Northwest Territories, Naturally - excerpt

George Fischer has expertly captured pure natural scenes alongside the brilliant cultural milieu with which the territories teem. His unparalleled eye for beauty has made him one of Canada’s most celebrated landscape photographers.

Adventure into the Northwest Territories’ most unbelievable sights, exhibited by an artistic lens.

$ 39.95 ISBN 978-1-77108-434-5

9

781771

084345

Fischer-Northwest-Territories-Naturally-9x9-Cover_02-21.indd 1

Northwest Territories naturally

Undisturbed hills crash like waves for miles around the sharp upturned peaks of mountains and the plunging cavernous depths of sinkholes. Plateaus sprawl across the highlands, blanketed by rock beds and dotted with shallow pools of crystal waters. Feel the steam of naturally-occurring hot springs and the cool stillness of glacially-sourced lakes.

FISCHER

The Canadian North offers intrepid landscapes that inspire and thrill the wild heart. Unfold through these pages the natural wonders of the Northwest Territories from Yellowknife to Tuktoyaktuk with scenes from long stretches of highway to the Arctic Ocean shores. Be transported to the Nahanni National Park Reserve; hear the thundering water at Victoria Falls and explore the majesty of the Cirque of the Unclimbables.

Northwest Territories naturally PHOTOGRAPHY

GEORGE FISCHER

2021-03-11 5:35 PM

ABOVE : The InuvikTuktoyaktuk Highway flanks countless shores.

Near Inuvik

Cascades of the South Nahanni River create a coloured rainbow at Virginia Falls (Nái˛li˛cho).

PREVIOUS PAGE :

Nahanni National Park Reserve 2

Copyright © 2021, George Fischer All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission from the publisher, or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, permission from Access Copyright, 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Title: Northwest Territories : naturally / photography, George Fischer.

Names: Fischer, George, 1954- photographer, author.

Identifiers: Canadiana 20210101326 | ISBN 9781771084345 (hardcover) Subjects: LCSH: Northwest Territories—Pictorial works.

Classification: LCC FC4162 .F57 2021 | DDC 971.9/300222—dc23

Art Director and Designer: Catharine Barker, National Graphics, Toronto, ON Copy Editor: Selina Barker, Toronto, ON

Nimbus Publishing Limited

Printed and bound in China

902-455-4286 | nimbus.ca

3660 Strawberry Hill Street, Halifax, NS B3K 5A9

Northwest Territories naturally PHOTOGRAPHY

GEORGE FISCHER

foreword

I have heard it said that every Canadian should experience the diverse landscapes of the beautiful Northwest Territories. I have been drawn there a few times and hope to bring that singular beauty to you in this new book. The Nahanni National Park was expanded a few years back and is now almost as big as Vancouver Island. This vast, unbroken regional reserve is a local park to those who live in the Northwest Territories and an enticement to those who want a rare glimpse of pristine wilds. From the grand majesty of Virginia Falls to the quiet stillness of the moon reflected in Little Doctor Lake, each scene elegantly and honestly captures a piece of northern Canada that should not be missed, except for after you leave.

There is nothing like traveling around the Northwest Territories; flying over the foothills of the Mackenzie mountains where they sink into the Nahanni River, or driving along the new road into Tuktoyaktuk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Of all the ways to see Canada, from each method of travel one can take to various isolated nature reserves and small villages that line the coast and dot the territories, the singular permanent road that connects a community on the shores of the Arctic Ocean to the rest of Canada is as unique as it gets. Being able to drive to the northern edge of the continent and meet fellow Canadians in Tuk is a splendid opportunity that I have endeavoured to capture in these pages, to inspire everyone who spends time among them.

Nestled in the mountains, Glacier Lake is one of only a few lakes designated for day use within this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nahanni National Park Reserve 5

The scenic images of the Northwest Territories from the

Availing myself with various modes of transportation

air as well as up close showcase the wonder of Canada

and their benefits made clear to me how the residents

and it’s vast array of natural land formations that are

of the more isolated hamlets keep in touch with nature

envied around the globe. From the bend of grass in

so closely. Communities of the territories are deeply

the wind to the serpentine path of the Tetcela River. I

embedded in the wild landscapes of the north, so

will never forget the Northern Lights over Fort Simpson

much so that day-to-day activities are often dictated

or the scramble to get the camera set up to capture

by naturally occurring phenomena like the weather.

them, after forgetting a crucial piece of equipment

Many roads to remote areas only exist when the lakes

back at the hotel. The photographs in this book tell

or rivers freeze and travel over them becomes possible.

the tale of why the Northwest Territories remains one

Bush pilots have to keep a close eye on the weather

of my favourite destinations for breathtaking natural

and their fingers crossed for conditions showing clear

landscapes and the warmth of local communities.

and fair. If fog cover is too thick, travel is simply

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impossible and the only thing to do is wait, relax, and be content in the moment. With that said, anyone who spends time among the plateaus and canyons that abound will understand the connection to the wilderness, as it becomes a part of your backyard.

A view from the Nahanni Mountain Lodge towards “the gap” is mirrored in Little Doctor Lake.

Little Doctor Lake

As you peruse, I hope you will feel the glacial waters, watch the sun set, take in the daily tasks of the skilled craftsmen of a small fishing village and canoe past the houseboats on Yellowknife Bay. You’ll never feel so off-the-grid while so down-to-earth.

—George Fischer 7

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PREVIOUS PAGES : A yellow moon rises over a northern expanse of the Selwyn Mountains.

Nahanni National Park Reserve

The edge of Tuktoyaktuk. The hamlet reclaimed its Native name meaning “resembling a caribou” in 1950.

Tuktoyaktuk

A mountain stream deposits sediment as it spreads out on a flat area and creates an “alluvial fan” on its way to the South Nahanni River.

Nahanni National Park Reserve 11

Magical lights play across the starry sky to form an enduring memory. The Aurora Borealis is unique to the northern magnetic pole and is best viewed on cold, clear nights.

The Flats (“Ehdaa”), Fort Simpson 16

We belong to this Earth, and the land provides.

—Elder Leon Medal

Displays of the north’s cultural heritage mix in the landscape of city life.

Yellowknife

PREVIOUS PAGES : Young trees in Canada’s boreal forest reflect their colour in the Mackenzie River.

Near Fort Simpson 65

The Ragged Range owes its name to the iconic sawtooth granite peaks, which are the highest in the territory.

Nahanni National Park Reserve 98

Details inside the lavishly decorated Church of Our Lady of Good Hope suggest Gothic and medieval inspiration.

Fort Good Hope 124

A brightly coloured fishing boat floats on the contrasting blue waters of Great Slave Lake, the deepest in North America – and not always so serene.

Great Slave Lake

A good source of Vitamin D, whale blubber has long been an important food source for the Inuit. Although commercial whaling is banned, Canada has upheld the practice for aboriginal cultural rights.

Tuktoyaktuk

A nine-metre (30-foot) climb down a rough ladder leads to a 19-room freezer, built 75 years ago and still shared by residents of Tuktoyaktuk to keep their meat fresh.

Tuktoyaktuk 127

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

—Albert Camus

Thick forest mirrors stunning fall colour in Glacier Lake.

Nahanni National Park Reserve 212

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Making the most of the summer, twilight lasts all night from late May to mid-July.

Yellowknife 215

Yellowknife embraces a rich and varied cultural past. Roughly one-quarter of its population is made up of Indigenous peoples.

Yellowknife

Mesmerizing colours and music blur together during traditional dance and drumming performances at the Great Northern Arts Festival.

Inuvik 217

Incredible shades of blue and green mix to indicate depth in a small lake between Virginia Falls and Rabbitkettle Lake.

Nahanni National Park Reserve 233

Pingos rise on thin islands. Typically cone-shaped, they have a core of solid ice and grow only in permafrost.

Tuktoyaktuk 246

Trout River carves a path through steep gorge walls in the Sambaa Deh Territorial Park. Great for fishing, the remote park is only open during the summer.

Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park

The Nahanni National Park Reserve covers 30,050 square kilometres (11,602 square miles) and encompasses the territories’ highest mountains and largest ice fields. It was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nahanni National Park Reserve FOLLOWING PAGES :

Myriad lakes of the Mackenzie Delta ebb and flow with the seasons. Much is still to be discovered about their behaviour.

Inuvik

George Fischer is one of Canada’s most celebrated landscape photographers.

His work has appeared on the covers of countless international magazines and newspapers worldwide and in the promotional publications of tourism agencies around the globe. In November 2017, George received the Ontario Tourism Award of Excellence in Photography. He has produced more than 70 photographic books and a collection of over 50 art posters. He is also known for his unique fine art prints commissioned by various companies, hospitals and private collections – working with the tourism boards of Jordan, France, Italy, Guatemala, Cuba, Canada, the Maldives, Malta, the United States and numerous others.

The publication Canada: 150 Panoramas sold out quickly and was reprinted to help celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial.

George’s book titled Unforgettable Canada was on The Globe and Mail’s bestseller list for eight weeks and sold over 75,000 copies. It is now in its fourth printing.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

An avid outdoor adventurer, George has hiked Machu Picchu

Reflecting on my journeys through Canada’s north, I am

in Peru and in Bolivia cycled what is dubbed “the world’s most dangerous road.” He has summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Gokyo Ri in the Himalayas and Torres del Paine in Chile. In Iceland, George hiked to raise funds for the Arthritis Society of Canada. Most recently he was thrilled to travel the new northern Tuk-Highway in the Northwest Territories, which now connects the Arctic coast by an all-season road.

filled with wonder from seeing our country in its most natural form. I hope that readers can approach these pages with the same sense of wonder, and perhaps memories, and we can share that bond.

My projects are always created with a team for whom I am continually grateful. Thank you to my travel companions and assistants Jean Lepage and Réginald Poirier for their advice and encouragement. To my art director, Catharine Barker, thank you for your design expertise and pulling

See more at GeorgeFischerPhotography.com

it all together. And special appreciation to the man who introduced me to most of the north, Ted Grant: I am indebted for your insight, your stories and your friendship.

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George Fischer has expertly captured pure natural scenes alongside the brilliant cultural milieu with which the territories teem. His unparalleled eye for beauty has made him one of Canada’s most celebrated landscape photographers.

Adventure into the Northwest Territories’ most unbelievable sights, exhibited by an artistic lens.

$ 39.95 ISBN 978-1-77108-434-5

9

781771

084345

Northwest Territories naturally

Undisturbed hills crash like waves for miles around the sharp upturned peaks of mountains and the plunging cavernous depths of sinkholes. Plateaus sprawl across the highlands, blanketed by rock beds and dotted with shallow pools of crystal waters. Feel the steam of naturally-occurring hot springs and the cool stillness of glacially-sourced lakes.

FISCHER

The Canadian North offers intrepid landscapes that inspire and thrill the wild heart. Unfold through these pages the natural wonders of the Northwest Territories from Yellowknife to Tuktoyaktuk with scenes from long stretches of highway to the Arctic Ocean shores. Be transported to the Nahanni National Park Reserve; hear the thundering water at Virginia Falls and explore the majesty of the Cirque of the Unclimbables.

Northwest Territories naturally PHOTOGRAPHY

GEORGE FISCHER