A nine-day trek from Iqaluit to Kimmirut undertaken by two oncologists and a nurse from Ottawa finished with a warm welcome from the community on Aug. 17. The trek was an effort to draw attention to the struggles Nunavummiut face in receiving cancer care.
Marc Gaudet, left, Carolyn Roberts, and Gordon Locke take a moment on the Itijjagiaq Trail en route to Kimmirut. (Photo by Erin Locke) Kimmirut fire Chief Atsaina Eeyeevadlok had the fire truck sirens blaring to signal the arrival of doctors Marc Gaudet and Gordon Locke, as well as Locke’s sister, Erin Locke. The group began their trek on the 120-kilometre Itijjagiaq Trail from Iqaluit on Aug.
9. A fourth member of the group, Ottawa Hospital nurse Carolyn Roberts, had arrived in Kimmirut three days earlier, having injured her foot and calf on Day 6 of the journey. Escorted by a team from Nunavut Parks, Roberts safely arrived in the hamlet by boat and ATV.
“We were extremely well received by everyone we met in Kimmirut,” said Gaudet, who upon arrival met the family of Jamesie Judea, Gaudet’s former patient from the community who died from pancreatic cancer in 2023. Judea, who was a volunteer firefighter in Kimmirut, received treatment within t he Ottawa Hospital’s Indigenous Cancer Program. “Being in Kimmirut gave us a better understanding of where Jamesie and his family had come from, how close-knit the community is, and how significant it is to be uprooted from here to Iqaluit and Ottawa for cancer treatment,” said Gaudet.
The group attended a community event on Aug. 18, the day after their arrival in the hamlet, at Qaqqalik School to honour Judea. Kimmirut Mayor Maliktoo Lyta and the fire service were also in attendance.
From left Erin Locke, Gordon Locke, Carolyn Roberts and Marc Gaudet stand beside Jamesie Judea’s mother Akulujuk Judea, Kimmirut fire chief Atsaina Eeyeevadlok, and firefighters at a community event honouring Jamesie. (Photo courtesy of Marc Gaudet) The group then accompanied Judea’s family and the fire chief on a tour of Kimmirut, including the cemetery where Judea is buried. The memorial trek has raised $5,560 which will be directed towards the community of Kimmirut.
Gaudet said he will be transferring the funds via GoFundMe to the hamlet later this week. “When we told the fire chief that we were actually leaving money behind in Kimmirut for the community, and that it was not for research funding, he was extremely surprised and emotional,” Gaudet said. “He had not seen southern doctors come to Kimmirut to actually meet and speak with the community to understand their needs.
” After spending two days in Kimmirut, Gaudet and team returned to Ottawa. Back at the Ottawa Hospital, Gaudet said he hopes that the trek becomes a symbol for the positive strides forward in access to cancer care in Nunavut since he first treated Judea. “ Our clinical experiences here have made us much more aware of the challenges faced by our cancer patients,” said Gaudet, who has been involved in operating 11 satellite cancer clinics in Iqaluit since July 2022.
“We’re extremely motivated to make care closer to home possible in the near future for Nunavummiut and are collaborating very closely with Nunavut staff to move this forward.”.
