About Your New Home - Ice Station Beechey

Practical Information About Ice Station Beechey

"Ice Station Beechey" is the name of our new expedition base camp located 60 miles east of Resolute, Cornwallis Island, Nunavut. The camp is positioned on top of the thick icepack of Lancaster Sound near Beechey Island, a location of major importance to the legendary Sir John Franklin expedition.

The Ice Station Beechey site is reachable only by snowmobile, tractor, or by specially equipped aircraft. A landing strip will be chosen near the dive site. The moonpool, where submersible will be lowered for the dives, will be located on site. The moonpool will be covered by a rigid structure.

Accommodations
The living facilities and accommodations at Ice Station Beechey, designed expressly for expeditionary use in the High Arctic, will be comfortable and warm. The units are made of high-strength synthetic materials.

Camp Safety
The facility will have security, with special procedures in place for surveillance of polar bears. Safety procedures will be reviewed with expedition participants. As distances are sometime difficult to judge in a landscape with no reference points, expedition members will be asked to take great caution and only travel by foot outside the camp in pairs.

Contact Information
For urgent matters only or in case of an emergency, expedition members can be reached by telephone. A phone number will be provided with the final documents.

Daily Program
The Expedition Leader will post a daily schedule listing activities offered for that day.

Laundry
There will be no laundry services available at Ice Station Beechey.

Lectures
Lectures by our expedition staff will be scheduled on a regular basis. We plan to provide a lecture series which will cover all facets of our expedition, Arctic exploration, natural history and some special topics.

Local Time
Both Cambridge Bay and Beechey Island, Canada, are in the Central Time Zone, six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

Medical Services
A number of the staff on site at Ice Station Beechey will have first-aid knowledge. Any participants with serious medical emergencies will have to be flown to Resolute. There is a Nurses' Station located in Resolute (no doctors) with highly trained (remote area) staff. The Nurses' Station has video link services to doctors for consultation.

A Lear jet is on standby in Cambridge Bay 24 hours a day servicing the high Arctic to evacuate any serious medical emergencies to the closest doctor (either Yellowknife or Edmonton - approximately six and eight hours away respectively).

Due to these factors, it is of the utmost importance to your journey that you accurately complete the medical forms, carry more than an adequate supply of any medication you are currently taking, and purchase full insurance coverage suitable for a medical evacuation if it becomes necessary.

Cold Weather Health Considerations
Conditions you should be aware of while in the High Arctic include the following:

Dehydration

Sunburn - wear a sunscreen every day, the higher the SPF (sun protection factor) the better.

Snow blindness is extremely painful, though relatively rare, and can easily be avoided by diligent use of good UV filtering sunglasses.

Hypothermia occurs when the body is losing heat faster than it is producing it and then the body temperature drops below normal. Therefore it is important to keep warm. Clothing today is lightweight though extremely heat efficient, so dress in layers and then add or take off items depending on the weather conditions and how you feel.

Frostbite occurs when a part of the body gets extremely cold and the circulation of blood to that particular point stops. This is something more attuned to climbing or expeditions, but once again be aware of your body and keep the extremities warm.

Meals
Meals will be served in a central area and all participants will dine together. Menus will be as varied as possible, with three good meals a day. Vegetarian selections will be available as well.

Breakfast will consist of cereals (hot and cold), pancakes, eggs, breakfast meats, fruit, muffins etc. Lunch and dinners will consist of hearty selections to replenish your energy levels. Vegetarian options will also be offered.

Money and payment
Any items not included in the price of the expedition such as communication services will be signed for. An account of your charges will be presented at the end of the expedition.

Payment of the account can be made using cash, traveler's checks, or major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). All prices are in U.S. dollars.

Power
A limited amount of electrical outlets (110v) will be available for your use. If you are travelling from outside the U.S. or Canada, you will need to bring a converter.

Shopping
There will be no opportunities for shopping during your stay at Ice Station Beechey; however, you may be able to purchase souvenirs in Ottawa.

Smoking
Smoking is not allowed in any building at Ice Station Beechey.

Water
Fresh water will be available for your consumption.

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