Dead Reckoning tracks Northwest Passage through Oakville
Faithful readers (hi, Mom!) will find the above photo vaguely familiar. That’s because a flipped version turns up on the cover of Dead Reckoning: The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage. It says here that the book’s author is heading for Oakville, and is not to be missed. More precisely, Our Ken will be presenting to the…
Read MoreHow Canadian Boomers Spirited the Sixties Into the 21st Century
Far be it from me to poke anybody’s bear. But I did have a lot of fun writing the short essay that turns up under the above title in the latest Canadian Issues. Here’s how it begins . . . . We oldest Canadian Boomers, born in the later 1940s, came of age in the…
Read MoreParks Canada meets Order of Canada in Arctic Return Expedition
Fifteen months and counting –to Departure, that is — and already the Arctic Return expedition is making headlines. First, partner Louie Kamookak was appointed to the Order of Canada. Awright, Louie! Well deserved! Then, adventurer Dave Garrow joined the team. Welcome aboard, Dave! Faithful readers got to meet Louie here. And we’re excited to bring…
Read More2017 Greatest Hits feature Scotland, Atwood, and the Arctic
Last day of the year, I find myself driven out of bed at 5 am to look back at 2017, and to say hey to readers who have been checking in here. We’re up over 20,000 views per month — a far cry from pop-culture blogging numbers, but I’ll take it. And I’ll defer to…
Read More2019 John Rae Arctic Return Expedition rockets into cyberspace
The website is live. The expedition is all systems go. The team is still growing. Sponsors are flocking to the cause. To learn all about the Arctic Return expedition, click on . . . this link! Meanwhile, see below for truncated introductions to some key players. Expedition Team: For over 20 years, expedition leader David…
Read MoreBIG ICE never fails to work MAGIC!
Final posting from our Adventure Canada voyage Out of the Northwest Passage . . . Day 15: Ilulissat Late afternoon in Ilulissat, voyagers returned from a 90-minute zodiac cruise among the icebergs looking and sounding exhilarated. The message they carried: BIG ICE! BIG! FANTASTIC! Ilulissat is the third-largest town in Greenland, with 4,541 people (as…
Read MoreArctic landscape calls out for Return
Voyaging Out of the Passage with Adventure Canada Day 13: Qikiqtarjuak “The whalers used to call us Yaks,” Billy Etooangat said as he rode back to the ship in the zodiac to retrieve his luggage. He was arriving home in Qikiqtarjuak in the sunshine. “After Yaks, we were Eskimos.” He took a beat. “I didn’t…
Read MoreWrestling Visions of Climate Change in the Northwest Passage
Sailing Out of the Passage with Adventure Canada Day 12: Aujuittuq National Park Katabatic winds came roaring down off the mountains of the fjord. By some estimates, they were gusting up to 80 km, carrying higher-density air under the influence of gravity. Just before noon, the winds forced a brief closure of all decks for…
Read MoreBeechey Island whiteout inspires Dead Reckoning video
Scenes from September, voyaging Out of the Northwest Passage with Adventure Canada. Day 8: Beechey Island For visiting Beechey Island, the best-known historical site in the Arctic, the day was perfect: cool and overcast. We went ashore in zodiacs and climbed the rocky, snow-swept slope to the graves of the first three sailors to die…
Read MoreGjoa Haven features Amundsen, Kamookak, Martin Bergmann
Voyaging Out of the Northwest Passage with Adventure Canada, September 2018: Day 4: Gjoa Haven The little kids stole the show. Five to seven years old, they emerged in pairs, jigging out into the centre of the high school gymnasium. Within seconds, we visitors were dabbing at our eyes. These innocents were dancing so intently,…
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