Endless possibilities

II KNOW A seven-year-old who loves science and math. She also loves princess dresses, makeup and art. Those passions might once have been considered contradictory, but thank goodness we live in a time when youngsters can have such diverse interests. The girl is my daughter Savannah. And while she’s passionate about a wide range of subjects, she’s not particularly interested in the magazine her dad helps make — at least not yet. But when I bring this issue home, I’m going to share with her the story celebrating Canada’s top women explorers (page 28). There’s an important point to make: that despite the fact that women haven’t generally been counted among history’s great explorers, that’s changing. I don’t want to tell Savannah that. I hope she’ll discover it herself when she sees these great explorers. Perhaps she’ll take note that diver extraordinaire Jill Heinerth, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s newly minted first Explorer-in-residence, was once a commercial artist, but abandoned that interest for her underwater passion. Maybe the artist in Savannah will note the amazing photographs Heinerth captures during her current exploits — no doubt influenced by her earlier career. I want Savannah to see a world of possibilities. Maybe she’ll develop an interest in the magazine itself and consider becoming its first female editor-in-chief. Who knows? —Aaron Kylie For inside details on the magazine and other news, follow editor Aaron Kylie on Twitter (@aaronkylie). To comment, please visit cangeo.ca or email editor@canadiangeographic.ca.