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January/February 2008 issue	In this issue Table of Contents Feature: Polar vision Feature: Carbon cemetery Feature: North Shore highway The Inside Story Editor's Notebook Reverberations Explorer À la carte Mosaic

Exporting Arctic bananas
The article on the Food Mail Program (“The 1,000 mile diet,” Nov/Dec 2007) reminded me of an incident that occurred on Sept. 9, 1994, when the Russian expedition icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov called at Sachs Harbour on a westbound cruise through the Northwest Passage. I was the ice pilot on board, and when I stepped ashore from the ship’s helicopter, I was greeted by the manager of the Co-op store who asked me if we were interested in buying any bananas. Apparently, the most recent food-mail supply flight had terminated at Sachs Harbour because of bad weather and had unloaded all the perishables bound for Holman and Cambridge Bay, so that he had 100 cases of ripening bananas on his hands. We helped him out by purchasing 30 cases of the fruit, which were shipped out to the icebreaker by our helicopter, much to the amusement of the passengers, who had heard the old saw of selling freezers to Inuit (not so ridiculous in reality) but had not previously been aware that the Inuit of Banks Island were in the banana-exporting business. Those were the most photographed cases of bananas in history. I’ll bet some of those passengers are still dining out on that story.

CAPTAIN PATRICK R.M.TOOMEY
CANADIAN COAST GUARD (RETIRED)
KINGSTON, ONT.

Wary of the big cat
The cougar has been making a significant intrusion into southern Alberta as well as Ontario (“Cougars on the move,” Nov/Dec 2007). Some of my family members watched one kill and eat a sheep not far from their house near the north fork of the Oldman River. I no longer walk alone on the river bottom. Cougars are very efficient killers.

MARY-JO BURLES
COWLEY, ALTA.

Your article on cougars was of particular significance to my wife and I as we had just completed a three month R.V. trip to N.W.T., Yukon and Alaska. On June 11th,   when traveling on the highway just south of   Fort Liard, we sighted an intriguing but unidentified animal on the shoulder of the road about 300 metres ahead of us. We had it in sight for no more than thirty seconds before it disappeared into the bush but knew that it was neither buffalo, bear nor caribou; in fact our immediate reaction was “panther” because of size, shape and the quite dark colour. Its tail was slender, quite long and upwardly curled, the body quite sleek and about a metre high, but unfortunately we didn’t get a good view of its head. The sighting sufficiently intrigued us that at the first opportunity we mentioned it to a park ranger who, although really interested, was of no help in identifying it.

Having spent a year in the Yukon several years ago where we heard many stories and read articles about cougars moving northward along the Alaska Highway corridor, we wondered whether our sighting was in fact that of a cougar, notwithstanding our judgments of its colour, although it’s possible this was distorted by distance and lighting.

JOHN AND SANDRA HILL
FENLON FALLS, ONT.

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My brother, who lives on the southwest shore of Lake Manitoba, told me recently that goose hunters sighted a cougar last fall in an open farm field. Tracks were found to support their claim. Over the past 20 years, there have been many reported cougar sightings in the area, but these were usually late at night when the big cat was caught in car headlights for a brief instant.

This area of Manitoba is only 80 to 100 kilometres as the crow flies from Riding Mountain National Park, which may be home to a cougar population.

SID SMITH
AURORA, ONT.

I was disappointed in your cougar story. You note there are three hypotheses to explain evidence of a cougar found outside its usual range. But in gushing about the scat, fur tufts, footprint photos and eyewitness report at a carnivore kill in the Wainfleet Bog in southern Ontario, the article blissfully ignores one of the three hypotheses – that it was a pet which escaped or was released.  

I know how tempting it can be to get excited about the veracity of an unusual wildlife find:  A Canada lynx was found in our rural area near Guelph, Ontario a few years back.  We all got a good look at it, high up in a tree near a farmhouse.  It took only a couple of days for the truth to emerge — it was the pet next door.

I think some vital information must have been edited out of your article.

LINDA PIM
INGLEWOOD, ONT.

Finally, Eastern Cougar sightings vindicated! Having seen the animal up close in Ontario, I am delighted with the article. My sighting North of Peterborough, Ontario, in the early nineties: Driving in a pre-dawn autumn rain I noticed a large shape on my side of the road. Approaching slowly I dimmed my lights, not to frighten whatever large animal it was. Then, on the other side of the road, a car approached, stopped, and turned on its high beam lights. Clearly silhouetted against the bright lights I saw a huge cat tearing at a roadkill. It got up, turned slowly, and slunk off my side of the road. There was no mistaking what it was, the flat cat profile, long tail and powerful hind legs are unforgettable. Assuming it had escaped from a zoo I turned on my radio, but the only call was from a local resident who complained of strange noises in the night, like a woman screaming. Later I learned that this is precisely the sound a cougar (or puma) can make.

JOHANNA KINNEY
OTTAWA, ONTARIO

I am presently living in Thetford Mines, Quebec and my memorable encounter with my cougar happened near Maitouwadge, Ontario in the Nama Creek area. The map shows that there are no cougars north of Lake Superior. Well as I stood there in my frozen stance, I felt privileged to be watching this magnificient and elusive cougar pass in front of me. I was able to watch the cougar before it knew I was there and I was watching in awe. This very random and rare moment has always been a special moment for me. I know there are Cougars North of Superior. When you are in the forest alone and through the quiet you wish for moments like these. On my snowshoe trail there is a spot where the little birdies will land on my hand to take my peace offerings. Another enchanting moment for me was this past October during my visit to Saskatchewan. It was my first day doing the chores and I was going to water and feed the injuried cow near the pasture. I drove the all terrain and trailer to the gate. I stopped and was looking at the gate and checking out the method to open it. The old cow was watching and waiting for the special chop I would be bringing her. I could almost sense something else was watching me. I open the gate and turned around and right there not more than three feet away was a doe. She was tense but also obviously did this before and knew I had some chop. Behind her were other doe's and fawns to a total of eight. I was amazed and I poured some chop in front of me. The doe was tense but did eat the chop. This evening game continued occasionally throughout my two week visit. On my uncle Jacks request, when I go to feed the cows and if the deer show up. To walk down to the forest edge and feed them there to protect them from hunters. Everyday I would go and visit the cows around the same time every day. Three times the deer would walk up to me and the cow, so I would also walk down to the forest edge with three of the deer following me and my chop pail. It was magical moment for me. The deer know that winter is getting near and I think the farmers have a nice relationship with the deer population and can be a great help during the harsh northern Saskatchewan winter. I know a place where there will sometimes be twenty deer in front of the kitchen window. I also went out to the pasture to get some firewood for the Uncles winter supply and one day I watched a calf play with the deer in the late evening. I get excited remembering few of these lovely moments, so I apologize for elaborating on some other examples of living in the slow lane.

JOHN CHERNYSH
THETFORD MINES, QUE.

No surplus for wildlife
It’s hard to believe that in this age of budget surpluses, our government is cutting funding, even on a temporary basis, to such an important organization as the Canadian Wildlife Service (“Budgeting nature,” Nov/Dec 2007). Shame! Shame!

FRED GLENDENING
PICKERING, ONT.

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I am deeply concerned about the cuts to the Canadian Wildlife Service, which has developed a reputation as a foremost contributor to knowledge in wildlife science. Cuts at this juncture interrupt a most critical parameter in data collection: time. CWS’s long-term studies are key to detection of trends and, for example, to the effect of global climate change on migratory populations. Canadians deserve and require a research and education body to increase awareness of animal populations, environmental pollutants and wildlife at risk.

Cuts to the agency by the government represent a clear lack of commitment to environmental issues and a lack of respect for long-term scientific data sets, which are labour-intensive to amass, though critical for informing trends. What’s next, cuts to our national parks?

LALENIA NEUFELD
JASPER, ALTA.

What’s the dam rush?
Your “Discovery” department story on energy and the looming fate of the Kettle River and Cascade Falls in B.C. (“Electric river,” Nov/Dec 2007) is just the tip of the veritable iceberg. BC Hydro and our present government appear to be willing to sell off the farm to Powerhouse Developments to increase kilowatts going into the provincial grid with very little consideration to stream or riparian habitat, unresolved First Nations land claims, tourism, and who actually owns our Crown land. It is becoming a huge political and geographical issue which begs further investigation by your fine magazine.

I knew of three different proposals, two additional ones in the Kootenays (Howser and Glacier Creeks) and one on the coast (Toba Inlet), before reading your story about the plans for Cascade Falls. How many in total are being pushed forward? What collective impact will this create on our landscape? On the struggling salmon runs? Why the big rush to get these mini-generators up and running? What’s the relationship between the U.S. draw on our grid and the government’s willingness to forsake wild rivers for power? Who actually owns Powerhouse? These are just some of the unsettling questions I have found myself wondering about lately.

Keep up the great work of letting Canadians know what is really happening — and for scouting the middle ground between passionate doomsday environmental rhetoric and corporate everything’s-fine techno-speak.

CLAUDETTE RDV BURTON
BALFOUR, B.C.

Waving a white flag
If Joan Evans did see a white cow moose with two brown calves (“Ghostly moose,” Nov/Dec 2007), the cow is likely not an albino but just a white moose. The colour is thought to be caused by a recessive gene. I encourage you and all your readers to visit a site called whitemoose.ca, which hosts pictures and information on the white moose. It is now illegal to hunt white moose in the area around Timmins, Chapleau and Foleyet in northeastern Ontario.

KAREN HAMEL
TIMMINS, ONT.

Bogged by the marsh
In your article on cougars, I was surprised by the reference to the “Wainfleet Bog.” I grew up in that area and had always heard it called the Wainfleet Marsh. In fact, there is a small town in the area called Marshville. Realizing that the name might have changed in the 60 years since I left home, I referred to the Ontario Transportation Map Series, Map 5 (1984). There, it is marked as Wainfleet Marsh. And, according to the research I have undertaken, a bog and a marsh are not quite the same thing. What is your take on this?

JEANETTE ARTHURS
OTTAWA

Both names are correct, although the one used in the article was incomplete. We were referring to the Wainfleet Bog Conservation Reserve, a 234-hectare area managed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Wainfleet Marsh is the larger natural geographical feature. — Ed. 

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Blaming the boardheads
I agree with Mark Anthony Jarman (“Powder trip,” Nov/Dec 2007) that once you hit the slopes, it seems as if all your troubles disappear and life is just amazing. But the article upset me because it sounds as though Jarman is critical of everyone who rides a snowboard. Beginner skiers slide down the hill with skis in the “V” position and scrape off all the fresh snow. And then there are skiers who think they are alone on the hill and carve from one side of the trail to the other or those who stab you with their ski poles in the lift line.

So please, Mr. Jarman, don’t take it out on all snowboarders. Like everything else in life, there’s always a bad batch of people somewhere who will ruin your day, but they are the exceptions.

PHAT HOANG
MONTRÉAL

Don’t stress the owls
I was distressed by the article “Winged winter wonders” (Canadian Geographic Travel, Winter 2007-2008). There is nothing in it to suggest that there is anything wrong with “getting within metres” of the bird’s perch or that seeing a bird’s “pupils fully dilated” is a sign of its alarm. An unknowledgeable person reading the article would be encouraged to behave similarly without realizing the owl is being subjected to stress. The only caveat is in the sidebar, where one is urged only to “walk softly.”

There are many exciting experiences possible with birds in winter and many that allow close contact without stressing the birds.

CLIVE GOODWIN
COBOURG, ONT.

Bottom’s up
Your winter 2007-2008 travel issue was interesting and entertaining. However, the map in the article “Steppin’ up” left me a little flummoxed. In high school geography class, I was taught that wherever possible, a map should indicate north with an arrow pointing to the top of the page. But in the map of Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, north points toward the bottom, suggesting at first glance that Vancouver is north of Whistler. Am I being overly fussy or misinformed, or was my old geography teacher correct?

LORNE HICKS
TORONTO

The illustration you are referring to is a three-dimensional view, seen not from directly above but from a side angle, as if one were looking at it from the window of an airplane. The places mentioned in the story are located on the north flanks of these mountains. Had our viewpoint been from the south looking north, these details would have been hidden from view. — Ed.

I congratulate Laurie Sarkadi on an excellent and impartial article (Caribou in decline,” Nov/Dec 2007). What’s causing the rapid collapse of caribou herds — human, climate change or natural cycles?

The readers (and author) might be interested in my personal observations as a graduate student at the McGill Sub-Arctic Research Lab in 1955. At that time the vast peninsula of Labrador/Nouveau Québec remained a remote wilderness, except for development of iron ore extraction and continued prospecting based on Knob Lake (Schefferville) and BRINCO’s preparations to harness Churchill Falls. In addition, the Mid-Canada radar defence line was being built along latitude 55° N. This gave me a chance to illegally “hitch-hike” by Canso flying boat repeatedly from the Atlantic to Hudson Bay. Caribou trails were numerous, caribou almost absent. Large areas of cladonia lichen (caribou moss) had been virtually trampled out of existence. I surmised that there was a connection.

At that period we were cautioned that the once vast caribou herd was nearing extinction. Estimates of “less than 5,000” were rumoured. The favoured “cause” was the introduction of the rifle to native hunters. At the time, this seemed absurd to me as the last of the First Nations people who formerly lived in the interior were leaving the land while fewer coastal Inuit were hunting caribou. Widespread fieldwork in areas as far apart as Astray Lake, Lac de la Hutte Sauvage (Rivière George) and the Torngat Mountains (1955-59) produced few sightings: usually singles or pairs; once, a small herd of about twenty. Yet there was ample evidence of the earlier presence of very large numbers.

In 1975 I was able to re-visit the Torngat Mountains (west of Saglek Fiord). I frequently sighted herds of 20 to 40 adults with large numbers of calves (in fact, there were more calves than adults leading me to believe – strictly as a non-biologist – that twins were being produced). In addition, areas of knee-high willow and birch shrub through which I had to force a way in 1957, were dissected by well-trodden trails in 1975 making back-packing a pleasure by comparison. Also by 1975 commercial hunting camps, some very luxurious, were spreading across what I had experienced as an untouched wilderness twenty years before. The provincial governments were selling 1,000 hunting licences per year.

Although any census taken in the 1950s must have been little more than a very rough estimate, a quarter of a century later the Rivière George herd was apparently approaching half a million.

My commentary is not intended to imply that we should ignore the current population collapse of the various herds in the northwest as a natural cyclic phenomenon. I think that commercial hunting should be severely discouraged, if not made illegal. Nevertheless, “data”, especially if rendered in percentages, can be somewhat misleading. The purpose of my writing is to support Laurie Sarkadi’s implication that the caribou are an integral part of our First Nations and Inuit cultures, indeed, of all of Canada. We need effective management to ensure that they remain so.

JACK D. IVES
OTTAWA, ON

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Greedy people
In the Nov/Dec 2007 issue, Ian Moul of Comox B.C. asks in Reverberations, in response to the item on greenhouse tomatoes,  “what about that rich black soil.” Quite simply, it fell prey to human greed and stupidity; people are building houses and shopping malls and car factories on it. Contrary to popular belief, the biggest problem facing our world is not climate change but human over-population, the result of greed and stupidity. Most species at the top of the food chain have learned to adapt their population to their environment except us, and we're supposed to be the smart ones. If global warming is the result of human activity, it follows that climate change will not be brought under control while the human population continues to explode and when the most populous countries are rapidly industrializing. It's not, as they say, rocket science. If a country is a net importer of food, then it has too many people. Where a country must desalinate sea water for drinking water, there are more people than that area can sustain. Where aquifers under farm land are drained in order to flush toilets and fill fountains in a desert gambling park, there are too many greedy, stupid people. Roughly eight percent of Canada's land mass is arable, yet we continue to allow the population to grow rather than face the obvious, albeit difficult truth. Essentially, commerce rules the world and the emperor has no clothes.

JOHN MACMURCHY
TORONTO

 If it's one part of your magazine that I really enjoy, it is the Reverberations.  Most often, they provide yet another valuable viewpoint on a topic covered by your staff.  One of the most challenging of these is Malcolm McSporran's letter on Page 17 of the recent September/October issue when, in his last paragraph, he manages to be brave enough (in a democratic society such as ours) to come right out and pinpoint the real root cause of the world's ecological problems: overpopulation.  
     While China was 'brave' enough to address its problem in this respect,  only in a non-democratic society can control of this be achieved. While I am a "born-again" Christian, I see the world's main religions, most of which ban birth control, as the chief culprits here.  May I respectfully suggest that Mr. McSporran view (if possible) an excellent CBC documentary of some 20 years ago in its excellent series, "The Nature of Things" with Dr. David Suzuki titled "The Human Tide".  In less than an hour, all the world's root problems are masterfully documented in one direction: overpopulation.

K. W. DAVIS
ORILLIA, ONT.

Apple stash
I am a little late getting to my Sep/Oct issue, but savour every page when I do find the time to enjoy my subscription! I just read the Discovery section on "Fruits of Their Labour" with much interest as I have recently discovered the Ambrosia apple and have always wondered about its origins. I have turned to different fruits as opposed to apples over the last few years, since I have been disappointed with inconsistent flavour and texture from many mass produced and mass shipped apples that arrive at our grocery stores nowadays.

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon Ambrosia apples when straight from the orchard they arrived in pallet boxes to our Superstore. I have yet to see them at any other store in town and I HAVE looked! Even friends of mine who own a local grocery store have not heard of this variety of apple.

I know anxiously await the arrival of these little gems each Fall and buy a gigantic bag of them and (I hate to admit)stash them from my the rest of my family! It is almost December, I have four of these apples left in my cold room from my September/October purchase. They are still as fresh as the day I bought them, tasty, sweet and crunchy!

I have also discovered another "new"-ish apple: the Cameo apple. Similar to the Ambrosia, but not as honey-like in sweetness (and NOT Canadian). These are also difficult to find locally and I equally covet these when I find them. After searching the internet to find information of this type, see that they have been around almost as long as the Ambrosia. My special thanks and appreciation to the Mennell's for trusting the opinions of their employees and sharing this refreshing treat with the rest of us!

MIKA LEES
THUNDER BAY, ONT.

Galling name change
As someone born and raised on Canada's east coast, I've always been aware of the Northwest Passage, what it is, where it is and what it represents.
   I was more than a little irked, then when I read that someone had the gall to first throw a Canadian flag overside and then to “officially” change the name of the Northwest Passage to the “Canadian Arctic Passage” (“The inside story,” Nov/Dec 2007). That, to me suggests that in order to maintain our sovereignty and identity in this country we should also change the name of the MacKenzie River to “The Big Canadian River That Flows North.”
  If we start re-naming historical places and features, our TRUE Canadian identity will go by the board along with that flag.
  Canadians know and understand what and where the Northwest Passage is and so does the rest of the world.  Stan Rogers certainly did — and frankly a name change is a slight against him and all the explorers who sought the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea and traced one warm line through a land so wide and savage to make a Northwest Passage to the sea.

ALLISTER MACDONALD
CAPE BRETON ISLAND, N. S.

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