Canada & The North 2009
Featuring the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Labrador & Newfoundland Adventure Canada
14 Front St S, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5H 2C4 | 1-800-363-7566 www.AdventureCanada.com |
[email protected]
© Larry
Dear Adventurers, Adventure Canada’s Canadian itineraries continue to draw enthusiastic praise from audiences from around the world and the proposed schedule for 2009 will be no exception. Our voyages explore the northern and eastern most reaches of our country dropping into friendly communities and witnessing vast space and grandeur. Five voyages explore six unique and vibrant regions, Greenland, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, Newfoundland and Labrador. Throughout the course of our programming we will examine the people, the geography and the cultural richness of each different region. 2009 is a year of note and of special significance for Arctic travellers. It marks the 10th anniversary of the creation of Nunavut – the newest Canadian territory. Woven into the fabric of our programming will be an examination of the Territory, its objectives & achievements thus far. A key element will be the increased visibility of Inuit stewardship of the land including issues of global warming, hunting and wildlife conservation. We are fortunate to have a number of Inuit resource staff who have experienced this transition period and who can share their insights as we make our way through the famed Northwest Passage. Along the coast of Labrador next year, Adventure Canada is thrilled to present a new concept in expeditionary cruising. Our Atlantic Arts Float will, in addition to our usual resource staff compliment, have additional writers, photographers, artists and musicians. Inspired by the landscape, and through a set of workshops, collaborative projects, concerts and exhibitions we hope to stoke the creative spirit. And as indicated below, we are honoured to be winning awards for tour program innovations. Two historical figures will be commemorated in 2009. We will celebrate the life of Newfoundland’s own Captain Bob Bartlett, the world-renowned Arctic explorer and historical icon. It was Captain Bartlett that commanded Sir Robert Peary’s famed 1909 North Pole expedition. The focus on the pole and the issues of the opening of the Northwest Passage are never far from the headlines these days and our high Arctic itineraries provide a firsthand look at the changes and possible commerce in the north and the impact this might have this fragile ecosystem. While each of our itineraries offers a general focus – wildlife, photography, art, historical exploration or Inuit culture - past and present, our programming remains multidisciplinary, with a team of expert resource staff on each sailing. We celebrated the founding of Nunavut in 1999 and we are delighted to offer our clients a 10th anniversary program in 2009.
Winner of the 2008 Hilton Canada Business of the Year Award - Multiple Unit
Special thanks to our partners for these adventures:
Tourism Product Excellence Award 2008
National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s
BEST
Winner of the Cruise Vision Award
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www.houston-north-gallery.ns.ca
Cover photo © Dennis Minty
Recipient of the
Matthew Swan President, Adventure Canada
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
High Arctic Adventure
August 9 – 21, 2009 aboard the clipper adventurer
E
xperience the magic and mystery of the far north as we combine its landscapes, people and communities into our first high Arctic adventure of the season. We begin in Kalaallit Nunaat (From the Kalaallisut: Home of the Greenlanders), a land of awe-inspiring beauty. Greenland is a place where the ice comes alive in iridescent blues, jagged peaks reach for the heavens, delicate tundra flowers nestle in tiny crevasses, towns are a brilliant montage of colour and much of the landscape seems untouched by human hands. This self-governing province of Denmark is the largest island in the world, covering nearly 3.5 million km2, more than 80 percent is covered either by the ice cap or small glaciers. Greenland has long been an important destination as a staging point for Arctic exploration. From the most early inhabitants, to the Vikings, through the age of exploration, and now with modern-day travellers, the island has been a base, a stepping stone and a final target. Greenland’s most famous son is explorer Knud Rasmussen. A champion of the Inuit people (his mother was of Inuit descent), Rasmussen established an Inuit settlement at Thule, northeast Greenland in 1910, with the aid of the Danish Missionary Society; he set up a code of laws for local government, and instituted social services. “Thule” is from the Latin word with the same spelling meaning “northernmost part of the inhabitable world.” 2009 marks the centennial anniversary of Sir Robert Peary and his team
of hearty explorers’ remarkable assertion, that after twenty-three years and eight attempts, they finally reached the geographic North Pole. On our journey we will head north in the footsteps of Rasmussen and Peary while learning exciting tales of hardship, determination and competition that drove Peary and other explorers like him to pursue the vast unknown, facing countless trials along the way. We will venture along the majority of the west coast, exploring the small communities, walking alongside glaciers and cruising among the icebergs. From Thule, we will travel as far north as ice and time allows into Smith Sound, before crossing over to Ellesmere Island and into the mouth of the famed Northwest Passage. Throughout the voyage we have ample opportunities to view and photograph the unique wildlife that calls the Arctic home. Narwhal, beluga, polar bears, and the rare and immaculately white Ivory Gull are all found here. Nesting colonies on Coburg and Prince Leopold Islands host tens of thousands of Thick-billed Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes. We are also likely to encounter shorebirds, Dovekie, Northern Fulmar, and, with luck, Gyrfalcon. At each stop, we board zodiacs to go ashore, or position ourselves for the best views or photographs of the wildlife, flowers, icebergs and landscapes.
© Clayton Anderson, 2008
Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) Arriving from Ottawa, we will board the Clipper Adventurer via Zodiac and prepare to steam out of one of the longest fjords in the world with 168km of superb scenery! Although the fjord crosses the Arctic Circle, the waters here do not freeze, making this part of Greenland a year-round centre for fishing and hunting. Sisimuit Coast Between Kangerlussuaq and Illulissat, the west Greenland coastline is a rich tapestry of fishing communities, myriad islands and complex coastal waterways. The human history in this area dates back 4,500 years. Ilulissat 250 km north of the Arctic Circle we find the astounding coastal community of Ilulissat. Ilulissat translates literally into “iceberg”, and there couldn’t be a more fitting name. Our visit will include time in the colourful town and a chance to hike out to an elevated viewpoint where we can observe the great fields of ice. We will also cruise in our fleet of zodiacs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Ilulissat Icefjord. The Icefjord is where we find the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier, one of the most active and fastest moving in the world at 19 meters per day and calving
© Clayton Anderson, 2008
more than 35km3 of ice annually. The glacier has been the object of scientific attention for 250 years and, because of its relative ease of accessibility, has significantly added to the understanding of ice-cap glaciology, climate change and related geomorphic processes. Qimusseriarsuaq (Melville Bay) In Qimusseriarsuaq, formally known as Melville Bay, the Greenland Ice Cap reaches for the sea. Large icebergs, calved from Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier, are carried north here by the West Greenland Current before heading west to Baffin Bay. In the days of wooden ships, the bay was dubbed “the wrecking yard” by British, Dutch and American whaling fleets due to the damages caused to many a vessel’s hull. Today Qimusseriarsuaq is still strewn with icebergs, but global warming is taking its toll. The Greenlandic government has created a shoreline reserve to protect summer beluga and narwhal populations as well as breeding polar bears. Kap York The rugged coastal environment at Kap York is rich in wildlife and is part of an extensive network of traditional hunting grounds. During the spring and summer months the skies and cliffs are dotted with millions of birds, primarily auks and murres. This district boasts the largest seabird
© Keith Nichol, 2007
population in northwest Greenland. Whalers and explorers often entered these waters and later Admiral Robert Peary’s family raised a monument in honour of his achievements on the cape. Sailors’ and ships’ logs record multiple climbs of the cape in order to survey the ice conditions in Qimusseriarsuaq. We will hike the tundra landscape and enjoy our own magnificent vistas. Qaanaaq It is in Qaanaaq, the world’s most northerly municipality, that you can get closest to what many people think of as the original Greenlandic hunting culture. Originally located 100km to the south, the present day community of Qaanaaq was relocated to accommodate the American Air Force base extension at Thule in 1952. The region, however, has a much more lengthy history, with archaeological evidence suggesting habitation over the past 4,000 years. It was from Qaanaaq that seven of Knud Rasmussen’s expeditions set out, and it was also from here that the American explorer Robert Peary embarked on his journey to reach the North Pole in 1909. The inhabitants, Inughuit, are fine artisans and beautiful small carvings and jewellery can be purchased.
© Mike Beedell, 2008
Karey Islands The Karey Islands straddle the border between Greenland and Ellesmere Island and support Dovekie colonies that breed in this area. Smith Sound (2 days) We will spend a couple of days exploring north into this fabled body of water that served as the main route for explorers and adventurers searching for the North Pole. Adolphus Greely, Sir George Nares and Elisha Kent Kane all travelled these waters with varying degrees of success. The Sound was named by William Baffin after Sir Thomas Smythe, promoter of voyages to find a Northwest Passage. Only 48-72km wide and 88km long, it is often packed with ice and provides favourable conditions for wildlife viewing. Cape Norton, Ellesmere & Philpots, Devon Island The area comprising Devon and South Ellesmere is one of few known breeding sites of the elusive Ivory Gull. They inhabit the rock outcrops sticking through ice sheets, known as nunatacs. We’ll be on the lookout for these beautiful gulls as we pick our way through the ice into Jones Sound.
Cobourg Island Cobourg Island is 65% covered with ice, but the remaining ragged land is a haven for wildlife. Cliff ledges are filled to capacity with 30,000 pairs of Black-Legged Kittiwakes and 160,000 pairs of Brunnich’s Guillemot (Thick-Billed Murres) among other seabirds. As we tour the area, we will keep our eyes peeled for the rare Ivory Gull and Northern Fulmars also known to breed in the area. Aujuittuq (Grise Fjord) Aujuittuq means “place that never thaws,” and at 1,150km above the Arctic Circle, it is Canada’s northernmost civilian community. With a population of 165, we will be welcomed into this peaceful and warm hamlet. Our activities will center around the school where we will have a chance to meet members of the community and learn about their way of life.
Beechey Island Of particular interest to history buffs, Beechey Island is a “must visit” for any Arctic traveller. A site of tremendous significance in Arctic exploration, it was the protected harbour of Beechey Island that inclined Sir John Franklin to over winter here at the onset of his search for the Northwest Passage. Over a century and a half later the remains of Franklin’s camp, including three graves, were discovered by search parties looking for the lost men. The island served as a search and rescue base in the years to come. Today four headstones and cairns are found from the Franklin era. Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay) Arriving in Resolute in early morning, we disembark Clipper Adventurer today. We will say our farewells to captain and crew before boarding our charter flight south to Ottawa.
Prince Leopold, Somerset Island The dramatic 244m limestone and sandstone cliffs of Prince Leopold is home to close to 375,000 migratory birds. Seabirds nest on the ledges from May to late September. The entire island is a haven for birds and is included in the 311 km2 Prince Leopold Bird Sanctuary. Species found here include: Thick-billed Murre, Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Black Guillemots, Atlantic Brant, Parasitic Jaegers, Common Eider, Common Raven, Glacous Gull and Snow Bunting. Weather permitting we will cruise under the cliffs in our zodiacs for a better view.
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
Devon Island The largest uninhabited island in the world supports significant concentrations of wildlife, including 26 species of seabirds and 11 species of marine mammals. At Dundas Harbour we find the lonely remains of an RCMP station dating from the 1920s. We have also spotted walrus, polar bear, muskox and caribou here. At nearby Croker Bay, we have a chance to Zodiac cruise through this scenic bay and marvel at icebergs, freshly calved from the glacier at the head of the bay.
Captain Bob Bartlett Intrepid Arctic explorer. World-renowned mariner. Icon of North American history. From his success with the famed 1909 Peary Polar Expedition to his countless Far North adventures and voyages, Bartlett is one of the true heroes of exploration in the 20th century. Celebrating Bartlett 2009 is a program of events and projects to bring Bartlett’s story to new generations. It will shine light on the legacy of the man whose perseverance and strength symbolize the spirit of Newfoundland and Labrador.
A Life to Explore
Born in the fishing village of Brigus, Newfoundland in 1875, ‘Captain Bob’ lived on the doorstep of the North Atlantic. Embracing the traditions of his mariner ancestors, Bartlett devoted his life to revealing the Arctic’s hidden riches. For 50 years he fought the Arctic’s tense grip becoming the greatest Ice Captain of the 20th century and one of North America’s last heroes of exploration. He earned his place in history when he brought Admiral Robert Peary to the top of the world in the renowned North Pole trek of 1909. From this famous adventure and beyond, Bartlett continued to claim the Arctic - navigating more than 640,000km over 40 journeys. On the 1914 Karluk expedition, he trekked 1,100km across the Arctic in 37 days to rescue the survivors of this doomed journey. His bravery was recently described as “the finest feat of leadership in Canadian marine history.” Armed with expertise and determination, Bartlett symbolized the Newfoundland and Labrador spirit of adventure and became a household name across North America as a leading Arctic explorer. In addition to his exploration work, Bartlett dedicated the last 20 years of his life to scientific research. His contribution to our understanding of the North is still recognized by many North American institutions. Celebrated as a Canadian Person of National Historic Significance and honoured with a special US Congressional Medal and the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal (awarded to notaries such as Neil Armstrong and Ernest Shackleton), Bartlett stands with our time’s great discoverers.
A Year to Celebrate
Celebrating Bartlett 2009 is an opportunity to embrace that great era of Arctic exploration. Experience the world through Bartlett’s eyes when one of the last of the Arctic expeditionary schooners, the Bowdoin, travels to ports around Newfoundland and Labrador to tell the story of Far North exploration through interpretation, drama, exhibition, and entertainment. During this year-long celebration, engage in travelling exhibits, educational programs, arts programs, historical reenactments, ceremonial activities, and public boarding and sailing opportunities. On the centennial of his great voyage to the Pole, we’ll celebrate all of Bartlett - from stories of adversity and determination to adventures of glory and achievement. Step into an era of discovery - a time when the Arctic captured the imagination of the entire world. Join us for Celebrating Bartlett 2009 and travel back to a time of firsts, a time of discovery - the time of Captain Bob Bartlett.
For more information on Celebrating Bartlett 2009, visit www.bartlett2009.com
© Keith Nicol
Into the Northwest Passage
August 21 – September 1, 2009 aboard the Clipper Adventurer
During the first journey, we sail through Rae Strait, the final link in the Passage as discovered by John Rae in 1854. We stop at Uqsuqtuuq (Gjøa Haven), an Inuit settlement named after the Gjøa, in which Roald Amundsen became the first to navigate the Passage in 1904-06. We also pass Point Turnagain, where in 1821, during his first overland expedition, John Franklin began a desperate (and tragic) overland flight for survival. During the second journey, historical highlights include a visit to Kugluktuk (Coppermine), where in 1771, after trying and failing to prevent a massacre at nearby Bloody Falls, Samuel Hearne became the first European to reach the Arctic coast of the continent. And conditions permitting, we sail through Prince of Wales Strait, where in 1850, while trapped in what was then impassable ice, Robert McClure went sledging and claimed that he had discovered the Northwest Passage. Join us in tracing the “fatal passage” that conjures a history at once tragic and inspiring, a history encompassing hardship and death, but also courage, determination, and superhuman endurance.
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
T
he quest for the Northwest Passage has occupied some of the best minds of Western civilization for half a millennium. The English called the hypothetical route the Northwest Passage, while the Spanish called it the Strait of Anián. The desire to establish such a route motivated much of the European exploration of both coasts of North America. In 2009, Adventure Canada will celebrate its 21st anniversary with the most coveted of Arctic itineraries, two journeys through the Northwest Passage. Beginning in Resolute, Cornwallis Island, we venture through the heart of the passage as we follow the Canadian mainland out toward the edge of the Beaufort Sea. Throughout the Canadian Arctic waterways, history manifests itself as we pass straits, islands and peninsulas bearing the names of the men who charted this forbidden coastline.
© Clayton Anderson
© Dennis Minty
© Matthew Swan
Bellot Strait Bellot Strait separates Somerset Island from the Boothia Peninsula, marking the northernmost point on the mainland of North America. The current in the strait can run at up to 8 knots and often changes its Beechey Island In 1845 Sir John Franklin took his expedition of 129 men in two ships into direction. The 2km-wide passage was discovered in 1852 by Captain the Wellington Channel. Not a soul returned from the doomed expedition. William Kennedy, then commanding an expedition in search of Sir John It was two years before search parties were launched. Aside from the bodies Franklin. The passage was named for Joseph René Bellot, a French naval officer and arctic explorer who was Kennedy’s second-in-command who of three souls buried here, only relics were found as clues to the died in the Arctic a year later, aged 26. disappearance. Until recently, the three graves had left no clues as to the fate of the rest of the men on board. Fort Ross In 1937, the Fort Ross trading post was established by the Hudson’s Bay Prince Leopold, Somerset Island Company at the southeastern end of the Somerset Island, shortly after Sir James Clark Ross, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of the 19th Scotty Gall became the first captain to cross Bellot Strait in the HBC Ship, century, was based at Prince Leopold in 1848-49. Ross’ expedition in Aklavik. Only eleven years later, however, it was closed, as the severe ice search of the Franklin party was overwhelmed by weather conditions and suffered much greater losses than Franklin’s during their first winter. It was conditions rendered it uneconomical and difficult to access. This left the also here that Sir John Ross (James’ uncle) escaped in 1833 after island uninhabited. The former store and manager’s house are still used as shelters by Inuit caribou hunters from Taloyoak. abandoning his vessel Victory following four harrowing winters stuck fast in the ice at Somerset Island. The tall cliffs of Prince Leopold Island are one of the top birding sites in the high Arctic both during the breeding and Victory Point, King William Island summering seasons. Long occupied by Inuit, this island (long thought a peninsula by John Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay) Arriving in Resolute early afternoon, we embark the Clipper Adventurer.
Both Photos © Daniel J. Catt
Ross) was originally named ‘King William Land’ for the reigning British King, William IV. A number of other polar explorers, while searching for the Northwest Passage, spent their winters at King William Island. John Franklin’s expedition was stranded in the sea ice northwest of the island and two of his crew are buried at Hall Point on the island’s south coast. The island is known for the large populations of caribou that summer there before walking south over the sea ice in the autumn. Uqsuqtuuq (Gjøa Haven) In 1903, explorer Roald Amundsen, while looking for the Northwest Passage, sailed through the James Ross Strait and stopped at a natural harbour on the island’s south coast. Unable to proceed due to sea ice, he spent the winters of 1903-04 and 1904-05. There he learned Arctic living skills from the local Netsilik Inuit, skills that would later prove invaluable in his Antarctic explorations. He used his ship Gjøa as a base for explorations in the summer of 1904, sledding the Boothia Peninsula and travelling to the magnetic North Pole. Amundsen finally left, after 22 months on the island, in August 1905. The harbour where he lived is now the island’s only settlement, Gjøa Haven, which he called “the finest little harbour in the world.” Today the population has blossomed from 110 in 1961 to 1,064 in 2006.
Queen Maud Gulf The Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary contains the largest variety of geese of any nesting area in North America. The Sanctuary is one of the few nesting areas for both the Atlantic Brant (Brant bernicla hrota) and Pacific Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans). Almost the entire population of Ross’ Goose (Chen rossii) nests here. It was named by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in 1905 for Maud of Wales, the Queen of Norway. The Ahiak Caribou calve along the Queen Maud Gulf coast in Nunavut and spend the summers here. Inuinnaqtun (Bathurst Inlet) The first Europeans known to have visited the area arrived as part of the first expedition of John Franklin in 1821. There was little outside contact until 1936 when both the Roman Catholic Church and the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) arrived. Although the Hudson’s Bay Company abandoned the site in 1964, Inuit remain in the area and continue a traditional lifestyle. Coronation Gulf The Coronation Gulf is host to several hundred islands and small islets. Major groupings include the Duke of York Archipelago, the Jameson Islands and the numerous small islands found in the southwest. The mainland south
of the gulf may have substantial diamond and uranium deposits. Early explorers referred to the people of this area as the “Copper” Inuit because of the copper reserves in the area, which they used for tools and trade. The language of the Copper Inuit is more closely related to that of the people living around the Mackenzie than it is to that of the people of Hudson Bay to the east. Kangiryuar (Prince Albert Sound) Found on the west side of Victoria Island, The Hudson’s Bay Company post at Prince Albert Sound was opened in 1923, moved to Walker Bay in 1928 and finally to Ulukhaktok (Holman) in 1939. The large bluff that overlooks Ulukhaktok was the source that provided the slate and copper used to make ulus and give the community its name. Ulukhaktok is also the location of the most northern golf course in the Americas and hosts the “Billy Joss Open Celebrity Golf Tournament” every summer.
© Clayton Anderson, 2008
© Clayton Anderson, 2008
Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay) With a population of just under 1,500, Iqaluktuuttiaq means “good fishing place.” It draws its English name from Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, and is a hamlet located in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. It is the final resting place of the Baymaud captained by Roald Amundsen. Here we disembark Clipper Adventurer and make our way back to Ottawa.
© Dennis Minty
© Matthew Swan, 2008
© Mike Beedell
© Mike Beedell
Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Out of the Northwest Passage © Clayton Anderson, 2008
September 1 – 16, 2009 aboard the Clipper Adventurer
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xperience the spirit of adventure and exploration on this journey with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. On this voyage
we will travel at a leisurely pace with ample opportunity to explore some of the least travelled regions of the Canadian Arctic. Starting in Cambridge Bay, we will head west, striking out into the Beaufort Sea. We will, ice conditions permitting, head through Prince of Wales Strait, making expeditionary stops on both Banks and Victoria Islands. Next we visit Winter Harbour and Neil Griffiths Point on Melville Island and delve into the rich waters of Lancaster Sound, reputed for its abundance of beluga whales and other marine mammals. Stopping on Baffin’s Eastern coast we will visit the vibrant Inuit community of Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet) and Buchan Gulf, one of many deep fjords on the northeast shoulder
of Baffin Island. Crossing Davis Strait to Greenland we visit Ilulissat, the largest town in Disko Bay and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We cruise among the massive icebergs, where North America’s bergs calve from the massive Greenland icecap as it tumbles down to meet the sea. Heading south we call in at the splendid town of Itilleq, scene of many of Adventure Canada’s soccer outings. We end the voyage with passage down the stunning Sondre Stromfjord, 185km to Kangerlussuaq. Onboard our team of resource staff will help us comprehend this vast land, it’s makeup, history, mythology and people. Daily lectures will compliment onshore activities preparing us for experiences on land and sea.
© Matthew Swan
© Pierre Richard
Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay) Here we explore the Inuit settlement and former Hudson’s Bay Company post at Cambridge Bay. Local landmarks include a picturesque stone church and the remains of the three-masted schooner, Maud, a second ship built by Admundsen for Arctic exploration. There is time to shop for local carvings and art. More than 50 species of shorebirds can be found here and muskoxen are often seen near the community. Umingmaktuuq (Bay Chimo) Umingmaktuuq, meaning “like a muskox”, is a community at the site of a deserted Hudson’s Bay Company post, which was formed by Inuit families who elected to lead a more traditional lifestyle. The hamlet is one of the smallest permanent communities in Nunavut, with less than two dozen residents. Electricity is provided solely by portable generators, and a satellite phone is their only link to the outside world. Coronation Gulf Separating Canada’s mainland the Arctic archipelago is the Coronation Gulf. Named by Sir John Franklin in honour of coronation of King George IV, the Gulf receives the Coppermine, Tree, Rae and Richardson rivers. It is host to several hundred islands and small islets. Kugluktuk (Coppermine) Situated on the famed Coppermine River, the hamlet of Kugluktuk is home to 1,200 residents. The proximity to the treeline make this area particularily rich in
wildlife. Wolverines, moose, muskoxen, caribou, foxes, wolves and grizzly bears are all resident species. The people of Kugluktuk rely heavily on their traditional economy of hunting and fishing to feed and clothe their families for cultural and nutritional well being. Amundsen Gulf The Amundsen Gulf was explored and named after the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen who visited between 1903 and 1906. Few people live along the shores of the gulf, but there are a few settlements, including Ikaahuk, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk. (birthplace of famed Inuit artist and Adventure Canada resource person, David Ruben Pictoukun). Diamond Jenness Peninsula This peninsula is named for one of Canada’s pioneering anthropologists, and recipient of the Society’s Massey Medal, documented Aboriginal life in Canada’s North and in First Nations communities across the nation. He joined the first major scientific exploration of Canada’s Arctic from 1913–16 with the Canadian Arctic Expedition, led by explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson. While Stefansson, Diamond and four others were ashore hunting caribou, ocean currents carried away their ship the Karluk. Surviving expedition members were forced to abandon her when it was subsequently crushed by ice. Jenness spent the next several years becoming fluent in Inuktitut and recording hundreds of drum dance songs, poems, legends and stories on wax phonographic cylinders. We’ll visit the Albert Islands here.
© Matthew Swan, 2007
© Mike Beedell
Ikaahuak (Sachs Harbour) The traditional name Ikaahuk (“where you go across to”) refers to both the movements of people from Victoria Island to Banks Island to hunt, and the later seasonal use of the Island for fox trapping. The English name, Sachs Harbour, comes from the Mary Sachs, a ship in the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913. A permanent settlement was established in 1929 when three Inuit families moved here to trap. In 1953, the RCMP set up a detachment. Situated on the southwestern coast of Banks Island, 122 people make up this lone permanent settlement on Banks Island. Prince of Wales Strait Prince of Wales Strait is part of the Arctic Ocean, extending northeastward for 275 km from the Amundsen Gulf to Viscount Melville Sound and separating Banks and Victoria Islands. It was discovered in 1850 by Robert McClure, the Irish explorer, who came within sight of the Viscount Melville Sound before heavy ice forced him to turn back. It was named after Albert Edward, then the Prince of Wales. It was not navigated until the RCMP patrol of Sgt Larsen in 1944. It has since become the preferred route of large vessels making the passage. Banks Island Home to two thirds of the world’s population of Lesser Snow Geese, two federal Migratory Bird Sanctuaries were founded in 1961. The island is home to Barren-ground Caribou, polar bears, muskoxen, and birds such as robins
and swallows. The first grizzly–polar bear hybrid found in the wild, was on Banks Island in April 2006 near Sachs Harbour. Muskoxen, with a population of about 40,000, are the most striking of the abundant wildlife on the island. It was named Banks Island in 1820 by Sir William Parry in honour of ventriloquist Sir Joseph Banks. Winter Harbour, Melville Island Melville Island was first visited by British explorer Sir William Parry in 1819. Not only did he discover the island, ice forced him to spend the winter in 1820 at what is now called “Winter Harbour”. The island is named for Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, who was First Sea Lord at the time. Melville Island is one of two major breeding grounds for a small sea goose, the Western High Arctic Brant. DNA analysis and field observations suggest that these birds may be distinct from other brant stocks. Numbering only 4,000-8,000 birds, this is one of the rarest goose stocks in the world. Bathurst Island Good soil conditions and a rare wetland environment produce abundant vegetation here, making Bathurst a major calving area for the endangered Peary Caribou. Here we also find Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area, a migratory route for polar bears from March to November. The north half of the island is the proposed Tuktusiuqvialuk National Park. There is a long human history on the island, with evidence of Dorset and Thule habitation as early as 2,000 BC.
Beechey Island In 1845 Sir John Franklin took his expedition of 129 men in two ships into the Wellington Channel. Not a soul returned from the fateful expedition. It was two years before search parties were launched. Aside from the bodies of three souls buried here, only relics were found as clues to the disappearance. Until recently, the three graves had left no indication as to the fate of the rest of the British party. Such is the interest in this story, the Canadian government recently announced a new initiative to locate the missing Franklin vessels. Devon Island Sailing through Lancaster Sound we will explore one of the large bays along the south coast of Devon Island. We’ll search out scenic icebergs, walrus and polar bears, as well as birdlife. Likely sightings are dovekies, and black guillemots, as well as one of the largest fulmar colonies in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Mattimatalik (Pond Inlet) We will sail through Milne Inlet, a narwhal breeding ground, enroute to Pond Inlet. This bustling Arctic community is surrounded by one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Eastern Arctic. We will have a chance to explore the town, as well as take in a cultural presentation at the Nattinnak Centre. Northeast Baffin Fjords & Buchan Gulf We’ll investigate the rugged coastline and fjords of the Buchan Gulf and Northeast Baffin by Zodiac. Virtually unknown to modern travellers, these fjords are known for dog-tongued glaciers and mountains that have been sculpted by the ancient Laurentian ice sheet which once covered North America. © Michelle Valberg, 2008
Crossing Davis Strait While crossing Davis Strait, we’ll relax and enjoy onboard lectures and opportunities to watch for wildlife from the ship’s decks. Ilulissat (Jakøbshavns Isfjord), Greenland Snapping ice, growling glaciers and the howl of sled dogs – all sounds we will hear as we enter the Ilulissat harbour in the shadow of the nearby ice cap. Exploring the town reveals why this stop is a favourite for visitors from all over the world. Venturing a little further out of town on the tundra to the hills beyond rewards the wanderer with spectacular views of the Jacøbshavn icefield. Icebergs calving from this field travel as far south as New York. Itilleq (Itivdleq) Living in a small town that relies primarily on fishing for its existence, Itilleq’s residents are closely tied to the land and its resources. Beautifully coloured houses speckle the rocky landscape as the town’s children play freely in rocky fields. We’ll engage the local soccer team in a friendly match. Kangerlussuaq (Sondre Stromfjord) Lying at the head of the longest fjord in western Greenland, Kangerlussuaq has one of the most stable climates in the region though temperatures can range from –50C in the winter to as high as 28C in summer. From the Greenlandic, Kangerlussuaq, which means ‘The Big Fjord,’ at 168km long. Departing the ship here, we will make our way home.
About Our Partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada — its people and places, its natural and cultural heritage and its environmental, social and economic challenges. The Society is one of Canada’s largest non-profit educational organizations and is funded primarily by membership fees and generous donations. The Society’s Board of Governors and its program committees are comprised entirely of volunteers.
About the Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society was founded in 1929 with a mandate “to make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world”. Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2009, our mandate is mainly fulfilled through the publication of Canadian Geographic in English and Geographica in French, and through the Society’s geographic education program, speaker series, research grants and expeditions programs.
About Canadian Geographic Canadian Geographic is proud to partner with Adventure Canada to offer a unique expeditionary voyage Out of the Northwest Passage. With an editorial mandate to explore and celebrate Canada’s natural and human wonders, Canadian Geographic is one of the most widely-read magazines in Canada.
Those on the Adventure Canada mailing list are entitled to a savings on a one-year subscription - simply go to www.canadiangeographic.ca/ac to get your subscription, or call them at 1-800-267-0824 and mention Adventure Canada to start your subscription. The price for the Adventure Canada family is $29.95, GST included. All our travellers for the 2008 though 2010 seasons will receive a free subscription when they travel with us!
Please visit www.rcgs.org or www.canadiangeographic.ca for more information
© Dennis Minty, 2008
Heart of the Arctic
with Richard Knapton and local guide September – 26, 2009 aboard Clipper Adventurer September 16 –16 26, 2009 aboard thethe Clipper Adventurer
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or the Inuit, the north represents their chosen landscape for survival and is home to their rich artistic and cultural legacy, which is alive and responsive to the new challenges of the twenty-first century. Our Heart of the Arctic program celebrates this legacy, as we will continue an enriching program of exploration, cultural immersion, art and archaeology with a host of outstanding resource guides and exceptional guests. As a special treat, we have commissioned an exclusive, original print from Pangnirtung Artist Jolly Atagooyuk which will be complimentary for each couple booked on this voyage.
Your Itinerary Our journey begins as we sail up Kangerlussuaq Fjord, West Greenland’s longest and most captivating. We will compare and contrast
Greenlandic communities with the Canadian territories of Nunavut and Nunavik. Visiting hamlets, engaging in sports and cultural events we arrive at a deeper understanding of our neighbours to the north.
© Clayton Anderson
As well known Arctic archaeologist and author Bob McGhee has written, “our southern vision of the Arctic is so enticing that it cannot be entirely submerged in reality.” The arts of the Inuit have informed southern audiences for the last 60 years with visual imagery that has fired our imaginations. Through sculpted forms, prints and drawings and magnificent weavings we only glimpse this spectacular landscape. We now have the privilege of experiencing first hand, their reality.
© Matthew Swan, 2008
Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord), Greenland Arriving into Kangerlussuaq, it is possible to see the largest ice cap in the world from your airplane window. Boarding the Clipper Adventurer in the afternoon, we will make our journey down spectacular Sondre Stromfjord. Itilleq (Itivdleq) Itilleq’s claim to fame is it’s the home of the largest sheep farm in all of south Greenland. Excellent pasture lands make it ideal for haymaking, keeping the sheep of Itilleq in fodder over the winter months. Also known as ‘the place to cross over’, Itilleq is a small town of 140 with colourful buildings that charm visitors as we engage the local soccer team in our semi-annual, and consistently unsuccessful match. Ilulissat (Jakøbshavns Isfjord) With a population of just over 4,000 people, Ilulissat is Greenland’s third largest town. The harbour is a picturesque mishmash of icebergs, fishing boats, hovering gulls and friendly faces. Once ashore we will learn about the inhabitants of Ilulissat and West Greenland at the museum and cultural centers. Art lovers can look for their very own Tupilak, a small
© Dennis Minty
carving, characteristic of the area, meant to ward off evil spirits. After our community experience we will walk to the ridge of the Ilulissat Icefjord, an awe inspiring setting where we can hear the fast moving glacial ice-stream and grumbling as the massive icesheets and bergs make their way out into the harbour set on a course for New York, and beyond. Crossing Davis Strait While crossing Davis Strait, we’ll relax and enjoy onboard lectures and opportunities to watch for wildlife from the ship’s decks. Pangnirtung (Cumberland Peninsula) ‘Pang’ is situated at the foot of one of the most spectacular backdrops of the Canadian Arctic. Mount Duval, at 850m, casts brilliant shadows and clouds over the boats moored in the bay, creating an ideal photo-op for shutterbugs. We’ll visit the print shop and tapestry studio at the Uqqurmiut Art Centre. Pangnirtung is a major Baffin arts community. In honour of the print shop’s 30th Anniversary, we have commissioned an
exclusive print from Pangnirtung Artist Jolly Atagooyuk which will be complimentary for each couple booked on this voyage.
Kimmirut (Lake Harbour) The population of Kimmirut is approximately 400. Once the administrative centre of south Baffin, it is now one of the smallest communities in the region. An Anglican mission was established here in 1909, followed closely in 1911 by the first Hudson Bay Company trading post in the Baffin Region. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police established their first detachment in the Baffin region here in 1926. Elders here remember art legend, James A. Houston, newly married to his first wife, Alma, passing through by dogteam in the early days of 1951, en route to Kinngait (Cape Dorset). Today, the economy thrives on harvesting marine mammals, fish and land game. Many residents are renowned carvers whose art is sold and collected around the world. Kinngait (Cape Dorset) Along the northwest shore of Dorset Island, surrounded on one side by rocky hills and on the other by Hudson Strait, lies the community that art built. Between 1950 and 1962, Kinngait hosted a historic collaboration between local Inuit and James and Alma Houston – the collaboration that launched Inuit art onto the world stage. In the distance are the jagged outlines of islands, and the inlets of Baffin Island’s southern coast. Like most other settlements in Nunavut, Kinngait is a modern community, with winding gravel roads, small wooden houses, schools, stores, hotels, a nursing station, government offices and churches. But it is the outstanding artists, printmakers and carvers that have made Cape Dorset the Inuit art capital of the world.
Kangiqsujuaq (Wakeham Bay) Kangiqsujuaq, is snuggled in the hollow of a splendid valley surrounded by majestic 500m high rocky hills. In a rocky pinching of the bay, known as “the narrows”, we will have an opportunity to examine the base of what were, 1.80 billion years ago, Himalayan-scale mountains. Located in the region of Nunavik the population is almost 500. In 1884, members of the Canadian Hudson’s Bay Expedition, aboard the steamship Neptune, arrived in the area anxious to establish a commercial route to Europe through the Hudson Strait. An ice observation and meteorological station were built at nearby Stupart Bay (known as Aniuvarjuaq). Inuit began to trade frequently with observers posted at the station: sealskin mitts and boots for tobacco and gunpowder. Wakeham Bay takes its name from Captain William Wakeham who, in 1897, led an expedition to determine whether the Hudson Strait was safe for navigation.
© Daniel J. Catt, 2007
© Matthew Swan, 2007
Kitigtung (Lady Franklin Island) Here we will be on the lookout for a seasonal walrus haulout where large groups of them can sometimes be found, lounging on the rocks.
Kuujjuaq Before it was named Kuujjuaq, early fur traders knew this region as Fort Chimo. A mispronunciation of saimuk, which means ‘Let’s shake hands’, ‘chimo’ was often used to welcome early fur traders to the post. Today Kuujjuaq, the administrative capital of the Inuit territory of Nunavik, is a flourishing community combining traditional Inuit culture with the conveniences of modern day life. From here we will board the charter flight back to Ottawa.
© Matthew Swan © Daniel J. Catt, 2007
Kangirsuk Kangirsuk, meaning ‘the bay’ in Inuktitut, is located on the north shore of the Payne River, inland from Ungava Bay. The village lies between a rocky cliff to the north and a large, rocky hill to the west. The numerous lakes and rivers of the area are well known for their arctic char and lake trout. The strong tides that occur on the Payne River make it an extraordinary place for mussel harvesting. The richness of wildlife and flora of the surroundings of Kangirsuk is also impressive. On the islands of Kyak Bay and Virgin Lake located to the east and northeast of Kangirsuk, respectively, important colonies of eider ducks nest every year. Inuit women collect the precious down of those birds to make the warm parkas that protect Kangirsumiut (residents of Kangirsuk) from the biting, winter cold.
© Matthew Swan
© Matthew Swan
Ungava Bay Located on the northern coast of Quebec, in the region of Nunavik, and opening out to the Hudson Strait and Labrador Sea, Ungava Bay can co-claim the highest tides in the world, tied with the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Ungava Bay freezes during the winter but at summer breakup, ice floes with seals, polar bears and walrus can be found floating southward into the bay.
About Our Style of Travel...
Our story begins in 1987 when we first set out to explore the wilder places of Canada, those areas whose remoteness alone made them special. On our travels and in our daily life we promote a philosophy of respect for the natural and cultural world. We believe by giving access to sensitive areas and sharing this philosophy with travellers, we can help to promote a wider and greater respect and understanding for environmental and cultural issues here in Canada and around the world. In 1993 we undertook our first “Voyage of Discovery” with a mandate to continue our exploration while bringing a contextual format to the itinerary. Over the last several years our “Environmental Discovery Voyages” have become increasingly popular, taking us to polar opposites in the Canadian Arctic and the Antarctic, Greenland and Iceland, exploring the Celtic fringe of Western Europe, and unlocking the secrets of British Columbia’s great coastal rainforests. Most recently, we have added Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands, Africa and New Zealand to our offerings. We mostly travel by small expedition ship, the best-suited mode of transportation for remote coastal exploration. The number of passengers on our voyages runs between 16 and 118, depending on the ship we choose. We believe that these small vessels are superior to large cruise liners, as they not only allow us to gain access to places not accessible by larger vessels, but our fleet of Zodiac landing craft permit us to visit some of the most remote places imaginable - the key to expeditionary travel. In addition to our voyages each year, we offer a series of specialized departures that focus on the art and culture or the natural history and photography of an area under our Art is Adventure™and PhotoWild!™ programs. These programs are specifically crafted to allow time for in-depth exploration and discovery with the guides selected for each.
Our People...
It is our desire to bring to you a top-notch team of resource and expeditionary staff. We regularly travel with resource teams of 12 or more on a 100-passenger ship, meaning you get more time and personal interaction with the specialists. This also allows us to cover a wider range of subjects, which makes for a more complete understanding of the areas we travel through. Calling on major notable writers, artists, musicians, scientists and culturalists to journey with us, we take the time to explore our destinations from a cultural perspective. We delight in the local exchange of ideas with Inuit and other First Nations societies and venture from time to time into the ancient realms of the old world. On every departure, we have on staff local inhabitants from the places we visit. While all the research in the world may explain certain aspects of a place, no one can tell you about that place and its culture like someone who lives and works in it everyday.
What to Expect
For most activities, a relatively low level of exertion is required. Our program features activities such as walking, wildlife viewing and Zodiac cruising. You will need to climb into and out of Zodiacs (assistance is provided) for excursions onshore, and some of our landings will be ‘wet’, requiring waterproof boots. A reasonable level of mobility is required to fully enjoy this travel program, and all participants must have a form completed by their physician to join. We will also ask you to provide some personal information well in advance of your departure. We have designed shore excursions to accommodate both those who wish moderate strolls and those who prefer more active hikes. A few of the excursions may have rough terrain, with rocky beaches. In the seasons we travel, temperatures will vary depending upon our altitude on land, or our ship’s position at sea. Flexibility is a must, as itineraries are subject to change without prior notice, and landings may be tidal or weather dependant. We will provide you with a complete list of recommended clothing, essentials to bring, and a suggested reading list upon registration. One month prior to departure, we supply you with our Pre-Departure Briefing: a detailed booklet to help prepare you for your adventure. It includes information on the wildlife, culture, landscape, ship, your guides and a brief history of your destination. Meals are a great opportunity to meet new friends and recount the days’ adventures, and special diets can be accommodated with advance notice. Everyone travels for different reasons, however, one common element is a thirst for knowledge and authentic experience. It is this desire that drives us to ensure the highest quality learning experience on our trips, by taking the time to carefully design each trip we offer.
The Walrus Foundation presents:
the Atlantic Arts Float © Michelle Valberg, 2008
September 26 – October 6, 2009 aboard the Clipper Adventurer
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Walrus Foundation, this time on a southerly route which will take us on a journey of artistic and intellectual exploration. Travelling through the grand landscape and stimulated by a world class resource team, we’ll draw our inspiration from the riches of Atlantic Canada. Here, in the wilds of Labrador, the Torngat Mountains meet the Atlantic Ocean - this is one of the most breathtaking landscapes in all of Canada! Guided expeditionary stops and Zodiac cruises along Labrador’s coast will allow time for wildlife viewing, spectacular tundra hikes, sketching, painting and photography. While in the Big Land we visit the region of Nunatsiavut, home of the Labrador Inuit we will visit both natural and cultural sites of importance. Further south we examine the merchant and Maritime Archaic histories enroute through the Strait to Belle Isle. After stopping in Gros Morne, and a few days along Newfoundland’s remote south shore we make our way down the east coast of Nova Scotia before completing our journey in Halifax. This new concept will bring on a selection of Artists, Photographers, Musicians and Writers together on a f loating creative platform with workshops, special projects and small-group instruction – all inspired by the beauty of Canada’s East Coast. Together we will work together to create works onboard, and share them with the communities and the world at large on our final night in Halifax at our special gallery event.
© Dennis Minty
e will join our friends from the
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
© Clayton Anderson
© Matthew Swan, 2007
Kuujjuaq Before it was named Kuujjuaq, early fur traders knew this region as Fort Chimo. A mispronunciation of saimuk, which means ‘Let’s shake hands’, ‘chimo’ was often used to welcome early fur traders to the post. Today Kuujjuaq, the administrative capital of the Inuit territory of Nunavik, is a bustling community combining traditional Inuit culture with the conveniences of modern day life. McLellan Strait At the northernmost tip of Labrador, between the mainland and Killiniq Island, the entrance to the Hudson Strait is marked by an increased chance to view wildlife. The area attracts marine mammals such as polar bears, whales and seals due to the mixing of ocean currents from the Labrador Sea. Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve (3 days) From the Inuktitut word Torngait , meaning “place of spirits”, the Torngat Mountains have been home to Inuit and their predecessors for thousands of years. Venturing south into the bays and fjords along the Northern Labrador Coast we notice the change in environment as lush flora softs the sharp spikes of the Torngat Mountain Range. The fjords here reach well back into the depths of the Torngats as we are
overshadowed by cliffs rising straight up from the sea, peaking at 1,700 m, the highest point of land in Labrador. Our intention is to make expeditionary stops in the northern reaches of Labrador, including the Torngat National Park Reserve. Hebron This is the site of a Moravian Mission Station, constructed in 1833 complete with church, classrooms, administrative offices and living quarters. In the 18th century, the first Europeans to settle north of Hamilton Inlet were missionaries of the Moravian Church and their main concern was the spreading of Christianity. Now undergoing a major restoration, the site of the old mission is set against a backdrop of spectacular scenery. This site is an excellent starting point for hikes of varying degrees of difficulty. Hopedale Originally called Agvituk meaning ‘place of whales’, Hopedale was first established in 1782 by Moravian Missionaries. Today the community is a mix of Inuit and settler populations. Traditional Inuit practices remain strong and most of the six hundred plus residents are members of the Labrador Inuit Association. The Hopedale Mission is considered to be the oldest wooden-frame building east of Quebec and has been declared a National Historic Site. There is a wonderfully run museum located by the Mission.
© Dennis Minty
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
Battle Harbour A long-time Adventure Canada favourite, Battle Harbour was once a bustling fishing community until the codfish moratorium in 1992 forced it to cease its fishing operations. Recently Battle Harbour has undergone extensive restoration work and now holds the dual designation of National Historic Site and National Historic District. Our visit will feature an engaging recount of the site’s history. Gros Morne It has been said that: “Gros Morne is to geology what the Galapagos are to biology.” Our day is spent exploring the Tablelands, a 600-metre high plateau that forms one of the world’s best examples of ancient rock exposed
from the earth’s interior. The spectacular scenery of Precambrian cliffs, deep inland fjords and volcanic ‘pillow rocks’ formed as lava cooled underwater - is home to moose, woodland caribou and giant Arctic hare, as well as over 30 species of wild orchids. La Poile La Poile is an isolated fishing community of 180 on the south coast of the Newfoundland and is accessible only by ship. The name La Poile comes from the presence of citizens from the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon who would come to the area to fish and collect timber as early as the 1700s. Although permanent settlement did not occur until well into the 1800s, American ships fished in the area of La Poile Bay as early as 1739.
© Michelle Valberg, 2008
St. Pierre A population of approximately 6,500 resides on the island of St. Pierre, all from various descents includes French, Basque, Breton, and Normand. St. Pierre’s houses somewhat resemble its history: an eclectic collection of colours and style aligned on picturesque cobblestone streets and alleys. Halifax Halifax is the cultural, economic and technological centre of Nova Scotia, combining big city sophistication with small town charm. Our shipboard journey comes to an end in this historic city and we prepare for the private reception and then a show that evening showcasing the work produced during the journey. Overnight in Halifax with flights home the following day.
Two photos © Dennis Minty, 2008; Bottom right © Tony Crocker, 2008
What’s Different about this Sailing With the help of the Walrus Foundation, our joint program, The Atlantic Arts Float will run as a floating workshop, where we can explore all things creative with our large compliment of Musicians, Artists, Writers and Photographers. The focus will be multidisciplinary with the goal of creating new art, music and mixed media among the participants. The voyage ends in Halifax, where we will exhibit our new creations in a mixedmedia show / wrap party that the whole world is invited to. Onboard we will have special guests, smart talk and a Walrus Foundation Embarkation package. All travellers in 2009 will receive a complimentary subscription to the Walrus Magazine. About Our Partnership with The Walrus Foundation In 2009 we are delighted once again to partner with the award-winning magazine - The Walrus. The Walrus is published by the charitable non-profit Walrus Foundation with a mandate to promote public discourse on matters vital to our country and to supporting Canadian writing, art, literacy, and ideas. The Walrus is celebrating its fifth anniversary as a national, general interest magazine about Canada and Canada’s place in the world. It is committed to publishing the best work by the best writers on a wide range of topics for readers who are curious about the world. In addition to publishing the magazine, The Walrus Foundation often takes the contents of the magazine off the page and throws it on the stage – creating a kind of public square of debate and discussion and an opportunity for Canadians to continue the conversations started by the pieces in the magazine. In partnering with Adventure Canada, The Walrus Foundation has a new kind of floating forum of engaged, curious, intelligent, spirited friends and you get a chance to become a Friend of The Walrus – just by coming aboard. You’ll receive a year’s subscription to The Walrus and other appropriate treats onboard. And you’ll have a walrus of a time with Executive Director of The Walrus Foundation and Co-publisher of The Walrus, Shelley Ambrose, with broadcaster and Friend of The Walrus, CBC Radio’s Shelagh Rogers and our special guest musician, Daniel Payne.
Special Guests of The Walrus Sailing Shelagh Rogers - Host
Shelagh Rogers is a veteran broadcast-journalist. She has hosted a number of flagship programs for the CBC, including This Morning and Sounds Like Canada. She was appointed “deputy host” of Morningside by Peter Gzowski. Shelagh travels the land collecting stories for the radio. In the year 2000, she won the John Drainie Award, Canada’s highest broadcasting honour. She is also the recipient of an honourary doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. Though she could be called Dr. Rogers, she is very happy to answer to Shelagh. She is also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 45, Woody Point, Newfoundland.
Alistair McLeod - Writer
Alistair MacLeod is recognised internationally as one of the world’s finest fiction writers. His reputation is based on short stories contained in the collection, Island, and on his 1999 novel No Great Mischief, which was a huge success in many languages and won the ImpacPrize in Dublin, the world’s richest literary prize. A now-retired professor of English at the University of Windsor, Dr. Macleod is a renowned teacher of creative writing, and lectures widely around the world.
Shelley Ambrose - Publisher, The Walrus
Calgarian Shelley Ambrose worked as a reporter for the Globe and Mail and the Windsor Star before serving for more than a decade as a producer for CBC Radio’s Morningside and later for The Pamela Wallin Show. After three years in public affairs at the Canadian Consulate in New York, organizing media and events and building the Canadian brand, Ambrose returned to Canada in 2006. She has produced hundreds of events, including forums, lectures, festivals, book tours, arctic tours, royal visits, and Bill Clinton’s 60th birthday celebrations in Toronto and New York.
Bill Lishman - Man of Many Talents
Bill is an award winning sculptor, filmmaker, inventor and naturalist. He is cofounder and Chairman of the Board of Operation for Migration Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing safe migration routes for migratory birds, and for the past twenty five years has been the Vice President of Paula Lishman Fashions. In 2000, Bill received the Meritorious Service Medal for his pioneering work with migratory birds. The 1996 Oscar nominated Columbia pictures film “Fly Away Home” was inspired by his life story.
Donna Morrissey - Writer
At age 16 Morrissey left her birthplace, The Beaches, a small outport on the west coast of Newfoundland. She lived in various places of Canada before returning to St. John’s where she studied at Memorial University. She has written three prize-winning novels — Kit’s Law, the national best seller Downhill Chance, and Sylvanus Now — as well as Clothesline Patch, the Gemini Award winning screenplay
Featured Resource Staff High Arctic Adventure Cam Gillies - Ornithologist
Cam grew up enjoying the birds and Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. He is a keen birder and photographer and as a co-owner of a birding company in British Columbia. Cam has guided many adventures and has participated in a variety of research projects; from catching endangered Leopard Frogs to snow tracking Wolverines. Currently, he completed his PhD at the University of Alberta on the movement of forest birds in Costa Rica.
Pakak Inukshuk - Carver, Director, Actor
Born in Igloolik, Pakak is a carver, hunter, drum maker and dancer, director and actor. Pakak recently completed the filming of the critically-acclaimed Sila (The Journals of Knud Rasmussen), the latest from award winning director, Zacharias Kunuk. Pakak portrays Aua, the last great Inuit shaman in Igloolik and his own great grandfather. In 2001, Pakak had a leading role in the film Atanarjuat (a winner at Cannes) and was the 2nd Assistant Director.
Jerry Kobalenko - Adventurer
A resourceful, self-reliant arctic trekker and photojournalist, Jerry tirelessly crisscrosses Canada’s northernmost regions and discovers a world where extremism is essential. Jerry’s writing and photography have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world.; including his critically acclaimed book, The Horizontal Everest: Extreme Journeys on Ellesmere Island affair with the Canadian High Arctic.
Bob MacDonald - CBC Host
For the past 35 years Bob McDonald has been communicating science to the public through every medium. He is currently host of Quirks & Quarks, Canada’s weekly national science program on CBC Radio One, Science Correspondent for The National and Newsworld Morning on CBC television and recently received a Gemini Award for his role as host of the children’s television series Head’s Up for which he is also the writer. Bob has received numerous awards including the Michael Smith Award from NSERC, Sir Sanford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute and the McNeil Medal from the Royal Society of Canada. He holds four Honourary Doctorates.
Alfred McLaren - Polar Explorer
Explorers Club lecturer Captain Alfred S. McLaren, U.S. Navy (Ret.), is a world-class polar explorer and an expert in the polar regions. As a naval officer, Capt. McLaren made three Arctic submarine expeditions: one on the USS Seadragon, which made the first submerged transit of the Northwest Passage, and two on the USS Queenfish. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Naval War College, Capt. McLaren is a veteran of more than 20 Cold War submarine operations, and retired as Captain in 1981.
Dave Reid - Northern Specialist
The last Scottish recruit for that most Canadian of corporations - the Hudson’s Bay Company - David moved from Glasgow to the Canadian Arctic in 1989. For the past twelve years, he has been involved in the adventure travel business and has since led, organized or participated in more than 220 Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, trips and projects. A member of The International Explorers Club, David still lives in Pond Inlet in North Baffin Island, travelling in theoff-season, working on various projects as well as promoting and marketing the Baffin region, Nunavut and Arctic Canada.
This is a partial list, please check our website for the most up to date list of Resource Staff and their extended biographies
Aaju Peter - Culturalist
Born in Arkisserniaq, a northern Greenland community, in 1960 Aaju has lived up & down the west coast of her native country as a result of her father’s teaching & preaching career. In 1981, Aaju moved to Iqaluit, in Nunavut, Canada where she has taken up residence. Here, Aaju worked as an interpreter, & she has done volunteer work with various women’s & interpretation organizations. Currently Aaju has a homebased sealskin garment business, translates, volunteers for the music society, collects traditional law from elders for the Department of Justice & graduated from Akitsiraq Law School.
Into the Northwest Passage Clayton Anderson - Adventure Canada
Formerly of “no fixed address,” Clayton joined Adventure Canada to head up the marketing department. After graduating the University of Western Ontario in 1998, he was an newspaper editor in Costa Rica, wrote travel guide books in Montreal and edited a magazine before joining Adventure Canada. Having traveled extensively in the Arctic over the past few years, Clayton will be returning once again to the Arctic to instigate the fun, drive Zodiacs and carry the Adventure Canada flag.
Mike Beedell - Photographer
Mike is one of Canada’s leading adventure photographers and wilderness explorers, with over 20 years of travel to Canada’s remote corners. His accomplishments include sailing the Northwest Passage in an 18ft. catamaran, completing a 3000 km dogsled journey from Baffin Island to Greenland and most recently completing a circumnavigation of Bylot Island in Canada’s High Arctic. He will share photo tips, tales and a notable singing voice.
Cedar Bradley-Swan – Adventure Canada
Cedar grew up travelling Canada’s coastlines taking in their rich landscape and history. Her passion for learning about people and their traditions led Cedar to study history at the University of Toronto. Cedar looks forward to returning to the Arctic again and sharing the experience with you.
Ted Cowan - Historian
Educated at Edinburgh University, Ted taught for 13 years in the Scottish History Department there. In 1979, he became Professor of History and Chair of Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph, Ontario, returning to Scotland in 1993 as Professor of Scottish History and Literature at the University of Glasgow. He has written several books, and is interested in the Vikings, medieval Scotland, the Covenants, Scottish Popular Culture an Scottish Emigration Ted has a keen interest in Arctic Canada’s exploration era.
Marshall Dane – Musician
Marshall was raised with the musical influence of his parents as well as storytellers John Denver, Kenny Rogers, and Simon & Garfunkel. He got his first gig at 15, was paid “35 dollars and cheesecake”, and turned it into his first record of the same. Marshall just recently won the title of “Best Live Electric Band” at the 2008 Toronto Independent Music Awards.
Carolyn Mallory - Botanist
Carolyn Mallory is a writer currently working on a book about insects in Nunavut, a follow up to her popular “Common Plants of Nunavut”, cowritten with Susan Aiken. As well as writing, Carolyn is a librarian, a gymnastics coach, and chair of the French school board. She has three children, two dogs, two cats, four ferrets and two birds and lives in Iqaluit with her husband Mark, in their house overlooking Frobisher Bay.
Mark Mallory - Biologist
For the past eight years, Mark has lived in Iqaluit with his wife Carolyn and three children, along with 10 pets. After spending more than a decade studying the effects of acid rain on waterfowl and loons in Ontario, Mark now studies Arctic seabirds, particularly the effects of climate change and pollution on their ecology. He and his colleagues recently found dramatic declines in Ivory Gull populations in Canada, which led to the species being listed as Endangered in 2006.
Pierre Richard - Marine Biologist
As a long-time Arctic marine mammal researcher, Pierre has focused on the population biology of belugas and narwhals of the Canadian Arctic, developing recommendations for the sustainable use and conservation of their populations. He is known in Nunavut as “Pieri, angutikutaq qilalugalerei” (‘the tall man who knows about belugas and narwhals’). He is the author of a Nunavut school book on Marine Mammals of Nunavut and several French language books on whales and mammals of eastern Canada and the Arctic.
Out of the Northwest Passage Ree Brennin - Marine Biologist
Ree is a zoologist specializing in marine life. She studied beluga populations across the Canadian Arctic and is currently organizing a workshop on beluga conservation. Ree spent nine years working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium training Volunteer Guides who interpret marine life and inspire conservation. Ree also taught Environmental Science and Policy at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She now lives in Ontario, Canada where she works as an environmental consultant on Arctic marine issues.
Latonia Hartery - Archaeologist
Latonia is currently finishing a PhD in circumpolar archaeology at the University of Calgary. For the past decade she has conducted excavations on archaeological sites in northern Newfoundland. Her interests in media and archaeology spawned LJH Associates, a consulting company devoted to assessing film and television productions for historical accuracy and accurate portrayal of aboriginal people.
Ken McGoogan - Author/Historian
A best-selling Canadian author, Ken McGoogan has a survived shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, chased the ghost of Lady Franklin across Tasmania, and lugged a memorial plaque into the High Arctic. Ken won the Pierre Berton Award for History and the University of British Columbia Medal for Canadian Biography. His acclaimed works about Arctic exploration include Race to the Polar Sea, Lady Franklin’s Revenge, Ancient Mariner and Fatal Passage.
Nat Rutter -Geologist
Nat has spent most of his career working on scientific problems concerning the Quaternary Period, the last 2.6 million years of Earth history. As an undergraduate student, he worked as a student assistant in the Arctic and Greenland. After graduating with his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, he joined the Geological Survey of Canada in Calgary, spending most of his time investigating the glacial history and climate change of Western Canada as well as teaching courses at the University of Calgary.
Jack Seigel -Naturalist
After 30 years as a professor of environmental studies, Jack remains committed to conservation and education. He has consulted on ecotourism development and taught guide training internationally. With an extensive knowledge of plants and animals, and their ecological relationships, Jack introduces “the big picture” in a relaxed and entertaining style. Since 1978 he has travelled throughout the Arctic, first joining the Adventure Canada team in 1994. When not guiding nature tours throughout the world, he and his wife divide the year between their energy efficient ‘straw bale’ home in central Ontario and the mountains of Panama.
Matthew Swan - President, Adventure Canada
Matthew considers himself to have one of the best jobs in Canada. Researching and delivering travel programs has taken him to some of the most beautiful parts of the country, an experience he describes as having an “elemental effect” on his view of Canada. He developed many of Adventure Canada’s programs in the Arctic that continue to be the company’s most successful destination. Matthew and June and their three children, Cedar, Alana and Matthew James live in a remote, wilderness part of Mississauga, but very near the airport.
Ian Tamblyn - Musician
A composer, songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, playwright, environmentalist, explorer & producer, Ian has captured the spirit of many remote & beautiful parts of the world, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Through 30 albums of original music, his work has become known & respected around the world & he has played a significant role in the folk music scene in Canada & internationally. Ian’s latest - Four Coast Project: Volume Three The Arctic: A Thousand Shortcuts Home - will be released in 2009.
Heart of the Arctic Jolly Atagooyuk - Artist
Jolly was born on Broughton Island. He now lives in Pangnirtung with his wife and four children. Jolly has been printmaking for over ten years. At the Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit he studied etching, watercolour for printmaking, stencil, oil painting, silkscreen, and also a visual fine art and craft foundation course. After completing his diploma in 1994, Jolly joined the Uqqurmiut Centre for Printmakers in Pangnirtung. He has been busy ever since, painting and printing, teaching printmaking, and attending arts festivals across the Arctic. Jolly has been commissioned to create an exclusive print for all travellers on this voyage.
Carol Heppenstall - Arts & Culture
Carol has been leading tours for Adventure Canada for 14 years. She has a BA in Art History & a MA in Museum Education. Her passion for Inuit Art & her belief in the power of communication through the arts, has drawn her back repeatedly to the Arctic. Designing smaller tours with an art/culture focus and working as a Resource Guide on the Arctic cruises has allowed her to keep in touch with artists & update the ever- changing artistic & cultural expressions in the north.
Featured Resource Staff John Houston - Filmmaker / Culturalist
A member of the well-known Houston family, John spent the first seven years of his life in the Arctic at Cape Dorset, Baffin Island. He studied art in Paris and graduated from Yale University in 1975; that same year, he took up the position of Art Advisor to the Pangnirtung Co-operative’s printmaking project. In 1998, John co-wrote and directed his first film. His 2007 film: Kiviuq, was recently awarded ‘Best Documentary Film’ at Dreamspeakers 12th annual International Aboriginal Film & Television Festival in Edmonton. His latest James Houston: The Most Interesting Group of People You’ll Ever Meet was released in late 2008.
Gerald McMaster - Artist and Curator
For the past 30 years, Dr. Gerald McMaster has worked as a visual artist, curator, and scholar—to increase the knowledge and appreciation of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit art, both nationally and internationally. He also created the first national Indian and Inuit art gallery at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, in Ottawa, where he was Curator from 1981 to 2000. Now curator of Canadian Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Gerald has the distinction of serving as curatorial and cultural resource in the opening of two new national museums, in Ottawa and Washington.
Kananginak Pootoogook - Artist / Elder
Son of a great camp leader, Kananginak Pootoogook was born in 1935 on southern Baffin Island. In 1957 he moved with his family to Cape Dorset, where he became one of the four original printmakers at the seminal West Baffin Eskimo Co-op. Kananginak’s own realistic and often highly dramatic wildlife imagery, expressed through the media of original drawings, limited edition prints and sculpture, earned him the name ‘Arctic Audubon’ - and election to the Royal Canadian Academy in 1980. Kananginak is John Houston’s godfather.
Pat Sutherland - Archaeologist
Pat is an archaeologist who since 1975 has undertaken field research throughout Arctic Canada and has also collaborated on a number of international projects in Greenland. Her studies have included the Inuit and pre-Inuit occupations of the High Arctic and the Mackenzie Delta; the art and culture of the Dorset people; the Norse colonies of Greenland; and the lost Frankin expedition. Pat is Curator of Eastern Arctic Archaeology at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and director of the Helluland Archaeology Project.
Atlantic Arts Float Tom Barlow – Musician
Tom has been a writer and performer on the Canadian music scene for 20 years. During that time he has garnered three Juno Award nominations, a Canadian Radio Music Award nomination and won the Canadian Independent Rising Star Award. Tom has toured across Canada and around the world in such disparate places as China, Europe, The United States and Nicaragua. His latest project is the The Beautiful Unknown.
This is a partial list, please check our website for the most up to date list of Resource Staff and their extended biographies
Doug Gibson - Editor
In his twenty years as publisher at McClelland & Stewart, he edited authors ranging from Pierre Trudeau to Peter Gzowski, from Peter C. Newman to Brian Mulroney, and from Robertson Davies to Alice Munro. A Scot, educated at St. Andrews University and at Yale, he lives in Toronto with his wife, Jane, and continues to publish Douglas Gibson Books at McClelland & Stewart.
Eli Mekuratsuk - Culturalist
Eli was born in Okak Bay, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. He grew up travelling by dog team, living a traditional lifestyle on the land with his extended family much of this time spent in the Torngat Mountains which is his real homeland. He is a gifted carver and appreciates music - has been known to bring out the guitar and treat the crowd to a song or two. Eli is a true ambassador for his homeland and looks forward to sharing his life experiences with you. On top of that Eli will keep us safe from polar bears as we travel in the land of the Labrador Inuit.
Dennis Minty - Photographer
Born in Twillingate, Newfoundland, Dennis has followed a varied path to arrive at his current profession as a photographer. Through 30 years of both local and international work, Dennis has served as an award winning wildlife biologist and environmental educator; designer and manager of a nature education centre; author; multimedia developer and adventure tour guide. One of his environmental education projects, Finding the Balance, Environmental Issues on a Global Scale was officially endorsed by the United Nations. Dennis has also received the Canadian Governor General’s Medal for his work in environmental education.
Daniel Payne - Musician
Daniel comes from a long line of traditional accordion and fiddle players from Cow Head on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. He is a wellknown singer, actor and multi-instrumentalist who has performed both as a musician and actor throughout North America, Australia and Europe. He is a recipient of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Emerging Artist Award and played a leading role in the Newfoundland-Ireland production of the TV miniseries, Random Passage, a portrayal of Bernice Morgan’s life in early Newfoundland. His first solo album, released in spring 2008 is entitled Chain.
Members of Drawnonward – Artists
Over ten years ago the artists of DRAWNONWARD began to travel throughout Canada in order to document its unique and varied regions. Today, after over 100 000 kilometers travelling by bus, boat, canoe, train, milk van, skis, feet and last year aboard Adventure Canada’s expedition vessel to the Arctic, the artists have painted together from coast to coast. They are excited to be returning to such a friendly and picturesque part of the country with the Adventure Canada family. The Artists will be available to provide formal lectures, organized workshops and personal instruction throughout the journey.
Art on the Rock
With Kevin Major and Anne CrAwford
Literature, music, visual art, theatre—Newfoundland has it all, and in abundance far beyond anything you might expect of half a million people. Join celebrated Newfoundland writer Kevin Major for an insider’s look at the culture of his Island, seven art-filled days at the edge of the North Atlantic. Let him take you through the multi-hued streets and back lanes of St. John’s, to his favourite galleries and music haunts. Meet artists and poets and musicians (sometimes all three in one). Spend time in their studios. Hear them explain their art. Listen as they read from their award-winning books, and chat with them leisurely over wine. From the intimacy of an ornate nineteenth century reading room to the sweeping views of the city from the ultra-modern galleries of The Rooms (what The Globe and Mail has called ‘one of the world’s great small museums’), you’ll know you’re in the midst of a culture like no other in North America. Aesthetically, you might think yourself in Europe. Whether browsing the galleries or enjoying a pint and a song at The Ship, you’ll know for sure you’ve fallen into the arms of a spirited arts scene. Food? Of course. Whether your preference is fine international cuisine or fish ‘n chips at Ches’s, St. John’s doesn’t disappoint. Shopping? That, too. From books personally autographed, to paintings and prints, to fine and funky crafts. Kevin will also travel with you to Trinity, one of the most beautiful of Newfoundland’s outport communities, and home to Rising Tide Theatre, the company that has produced several of his plays. There you will have chance to explore the place that has become a haven for artists of all kinds. Take in the site of the TV mini-series Random Passage. Attend Rising Tide’s evening performance, then meet the cast and their dynamic artistic director. Retire to the charms of Fisher’s Loft (where Kevin Spacey and Judy Dench stayed while filming The Shipping News), before returning to St. John’s Seven delightful days steeped in Newfoundland’s culture – what a way to get to know this most distinctive of islands!
July 6 – 12, 2009
Cost: $3,295 CDN+ GST; based on double occupancy Max: 18 adventurers Tour Includes • All meals, breakfast Day 1 to breakfast Day 7 • Six nights accommodation • All transportation • Guiding services of Kevin Major and Anne Crawford • Special guest appearances • Evening of theatre at Rising Tide in Trinity and exclusive backstage pass • Admissions to galleries, museums & special events Tour Cost Does Not include: • Transportation to/from St. John’s and your home • Travel/medical insurance • Alcoholic beverages with meals • Any expenses incurred due to weather, delays etc.
Newfoundland Close-Up: A Photographic Adventure
Listen to the explosive spout of a humpback whale as it breaks the surface of a clear blue ocean. See the comical flight of a full-bellied puffin as it attempts to get airborne. Smell the salty landwash where the sea touches North America’s eastern-most land and where First Light really is first.
July 18 – July 25, 2009 8 days, 7 nights $3,295 CDN + GST Maximum participants: 12
With camera in hand we will take you to the heart of the most easterly corner of North America, still largely undiscovered by the vast majority of travellers. This is a tour for photographers, their companions and the artistically-minded. Your particular needs and interests are addressed in a multi-dimensional tour that mixes group instruction, experiential learning and one-onone coaching in the midst of cultural and ecological wonders.
Prices include: • All accommodations • All meals • Ground transportation • Your instructor/guide(s) • All park/tour fees
Presentations are interactive, inspiring and informative; the hikes are filled with vistas and natural beauty that invite hours of artistic contemplation; the traditional home-cooked meals and accommodations celebrate the best of Newfoundland hospitality. We will amble through charming historic communities like Brigus, Trinity and St. John’s; experience gannets, puffins and whales closer than most anywhere on earth, hike trails that take us along tall cliffs, through gentle meadows and explore Newfoundland’s famous rocky beaches.
Prices do not include: • Flights to and from St. John’s • Laundry, phone calls, GST, personal items • Alcoholic beverages • Travel/medical insurance Fitness level: Easy to moderate
July 18 –25, 2009
Your Guides:
Dennis Minty & Antje Springmann Dennis has a five year history with Adventure Canada as naturalist and photographer. He is an award winning environmental educator, wildlife biologist, park manager and author of several books. Antje Springmann has called Newfoundland home since coming there from Germany when she was twelve. She guided her first cultural tours of St.John’s 20 years ago. She has a varied background in educational design, arts and culture, tourism, marketing, event organization and partnership development. A budding photographer in her own right, she recently joined her husband, Dennis Minty, in developing workshops that bring people closer to the natural world.
All Photos © Dennis Minty and Antje Springmann
Day 1 We begin in St. John’s, Newfoundland’s vibrant, historic capital. From here a one hour drive brings us to Conception Bay. Cupids, our home base for the first part of our adventure, is a picturesque and welcoming town. Settled in 1610, it is Canada’s oldest English colony. Here we are hosted by charming B&B’s brimming with Newfoundland hospitality. After an introduction to nature photography we head outdoors as the shadows lengthen, to hike the Burnt Head Trail while indulging in the splendour of this undiscovered gem. Day 2 We set off near dawn to explore the Greenland trail to capture the early morning light. We walk among the former settlement of Deep Gulch, and take in a spectacular cliff view of “The Arch”, a natural rock formation. We make frequent stops for tips and exercises that help us see creatively. In the afternoon we explore the neighbouring town of Brigus. This picturesque community, once home to famous arctic explorer Captain Bob Bartlett. We take time to wander among the laneways and unique stone canals that lace this idyllic community rich in traditional architecture. Day 3 Bay Roberts’ East Shoreline Heritage Walk is one of Newfoundland’s most scenic hikes. Our path takes us through meadows where we pass stone walls, root cellars and other evidence of early settlements. We stop and explore tiny pebble beaches before making our way along towering cliff-tops that offer an expansive view of Port-aux-Graves Peninsula, Bell Island, and Conception Bay beyond. Port Rexton, home of “The Shipping News” is our next base. Day 4 Our morning’s highlights are the puffin colony at Elliston and some small natural treasures along the way. In the afternoon we hike the Skerwink Trail, rated among the world’s best by Travel & Leisure Magazine. We trek through stunning landscapes of forest, meadow and rocky coastline. Ancient sea stacks, 540 million years old, rise from the ocean floor. Bald Eagles are likely companions along the way.
Day 5 We explore Trinity and hike Gun Hill for its breathtaking views. This stately and vibrant community is steeped in history and has the sense of grandeur due to its fish merchant history. A photographic discovery awaits around every corner. In the afternoon we take a step back in time on the film set of “Random Passage” which documented the life of Newfoundland’s first European settlers. Then it’s on to Kearley’s Harbour, a small coastal community abandoned in the 1960’s. The evening is spent on Trinity Bay exploring the coastline’s charming coves by boat. Day 6 In store for us today is one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife experiences – Cape St. Mary’s Seabird Sanctuary, North America’s second largest gannet colony. Nowhere else on earth are you able to get closer to these majestic birds. Thousands of these magnificent birds sail above and below us. The air is filled with the drone of their chatter. Day 7 We take a quiet walk through Salmonier Nature Park, a marvellous environmental education and wildlife rehabilitation centre where we are able to closely observe many of Newfoundland’s native wildlife species. In the afternoon we take to the water in search of whales in Bay Bulls and Witless Bay. Here lies one of the world’s greatest gathering places of whales and seabirds drawn yearly by the abundant food supply. The air is filled with thousands of puffins, kittiwakes and murres as they tend their young. We are looking for the giants of the sea: minke and humpback whales. Our small boat allows us to get close enough to hear the mighty blow as they break the surface, smell their pungent breath, and see the water pearl off their flukes as they rise from the ocean. Day 8 Memorial University’s Botanical Gardens, a 110 acre nature reserve dedicated to the display and study of Newfoundland’s native flora and its habitats. We spend our morning here exploring and practicing our new photo skills before lunch at the Gardens’ fine café. Our afternoon takes us to Cape Spear National Park, North America’s most easterly point and home to the province’s oldest surviving lighthouse. We explore this rugged area of craggy cliffs and windswept barrens, then head on to the pretty fishing village of Petty Harbour/Maddox Cove before ending our tour in St. John’s.
The Clipper Adventurer
The 118-passenger Clipper Adventurer, among the very few vessels in the world specifically constructed for expedition voyages to the far reaches of this remote land. She has advanced communications and navigation equipment, and newly installed, state-of-the-art Sperry Gyrofin stabilizers. With $13 million in renovations, the Clipper Adventurer is a handsome expedition vessel, done in the style of great ocean liners when ships were ships. With lots of varnished wood, brass, and wooden decks, the ship has all new outside cabins, and private facilities. There is a Main Lounge, bar, Clipper Club, library/card room, gymnasium, sauna, gift shop, and beauty salon. Meals include International and Continental cuisine. The ship has a fleet of 10 Zodiacs and a special loading platform. An ice class rating of A-1 allows the Clipper Adventurer to go to places larger cruise ships can only dream of, and she does it in comfort and style unsurpassed by other vessels her size. Category
Technical Specifications: Registry Bahamas Gross Tonnage 4,364 Built 1975 - Russia Refurbished 1999 - Scandinavia Ice Class A-1 Length 101 m (330 ft)
Beam 16.5m (54 ft) Draft 4.72m (15.5 ft) Cruising Speed 12 knots Capacity 118 passengers Electricity 220 V. Stabilizers Sperry Gyrofin
Amenities
1
Quad Lower Forward, 2 upper 2 lower berths, private facilities, porthole window.
2
Triple Lower Deck, 1 upper 2 lower berths, private facilities, porthole window.
3
Junior Double, two lower berths, shower, porthole window
4
Double, two lower berths, shower, porthole window.
5
Main Double, two lower berths, shower, porthole window.
6
Deluxe Double, shower, midship, two lower berths, porthole window.
7
Superior Double, two lower berths, shower, picture window.
8
Junior Suite, two lower berths, bath or shower, sitting area.
9
Suite, two lower beds, bath with shower, window,sitting area.
10
Owner’s Suite, two lower berths, shower, porthole window.
2009 Rates High Arctic Adventure
Into the Northwest Passage
Out of the Northwest Passage
Heart of the Arctic
Atlantic Arts Float
Aug. 9-21, 2009
Aug. 21 - Sep. 1, 2009
Sep. 1 - 16, 2009
Sep. 16 - 26, 2009
Sep. 26 - Oct. 6, 2009
1 2 3 4 5 6
$4,395.00
$4,395.00
$5,795.00
$3,695.00
$2,595.00
$5,195.00
$5,295.00
$6,995.00
$4,295.00
$3,695.00
$6,195.00
$6,495.00
$7,995.00
$5,395.00
$4,795.00
$7,195.00
$7,495.00
$9,095.00
$6,395.00
$5,495.00
$8,295.00
$8,695.00
$10,395.00
$7,495.00
$6,295.00
$9,250.00
$9,695.00
$11,595.00
$8,395.00
$6,995.00
7 8 9 10
$9,595.00
$9,895.00
$12,095.00
$8,895.00
$7,995.00
$9,995.00
$10,395.00
$12,795.00
$9,395.00
$8,795.00
$10,395.00
$10,995.00
$13,195.00
$9,895.00
$9,195.00
$10,995.00
$11,495.00
$13,995.00
$10,195.00
$9,695.00
Voyage Dates Category
Due to the recent and significant fluctuations of the Canadian dollar, and the fact that most of our expenses are in US dollars, we have been compelled to price our itineraries in US dollars for the 2009 season.
Discovery Fund
Making a Difference: Each area we visit has rich cultural and wild treasures to offer. As guests, we have made a point to source and support local projects in the areas through which we travel. A contribution from each passenger represents a portion of the money we donate to ensure the longevity and success of educational, environmental and cultural initiatives in these regions. Sailing Solo? Single travellers not requiring private accommodation on shipboard programs can be matched with another single traveller at no extra charge.
Join us on more than one voyage and get a special discount!
$250
Fares Include:
• Your complete itinerary • Team of resource specialists • Educational program and pre-departure materials • All meals, except occasional optional meal ashore • All Zodiac excursions • Service charges and port fees • Hotel night October 5th on the Atlantic Arts Float
Like the Photos in this brochure?
Most of these photos are available as prints from the respective photographers in a variety of sizes. Please give us a call and we’ll direct you to the photographer so you can get one for your wall.
$200
Fares Do Not Include: • • • • • • • • •
Flights, Charters GST on Into the Northwest Passage Mandatory medical / evacuation insurance Personal expenses (laundry, alcoholic beverages, phone calls, onboard medical fees) Additional expenses in the event of delays or itinerary changes Discretionary gratuities to ship’s crew (approximately $10 - 14 per passenger per day) Visas, if required Fees for physician’s notes confirming you are fit to travel Possible fuel surcharges
Rates are per person, per voyage based on double occupancy unless specified. Private singles available on our vessels in certain categories at 1.6 times the double occupancy rate. All prices cash/cheque discounted; rates based on US funds. See Terms & Conditions for rates when paying final balance with a credit card.
We love Bagpipers! If you can play, bring your pipes along and ask about our bagpiper’s rebate.
Coming Attractions
We offer a diverse array of tour programs, including small group art and wildlife tours, and both Canadian and International expeditionary voyages. We invite you to peruse the tour details and choose one or more of our upcoming programs. We are constantly fine tuning our favorites and expanding our subject matter to reflect the interests of our clients and the compelling issues in the world today. As always, we have a stellar lineup of resource guides to enhance your experience.
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
Join us once again for our voyage to the real Middle Earth as we experience Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. We’ll have a chance to explore the UNESCO world heritage site of colonial Quito, shop in the shadow of a volcano at the Otavalo Market, and stand on the equator before heading to the Galapagos Islands. This year we will be using the luxurious, 16-passenger Queen of the Galapagos, and offering a choice of two different departures to the Galapagos Islands, where some of the world’s most interesting and unique wildlife is found. • Jan. 23 - Feb. 2 & Jan 30 - Feb 9, 2009
• Berths from $5,595 CDN
Celtic Quest : From Spain to Scotland
In 2009 we will explore the Celtic edges of western Europe: beginning in Galicia, Spain we will travel north through Brittany, France England, Ireland and finish in the land of the Scots. We’ll visit huge bird colonies, early monasteries in dramatic settings, megalithic stones, medieval castles, characters, Ceilidh bands and villages - both ancient and modern. Onboard the 96-passenger M/S Andrea, the program is, as always, rich in culture, art & music. • May 11 – 23, 2009
• Berths from $6,395 CDN
Queen Charlotte Islands
Join Carol Heppenstall on a sailing journey to Haida Gwaii: the Queen Charlotte Islands and home of the Haida one of the most culturally rich and developed groups of people to inhabit early North America. These sites contain the remains of the great longhouses and the best remaining examples of original totem poles in the world. SGaang Gwaii is recognized as a World Heritage Site. The old villages are now uninhabited, but each summer the Haida have watchmen at several of the old villages to protect their heritage and greet visitors. We hope to see Stellar sea lions and spot a variety of whales from our vessel, the Island Roamer. © Mike Beedell
• July 9 - 18, 2009
South America Traverse
• $4,355 CDN + GST
© Jack Siegal
Our southbound exploration of South America’s spectacular west coast takes us from colonial Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, to Puerto Montt, Chile. Visit superb archaeological sites in Peru, cruise through the Humboldt Current witness with its prolific marine life and seabirds enroute to Chile’s Atacama Desert. With visits to four World Heritage Sites and to Lauca National Park, a World Biosphere Reserve, we have the rare opportunity for an in-depth look into the ancient cultures and stunning biodiversity of this fascinating coast. © Jack Siegal
• October 14 - November 2, 2009
• Berths from $9,980 USD
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SIGNATURE REQUIRED
Please make cheques payable to Adventure Canada.
Release The undersigned hereby agrees with these terms and conditions and further agrees that Adventure Canada shall have no liability or responsibility whatsoever for damages to or loss of property, or injury which may be sustained by reason of, or while engaged on, any Adventure Canada tour, whether due to (i) Adventure Canada’s ownership, maintenance, use, operation or control of any manner of conveyance used in carrying out the tour (including, without limitation, Zodiac embarkations involving descending gangway stairs with double handrails and stepping into the Zodiac from a small platform at water level); (ii) the use of transportation or other services of owners, operators, or public carriers for whom Adventure Canada acts only as agent; (iii) passenger’s lack of proper travel documentation (such as visas, passports, etc.); (iv) any act, omission or event occurring during the time that passengers are not aboard Adventure Canada carriers or conveyances; or (v) any act of war, insurrection, revolt or other civil uprising or military action occurring in the countries of origin, destination or passage, or changes caused by sickness, weather, strike, quarantine or other causes beyond the control of Adventure Canada. The undersigned hereby waives any claim it may have against Adventure Canada for any such damage, loss or injury. The passenger understands and acknowledges the ticket in use by the carriers concerned (when issued) shall constitute the sole contract between the transportation companies and the purchaser of these tours and/or passage. Adventure Canada of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (Ontario Registration No. 0400 1400) acts only as agent for all services described herein. Adventure Canada and its sponsoring organizations do not assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any claims, damages, expenses or other financial loss related to the operation of this tour. All legal questions and actions against Adventure Canada must be brought in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and by its acceptance hereof the passenger waives any right to bring an action in any other forum. The passenger hereby certifies that he/she does not have a mental, physical or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers. The passenger agrees to deliver the medical form provided by Adventure Canada, duly completed by the passenger’s certified physician, prior to departure. The undersigned passenger clearly understands that the liability of Adventure Canada is definitively limited as aforesaid. The undersigned passenger has carefully read the terms and conditions set out herein as well as the materials regarding the tour provided by Adventure Canada and is aware that such tour involves the risk of personal injury or death and damage or loss of property. In consideration of the benefits to be derived from participation in the tour, the undersigned voluntarily accepts all risk of personal injury or death and property damage or other loss arising from participation on the tour and hereby agrees that he/she and his/her dependents, heirs, executors and assigns, do release and hold harmless Adventure Canada and its employees, officers, directors, trustees and representatives from any and all claims, including claims of negligence, illness, personal injury, death or property damage or loss, however caused, arising from or related to this tour. The undersigned has read carefully this agreement, and will abide by the conditions set by Adventure Canada and in the terms and conditions hereof or elsewhere published. The undersigned affirms that he/she has not received or relied on any oral or written representation of Adventure Canada as a basis for executing this Release.
14 Front St. S Mississauga, ON L5H 2C4 Tel: 905-271-4000 1-800-363-7566 www.adventurecanada.com
[email protected]
Baggage Baggage is solely at the passenger’s risk and expense. Baggage is limited to a maximum weight of 20 KG in most cases. Also, airline luggage allowance is typically two pieces per passenger and one piece of carry-on luggage, sub-
Delays In the event of a delay, passengers will be responsible all costs and expenses associated therewith, including, without limitation, any additional food, lodging or transportation costs resulting from such delay.
Cancellations and Refunds All requests for cancellations must be received in writing. Upon Adventure Canada receiving a written notice of cancellation at least 120 days prior to the scheduled date of departure, the passenger shall receive a full refund of its tour fees, less an administrative penalty of $500 per person. If a written notice of cancellation is received by Adventure Canada between 91 and 120 days prior to the scheduled date of departure, the passenger shall receive a refund of 35% of its tour fees. Please note that within the 90-day limit, all fees, deposits and tariffs received by Adventure Canada are forfeited. For these and other reasons mentioned below, passengers are strongly advised to obtain trip cancellation insurance. No refunds shall be made to passengers who do not participate in any part of, or otherwise do not complete, the tour for any reason whatsoever.
Tour fees quoted are based on (i) prices in effect at the time of printing (November 2008) and as such are subject to change without notice prior to departure and (ii) group participation. Prices are cash/cheque discounted, and based on the US dollar. Credit Card pricing is as follows: High Arctic Adventure: C1 $4,571, C2 $5,403, C3 $6, 443, C4 $7,483, C5 $8,627, C6 $9,620, C7 $9, 979, C8 $10,395, C9 10,811, C10 $11,435 – Into the Northwest Passage: C1 $4,571, C2 $5,507, C3 $6,755, C4 $7,795, C5 $9,043, C6 $10,083, C7 $10,395, C8 $10,811, C9 $11,435, C10 $11,955 – Out of the Northwest Passage: C1 $6,027, C2 $7,275, C3 $8,315, C4 $9,459, C5 $10,811, C6 $12,059, C7 $12,579, C8 $13,307, C9 $13,723, C10 $14,555 – Heart of the Arctic: C1 $3,843, C2 $4,467, C3 $5,611, C4 $6,651, C5 $7,795, C6 $8,731, C7 $9,251, C8 $9,771, C9 $10,291, C10 $10,603 – Atlantic Arts Float:C1 $2,699, C2 $3,843, C3 $4,987, C4 $5,715. C5 $6,547, C6 $7,275, C7 $8,315, C8 $9,147, C9 $9,563, C10 $10,083 – Art on the Rock: $3,427 – Newfoundland Through the Lens: $3,427. For wire transfers, passengers should note that the transferring financial institution may charge a service fee, which shall be at the passenger’s expense. Returned cheques, credit card changes and refunds are subject to a $25 CDN fee. Adventure Canada is a member in good standing of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (“TICO”) which administers the Ontario Travel Compensation Fund, a fund established by registered travel agents and travel wholesalers in Ontario to insure payments such as those made to Adventure Canada in connection herewith. For more information on TICO, visit www.tico.on.ca .
Payment Schedule and Rates A deposit of $1,000 per passenger is required to reserve a position for a tour. The balance of payment for the tour must be received by Adventure Canada at least 120 days prior to the scheduled departure date. Adventure Canada will only issue pre-departure boarding documents to a passenger once it has received full payment together with all required documents duly completed by the passenger.
Please read this important information carefully. The delivery by the passenger of the deposit together with a signed copy of this document to Adventure Canada or shall constitute the passenger’s consent and agreement to all of the provisions contained herein. Please note that fuel surcharges may be levied to offset rising oil prices.
Release, Terms and Conditions
Additional Documentation Adventure Canada is a sub-charterer of the Queen of Galapagos, MS Andrea, and Clipper Adventurer. Prior to boarding the vessels, passengers will receive a Passage Contract Ticket, which is the standard passenger contract and liability waiver of the vessels mentioned herein. Passengers are encouraged to read this document upon receipt. In accepting this Passage Contract Ticket, passengers agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. Passage Contract Tickets may be obtained from Adventure Canada on written request.
Itinerary The itineraries/programs described is subject to change at the discretion of the ship’s master. These are expeditions to remote parts of the world. Adventure Canada reserves the exclusive right, in its sole discretion, to alter or omit any part of the itinerary or change any reservation, staff member, feature and/or means of conveyance without notice and for any reason whatsoever including but not limited to weather conditions, availability of anchorages, force majeure, political conditions and other factors beyond our control and without allowance or refund and with any and all extra costs resulting there from paid by the passengers. Adventure Canada expressly reserves the right to cancel, without prior notice to the passengers, any tour prior to departure, in which case tour fees will be refunded without further obligation on the part of Adventure Canada including, but not limited to the payment of interest accrued thereon. Decisions to alter the itinerary/program as aforesaid shall be made in the best interest of all passengers aboard the vessel. Adventure Canada expressly reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel the reservation of, or remove from the tour, any passenger at any time.
Images and Privacy On these trips we take many photos, some of which we use for promotional purposes. If you would not like photos which include you to be used, please let us know in advance. We may also celebrate your birthday onboard, let us know if you would like to abstain.
Insurance Due to the nature of the tour in which the passenger will be participating, passengers should have in place prior to departure comprehensive insurance coverage including without limitation medical, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation, accident and baggage insurance. Emergency medical and evacuation coverage is mandatory for trip participation and policy documentation will be required. Any losses sustained by the undersigned passenger as a result of its failing to obtain proper insurance coverage shall be the sole responsibility of the passenger. For full coverage passengers are recommended to obtain insurance at the time of deposit.
Group Size and Trip Costs In keeping with our philosophy of small group travel, most of our land based programs operate with 10 - 30 participants. If we do not get the required number of people and cancel a tour, you will be notified as soon as possible. In the event of a cancellation, all deposits and tariffs paid will be returned to the passenger in full with no further obligation on the part of Adventure Canada. Single rooms, if available, will be provided on request for an additional fee as outlined in program literature. For participants travelling alone, but wishing to share, AC will arrange for a room if possible. If a roommate is not available, a single supplement will be charged.
ject to weight restrictions, but please check with your airline for current standards. Excess baggage is not permitted on charter flights. Any excess baggage charges for commercial flights are the responsibility of the passenger.