Visit to War Lake First Nation

By Damian Abrahams

August 4 2009 War Lake First Nations, MB

My visit to War Lake was absolutely amazing! My travel there was by planes, trains, and automobiles...something I'm sure I'll probably never be able to say in awhile! I left Edmonton at 6:30, arrived in Winnipeg by 8:20(MST) and I immediately checked into the hotel. Despite karin telling me there was a pool, I never made use of it. I went to the restaurant, ordered the biggest portion of Nachos and cheese I've ever seen in my life. I was never able to finish them, and rented the Unborn and fell asleep.

I was jolted awake the next morning by my internal clock and a surge of adrenaline, something told me that my timing was off. I glanced at the clock and it was 8 am. My plane left for Thompson at seven. I threw on my clothes and rushed to the airport to see would I could do, "maybe I could get the next plane" I thought and hoped to myself. As it turns out, there were no planes scheduled to leave until 11:30 later that morning. I re-scheduled my flight and called Via Rail to re-schedule my train ticket as well. "The next train to Illford is next Thursday..." the operator told me. "ARE YOU SERIOUS? THAT'S WHEN I AM SUPPOSED TO COME BACK!" I see that sir, are you wanting to re-book that one as well?" I was about ready to turn around and head back to Edmonton.

I sat there in silence looking for a path taht I can take to still make it to Illford. "I've come this far, I can't just turn around" I thought to myself. I never rebooked any of my train tickets. I decided to "act as if" i'm still going to the community visit and put all my itineraries away and sat down to breakfast putting all the stress on the backburner for now.

All of this was happening at the time I was supposed to be landing in Thompson and half way through my breakfast Edna Chornoby, the lady who requested a role model, called me from Thompson wondering where I was. "EDNA!! So glad to hear from you! Nobody is answering at NAHO(It was a holiday) and I just tried calling you. I'm still in Winnipeg, I've missed my plane..." I explained. "Oh dear, will you take the next one" Edna asked in a worried voice. "I've already re-booked my plane ticket but it doesn't land until after the train is supposed to leave and the peopel at Via told me there isn't another one until Thursday"!

Edna told me that the train is always late and to "just come anyway". My flight to Thompson was the most turbulent flight I've ever been on. Ironically the airline that brought me there was called Calm Air. The train ended up being 3 hours late and I ended up sitting at the train station wondering if Harry Potter was ever as stressed as I was taking the train!

We pulled into Illford at dusk; my welcoming committee was what seemed like all the kids of War Lakw and all the mosquitoes in Manitoba. I made my way to the Nursing station to go to sleep. My presentations were both the next day, the first one at 1 pm for the kids, the other being at 7 for the adults. Both presentations went well; at least I fell they did. After each presentation Edna arranged to have a big of feast to which she asked me to pray over the food, something I've never done and felt a bit awkward doing but honoured that she would ask.

The train ride and flight back to Winnipeg were very much the same as heading into Illford. When I got to Winnipeg, I made it a priority to make it to the Health Sciences Centre where Chantelle Chornoby, one of the other role models, is staying during her treatment. All in all my trip to War Lake First Nations were awesome. I am so happy that I was able to go to such a small community, about 150 strong, to tell my story to the people there.