History
The harsh realities of sealing life at “the Front”
When Quest sank, she had 5,200 seal pelts in the hold. A look at the intersecting worlds of polar exploration and sealing.
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Most Relevant
People & Culture
Autumn paddling and northern lakes with musician Sam Polley
Episode 89
Toronto-based musician Sam Polley shares how he gets close to nature as a “Toronto boy through and through” and why autumn is his favourite time for canoe tripping
- 51 minutes
Exploration
How the Quest was found
Episode 86
World-renowned shipwreck hunter David Mearns and lead researcher for the RCGS Shackleton-Quest Expedition Antoine Normandin take us behind the scenes of the search for Quest
- 53 minutes
Exploration
Finding Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last ship with John Geiger
Episode 85
The expedition leader and CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society recounts the historic discovery of Quest, found hundreds of metres below the surface off the coast of the Labrador Sea
- 31 minutes
People & Culture
A conversation with RCGS Explorer-in-Residence Jill Heinerth
The RCGS Explorer-in-Residence discusses the underwater world of cave diving, the risks involved, pushing boundaries and more
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- 7 minutes
jill heinerth
Exploration
Second World War-era bomber discovered in Gander Lake, Newfoundland
Exploration
Jill Heinerth on spending the pandemic underwater
Episode 35
Exploration
How to explore like a girl
Exploration
Exclusive photos: A first detailed look at the wreck of Canadian schooner Queen of the Lakes
Exploration
Jill Heinerth: Why I intend to dive in every province and territory in Canada this year
Exploration
Jill Heinerth dives into the Arctic
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People & Culture
Introducing the inaugural Trebek Initiative grantees
The new RCGS program supports emerging environmental storytellers
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History
From the archives: Frozen feat — a personal account of the 1925 expedition to conquer Mount Logan
The journey a master mountaineer described “one of the strangest ventures of my life.”
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Travel
Welcome to climbing camp
Camaraderie, conversation and conservation are key at the Alpine Club of Canada’s annual General Mountaineering Camp
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- 9 minutes
Travel
Gear Review: Justin Barbour puts a MEC life jacket to the ultimate test
The adventurer behind the Man and Dog expedition puts a life jacket through its paces in the Labrador and northern Quebec wilderness
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- 3 minutes
Travel
Chasing butterflies
In 1976, my husband’s grandparents solved one of the world’s great natural mysteries: the monarch butterfly migration. Four decades later, we retraced their journey.
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- 7 minutes
fellows
Exploration
Meet the Canadian explorer who just completed the Seven Summits
Laval St. Germain summited Antarctica’s Mount Vinson on Dec. 31, meaning he has now climbed the highest peaks on every continent
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- 6 minutes
People & Culture
Eight awesome things that happened at the 2018 RCGS Fellows Dinner
Remembering Louie Kamookak, a new Explorer-in-Residence and other highlights from the 89th Annual College of Fellows Dinner
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- 7 minutes
People & Culture
Six more amazing things RCGS Fellows are up to this year
From painting a new side of the Franklin expedition to documenting shipwrecks along Ontario’s Hudson Bay Coast, see what just a few of the RCGS’s more than 1,000 Fellows are working on in 2018
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People & Culture
Seven amazing things RCGS Fellows are up to this year
From documenting rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia to sonar-scanning B.C. waters for steam-era shipwrecks, see what just a few of the RCGS’s more than 1,000 Fellows are working on in 2018
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- 5 minutes
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arctic
Exploration
Adam Shoalts on his epic canoe journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic
Episode 65
The Westaway Explorer-in-Residence discusses his newest book Where the Falcon Flies: A 3,400 Kilometre Odyssey From My Doorstep to the Arctic and more!
- 30 minutes
Exploration
The 2022 Expedition Insider
A behind-the-scenes look at the adventures and discoveries of the passionate explorers funded by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
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- 16 minutes
History
Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Ada Blackjack and the Canadian invasion of Russia
A century ago, a strange drama played out on Wrangel Island in the Russian Arctic. The hero of this tale? A 23-year-old Inuit woman named Ada Blackjack
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- 14 minutes
Exploration
Jens Munk: An expedition ahead of its time
Two hundred years before Franklin and 300 years before Amundsen, a daring Dane came closer to finding the Northwest Passage than anyone had before
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- 10 minutes
mount logan
expedition
Exploration
Tracking a 37-day expedition in the Monashee Mountains
Reflecting on an epic 600-kilometre ski traverse across the southeastern B.C. range and charting human and wildlife activity along the way
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- 7 minutes
People & Culture
Adventure Blog: RCGS-supported expedition heads to B.C.’s Monashee Mountains
Food planning for ski trips — do we really eat that much in a month?
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- 3 minutes
Exploration
RCGS expedition grants give a huge boost to exciting 2022 journeys
From coast to coast to coast and into the ocean as well, eight grants expand our understanding of Canada
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- 3 minutes
Exploration
Searching for new caves in West Kootenay, B.C.
A Royal Canadian Geographical Society-supported expedition has added to the inventory of known caves in a little-explored region
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- 4 minutes
Exploration
How a four-man crew traversed one of Canada’s last wilderness frontiers by canoe
The Boreal to Barrenlands Expedition, funded by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, returns from their summer slog through northern Quebec and Labrador
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- 3 minutes
Exploration
Exploration
Sleeping giant: Inside the Mount Meager volcano
Something melted a hole through the glacier above the Mount Meager Volcano in 2016. A perilous expedition ventured deep inside the cave to find out, did the volcano wake up?
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- 16 minutes
Exploration
Meet Caroline Côté, the fastest woman to reach the South Pole
Breaking stereotypes, pushing boundaries and logging an extraordinary achievement
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- 4 minutes
Exploration
Why cave exploration matters
2022 is the International Year of Caves and Karst. Here’s why you should care about the hidden worlds beneath our feet.
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- 11 minutes
Exploration
Shackleton’s lost ship Endurance found in remarkable condition below Antarctic ice
On the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s funeral, the Endurance22 Expedition has located the iconic ship
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Exploration
Exploring beyond fear
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, Jill Heinerth writes about learning to accept fear as a part of exploration
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- 7 minutes
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People & Culture
Adam Shoalts on his latest expedition following the birds to Canada’s North
Professional explorer and best-selling author, Adam Shoalts, discusses his three-month solo canoe journey travelling bird migration routes from southern Canada to the Arctic
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- 5 minutes
People & Culture
Wally Schaber and the Last of the Wild Rivers
Episode 43
Canoeing legend Wally Schaber talks about his lifelong love of the Dumoine River, the last of the wild rivers in the Ottawa river watershed
- 41 minutes
Exploration
James Raffan
Episode 7
Explorer and “canoe evangelist” James Raffan reflects on the symbolic importance of the canoe to Canada and his most recent expedition in the Marshall Islands
- 34 minutes
Exploration
Canoeing the untouched wilderness of the Labrador Peninsula
Justin Barbour and his dog, Saku, will travel 1,700 kilometres from the North West River in Labrador across remote northern Quebec to the shores of Hudson Bay
- 488 words
- 2 minutes
exploration
People & Culture
James Cameron and Joe MacInnis on exploring the ocean and the magic of mentoring
Episode 63
The lifelong friends sat down for a fireside chat at the RCGS headquarters to discuss exploration, how the two undersea explorers met and more
- 54 minutes
People & Culture
RCGS announces Mario Rigby as new Explorer-in-Residence
The eco-explorer discusses his new role with the Society and the importance of sustainable travel
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- 5 minutes
People & Culture
La Société géographique royale du Canada (SGRC) annonce la nomination de Mario Rigby à titre de nouvel Explorateur en résidence
L’écoexplorateur discute de son nouveau rôle au sein de la Société et de l’importance du tourisme durable
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- 5 minutes
History
The surprising pieces of history inside King Charles III’s coronation carriage
A relic from the lost Franklin Expedition, along with other pieces of polar exploration history, will accompany King Charles III to his coronation
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- 3 minutes
Places
Castleguard Cave recognized as a globally significant Key Biodiversity Area
Thanks to a sightless, translucent creature, Canada’s most famous cave is being recognized for its unique species and harsh ecosystem
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- 4 minutes
People & Culture
People & Culture
Five awesome things that happened at the official opening of Canada’s Centre for Geography and Exploration
It was an evening of emotional tributes and reflection on what it means to be Canadian
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- 6 minutes
People & Culture
MEC is now the official outfitter of the RCGS expeditions program
Two names synonymous with adventure are joining forces to support Canadian exploration
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- 2 minutes
People & Culture
The Tribal Canoe Journey, an odyssey to reclaim tradition and territory
For my father and me, these journeys are both personal and political
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- 10 minutes
People & Culture
Eight big moments from the 2017 RCGS Fellows Dinner and AGM
Exploration, education, new Fellows and the launch of RCGS Resolute: here are some of the highlights from the 2017 RCGS Fellows Dinner and AGM
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People & Culture
Coast-to-coast-to-coast Canadian expedition sets sail
The Canada C3 expedition aims to connect Canadians through arts, science, culture and education during a five-month journey around the country
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Articles
History
Frozen in time: The remarkable legacy of Mary Vaux, amateur glaciologist
History
Artifacts retrieved from Erebus wreck reveal snapshot of life on doomed ship
Exploration
Return to Raspberry Rising
Exploration
How Canada’s deepest cave, Bisaro Anima, got its name
Exploration
Climbing duo completes first winter ascent of Yukon’s Mt. Wood
Exploration
Mild weather forces early end to Canadian ultrarunner’s Trans-Kamchatka Expedition
rcgs
Exploration
Man and Dog: Across the Labrador Peninsula
Justin Barbour and his canine pal, Saku, traversed 1,000 kilometres across the Labrador Peninsula through harsh snow storms and sub-zero temperatures, but were stopped just shy of their end goal
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- 6 minutes
Exploration
Retracing river roots
Cousins David McGuffin and Terry Camsell relive their ancestor Charles Camsell’s first formal mapping expedition on the Peel River
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- 3 minutes
Exploration
Trio of climbers makes first recorded ascent of B.C. peak
Pascale Marceau, Lonnie Dupre and Vern Stice reached the summit of Jeannette Peak, the highest peak in the Selwyn Range of the Canadian Rockies, on April 2
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Exploration
Explorer George Kourounis completes expedition to North Korea
The host of Angry Planet and Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society reveals the natural beauty of one of the least-visited countries in the world
- 270 words
- 2 minutes
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Mapping
The last voyage of Captain James Cook
Canada’s Pacific coast took tangible shape after a visit from one of history’s most famous navigators
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- 2 minutes
Mapping
The first map of Hudson Bay
Henry Hudson’s final voyage helped open North America’s interior, but it was a journey with disastrous consequences
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- 3 minutes
Exploration
Video: Jill Heinerth on being an Explorer-in-Residence
This year the renowned cave diver became the first explorer to officially represent The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Here, in her own words, Heinerth talks adventure.
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People & Culture
10 things the RCGS has been up to this summer
It's been an exciting couple of months for The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
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- 4 minutes
Exploration
Lessons from the Northwest Passage: Roald Amundsen’s experiences in the Canadian Arctic
A foremost Amundsen expert shares some highlights from famed Norwegian explorer’s 1903-06 expedition to the North Pole
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- 6 minutes
Travel
Eco-tourism and adventure in the Great Bear Rainforest
Nimmo Bay resort thoughtfully blends luxury with concern for the surrounding wilderness
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- 5 minutes
Exploration
Summits of Canada expedition to make final ascent in Nunavut this summer
Decade-long project to reach the highest point in every province and territory will conclude with Barbeau Peak on Ellesmere Island
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- 2 minutes
Science & Tech
How the Homeward Bound expedition program is empowering women in science
As a biologist and photographer, I had long hoped to visit Antarctica — but this journey was much more than a travel dream fulfilled
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- 5 minutes
Places
Strong Ties: Canada-Norway connection celebrated at 50 Sussex
The Embassy of Norway has gifted Canada with the first English translation of Roald Amundsen’s Northwest Passage diaries, reaffirming a shared polar past and future
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- 3 minutes
People & Culture
Canoe expedition travelling 1,600 km from Saskatchewan to Nunavut
From boreal forest to the barren lands of the North, the Maskwa Nanook expedition aims to show Canada's remote landscapes to the world
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- 2 minutes
Exploration
RCGS-supported expedition discovers deepest cave in Canada
At 670 metres, Bisaro Anima near Fernie, B.C. is confirmed to be Canada's deepest cave
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- 4 minutes
Science & Tech
Canada is partnering with NASA to send humans to the moon
The federal government has announced a $2 billion investment in Canada’s space program, including a role in NASA’s Lunar Gateway project
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- 3 minutes
Exploration
Preparing for launch
A conversation with Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, who is getting ready to travel to the International Space Station
- 1967 words
- 8 minutes
Exploration
Adam Shoalts
Episode 4
The solo adventurer and best-selling author shares highlights from his expeditions and the “lost” explorer who’s captured his imagination
- 48 minutes
Exploration
RCGS Explorer-in-Residence recognized by Guinness World Records
George Kourounis has been officially recognized as the first person to reach the bottom of the Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan
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- 2 minutes
Exploration
On risk and the human drive to explore
Why do human beings intentionally put themselves in danger's path? Our brains, it turns out, reward risk
- 986 words
- 4 minutes
Exploration
George Kourounis
Episode 6
The stormchaser and Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society spins tales of his extreme adventures
- 42 minutes