By Jennifer Quam

Corporal Chad Zammuck, currently posted in Hall Beach, Nunavut, plans to be on the job and in command of the McBride RCMP Detachment by August 23.

Hall Beach is an isolated, mountainless community with no trees consisting of a population of about 700 people with approximately 95% of that population being Inuit. The first language of the community is Inuktitut with English being the second. The climate is cold and can be unforgiving and leaves residents in total darkness for two months of the year and then in 24 hour daylight for three months of summer.

Hall Beach was built in 1957 as a Distant Early Warning (DEW) to help monitor Canadian air space in the far north.

There is an arena, a community hall for sports and games, a nursing station, a school, an RCMP detachment, and two stores.

Zummack said he, his wife, and their two sons aged five and three were looking to come to BC and after speaking the to staff and other officers in McBride who spoke so highly of the community, they decided to make the move.

“I am originally from Saskatchewan and have been on the force for nine years now,” said Zummack. “We have been in Nunavut for five of those years.”

Zummack said there are no roads where he is posted, no restaurants or gas stations. “We are looking forward to more services and my wife and I are really looking forward to going on a ‘date’ to a restaurant,” he laughed. “We have been reading the local newspapers online and looking at pictures. The community looks gorgeous.”

The new officer said that the weather will be a big change for the family as well. “It was a balmy -3 Celsius here yesterday, but there was a blinding blizzard,” said Zummack last Tuesday. “The complete darkness is hard to deal with and then the 24 hour daylight is hard because everyone stays up all night.”

Zummack said that the family is also looking forward to getting involved in community baseball, hockey and curling.

“I also know that the officers in McBride have been short staffed for awhile,” he said. “I am in a two man detachment now and I know how that can cut into your social life. It will be good to be able to provide some relief.”