By Brigitte Smiley
Communications Manager , D Comm CFPSA Ottawa
(613) 996-6393 smiley.brigitte@cfpsa.com

Saturday, December 7th

Signs for Gayle's hometown of Montebello and for Guylaine and Carl's hometown of Laval were added to the Alert landmark.

As official Show Tour escorts, Gaétan Melançon, Director Physical Education, and I, accompanied by Jean Pierre Guérard, the Show Tour coordinator, met the group of entertainers who would bring warmth and brightness to the "Frozen Chosen" of Alert. There was a mixture of excitement and apprehension in the air as we all prepared for the voyage to the northern-most inhabited place on earth, located only 800 km from the North Pole! Of the 11 members in the group, only performers Guylaine Tanguay and Mike Stevens had ever been there before. The only thing the rest of us were sure about was that it would be -25ºC and dark 24 hours a day.

When I asked the rest of the group why they wanted to participate in the Show Tour, their answer was unanimous. "It goes beyond the experience of visiting a place that very few people will ever see. It also gives us a sense of fulfillment knowing that we will bring joy to the 65 people who have chosen to leave their families to protect our nation" said band members Sylvain Poirier, Jean-Francois Paiement, Roger Hubert and Ian Peterson who had also taken part in the South West Asia Show Tour.

Monday, December 9th

Brigitte with Santa

The trek is no picnic. The first leg of the journey (which started at 0400hr) included an eight and a half hour flight to Thule in a freezing cold Hercules.

"It was so cold that my water bottle froze," said Gail Gray. "Fortunately, we were outfitted in arctic gear".

As I looked at these performers carrying their luggage and travelling in Canadian Forces style, I couldn't help but think that they must be incredible people to give up lucrative gigs back home to participate in this gruelling journey.

Tuesday, December 10th

Travelling in the comfort of a Hercules

At 1000hr and in total darkness, we finally arrived in Alert and were greeted by what seemed to be the happiest people on earth! Once we got settled into our comfortable quarters, located in Ole Folks House, we were given a tour by Commanding Officer (CO) Maj S. Ritchie, Chief, MWO B. Forward and "Doc", WO C. Mercer. Everyone in Alert is so proud of what they do that they took the time to explain everything from maintenance, heat recuperation, emergency response to garbage disposal. We even saw Santa's workshop where the jolly guy and a few elves were hard at work!

Wednesday, December 11th

Gaétan Melançon with Santa

After a long day of set-up and rehearsals, it was finally time for the much anticipated performance. In honour of our visit the CO had even given everyone the afternoon off to rest and help to prepare for the celebrations. The show was a hit! Everyone loved Guylaine Tanguay's yodelling song and her rock Québecois medley. Everyone had goose bumps when Gayle Gray sang "Summertime" accompanied by Mike Stevens on the harmonica. They rolled in the aisles at Terry McGurrin's jokes and were mesmerized by Krystal Bunag's Shakira songs and dances. Sylvain Poirier, Jean-Francois Paiement, Roger Hubert and Ian Peterson made an awesome band and Michel Tellier and André Cournoyer put the finishing touches with the sound and lights. All of this was choreographed to the second by the extremely competent manager/producer Carl Bazinet. The performance was followed by a reception in the mess. Everyone, who graciously "rang the bell" and paid $10 a ring, provided the refreshments.

Thursday, December 12th

We drove to the ocean in Arctic vehicles to see icebergs and then went to the infamous Alert sign where two new cities-Montebello and Laval-had been added. After lunch, we were challenged to games of volleyball and ball hockey. We then started the evening with a jam session-where anyone who could play and sing showed their talent-and ended it with a tour of the houses. (One day when you have some time, I'll tell you about Vimy house, Monster house and the Zoo.)

Friday, December 13th

The whole base gathered at 0900hr to say goodbye. We were all very touched when the CO Maj Ritchie, announced that we were now a part of the Alert family and handed each of us a much coveted Alert hat. We all slept very peacefully on top of containers and in stretchers in the now warm Hercules during the five-hour flight to Iqualuit, where we spent the night.

Saturday, December 14th

We arrived back in Trenton at 1900hr after another five-hour flight during which we had our first quick glimpse of the sun in six days. In saying goodbye, I asked these incredibly talented individuals if they would do this again. Sylvain Poirier (the drummer) summarized it best when he said, "after seeing the impact our visit had on the people stationed in Alert, I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Other recent Show Tours were:

Middle East, December 9 to 19, 2002
Operation Apollo, December 12 to 24, 2002
Bosnia, January 14 to 30, 2003

Upcoming...

South-West Asia, January 31 to February 11, 2003
Northern Show Tour, March 21 to 28, 2003

Photos by Brigitte Smiley