Please check the appropriate box 1. What's an easy method for making chicken stock? I I Squeeze a chicken I I Call your broker CZH Put chicken, water and spices in your slow cooker and simmer on high 2. What do you do with Panic Roast 0 . □ Send it to a therapist □ Call 911 Cm Take a beef roast out of the freezer and place it in a slow cooker without defrosting (perfect for those rushed weekday mornings!) 3. When cooking a meat and veggie dish in your slow cooker, you should always place raw vegetables on the bottom of the pot because ... Cm They like to be first Cm In a crockpot, vegetables take longer to cook than meat CZI Because even vegetables know that the ones on top get eaten first 4. What is Quick Fix Chicken 0 . I I A recipe for your crockpot using French dressing, apricot jam and onion soup mix Cm What a chicken addict takes to get him through the day □ What you have to do when your chicken springs a leak 5. When making Marbled Cheesecake in your slow cooker, why do you place paper towels between (he top of the pot and the lid? Cm It's good to have napkins close by in case people sneak a piece Cm To absorb the moisture during cooking Cm To hide the cheesecake because the Mother-in-law still can't believe it can be made in a slow cooker (t. What is Lemonade Chicken? Cm A cool chicken on a hot day □ Somebody who is scared of lemonade Cm A citrus-flavored chicken dish made in your slow cooker 7. A slow cooker is □ Someone who's baking on a beach in Puerto Vallarta Cm An electric pot that slowly simmers your food to perfection Cm How you feci when you're being grilled by a lawyer 8. Turkey Drums are ... Cm That last sound a turkey hears before Thanksgiving Cm A slow simmered dish with turkey drumsticks and sauce Cm An instrument played by a nerd 9. Which of the following can you make in your slow cooker? □ Mulled Wine Cm Potpourri (pronounced po-purr-ic) Cm Banana Bread Cm All of the above 10. What is Ginger Chicken? Cm The new name for Ginger Spice Cm A chicken recipe for your crockpot using fresh ginger root □ The name of the prettiest chicken on Gilligan's Island 11. Polynesian Ribs are ...? □ Very ticklish □ A tropical necklace for cannibals □ A slow cooker recipe using sparcribs and crushed pineapple Contest Rules • Enter as often as you wish but only original entries please. • Deadline: Friday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. 1 Photos may be taken of winners week of Oct. 12 Good luck to all contestants! MAIL OR DROP INTO THE OFFICE P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W„ Bowmanville L1C3K9 Name: Telephone: