Canada on the BBC!
Ray Mears heads into the wilds of Canada for an epic series that combines landscape, bushcraft, history and adventure. Ray Mears Northern Wilderness taps into Rays passion for a land he knows intimately a land where knowledge of bushcraft isnt just desirable, its essential. In Canadas demanding terrains of snow, rivers and forests, it takes a man with a true understanding of bushcraft to make sense of it all. Ray Mears is apparently that man.
Weekly, from 25th October:
Prog 1: The Forgotten Forest
Ray explores the wonder of the boreal forest, giving insight into how the eco system works, forest survival and traditional crafts. He sees how different it is in late summer and winter and learns about the interdependence of all things in the forest.
Prog 2: The Company that built a country
The Hudsons Bay Company is an incredible story in its own right. But its also responsible for encouraging the exploration of Canada and the search for a trading route via the North West Passage.
Prog 3: The Unknown Explorer
For Ray Mears, Samuel Hearne stands above all others in the story of the exploration of Canada. In learning to travel using first nations skills he set the template for the successful exploration of Canadas wilderness.
Prog 4: In Arctic footsteps
John Rae, the unsung hero of British exploration, was the first great arctic explorer and the foremost authority on Native methods of Arctic survival and travel. Ray will explain why this man vilified by the British establishment should have been a hero of his day.
Prog 5: Koo Koo Sint - The Star Gazer
David Thompson was another Briton who helped change the face of Canada. He mapped nearly four million square miles of North America in the 1800s, paving the way for trade from coast to coast in Canada.
Prog 6: Journeys End
The unique cultures, skills and landscape of Canadas far west make it a rich and diverse land of cedar boxes, steam bent fish hooks and dug out canoes. A place where totem poles once dominated the landscape and the people relied on the sea. Ray Mears finds out how First Nations descendents play their part in modern Canada.
