Sailor makes rock-solid friendship in Nunavut

Navy News / December 8, 2021

A mineral collection was the last thing Petty Officer 2nd (PO2) Class Jonathan Dunphy expected to see while giving a tour of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf in Arctic Bay, Nunavut earlier this fall. While admiring the landscape, the conversation between PO2 Dunphy and a local community member taking the tour surprisingly drifted towards geology and an old hobby – lapidary, the art of cutting and polishing stones.

As it turns out, one of the community members – an amateur geologist – was intrigued by PO2 Dunphy’s interest in the local environment, and pulled a rock collection from his jacket pocket.

“[He said] that his collection was kind of plain, but I told him he had some great specimens,” said PO2 Dunphy, who lives in Halifax. “At that point, he offered me one of his favourite pieces and I immediately asked him for his mailing address, offering to send him some from my own collection. I love what Nova Scotia has to offer, and I wanted to share that with my new friend.”

PO2 Dunphy says that Nova Scotia is abundant in minerals and semi-precious gemstones, which are mainly found around the Fundy shore.

“I love collecting because it’s always a nice hike to get to some of the more isolated locations and it’s like hunting for treasure,” he said.

Amethyst, jasper and even stillbite, Nova Scotia’s provincial mineral, are easily found on various beaches if you know where to look, he said.

This hobby led PO2 Dunphy to volunteer with the Nova Scotia Mineral and Gem Society, eventually serving as its president. The society organizes mineral exploration trips and holds monthly meetings with guest speakers, among other activities.

PO2 Dunphy has honoured his promise. From one rock hound to another, a mineral care package was sent to the community member from Arctic Bay by Jonathan Dunphy and his wife Jolene, ensuring that a little piece of Nova Scotia will forever remain in the Canadian Arctic.

HMCS Harry DeWolf is the first of Canada’s new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, and is currently circumnavigating North America. As part of this deployment, the ship and its crew patrolled the Northwest Passage building relationships with the affiliated Qikiqtaani regions.