YOUR SOCIETY
News from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Lights, camera, action! A great documentary is groundbreaking, with the power to change minds and actions — to make the world a better place. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic have affirmed their commitment to this genre of visual storytelling with the announcement of a Filmmaker-inresidence program.
Matt Lemay will be the inaugural Filmmaker-in-residence, a prestigious role that will give him opportunities to bring his stories to wider audiences. “For over a decade, I have been honoured to use film as a medium to tell and share stories with a strong focus on reconciliation and the environment,” says Lemay. “I am grateful to have been selected as Canadian Geographic’s inaugural Filmmaker-in-residence and believe that this new partnership and platform is a unique opportunity to amplify many Indigenous voices, histories and cultures.”
An award-winning Métis filmmaker, Lemay is an innovator in the field of educational documentary film. He has channelled his passion for addressing social justice issues that affect First Nations and Métis communities into documentaries that showcase the power of Indigenous storytelling and the importance of protecting the natural environment.
“We are thrilled to add an artist of Lemay’s experience and ability to our growing network of Canada’s best content creators,” says Gilles Gagnier, the Society’s chief operating officer.
Lemay’s current work includes The Future of Michif, a documentary chronicling the history, struggle and resilience of the Métis of Saskatchewan on their journey to self-determination. The Métis in the province find themselves in the midst of a cultural and political resurgence as they move toward modern self-governance agreements with the federal government.
The Filmmaker-in-residence program aims to recognize compelling documentary filmmaking that explores and celebrates the country’s geography, people and wildlife to make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world. The position underscores the organization’s commitment to open new horizons and make change through the power of documentary filmmaking.
In August 2018, a Royal Canadian Geographical Society flag expedition discovered the wreck of a 19th-century Scottish whaling ship off Baffin Island. A previously undocumented archeological site and the first High Arctic whaling ship ever discovered, it helped shed light on a little-understood part of Canada’s past. The discovery was made during a commercial cruise through the Northwest Passage and Greenland. The post-doctoral fellows who discovered the ship, Michael Moloney and Matthew Ayre, were accompanied by crew member and Society Fellow Ted Irniq. After working with the cruise company for seven years, Irniq founded his own expedition business, Tikippugut Outfitting, in Iqaluit in 2019. Canadian Geographic spoke to Irniq about guiding others who wish to explore Canada’s Arctic.
On starting his own expedition business
I have always loved travelling up North. When I was a young boy, my father used to take me out on monthlong trips over many miles. This was pre-gps, where we used to just use a compass, a map and my father’s memory. Those experiences made me want to start up a business like this so other people can make similar memories.
On what a typical tour looks like
A typical tour leaves from Iqaluit and heads down the bay to see some of the higher mountains nearby, along with checking out a 30-metre-high waterfall. We explore little nooks and crannies of hidden bays that you wouldn’t typically see standing outside a house in Nunavut. With this, people can whale watch, polar bear watch, look for seals or even fish. Our shortest trip is to Qaummaarviit Territorial Park for a cultural presentation and short hike, and another trip is to Bay of Two Rivers for fishing. I also run cod fishing trips to Ogac Lake. Our longer trips, which are up to 12 hours, include travelling down past Pugh Island and into Hidden Bay and Leach Bay for berry picking and a hike. I try to not be a routine guide business. Essentially, whatever the traveller wants to experience I try to make it happen. If people come with interesting ideas to experience the North, I change up my schedule to try to bring those ideas to life.
On what he loves most about his job
Interacting with people and being on the land fuels me. I think the best part is taking someone who is from town or enjoys the outdoors as much as I do — taking them to experience something new and something they haven’t seen before. Seeing their eyes light up in wonderment or excitement or joy makes this job so worth it. One person was so moved by the experience that they actually cried because they got to see a site where their family used to camp. I am not just running tours for people from the south; I’m also taking local residents to discover something new, or some place that brings back happy memories.
On the importance of facilitating tours in the Arctic
I’m from Nunavut, so this is where my life is. I have a history here. With these expeditions I organize, I find travelling by land and by ocean to be very spiritual. Although we now use modern technology to help us navigate, being able to have that authentic experience of travelling within the North like my father did is absolutely inspiring.
Read more about the expedition that discovered the wreck of the Nova Zembla High Arctic whaling ship at cangeo.ca/ja21/novazembla.