Entries by Rebecca Burgum

Silent Messengers, a camping trip into the northern Foxe Basin of Nunavut,
proved to be one of the more outstanding journeys of my life. First
undertaken in 2008 with a small band of courageous women, we headed by
boat north and west of Kingait (Cape Dorset) to explore the world of
the paleoeskimo and visit the sacred site at Inuksuk Point. Norm
Hallendy named the over 100 inuksuit (rock cairns) "silent messengers"
as they stand there in silence - no one knows who built them or when.
The journey was incredible in many ways, for those of us who
experienced it, our lives have been changed. I am repeating the journey
in July of 2010 for women and trip notes are available now. Included in
the itinerary is precious time spent in Kingait, meeting the sculptors
and print artists that have made this community famous for over 50
years. I would love to share this with you!

For more information on Silent Messengers, July 6-14, 2010 please click here.  or email Judy at judy.harper@adventurecanada.com

Read Carol's blog on Silent Messengers 2008 by clicking here.

An
article by Lee Naraway chronicling Silent Messengers 2008 also ran in
Above and Beyond Magazine this past January - please make sure to check
it out!

The light...  the LIGHT!!!  Just returning from nearly two months in
the High Arctic community of beautiful Pond Inlet, Adventure Canada
senior resource staffer, Houston North Gallery owner and award-winning*
filmmaker John Houston is currently working his way through a bout of
Arcticus Feverous, mixed with culture shock in equal portions.  John
and his crew just wrapped shooting of "The White Archer," a children's
drama for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) based on an
Inuit legend as interpreted by his late father, James Houston, in his
children's book of the same name.

While
he prepares for the start of his edit, John is keeping that Arctic
feeling alive by preparing and posting more of his photographs to
Facebook.  Some of you have joined as his Facebook friends and ridden
along on the adventure, but he's just getting going, and there are a
LOT of new photo albums and descriptions to come, so join John on
Facebook and share the astounding visuals, along with the twists and
turns of Arctic filmmaking.  Here's a link to one of his most recent
photo albums by clicking here.

To join John Houston on Facebook, please click here.

Travel with John in 2009 on our Out of the Northwest Passage or Heart of the Arctic Expeditions!

For more information on Out of the Northwest Passage, please click here.

For more information on The Heart of the Arctic, please click here.

 

When my husband Larry and I decided to embark on a journey to Canada's
North in September and October, 2008 to celebrate our 40th wedding
anniversary, little did I know that it would be such a life changing
experience.

We
went shopping for waterproof boots, jackets and pants. We gathered up
warm hats, thick socks, and extra mitts. We carefully packed our soft
bags, mindful of the lists we had been given, taking nothing that
didn't have a purpose on the trip. The only thing that seemed a trifle
out of place were the bathing suits we stuffed into a corner of our
cases. BATHING SUITS??? We were going to the land of walruses and polar
bears, icebergs and oceans, rocks and mountains. We were travelling on
a Russian adventure ship with 100 people, not a luxury cruise liner
with thousands. Why bathing suits?

The information we received
prior to leaving talked about a possible "Polar Swim" sometime during
the trip. Now I am someone who likes 'hot' showers, doesn't like to
swim in the lake at the cottage unless the weather is hot and sunny
(and the water has lost its winter chill). I happened to mention to my
kids that I wasn't sure if I would take my bathing suit as I didn't
think I would do the polar swim. What a reaction I got - "When else
would you have this opportunity? You are going to go all this way and
NOT do it? ARE YOU CRAZY???" So already the guilt was weaving a path in
my subconscious brain. I packed my suit.

There were days when
we got into the zodiacs to head to the land - the most amazing,
breathtakingly beautiful land - that I really pondered what insanity it
would take to jump into that cold, wind whipped water. I felt I was
safe to back out if need be, as the only person who knew I had even
considered it was Larry. Except how would I face my children? Their
mother would be a wimp, a chicken - who would ever listen to me again
telling them to 'just do it!'

The days passed in busy
whirlwinds of adventure - experiences overloading the senses, not
wanting to miss a thing. Then came the day they announced that those
who wished to do the polar swim should be prepared to do so - at Battle
Harbour. 

The 'Swim' was scheduled for 3 o'clock. Even as
Larry (who was doing it no matter what) and I made our way to the
building where we could change, I still felt that I had the option to
not do it - until Matthew Swan, the President of Adventure Canada,
handed me the flag and told me I could be leader of the cheering
section. It was at that moment that I KNEW I had to do this - not for
Larry, not for my darling, supportive children, but for ME!

Once
that decision was made everything just fell into place and it felt so
right! Standing on the edge of the wharf, looking at the dark, still,
salty water below, there was a moment when I wondered if I had lost my
mind. But before I could process that thought, I had jumped into - The
Unknown.

I
have never felt anything so cold in my life! But it felt like I
was being caressed by black silk - smooth and velvety, inviting and
enveloping. As I made my way to the surface, shaking the water out of
my eyes, ready to take a breath, I realized that I could not take that
breath. But there was no panic - only a sense that all would be right.
Even after I was standing on the wharf, and given a towel, I could not
take a breath. And then, it happened! I had been given new life in a
single breath. Although I have no memory of being born, I imagine that
that is what it must be like. Once you have taken that first
life-sustaining breath, there is no going back. It is and was the most
amazing life-altering experience for me. The 8°c air temperature felt
positively balmy after the 2°c water. I was euphoric, I couldn't stop
laughing, I was alive!

I feel honoured to have been given the
chance to experience a rebirth of sorts - even if it was in a
relatively safe environment. The question remains - would I do it
again? Absolutely! In a heartbeat!

Adventure Canada will be visiting Battle Harbour on our Atlantic Arts Float 2009, for more information, please click here.

Experience
your own polar dip in 2009 on any of our Arctic itineraries. To
download a copy of our Canada and the North brochure, please click here.

"What
did seals look like before they had flippers? This is what we think
they would have looked like," said Natalia Rybczynski, a vertebrate
paleontologist with the Canadian Museum of Nature, in an interview this
week.

In the summer of 2007, a team of scientists working on
Devon Island uncovered the skeleton of an animal called puijila, a
close relative of today's seals.

Puijila provides the first
evidence that these early members of the seal family lived in the High
Arctic, said Rybczynski, who led the scientific team to Devon Island
and co-authored a paper on puijila in the April 23 journal Nature.

Puijila's
fossil remains also suggest that the Arctic may have been a centre of
evolution for these early marine mammals, she said.

Puijila's
full species name is puijila darwini.Puijila, which means a "young sea
mammal" in Inuktitut, is usually used in reference to a seal pup. The
Government of Nunavut's Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit helped
select this name to recognize the people of Nunavut, Rybczynski
says.Puijila's species name, darwini, honours the British scientist
Charles Darwin.

Puijila also gives an idea of what seals looked
like before they became fully flippered, Rybczynski said. Puijila is
not directly related to any modern seal, but a common ancestor probably
gave rise to puijila and the flippered seals and walrus of today,
Rybczynski said.

The next step is to see where puijila fits in
the family tree and determine how puijila may have made the transition
from land to sea.

If you're curious to learn more about puijila,
you can see the creature for yourself at the Canadian Museum of Nature
in Ottawa from April 28 to May 10.

Adventure Canada will be visiting Devon Island in 2009, please select one of the following itineraries for more information.
High Arctic Adventure: August 9 - 21
Into The Northwest Passage: August 21-September 1
Out Of The Northwest Passage: September 1-16

The Lodge Gallery on Amhurst Island is pleased to announce a major new presentation of water colours.
 
The
show titled "North of 70" opens May 16, 2009 and runs through to June
24.  This show consists of 30 new works by Canadian artist Pat
Fairhead, which are based on her adventures and experiences on
Adventure Canada's High Arctic Expeditions in 2007 and 2008 between 70
degree and 80 degree north latitude. 

The show opens on May 16
at 2 p.m. with a reception and artist's presentation.  For further
information contact the Gallery Director Rosemary Richmond,
1-866-552-3535, www.thelodgeonamhurstisland.com.  Amhurst Island is located and accessible by hourly ferry.

Be inspired by the Canadian High Arctic in 2009 on Adventure Canada's High Arctic Adventure, August 9-21, for more information please click here.

Something new is on the horizon! For those
enthusiasts who survived the trek to Igloolik in January, were raised on the prairies, or just love
snow,
Carol Heppenstall has put together another exciting winter adventure!
For one week in February of 2010, a small band of travellers will
journey to Whitehorse - capital of the Yukon - for an exhilarating
taste of northern powder, larger than life taiga landscapes, Native
arts, Klondike follies and more. Did we mention the northern lights
(aurora borealis!) and Takhini River hotsprings?

For more information on the Yukon Quest, February 15-22, 2010, please email Judy at judy.harper@adventurecanada.com

Ever want to travel the arctic in comfort and style? Well you are one
step closer to that dream with the announcement of our Sweet Suite
Deal! For a limited time Adventure Canada is offering a 25% discount off the cost of the Owner's Suite aboard our vessel the Clipper Adventurer,
The 275 sq ft suite is located on the Captain's Deck and is equipped
with a bathtub, separate shower, two single beds, a desk, refrigerator
and microwave. It also has separate sitting area with a couch and
chairs. The Owner's Suite has two double windows that can be opened and
individual climate controls.

To download a copy of our 2009 Canada and the North Brochure, please click here.

Come on out to the Saltscapes Expo for a visit with Cedar and the gang
from Western Newfoundland.  Saltscapes is an annual expo showcasing the
best of Atlantic Canada.  Drop by our booth to learn more about our
programming throughout the Maritimes.

Location:
Exhibition Park
200 Prospect Road, Halifax, NS B3T 1P2

Show Hours:
Friday, April 24, 2009   12 noon - 9 pm
Saturday, April 25, 2009 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, April 26, 2009 10 am - 5 pm

Visit the Salscapes website for entrance coupons  www.saltscapesexpo.com

Join us in Maritimes this year on our Atlantic Canada Arts Float; please click here for more information.

Join
Past-traveller Sarah McDougall on our High Arctic Adventure 2009. Sarah
is joining us as an artist-in-residence onboard hosting a series of art
classes.  Sarah first travelled with Adventure Canada in 2008 where she
was bitten by the Arctic Bug. One taste of this remote and beautiful
location has not only humbled her, but changed the way she thinks and
lives her life.

As much as we are possibly heading into hard
financial times, and as much as everyone's life is full and hectic,
taking advantage of a cultural and spiritual opportunity should not be
missed. What will these breathtaking and fragile geographical locations
be like in the future? Will they still be there? Will they be melted,
soiled, destroyed or eroded? Given the chance to see it, experience it
and envelop it is, without a doubt; priceless.

For more information on the High Arctic Adventure, please click here.

To find our more about Sarah and her art, please visit her website by clicking here.