Canadian adventurer to relive Arctic expedition during Brock talk

Winter is coming. 

Through blustering winds, treacherous terrains and sleepless nights, those three words remained a mantra in the mind of Adam Shoalts (BA ’09). 

When the modern-day voyageur set off to conquer the Canadian Arctic in May, he knew it would be a race against time to reach the finish line by September.

During every twist and turn of the amazing one-man expedition, the Brock History grad could feel Mother Nature breathing down his neck, threatening to usher in winter without warning.

But with determination on his side, the 31-year-old Pelham native was able to complete his journey through the remote wilderness unscathed, living to tell the tale of the four-month adventure that saw him walk and canoe an incredible 4,000 kilometres across the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut — from the Alaska border to Hudson Bay.

Shoalts will share stories from the heart-stopping expedition through Canada’s north during a talk at Brock University next month.

Alone Across Canada’s Arctic will take place Thursday, Dec. 7 beginning at 7 p.m. in Brock’s Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. The event is co-sponsored by Brock University and the Department of History.

Shoalts will recount his journey through isolation, treacherous terrain, fierce weather and close encounters with bears, wolves and other wildlife in Canada’s north.

“When you look a wild wolf in the eye and it looks right back, it’s almost an indescribable feeling,” Shoalts says. “It’s really special to see such a magnificent animal in its natural habitat.”

He plans to share with the crowd many photos from his adventure.

Following the talk, Shoalts will be signing copies of his new book, A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land.

There is no cost to attend the event, but tickets are required. Registration is available through the Department of History’s website.          


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