Dianne Whelan, an adventurer, filmmaker and author discusses her 2,000 kilometre journey in the Arctic, with Joseph Planta; she discusses what it’s like travelling with Canadian rangers charged with patrolling the Arctic, climate change, Arctic sovereignty, as well as her new book, This Vanishing Land: A Woman’s Journey to the Canadian Arctic (Caitlin Press, 2009), and her new film, This Land, which screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

This Vanishing Land: A Woman’s Journey to the Canadian Arctic by Dianne Whelan. (Caitlin Press, 2009) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: This Vanishing Land

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

In March 2007, Dianne Whelan joined seven Canadian and Inuit rangers on a more than 2000 kilometre journey. The rangers are charged with providing a military presence in isolated communities, and the journey they took was amongst some of the harshest terrain on the planet. The goal was to plant the Canadian flag at Ward Hunt Island. Dianne Whelan joins me now, in this very busy week for her, as a movie and a book about this journey are debuting. First the film, This Land screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, while the companion book, This Vanishing Land: A Woman’s Journey to the Canadian Arctic is released by Caitlin Press. Her journey was an incredible insight into the Arctic, as well as Arctic sovereignty, climate change, and the disappearing ice shelf. Incidentally, her website is www.diannewhelan.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Vancouver, Dianne Whelan; Good morning, Ms. Whelan.

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