Photo Reflection - Resiliency

September 9, 2022

Phoebe Grant, AVC 2023, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of reflective writing.

Hiking on Mount Blow Me Down

I was obviously planning on seeing patients and performing surgery on Chinook, but one activity I wasn’t planning on was a hike. Upon arrival to Port Hope Simpson we were greeted with many smiling faces and kind offers of hospitality. One member of the community let us know of Mount Blow Me Down, a hike within the town limits that offered breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape at the top. 

All the students hoped we would be able to find the time to go on the hike later that week. The plan was that on the second last day of our trip, we would go on the excursion. We woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to the bottom of Mount Blow Me Down. A very kind member of the community named Roxanne  was our hiking guide. At the beginning of the hike, I was tired from the week’s clinic duties, but was quickly invigorated by the beautiful sites along the trail. 

Roxanne told us about the history of the people who had lived on this land. She pointed out native plants that were used to make tea and told stories about a time not so long ago when the only telephone reception they had was at the top of this mountain. It started to rain just as we got to the top, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. At the top, as promised, was a gorgeous 360 degree view of Port Hope Simpson and the neighboring communities. There was an inukshuk assembled atop of a large rock. 

Roxanne surprised us with hot coffee and freshly baked muffins. What really affected me while on this hike was the feeling of resiliency. Roxanne spoke of how the original community of Port Hope Simpson used both land and sea to prosper in life. At times, this was challenging and that is how the people learned to develop fortitude and flexibility. I think this lesson is one that everyone can benefit from. Certainly not everyone experiences the same challenges in life, but we all have our own struggles and overcome them. Perseverance must be learned from past experiences. There are many challenges I have faced, and many more to come along my journey in vet medicine. The idea of resiliency will stay with me during my career and hopefully the more adversities I face, the more resilient I can become.