FROZEN WORLDS

Quebec, Canada’s largest province, stretches from Montreal to the Arctic Circle. French dominates as the official language in this region, which endures the coldest and longest winters in North America—temperatures range from -20 to -40 degrees, causing the mighty St. Lawrence River to freeze. A winter highlight is the ice canoe race, with Sophie Asselin and her team participating. The film follows their rigorous training leading up to the tournament in Quebec City.

A little further north, the taiga begins—home to caribou and their predators, the wolves. However, these wolves pose no real threat to the wildlife, according to Jean-Luc Kanapé, an Innu from the Cree Nation. To learn more, he is attempting to equip the wolves with tracking devices.

At the traditional “Festival of Small Fish,” an entire village is built on ice. Families rent cozy cabins for ice fishing, although sometimes these cabins even sink if they are overheated.

In Nunavut, within the icy tundra, Melissa Hanley, the first Inuit pilot of her airline, supplies the settlements by plane.

Filmmakers Peter Moers and Edward Porembny ventured into Quebec during the winter, learning firsthand how expensive snow removal is in Montreal and how to survive in Quebec’s wilderness.