Just have to pass on the full story of the panic to return home to Sani from Winnipeg...
I arrived Sunday evening from Regina with no problems and grabbed a cab to the Comfort Inn, the closest motel to the far south-east end of Winnipeg Airport where the Kivalliq Air Office is located. The night passed uneventfully, and I had a quick cup of coffee before leaving. Only one cup...there is no bathroom on the Kivalliq planes and the trip is close to three hours long. I seriously contemplated buying a package of Depends just in case, LOL!
At 8:00 am I asked the front desk to call for a cab, and stepped outside to wait. I noticed that the intersection was barricaded, and saw a couple of crumpled cars. An accident overnight, and several policemen were measuring, writing, and so forth as they investigated. No problem, thought I. The driveway to the motel was accessible before getting to the barricade.
At 8:20, I went back inside as my cab had not arrived. The front desk called again, and stressed the urgency as I had to catch a 9:00 flight. No prob, sez the cab company, we'll be there in two minutes. Back out I went.
At 8:30, we called again. This time I went out into the streets and looked. Only then did I see that not only was the intersection in FRONT of the hotel closed, but the four intersections in the next BLOCK north, south, east and west, were also closed. There was no way to get a cab in or out. I was stuck!
Back in I went. The girl asked the cab company to send the cab through the parking lots of the buildings around us and I called Kivalliq to tell them not to send the plane without me. And I waited...
At 8:40 I gave up, and began to haul my cases down the road. I couldn't use the sidewalks...they don't get shovelled in Winnipeg. A lady saw me struggling down the road and offered a lift to the airport. Now, here's where it gets interesting...Kivalliq is a little independent airline, and while it is technically located on airport property, it is tucked away in a little corner with a few other offices. We started circling the outskirts of the airport trying to find it. I had seen it all of once, when I arrived 2-1/2 weeks prior in the dark. I had no clue where it was except that the road was called "Dyne Rd".
Back onto the phone with Kivalliq, after 10 minutes on hold. I was shouting, "Don't leave yet! I'm coming! We're at this point, near the Purolator...how do we get to you?" The poor gal was trying to give us directions, my Good Samaritan is driving in and out of alleys and parking lots, and we're so lost it wasn't funny! We finally pulled a U-turn and without knowing it we landed right in the parking lot for Kivalliq! Phew! Made it! Closer than I care to admit...but that's the advantage of a small airline. They will wait for you.
I am surprised that we did land, as Sanikiluaq was again buffeted by winds over 50 km/h and snow was blowing everywhere. I think that Kivalliq just didn't want me back on the phone begging for directions, LOL! So the New Year began as it should with school on the 4th as scheduled, with me in my classroom.
What an adventure!
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