I sent a link to a friend who lives in Nunavut. Below is his response. He is an Environment Officer and knowledgeable of the province.


This has been an ongoing discussion for decades. We get all manner of adventurer up here attempting to challenge the elements. This jet ski expedition takes the take in my experience. I thought I had seen it all but then something newer and more ridiculous came along

Interestingly enough, Dubawnt Lake, where those two fishermen (note that I did not say "Fishers"), disappeared in July, has an interesting history in the memory of the Ahiarmiut, the inland Eskimos who lived in the area for thousands of years before being relocated to the coast in the 1950s. They never attempted to cross that lake because there is a legend about a very large monster that inhabits the lake and that capsizes boats. In the 1950s at least, they had many memories of actual sitings of the beast and an actual event where two hunters were killed in their kayaks. I have seen this referenced over a number of sources of travellers to the area in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Anyway, the exchange between our MLAs is moot: the Federal government picks up the tab for these rescues and these rescues are very expensive.

Robert