Free ‘Journey North’ experience coming to Whitecourt in early February

The Canadian Arctic is a vast landscape of rugged beauty and challenging terrain that most will
not experience up close and personal in their lifetimes. Expeditions into Canada’s northern
territories are long to plan and grueling to endure, requiring stamina and strong perseverance.
Explorers also need knowledge of the land and the how-to’s to get out of situations that might
arise, especially since help isn’t just around the corner.
It takes a special kind of person to pack their bags and hop onto an airplane heading north
before lacing up their boots and travelling the remaining hundreds of kilometers on foot, forging
a path that doesn’t exist yet. For wilderness traveler and photographer John Dunn, exploring the
Canadian Arctic was a lifelong dream that took him from his home country of England to
Calgary, where he became a Canadian citizen, and then to the unforgiving landscape of the
place that had been calling his name; Canada’s northern tip.
In his career, Dunn has successfully organized and completed nearly 30 expeditions.
Combined, he has over 1200 days in the field. Through the years, his work has been
showcased in Canadian Geographic and National Geographer magazines, for whom he writes,
and has been shared with audiences worldwide through his travelling talks.
On Friday, February 2, area residents will have the chance to experience the “Journey North
with John Dunn” presentation at the Forest Interpretive Centre auditorium starting at 6:30 pm.
The free event was made possible thanks to the Whitecourt & District Public Library, sponsored
by the Town of Whitecourt and Woodlands County. “We thought Dunn was particularly relevant
given the skis being made available at the library this season thanks to Communities
Choosewell funding and a partnership with the golf course and Town of Whitecourt. We have
such an active community, and we all started thinking of adventurous people we know who
would enjoy learning more about this adventure over the Canadian landscape from South to
North,” said Library Director Joseph Kubelka.
The presentation focuses on Dunn’s 8,000-kilometer route from Tofino, BC, to Ellesmere Island,
part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, and the expeditions it took to complete the trek.
Though Ellesmere Island is the tenth largest island in the world, comprising an area of about
196,000 sq km, it is only home to less than 200 people. Ellesmere Island is Canada’s
northernmost island, with the highest and longest mountain ranges in eastern North America.
Given its location, only a tiny fraction of the population will experience being on or even near
Ellesmere Island or seeing the landscape in the Arctic, which is why Dunn’s presentation is as
popular as it is.
Many of Dunn’s expeditions have also been pioneering and are recorded as the first human-
powered explorations of some remote regions. In 1990, Dunn led a four-person team on skis on
a 96-day, 1,250 km expedition of Ellesmere Island, the first traverse of its kind. He made a
similar human-powered journey to Baffin Island in 1994, also the first of its kind for that area.
As a published photographer, Dunn will be sharing images and videos from his expeditions,
sure to bring attendees the feeling of being there and exploring alongside him. The journey’s
best and most exciting aspects will make up the bulk of the presentation, making it a must-see,
especially for those who have a sense of adventure or intrigue for Canada’s more remote areas.

Kubelka hopes to see a packed house at the Forest Interpretive Centre for Dunn’s free February
2 presentation. “It is a chance to explore Canada’s diverse landscapes and stories without
leaving town. We try to generate events like this once a year or so to add something new and
different for people to experience. If the response is positive, we will try to make more travel-
themed events happen,” he explained.
No registration is needed to attend the free event, as the library is covering the costs associated
with bringing Dunn in. He happened to be touring in the area, which made the event possible.
“The Town of Whitecourt is providing the event space and poster, and Woodlands County
helped with promotion to those outside of town. So often, these events happen in regional
facilities, and we hope to draw a large audience that might not have attended an event like this
before. The library is supported from many sources, and we are happy to work with as many
partners in our service area as possible,” said Kubelka.
Funnily enough, Whitecourt’s (and Alberta’s) recent dip in temperature with a visiting polar
vortex had local thermostats registering colder than the typical January temperatures on
Ellesmere Island and record lows set in the province beat out Ellesmere Island’s record lows,
too. That means the temperatures in Whitecourt were a tad colder than what Dunn would have
experienced while walking and skiing in the north. Can you imagine being on foot in that
environment for 100 days straight?
Residents can contact the Whitecourt & District Public Library if they have questions before the
event. To learn more about Dunn ahead of the presentation, visit www.arcticlight.com.