ACROSS THE TOP OF CANADA 2017
The latest segment of the Boren World Tour takes us far from home without leaving Canada. This whirlwind journey takes us 'Across the Top of Canada' with stops in Whitehorse, Yukon; Yellowknife, NWT; Rankin Inlet and Iqualuit, Nunavut; St John's, Newfoundland and Churchill, Manitoba over the course of seven days.
From one end of our amazing country to the other.
The guests of the inaugural Across the Top of Canada tour
This trip is extra special as we are joined by an amazing group of professional chefs from across Canada, that illuminate the wealth of brilliant and unique food that is available in each of these locations, through signature dinners, in extraordinary locations. A food lovers dream.
The Chefs that join us on our journey are Chef Ned Bell from the Ocean Wise program, emphasizing awareness of responsible and sustainable seafood, Vancouver, BC; Chef Wayne Morris, Boralia in Toronto, ON; Chef Stephane Modat, Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, QC; Chef Jeremy Charles, Raymonds Restaurant, St. John's Nfld; and our mixologist (can't forget him) Grant Sceney from the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver.
The organizer of our tour is Eric Pateman of Edible Canada and the team working alongside him are a group of extraordinary women that keep us from missing any of our fun filled adventures. Keri Montgomery, lead Concierge and owner of Finisterra Travel; Melissa Gagne; Catherine Roscoe Barr, our fitness and wellness coach on the journey and Meighan Makarchuk the Chef Liaison.
So let's get started.
DAY ONE: June 16 2017
With a 7:00AM start, we check into the Air North private charter office and begin our food journey with an amazing buffet presented by the Fairmont Hotel to wake up our tastebuds. Smoothies, pastries, Johnny cakes, pork belly drizzled with bourbon maple syrup are only a few of the items on offer. By 9:00 we are on the tarmac for our group shot (60 guests, our Chefs, the Concierge team and a documentary film crew are ) and soon we are in flight.
On board, a special treat is waiting in our seats comprised of Hudson Bay blankets, camp style coffee mugs, swell water bottles, Fairmont toiletries and our personalized itineraries.
We are welcomed by the tour organizer Eric and we get things warmed up with our drink master Grant Sceney who offers up Lot 40 whisky spiked coffee (later to be referred to as our 'special coffee') and peach mimosas. Well done crew! We are off to a great start.
As a snack for this portion of the short trip, we are given a very tasty charcuterie plate and finish off with a warm chocolate chip cookie!
The flight was brief and we land in Whitehorse, Yukon to a cloudy and damp day but with promise that it is going to improve. Whitehorse is considered the gateway to the north and a perfect starting point for this experience. Established in 1953, 26,000 make their home here and enjoy the great outdoors, rugged mountains and pristine lakes.
We load onto buses that take us the short journey to the hotel, The Best Western Gold Rush Inn. Unfortunately no rooms are ready for us to check into yet, so we dig out a few extra layers and head out on our first tour.
Today's excursion (in a small bus - yes I am on a bus tour!) provides us with a history of Whitehorse and surrounding area as we drive to the small First Nation cultural village of Carcross (population 300) with a stop along the way at the brilliant green Emerald Lake. Carcross is a sweet and tiny village that is undergoing a bit of a renaissance (likely aided by Prince William and Kate's visit in 2016) with many new little artisan shops and galleries along the main road that are open for viewing. We do our best to assist the economy. After hopping back in the bus, we make a quick stop along the shore of Lake Bennett which was important to the village's role as a transportation hub during the gold rush. The White Pass Railway that was once used by Klondike stampeders during the gold rush of 1898 was linked to Skagway Alaska and is still in operation today.
Back on the bus we head towards the BC/Yukon border all the while searching for mountain goats perched high on the rocks and stop to check out some mining shafts that are no longer in use. We also stop at the world's smallest desert, and then head to our final stop, at Miles Canyon, where we did a short walk around this tranquil location. The water is a brilliant teal blue when the sun shines over it and we managed to catch it at a perfect time as the sun was just coming out. Very beautiful.
We make it back to the hotel in time to add some additional layers under our winter coats and hop on a bus to take us to our first signature dinner - The Yukon House Party. We head about 45 minutes out of town to Marsh Lake. The location is beautiful and the log cabin we are is nestled over the lake with a striking view. Our welcome cocktail is a Yukon version of an Old Fashioned. Lot 40 Rye Whisky, vermouth, foraged Candy Cap mushrooms (that have a maple flavour and were foraged here in the area) & root beer essence spices. So tasty and warming on this chilly evening!
Our first bite, courtesy of Chef Stephane, is duck margarite with gale seeds and wild berries. It is a perfect accompaniment to our cocktail and we enjoy the scenery and get to know our fellow guests. We then walk over to a lovely outdoor location just minutes away where a lovely fire is burning, a guitarist is playing and more fabulous bites are on offer. After spending time here by the fire, and meeting the hosts of the party, we are escorted to the long table for dinner. The table is set up overlooking the incredible Marsh Lake, we all get comfortable for the outstanding 5-course meal presented by our visiting chefs (Ned Bell, Wayne Morris, Stephane Modat, Jeremy Charles) and our host chefs Michele Genest, Carson Schiffkorn, Troy King & Lyn Fabio). Highlights of the menu include local boar & arctic morels in ramen, venison, arctic char with foraged greens, elk with wild berries, beet gnocchi with local herb salsa.
We eat well into the night, which is of no concern for us as it doesn't get dark. At 12:00AM, under the dusk-like sky, we head back to our hotel for a short sleep before we set off to our next destination.
DAY TWO: June 17 2017
We are back on our plane by 9:00AM after our heads barely hit the pillows and yet somehow, we are all full of energy and still buzzing about the previous night's amazing meal. More special coffee ensures that the buzz sticks around and in no time at all, we land in our second destination, Yellowknife, NWT around 12:00PM and get settled into our home for the next two days.
No rest for the weary, we head out to discover the city of Yellowknife where dreams of gold began around 1934 and where today it is well known for its diamond mining. The town itself has a population of around 20,000 people and is the traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation from where its name is derived.
We discover 'The Rock' in the middle of Old Town and we climb to the top to view Pilot's Monument and get a perfect vantage point of the entire town. While in Old Town, we check out the still-in-use original shacks in the Woodyard (near Ragged Ass Road) and pass by many great architectural buildings (like one they call 'the eraser' as it shaped like a large eraser planted on the side of a hill). We also stop to view the 'houseboats' that are floating on Great Slave Lake, the deepest lake in North America and in the winter when it freezes over the houseboat owners can actually drive their vehicles onto the lake right up to their homes! We stop for a warming cup of Northern Tea and bannock (which was for me more like a scone than a fry bread - that I originally thought was what it was - but this is what they called it) with some locally made wild red currant & apple jam. Delicious. I tried to purchase the jam from the woman offering us the tea but she was having none of it. Our final stop was at the Legislative Assembly (which consists of a non-partisan form of government). We view the incredible architecture of the building along with some amazing art pieces and the huge polar bear rug that lies on the centre of the floor of the room and we know we are not in a usual government building.
Back at the hotel we pull a quick change and get ready for our next dinner excursion. Tonight's signature dinner is a fly-in dinner, hosted by Chef Michael Kalnay, of Arctic Sustainable Harvesting, at his cabin on Prosperous Lake. We get dropped off at the dock (after our taxi driver drove around lost for sometime), where our float plane, an iconic de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, is supposed to be ready to fly us the short 15 minute flight to the cabin. Unfortunately some dodgy weather earlier in the day had them backlogged with flights so we end up spending two hours on the dock waiting for our short flight. Frustration could set in, but as there is nothing we can do and have faith that once we arrive, our night will improve significantly. Oh my were we right.
The flight was beautiful soaring over Great Slave Lake and landing just as the sun began to set. This is all relative as it does not get dark here but watching the sun set is still quite spectacular. As the plane prepares for landing, we spot a few of our chefs, perched high on the rocks, holding the Canadian Flag, welcoming us to our dinner location, a small building that was originally a prospector's cabin. What a feeling of national pride this evokes. Near the dock, the remaining chefs have a fire going and are busy grilling a Lake Trout they caught that afternoon. We are greeted with a glass of locally brewed beer and sip it as we head up the stairs to the cabin. There, on a large patio, we meet Mike Kalnay our host for the evening. We are guided on a mini-foraging tour with Mike's daughter and shortly after, are seated for what is going to be an amazing dinner. Nine courses of beautifully prepared ingredients are on order with courses of Elk balls with birch syrup bread, Caribou (a gift from a Yellowknives Dene Elder) with Juniper butter, Reindeer with wild garlic and blueberries and Whitefish with Spruce Tip gremolata; all paired with amazing wines and great company. Hours later we walk back down the winding stairs to the dock where our float plane awaits. A short return flight under a still light sky, and we are back in the hotel. We are treated to a special custom made bottle filled with an Old Fashioned cocktail, courtesy of our amazing mixologist Grant Sceney! Good night indeed.
DAY THREE: June 18, 2017
**Daniel's 50th Birthday**
By 9:30AM we are standing once again at the very same dock for our 'scenic float plane tour' with the very same plane. The tour takes us only 35 minutes, first leaving Back Bay, we follow the network of lakes north of the Ingraham Trail. We fly over the Cameron Falls located in Hidden Lake Territorial Park and then over the community of Dettah on the eastern shore of Yellowknife Bay. We fly over their golf course that is all sand, with greens that are artificial turf, and finally on our way back to the dock we pass the Con Mine site that was the first gold mine in Yellowknife (which has been closed since 2003). It provides us with a great perspective on the beautiful landscape below, one filled with beautiful lakes, but also dominantly covered in precambrian rock, that rock which has lured people to this area for the treasures it holds.
We finish our flight and walk back to the hotel chatting with the locals as we go. It is a beautiful morning with sunshine and light breeze. After a quick bite to eat (one of the only meals we actually had to purchase on the entire trip and very average in comparison to all of our meals on the journey), we head out to our next excursion.
We go 'shopping' in the Boreal Forest with our guide Rosanna Strong. This tour takes us hiking along the shores of Frame Lake right behind the Legislative Assembly building. Rosanna highlights a variety of plants that have been used for hundreds of years to provide food & medicine, including something for headaches, flavouring for beer, berries for cooking, bush tea and even liquid bandages! We end with some of this Bush Tea and low bush cranberry muffins while sitting along the water. So interesting and relaxing.
For dinner tonight, the group walks down to Old Town to the NWT Brewing Company restaurant (that we have taken over for the evening) and settle in for yet another amazing menu prepared by our travelling chefs in collaboration with Yellowknife chef Robin Wasicuna (from Wiseguy Foods & Twin Pine Diner). Wine was provided by our new friend Chris Coletta from Okanagan Crush Pad and they paired perfectly with the chef's amazing meal. This dinner was extra special as Daniel was celebrating his 50th birthday and the entire restaurant stopped to sing Happy Birthday. Drinks flowed over to him courtesy of our new friends and there was even a special whisky tasting that was the perfect way to celebrate his big day. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel around 11:00PM and caught another amazing sunset on our way to bed. Again, it sets but never goes away but this sunset was spectacular!.
DAY FOUR: June 19, 2017
Bags in the lobby for another 7:15AM call, we find out that our flight is slightly delayed due to a mechanical issue. From this point on in our journey apparently they will have to manually start one of the engines to get it going - a bit unnerving but apparently is quite normal. After a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we are on our way out of the Northwest Territories to discover Nunavut. In flight, we stay 'hydrated' with more special coffee and another 'mini' breakfast.
We land in Rankin Inlet around 12:00PM to a completely new landscape, barren and void of any familiar trees. This small village is located on Hudson's Bay and as we descend, we pass over massive pieces of sea ice and as we deplane do notice a significant shift in temperature from our last stop. A short drive to the community centre, there we are greeted by the mayor and elders from the community. This centre is also home to the local ice rink where the NHL star Jordan Tootoo began his career. Hometown pride is evident in the grand signs, trophies, and signed jerseys in his honour.
The meal here was abundant and we are extremely grateful for their offerings, as are we acutely aware of the poverty issues in this region. Our menu consisted of arctic char chowder with fried bannock, caribou loin, musk ox burgers with fresh fruit & vegetables. Such a delicious meal.
A portion of our trip was allocated towards a donation to their food bank to aid the community. It is a fact that as many as 7 out of 10 children go to school hungry in this area as food is limited and very expensive. The challenges will continue but every small bit will help and I leave feeling like I have done one small part to help. Once finished, the Mayor of the village gave a brief welcome and then we headed out on our buses for a tour of Rankin Inlet.
The Inuit that live here were once a nomadic people, that followed the arctic char and caribou, but mines opened (after nickel was discovered) and many were indentured to work. Later when the mines closed, the people were left without a livelihood creating the current situation.
There is a sense of desolation here as you drive through the few streets of town. Broken down skidoos and quads with no tires litter the landscape, and piles of litter, old mattresses and furniture are strewn recklessly through the streets. Although the pride of place is not evident, there is a strength of spirit found within the individuals that we had the opportunity to meet. Four young girls had set up a lemonade stand on the street and made a killing on all of us stopping by to support them. Like a typical summer afternoon in the middle of Canada, these girls were in their sundresses and enjoying the day (despite the fact that it was only 8 degrees out!).
Our first stop was at the Matchbox Gallery (www.matchboxgallery.com). This lovely little spot is home to the only Inuit Ceramic studio in the world. We meet the gallery manager Sandra Nichol and two of the local artists, John Kurok & Pierre Aupilardjuk. The work is beautiful and you can see the artistic pride in the work they are doing in this remote location. The ceramics are often fired in barrels filled with firewood which results in pieces that have variations in colour due to the variances in temperatures of these informal kilns. The result is beautiful. I purchase a few pieces; a mask from John Kurok done in this ceramic style and one created by Pierre that he calls the Legend of the Blind Boy.
This Inuit legend has it that a young blind boy was treated badly by his mother and when he went out to the lake to hunt, a loon comes to him, takes him deep below the water with each dive it brings his sight back and helps him to become a very successful hunter. Pierre is a proud and humble artist and I am very pleased to now have one of his pieces.
We stop at another gallery that has tourist trinkets, in addition to more artwork and everyone comes out with a purchase or two.
This has been an extremely eye opening experience today and allows me to understand the need for more enlightenment on the part of every Canadian citizen. The way to a better Canada is through awareness and I feel that today I made a small step in the right direction.
Our final stop in Rankin was for a photo in front of their town Innukshuk before heading back to the airplane to head to our next destination, Iqualuit. Settling back in on the plane, we are given a little snack box full of goodies to keep us completely full. It contains cheese and crackers, grapes, arctic char and elk jerky!
Iqualuit welcomes us with open arms, combined with a nice strong wind! After a bit of wrangling to get all the luggage to the lobby (the luggage was delayed as the crew had to first remove a cord of firewood that was brought in from Yellowknife for our bonfire dinner the following night!), we find our pieces, grab our room keys and head upstairs. Dinner tonight, as it was quite late when we arrive, and no restaurants are open, is an order of 'take out' delivered to the hotel consisting of wild caribou shawarmas, naturally, and fresh green salad! Exhausted both mentally and physically after a long day, we head to bed for a few hours of sleep. And yes, it is still daylight...
DAY FIVE: June 20, 2017
Our first morning in this northern town is nippy to say the least at around 4 degrees with a brisk wind blowing over the tundra. We are set to do a hike in the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park with our guide Graham. Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park is located about one kilometre from Iqaluit and the picturesque scenery is accented by the Sylvia Grinnell River that splits the park as it meanders through the tundra. The river is a great spot to catch an arctic char as we find out later that night. Toques secured and hiking boots tied, we set out on the barren landscape to explore the unique wildflowers, colourful lichen and birds of the area (the ravens are huge here!). We travel through this strikingly beautiful land and learn about the history of the area from our guide. About half way through the tour, we are approached by a local taxi (random, I know) and out steps an elderly Inuit woman who seems to know Graham, our guide. His facial expression is curious and we are all intrigued by what might be going on here. Apparently, this woman is part of our tour, but usually she is accompanied by one of her family who can translate for her as she only speaks Inuktatuk. Aalasi is a local woman who uses plants from the land for eating, medicinal and even beauty aids and she takes the next half hour to pass along to us some of her knowledge and to try and promote her book that she has published! She is 82 and a firecracker, taking off across the tundra using her cane for support over the uneven terrain and our group trailing behind her! With her few words in English and lots of sign language, we manage to learn a few things and enjoy this woman's spirit. We leave her along the road (and yes, this does sound sort of harsh, but she was content) waiting for her return taxi and we head back into the park for our final portion of our tour. Very enjoyable morning indeed.
We grab a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant, the Kickin' Caribou Pub (the bison burger was very tasty) and head out on the town tour, the next excursion on our 'to do' list.
We get a great vantage point of the town of Iqualuit and Frobisher Bay when we head to the small 'suburb' town of Apex and climb up the plateau situated at the edge of town. Apex got started in 1949 when the Hudson Bay Company moved their post here to take advantage of the US Air Force Base that was set up here. In Iqualuit, we stop at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, the Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre and drive past the igloo shaped St Jude's Anglican Church passing many amazing murals that decorate the streets along the way.
We also stop at a local designer's studio, Rannva, and score new toques, me a 'Vrong' toque made of beaver and Daniel a "Pang" toque - a traditional crocheted hat from the town of Pangnirtung. He also found a fantastic pair of mittens made of beaver skin that he couldn't live without.
Home from our tour, we begin the tasty of adding more layers to our wardrobe. The temperature is still hovering around 4 degrees Celsius and the wind has picked up slightly from the morning walk and our dinner reservations are out on the river bank in the park!
Buses deliver us to this crazy beautiful location where our amazing chefs already have our meal well underway. Three huge fires are blazing and we settle in to watch the artistry with a steaming hot cup of apple cider.
Before dinner is served, we are treated to the most amazing performance by two local 'throat singers'. This is a traditional Inuit vocalization where two women face each other usually in a standing position and hold each other's arms. One singer leads with sounds that include voiced sounds as well as unvoiced ones, both through inhalation or exhalation and then the second singer reciprocates. The first to run out of breath will start to laugh and then they will start again. It is a game of sorts and is generally only practiced by women. Very inspiring and emotional.
On the menu tonight, fresh raw Ring Seal (presented by the elders of the community for our evening), seal broth with foraged greens, turbot chowder (best chowder ever! - thank you Ned Bell), arctic char with a mushroom duxelle, caribou loin, duck breast, foraged greens with roasted beets and snow goose eggs, grilled cabbage with maple syrup, roasted parsnip & triticale (a type of grain derived from wheat/rye) with a highlight for me, of foie gras bread pudding with maple syrup. And to end, a few homemade marshmallows to roast over the fire of course! The meal was spectacular and the seal, yes, it was delicious.
Back on the buses by 9:00PM, we make our way back to town and peel off a few layers then head inside to a Cadet hall where a local band plays and our mixologist Grant provides us with libations for the evening. Dancing and bonding for a few hours and then home to bed for the night. Tomorrow we head to our new destination. Sun is still shining...
DAY SIX: June 21, 2017
A 9:00AM departure and we are off once again. The 'special' coffee keeps us smiling and after a wee nap, we arrive at our easternmost destination, St. John's Newfoundland. The most striking difference was the green landscape courtesy of trees and sunshine! Our hotel is lovely (The Sheraton) and we drop our bags in our room and prepare for our tour to the Quidi Vidi Brewery tasting.
Quidi Vidi (meaning 'that which I have seen') is a small fishing village that was settled by the French and later used by the Portuguese in the 1500's and was great for fishing because it was protected from the wind (because of its location behind a large rock formation, and sat between two bodies of water (Quidi Lake & the Atlantic Ocean). The Quidi Vidi Brewery was established in 1996, in an old coastal fishery. It is a independent brewing company that produces a number of beers, one of which is brewed with actual iceberg water (harvested by an iceberg cowboy! - I know right) called, fittingly, Iceberg Beer; and Eric's Cream Ale, originally marketed as beer enjoyed by Eric the Viking, underwent a new marketing campaign to try and appeal to a younger generation. After a few failed ideas from a Toronto marketing firm, they brought it in-house with the help of a university professor, Dr. Dick and immediately had success and renewed popularity, (the picture will be helpful in understanding why). While on the little tour, we actually run into old friends from Weyburn buying some beer! Small world for certain.
Our first night in St. John's dinner was held at The Mallard Cottage, owned by Chef Todd Perrin (of Top Chef Canada fame). We are treated to a family-style lobster supper in his dining room complete with live local music and great wine. The night was a bit chaotic as they didn't have room for all of us (initially we were meant to have access to sit outside as well but the weather did not cooperate) but the food more than made up for the confusion and a good time was had by all.
We head home to bed around 11:30 and believe it or not, it was dark outside! We are back down to the 52 parallel so days actually turn to night here. We are so exhausted it really wouldn't have mattered and we fall asleep with the taste of delicious Atlantic lobster still on our breath and a smile on our face.
DAY SEVEN: June 22, 2017
We head out for a 'Taste of Newfoundland' tour to get the day started. We travel to Cape Spear, the National Park that sits at the most easterly point of land in North America. It is beautiful here and the lighthouse (restored to circa 1836) is a striking point on the horizon. We had the opportunity to 'turn our backs' on the rest of Canada for a brief moment in time and then turn around and embrace it's beauty.
From here we head back towards St. John's but take a brief stop on our way to Petty Harbour, a quaint fishing village and home to Chafe's Landing which is apparently famous for its fish & chips. Next, we head to Signal Hill, where Guglielmo Marconi, the wireless telegraph pioneer received the first trans Atlantic wireless message. This is also the location of Cabot Tower commemmorating the courageous trans Atlantic voyage of John Cabot in 1497 when he discovered Newfoundland and Labrador. While we are there, a number of students are rehearsing some sort of Cadet march so it was fun to watch that for a few minutes and then we head on to Quidi Vidi and some of the group do a tasting at the Brewery. We decide to walk over and have a quick bite to eat at Mallard Cottage again. My lobster roll was sensational and I once again have reached my lobster quota for the day! From here we head to Newman's Wine Vault to sample their famous Newman's Port and Newfoundland chocolate. This port is unique as a Newman's ship (from Portugal) bound for London in 1679 got off course and sought shelter here in St John's. The cargo of wine was stored in caves and when it finally reached its destination, people thought it seemed better. The years that followed, until 1996, port was aged here in these vaults. Today it is a deemed a heritage site and the only intact wine vault in Newfoundland.
We make our way back to the hotel for, yet again, a quick change and are off to see Puffins! We drive down the Southern Shore to the historic Irish outport, Bay Bulls. We hop on a boat to ride out to Witless Bay Ecological Reserve Bird Islands which are home to approximately 500,000 birds. The birds we are looking for are Atlantic Puffins but we also get to view Murres and Kittiwakes as well as gulls and eagles. As luck would have it, we also have the opportunity to see some minke whales and a few humpback whales on our journey out and back to the harbour. Such an amazing afternoon.
Back at the hotel, we finally get to pull out our fancy dress, instead of the usual down filled parka and toques, for our last dinner together. We head to the famous Raymonds Restaurant, owned by one of our favourite chefs, Jeremy Charles. After a week on the road with us, he gets to come home and settle back into his own kitchen, joined by all the other visiting chefs from the trip to create the most magnificent meal to end our journey.
A Northern Punch cocktail starts the evening off with a kick, served with ice from an iceberg over 10,000 years old! Seriously, how is this possible!
The 10-course meal consisted of caviar from New Brunswick (provided by Acadian Caviar's, Cornel Ceapa, who was one of our fellow travellers on the trip), whelk (snail), bison & muktuk (raw beluga whale), scallop crudo, crab in chawanmushi (egg custard), roasted cod, homemade pasta with braised moose, snow goose with maple turnips, caribou with fried lichen, moose heart tartar and braised rhubarb with toasted milk black currant leaf cream. Each course was perfectly paired with wine from across Canada and showed the diversity of our beautiful country.
The night ended with speciality whisky tasting that was a very special ending to this impactful meal.
DAY SEVEN: JUNE 23, 2017
For our final day, we once again have an early morning and by 9:00AM we are in the air once again drinking our special coffee and pulling out our 'cold weather' clothes again. We land in Churchill Manitoba around lunch time and are welcomed to this small village with a tasty lunch at the Lazy Bear Cafe. We then head out on the water of Hudson Bay in zodiacs where we are on the lookout for what we thought would be the elusive, Beluga Whales. Were we wrong. After only a few minutes on the water, our guide states casually, 'oh, there is one...and another one right there'... 10 minutes into our trip, we realize we are surrounded by these beautiful creatures. There are approximately 60,000 of them that descend upon Hudson Bay to feed on schools of Capelin, Arctic Char, Brook Trout and Cisco White Fish. We spend an hour on the water thoroughly enjoying the viewing of these curious creatures. In the not so distant horizon, we see the ice melt and know that somewhere on these massive pieces of ice, are polar bears.
When we reach the shore again, we head out on a tour of the small town with a very stern warning to stay in a group as those said polar bears could be on shore at any point and we would be vulnerable on our own. Bait if you will. We walk up to the Cape Merry National Historic site, accompanied by our guide, who is accompanied by his rifle, and enjoy the beautiful land that is just now coming to life after the long winter. The ground is covered in small yet brilliant flowers of purple, yellow and white. The 'polar bear jail' is pointed out to us but at that point in time, had no 'inmates'. When the bears are found to be a nuisance in town, they are brought here to the jail, to chill out before being relocated to a more suitable location for everyone.
From here, we head back to the plane one for our final leg of this journey. This flight is filled with weary travellers all taking the time to secure contact information for new friends, say thank you to the amazing team leading us on our journey and reflect on how absolutely fortunate we are to be a part of something so amazing. We land safe and sound back in Vancouver and after farewells, we drive home. Exhausted, exhilarated and wondering who will cook us dinner tonight!
I am so proud to be Canadian. Being a part of this journey, 'Across the Top', reminded me why this is so. These inaugural guests on our Across the Top tour embody that spirit of humble gratefulness and passion to discover more of who we are as a nation, as I do. The Chefs through their talent captured all things significant to this identity and allowed us to understand more profoundly our fellow Canadians to the north through their food. The landscape of our northern compatriots is somewhat foreign, breathtakingly beautiful and often unforgiving, highlighting the tenacity of the people. In our visits to their communities, we experienced pride of place, despite its limitations and remoteness. And finally, I witnessed a generosity of spirit, that which is in all of us, as Canadians. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of something so awe inspiring and meaningful.
O Canada, true north strong and free.
