Guests can be assured they’re exploring the North with the best-trained guides in the Northwest Territories. Our guide team is always looking out for your social, emotional, and physical well-being.
As your safety is paramount, our canoe & kayak guides are certified to the highest levels in wilderness first aid, swiftwater rescue, and Paddle Canada. All are licensed with the territorial government and drilled at pre-season orientation in our procedures, emergency plan, wildlife observation regulations, and rules set out to respect indigenous communities and cultural artifacts.
Our emergency plan & procedures cover protocols for identified risk areas, such as wildlife, medical incidents, & cold-water immersion. Have we eliminated risk? No, there are risks involved with wilderness travel that separates the North from more typical vacation spots. We do mitigate risk to the best of our ability with emergency planning & procedures that are updated annually, as comprehensive-as-possible, and well-rehearsed with our guide team.
We assist guests to prepare for a safe trip. A recommended personal clothing & gear list will be sent to you well in advance. We appreciate your assistance in completing detailed guest information forms that outline any medical concerns, limitations, or allergies.
Guides are familiar with our communication equipment including an Inreach device and satellite phone carried on each trip – in addition to a fully-stocked expedition-grade first aid kit (one per guide). Wilderness tripping has changed over the years. Satellite communication offers wind & weather updates for informed decisions. We can also use it to consult while on expedition with our team of licensed physicians if needed for medical advice.
Dr. Sarah Cook is a family physician in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, originally from Nova Scotia. Her practice includes community-based primary care (including both in-person and remote support for a remote indigenous community), reproductive health services, maternity care and cancer care. She holds both the Canadian Certified Physician Executive and Certified Health Executive designations, and serves as a Board Director for the College of Family Physicians of Canada and on the Advisory Board for Nutrition North Canada. She was the inaugural Territorial Medical Director of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority from 2016 to 2020 and is now the clinical lead for Choosing Wisely NWT.
Sarah loves exploring outdoors, whether by sailboat, canoe, by foot or ski, especially when with her husband and three kids.
Theresa and Patrick live and work in Inuvik, where they provide service respectively as GP-Anesthetist and GP-Surgeon at the Inuvik Regional Hospital. They are passionate about the North and love exploring the outdoors, both on land and water. Theresa spent 6 years working in Nunavut before moving to the western Arctic, and holds a diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Patrick is a member of the Inuvik Canadian Ranger patrol and has experience working in remote low resource settings with Médecins Sans Frontières. They share their Inuvik home with two terrible dogs named Mabel and Juno.
