A TALE OF TWO STORIES
TTHERE ARE OFTEN INTRIGUING BACKSTORIES to our features. Here are two from this issue.
First, when we heard rumblings more than a year ago that Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve (“Land of the ancestors,” page 32, and pictured above) was set to be formally announced, we got to work. Canadian Geographic prides itself on being the first to publish significant profiles of new national parks, so we connected with Parks Canada and nongovernmental organizations that played various roles in the park’s creation — namely Nature United and Boreal Conservation — to ensure we could be among the first visitors. Writer Laurie Sarkadi and photographer Pat Kane were able to visit the park even before it opened (and Kane returned again for the opening ceremony). The result: a profile of the country’s newest national park that you won’t find anywhere else.
Then there’s the feature story by former prime minister Stephen Harper (“Borderlines,” page 48), in which he explores the evolution of our provincial and territorial boundaries. Harper is a Fellow of Canadian Geographic’s publisher, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and as such, he’s in regular conversation with its leadership. (So, too, are other prominent politicians of all stripes, such as the Society's Honorary Vice-patron John Turner.) In late January, I caught wind of the fact that Harper was “dabbling” on the borders topic while working on an unrelated book project and asked if he might expand on the former for us. He was delighted to.
Virtually every piece we publish has some backstory. But these two illustrate a range — from the benefits of longterm planning to good old-fashioned luck. They can both be just as impactful. I hope you enjoy them.