Daily Journey Updates
Sunday, August 12, 2012
*Important note to parents and families of expeditioners! The students staying in Ottawa tonight will be staying at the Grenville House residence at Carleton University, not Prescott House as originally planned. Grenville House is designated as GR in the Carleton University map below (Prescott House is PH) and the entrance to Grenville House faces the cafeteria. Click the Google Maps link and the Carleton University link below for more information.
Carleton University Maps and Location Information:
http://www2.carleton.ca/housing/residence-buildings/maps-and-location-information/
Grenville House on Google Maps:
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Grenville+House,+Ottawa,+ON&hl=en&sll=49.837982,-97.207031&sspn=42.446088,82.96875&oq=grenville+house+carleton&hnear=Grenville+House,+Ottawa,+Ontario+K1S+5R1&t=m&z=15
Expedition Update - 11:45 PM EST
They're back! The First Air charter flight arrived into Ottawa a little later than scheduled but all is well. The students are now all checked in to the Grenville House at Carleton University where they are settling in for a well-deserved rest after a long day of traveling. The students who disembarked in Iqaluit are also doing fine and will be spending the night at the Arctic College residence before flying home tomorrow.
For families and friends of the 2012 Arctic Expeditioners, as well as those members of the SOI extended family, come help us welcome home the students of the 2012 SOI Arctic Expedition! The Welcome Back event is happening tomorrow Monday, August 13 at 10:00 AM at the Canadian Museum of Nature - 240 McLeod St. in Ottawa. See you there!
Expedition Update - 12:00 PM EST
New update from Expedition Leader, Geoff Green:
Hello from Kangerlussuaq! We arrived safe and sound this morning. It was a short sleep for everyone last night following our evening of celebrations, performances, and thank you's. We bid farewell to the fine ship Akademik Ioffe and her great crew and hopped into the Zodiacs for one final ride to shore. Buses were waiting for us to give us a ride to the airport, where we have a huge tent set up for our group to work on some final things before boarding our charter flight back to Iqaluit and Ottawa. Projects the students worked on this morning included letters to themselves (which we will mail to them in one year), and thank you letters to their sponsors and to the Canadian Coast Guard. The tent was silent for an hour and a half as they intently wrote and gave thanks in words on paper. What an incredible expedition we have experienced. There is a great feeling in the air. A feeling of peace, happiness, friendship, accomplishment, sadness and excitement for the days, weeks, months and years ahead...
Expedition Update - 9:30 AM EST
New update from Expedition Leader, Geoff Green:
This morning we will bid farewell to our vessel the Akademik Ioffe and disembark in Kangerlussuaq where we will start our journey home. It's hard to believe our expedition is almost over. It has flown by so fast and has been such a tremendous success in every way. We have a group of very inspired and somewhat changed youth returning home. Only time will tell just how these past two weeks will influence their futures. They are a remarkable group and they give us hope.