Custom gallery from Natural Exposures

You could cut the tension with a knife. It was less than 36 hours before the streaming video contract for National Geographic would begin and the T1 line, contracted to be working two weeks prior to the our start date, was not operational. Manitoba Telecom Services could not figure it out, though the local agents tried. An email was sent to unknown political sources which made the appropriate calls to MTS. Within an hour of the email being delivered the T1 line was up and running. It seems the MTS technicians missed a zero in the software that would allow the digital pipeline to perform 10 times faster than what we were currently receiving. Frontiers North spent nearly two weeks trying to fix the T1 problem through normal MTS service channels. It was fixed in an hour with help from the right people. The digital highway was now the Autobahn needed to handle the bandwidth the streaming video required. The next challenge was to rewire nearly the entire wireless network, about a 40 mile circuit, that ran from the town of Churchill all the way out to Cape Churchill. The wireless network was virtually destroyed by winds that blew in excess of 100 mp/h for a week prior to the launch date. Daniel Zatz, Konrad Schaad and Robert Buchanan had to fix it fast.

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Robert Buchanan in the stark surroundings of PBI House #1, checking his email in the early morning hours.

Konrad Schaad discusses a plan for Buggy-One with Daniel Zatz.

Tanya Cox working her magic making all the PBI volunteers feel at home at PBI House #1 in Churchill, Manitoba

Daniel Zatz in a meeting with John Gunter, Robert Buchanan, Tony Bembridge of Hudson Bay Helicopters and Sheldon Pollichuk at Gypsy's eatery in Churchill.

Merv Gunter makes a call for support from Churchill mayor Mike Spence. Three days from the date of going live for Buggy One and we still did not have the high speed connection needed for streaming video.

Merv Gunter of Frontiers North , PBI president Robert Buchanan, Churchill Mayor Mike Spence and others brain storm over a letter being written to several key Canadian politicians who would be contacted regarding the MTS contract.

Mike Spence, mayor of the town of Churchill makes a call to an unknown source for support to light a fire under MTS.

Merv Gunter, Robert Buchanan and John Gunter strategize over the wording of the email.

Merv Gunter paces the floor of his home in Churchill wondering if the all the pieces will come together to meet the National Geographic streaming video deadline.

John Gunter types the email being prepared that would eventually be sent to unknown political sources which made the appropriate calls to MTS.

Robert Buchanan feels the pressure as the National Geographic deadline for the streaming video nears.

Robert Buchanan works on coordinating logistics with NBC TV who wanted to come see the polar bears for a soon to be released TV special on animals.

Robert Buchanan, PBI president and Randy Spence, a security officer for the Hudson Bay Port Company move at a quickened pace to check the wireless radio on top of the Churchill grain elevator.

Konrad Schaad working on resetting the transmitter that was deployed above the Churchill grain elevator.

Konrad Schaad working on resetting the transmitter that was deployed above the Churchill grain elevator. Robert Buchanan of PBI and Randy Spence standing by.

Conrad Schadd and Robert Buchanan adjusting radio transmitter from the top of the Churchill grain elevator

Konrad Schaad adjusting radio transmitter from the top of the Churchill grain elevator

Konrad Schaad and Robert Buchanan on top of the Churchill grain elevator over looking the town.

Daniel Zatz checking network at the L&D cable station.

Daniel Zatz and Robert Buchanan checking the network at the L&D Cable station.

Sheldon Pollichuk, Robert Buchanan, Daniel Zatz and Konrad Schaad making a plan to rewire the study center wireless radio which was damaged in high winds.

Konrad Schaad rewires the wireless radio at the Study Center after a long wind storm with winds up to 120 kilometers rattled the wires loose.

Daniel Zatz prepares the new wire to be attached to the Study Center wireless radio that was damaged in a wind storm.

Sheldon Pollichuk, Robert Buchanan, Daniel Zatz and Konrad Schaad preparing to rewire the study center wireless radio which was damaged in high winds. Sheldon suiting up to climb the tower to repair the wires.

Daniel Zatz rewires the connector for the wireless transmitter at the Study Center that was damaged in high winds.

Sheldon Pollichuk prepares to climb the 200 foot tower that the wireless radio that needs repair sits on. Winds were blowing at nearly 100 km/h.

Sheldon Pollichuk climbs the tower at the study center to rewire wireless transmitter for the PBcam network.

Robert Buchanan, John Bykerk and Konrad Schaad on their way to check the wireless radio at Cape Churchill.

Konrad Schaad on his way tot he Cape Churchill tower to trouble shoot the wireless radio that wasn't not working after sever wind storms.

Konrad Schaad makes his way to the top of the tower at Cape Churchill to trouble shoot wireless radio not working after severe wind storm.

Konrad Schaad in the Cape tower trouble shooting wireless radio.

Konrad Schaad in the Cape tower trouble shooting wireless radio

Konrad Schaad holding a fuel cell device that was used at the Cape Tower to provide power for wireless radios that sent the streaming video to the National Geographic web site.


Konrad Schaad makes his way up the Cape Tower with the defective fuel cell device, on his way to give it one more chance.





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Konrad Schaad and Robert Buchanan working on the Hydrogen fuel cell in the tower at Cape Churchill.

Konrad Schaad makes a call to Germany on a Satellite phone as he trouble shoots the fuel cell device that runs the camera at Cape Churchill.

Konrad Schaad tries adding more water to the defective fuel cell device. in the end it did not work and a new device was deployed.


Robert Buchanan watches, from the top of Cape tower, as a cracker shell explodes over the head of an approaching polar bear.





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