Exploring jaw-dropping Arctic vistas, learning about life in the North, seeing the effects of climate change on the land and water, and having difficult discussions about reconciliation.

These were just some of the life-changing experiences I had during my time on the Canada C3 expedition this past August.

I was aboard a former Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker for an eight-day-long leg of the epic 150-day journey, along with Inuit culturalists, writers, an Olympic athlete, Canada’s top chef, youth ambassadors and participants from all over Canada. I began my leg of the journey in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut and ended in Pond Inlet.

The goal of this Canada 150 signature project, which wraps up in Victoria on October 28, is to connect Canadians from coast to coast to coast and inspire a deeper understanding of our land, our peoples, and the past, present and future of our country. I was fortunate to participate in this amazing project as part of the Canada C3 communications team and as a representative of Project North, a not-for-profit organization committed to enhancing and improving the lives of children in Canada’s North, of which I am co-founder and president.

I am extremely proud that Project North was a partner with Canada C3. During the expedition, Project North delivered 1,200 hockey sticks and 150 sets of soccer equipment to 15 communities in Labrador, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia. I was honoured to be able to witness these deliveries in Clyde River and Pond Inlet.

Here are some of the amazing moments I was able to capture during my time on the Canada C3 Expedition.