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(gentle upbeat music)
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Manitoba, Canada.
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Temperatures go down to below -50 Celsius.
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One of the most inhospitable regions of the earth.
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As soon as the swamps and marshes are frozen,
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the ice road season begins.
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It's the only period of time
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in which the inhabitants of these isolated areas
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can be supplied with goods.
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It's a short period of time.
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Everything that people need for the course of the whole year
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must be brought there within two to three months.
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The problem is, no one knows for exactly how long
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the deep frozen swamps and lakes will be passable
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for the 40 ton trucks.
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Every single trip to the North is a risky ride.
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Hot Roads, The Canadian Ice Roads.
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(gentle music)
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We're gonna offer a little bit of tobacco
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to the to smudge here.
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We're gonna put some of that tobacco in our pipe.
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We're offering this pipe as a way of our acknowledging
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that you're gonna have a safe trip.
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Aright, I want you to, just.
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Scott Campbell's ancestors
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belong to the First Nation,
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the country's native people.
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You feel that you need.
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He's proud to be one of them.
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For those things that you want on this journey.
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And then after that you and I will smoke that pipe.
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Well, you got lots of hair anyway.
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Yeah.
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Ahead of Scott lies a dangerous trip
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for which he wants to prepare himself spiritually.
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I pray to my family,
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that they are kept safe when I'm on my long journey.
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And to be able to come back home safe.
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(gentle music)
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Scott and Chief Calvin
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conjure up the mystic white buffalo woman,
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a powerful being and patron of the North American natives.
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(sings in foreign language)
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Scott has promised a friend to transport
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an urgently needed snowmobile
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across the ice roads, up North.
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With a snowmobile on the back of his truck,
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he sets off on a long lonely trip.
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The white buffalo woman is supposed to accompany
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and watch over him.
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(truck engine revving)
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Spirituality is connected to traditions
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and customs and to family.
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I find that every religion or race has their own beliefs.
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Native people tend to be very spiritual,
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very tied to the land.
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And to me in my heart,
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if you don't know where you come from,
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sometimes hard to find direction in life
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and find out where you're going.
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(gentle music)
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His journey begins in the heart of Canada,
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not far from the border to the USA,
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Winnipeg, the capital of the province of Manitoba.
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From here the route leads
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almost 1300 kilometers further North
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to a little community called God's Lake.
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Last warnings on the way into wilderness.
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In wintertime, God's Lake, like many other villages,
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can only be supplied by the ice roads.
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(truck engine purring)
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The transportation of goods is a tough business.
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Most transports are organized by the state
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and are contracted out amongst the road haulers.
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It's a question of money and speed.
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Both man and material are extremely under stress.
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(gentle music)
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Every truck that manages to return safely
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is put to the acid test
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before being sent out, back into the cold.
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Hugh Rowland earned his money already at the age of 15,
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as a construction worker, building the ice roads.
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After 30 years in the business,
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his colleagues call them Polar Bear.
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I mean, people used to get up there
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and the truck would break down.
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And if your truck broke down,
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in 15 minutes, you didn't get it going,
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you were stranded there.
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I've had guys freeze to death,
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freeze your feet, freeze your hands.
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And you can't leave your truck
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because of the wild animals.
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You get eaten by polar bears, wolves,
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so you have to stay with the truck
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and that's how people freeze to death.
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I mean at 60 below, up there.
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It's not a nice place to be with no heat.
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Vlad Prescott arrived in Canada
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as a young man with $42 in his pocket.
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Today, he owns a freight forwarding business.
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As soon as the first snow falls,
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he sits on the driver's seat of his 40 ton truck again.
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This is my baby, you know,
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I sleep truck, I eat truck,
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I breathe truck.
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I mean, if something happens to my truck it's devastating,
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it can cost me my life.
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So everything has gotta be tip top.
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That's why I'm checking every single bolt,
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every single out from bumper to bumper.
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Everything's gotta be tip top.
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If it's not, it can break down out there.
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There's no way to pull over and fix something,
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it's -40, you know, you'll freeze to death in half an hour.
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(gentle music)
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Departure at dawn, it's -30 Celsius.
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Hugh and Vlad have to go to God's Lake too.
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Their load, school material medical goods
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for the medical clinic.
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(truck engines purring)
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Ahead of them lies several 18 hour days
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and the constant risk of getting stuck on the road
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in these icy temperatures.
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(gentle upbeat music)
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In the beginning, it's only straight ahead
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on highway number 6, heading North.
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(gentle upbeat music)
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A thousand kilometers from Winnipeg
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to the little village of Norway House,
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the first leg of the trip.
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Well, when I was a kid, you know,
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I want it to be a astronaut or a president.
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(Vlad laughing)
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Actually, I want it to be a pilot.
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But my father, he drove the truck his whole life,
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so I knew, when I was young,
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that, that's gonna be my future too.
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I was always interested in the truck
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and I got to diesel underneath my fingerprints
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when I was really young.
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And I guess, you know,
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once you get the little bit of diesel in your blood,
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it's really hard to get rid of it.
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As soon as the road patrol
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releases the ice roads,
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the ice truckers are on the road.
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Every tour means cash.
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(truck horn honking)
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When I first started,
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it was a real adventurous and it paid good.
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Then of course, you know, I raised my whole family,
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driving the ice roads, everything.
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So I just kept doing it.
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Now I just am passionate about it,
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I can't wait to do it every year,
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I can't wait for the ice to come in
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and I get up there and I get to drive 'em
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and I wait for it every year, I love the ice roads.
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It gets into your blood, you just keep doing it.
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The loneliness of the Northern Hemisphere
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begins just a few kilometers outside the city of Winnipeg.
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Only very rarely do you meet people here?
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Jim Neidermyer is one of them, he grew up here.
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In the summer, he works as a farmer
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and grows rice up here in Northern Canada.
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(chainsaw whistling)
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During the long winter months, he works as an artist.
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He used to manufacture mainly furniture.
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By now, he sees more in wood than simply building material.
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(chainsaw whistling)
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You have to see what you're gonna do in the wood
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and the wood has to have some kind of spirit in it
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that you have to see it.
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You don't know how it's gonna turn out,
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you start up the saw and you just see what happens.
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(chainsaw whistling)
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You'll see it pretty quick,
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you'll know that, you can see something in there,
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you know, there's an eagle and it's just.
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You know, the chainsaw is just removing wood,
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that's all it was doing, but this thing is underneath it.
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And it's a tool just for removing that wood
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and exposing that carving.
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Along the ice road, people know Jim Neidermyer.
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The truckers regard his sculptures
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as symbols of their home country.
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Well, we have a lot of wood out here,
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a lot of animals.
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To me, it's gotta be part of Manitoba.
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You know, it's just showing the creatures
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that are running out in the forest here.
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I try to bring them back to life in wood.
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That's my goal,
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is to bring 'em to life.
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(gentle upbeat music)
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In the meantime,
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Scott has reached the first frozen lakes.
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The smooth surface is a temptation for speeding.
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100 kilometers an hour, like on a highway.
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It makes me worry sometimes
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because as you're going across, you can hear the ice crack.
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And it actually sounds like thunder underneath the vehicle.
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But as long as you stay in the middle and you're safe,
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and you do the right speed, everything's all good.
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Where Scott is driving right now
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is a lake in the summer.
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The ice roads exist only in wintertime.
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The through route to Northern Manitoba
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lasts for a few weeks only.
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And no one knows for exactly how long.
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Each year in Manitoba alone,
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more than 2000 kilometers of ice roads
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are built through the wilderness.
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But even in these Arctic temperatures,
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you can't rely on the great rivers freezing over,
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only permanent bridges can help.
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In the villages of Northern Manitoba
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live mostly members of the First Nation,
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the indigenous inhabitants of Canada.
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The state's way of treating them
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is a dark chapter of Canadian history.
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Canadian government is just recently
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starting to deal with some of these things
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that went on decades ago.
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But the after effects of the cultural genocide
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forms of simulation or are seen not only in the big cities
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but some of the small communities,
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and some Reservations throughout Manitoba.
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When you take a person and you rip out their culture
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and their traditions,
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and you force them to do someone else's
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that is totally alien to them, they lose who they are,
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they lose their identity.
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(gentle music)
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The people living in the Reservations
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are completely dependent upon state aid
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and upon the transportation of goods on the ice roads.
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Scott visits old friends and relatives
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on each of his tours to the North.
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How you guys been?
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He has met up with Lee Cod to go ice fishing.
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Lee is a Pine Creek Indian
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and like Scott fights for the remembrance
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of past injustices.
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Well, what they did is,
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when your kid was five years old,
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they would come here, take all the kids, all the children
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and then they'll take them,
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and take them to a residential schools.
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And then either Catholic, Presbyterian, I don't know,
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some kind of denomination Christian
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and it turned them out to be, Christianized them,
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and believe in something that they weren't.
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They couldn't speak our language
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and you weren't allowed to talk
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to your family members, your siblings.
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And there was a lot of crying.
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Lee is trying to make
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the First Nation members more aware
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of their traditional way of life.
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It starts with very practical things.
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You would never have gloves like this,
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you'd have like leather mitts, you know, that hides,
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caribou hide as a fiber, has a hole in it,
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for good insulation, that runs around this territory here.
267
00:15:16,530 --> 00:15:17,580
Lee wants to connect
268
00:15:17,580 --> 00:15:20,510
traditional ways of life with modern life.
269
00:15:20,510 --> 00:15:24,280
For example, an ice drill can actually be quite helpful
270
00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,233
if the ice is thicker than a meter.
271
00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,350
(gentle music)
272
00:15:29,350 --> 00:15:32,100
This balance between the past and modern age
273
00:15:32,100 --> 00:15:35,660
is not at all easy for many First Nation members.
274
00:15:35,660 --> 00:15:38,050
Ice fishing used to be an ordinary part
275
00:15:38,050 --> 00:15:41,260
of self-sufficient life for the people up North.
276
00:15:41,260 --> 00:15:44,503
Today, it's more or less a way to pass the time.
277
00:15:46,142 --> 00:15:49,410
(gentle music)
278
00:15:49,410 --> 00:15:53,810
Many First Nation members have drug and alcohol problems.
279
00:15:53,810 --> 00:15:56,740
Lee, himself, had a hard time too.
280
00:15:56,740 --> 00:15:58,610
Now he helps young people
281
00:15:58,610 --> 00:16:00,520
and is engaged in revitalizing
282
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,280
the traditions of the ancestors.
283
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,433
It has helped him to get over his own problems as well.
284
00:16:12,030 --> 00:16:13,890
No bites, I think all the fish are in school.
285
00:16:13,890 --> 00:16:14,723
Yeah.
286
00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:21,950
Meanwhile, Hugh and Vlad
287
00:16:21,950 --> 00:16:24,360
are still heading up North.
288
00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,487
(truck horn honking)
289
00:16:26,487 --> 00:16:27,587
Oh, I know that guy.
290
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:30,730
I just passed you, I'm going up North,
291
00:16:30,730 --> 00:16:32,823
going to Saint Theresa, how's the road?
292
00:16:34,410 --> 00:16:35,410
No, they're not too bad,
293
00:16:35,410 --> 00:16:37,680
once you get up to about 220 there 240
294
00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,100
at more on the hill, you're gonna have to
295
00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:41,500
slap your chains on, it's pretty slick up there.
296
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,190
So basically same old, same old, hey?
297
00:16:46,780 --> 00:16:48,130
Same, same, yeah.
298
00:16:48,130 --> 00:16:49,700
It looks pretty good out there.
299
00:16:49,700 --> 00:16:52,490
It's never any warmer than -25.
300
00:16:52,490 --> 00:16:55,997
Like last year, we had eight weeks of -60 below
301
00:16:55,997 --> 00:16:58,197
and there wasn't one day that was below -40.
302
00:16:59,361 --> 00:17:02,380
So I mean, you get up there, metal breaks at -40,
303
00:17:02,380 --> 00:17:03,820
breaks right it half,
304
00:17:03,820 --> 00:17:05,840
and then you're screwed, you're not getting out of there,
305
00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:07,930
so you better make sure you got a sleeping bag
306
00:17:07,930 --> 00:17:09,313
that's good for -40 so.
307
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,127
I mean, you always, you gotta be prepared.
308
00:17:13,127 --> 00:17:15,794
(gentle music)
309
00:17:22,490 --> 00:17:23,770
Scott has relatives
310
00:17:23,770 --> 00:17:26,120
living alongside the ice road.
311
00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:28,670
He wants to stay the night with them,
312
00:17:28,670 --> 00:17:32,113
but he isn't going to make it before darkness sets in.
313
00:17:34,490 --> 00:17:38,473
The rare trail marks on the frozen lakes are hard to find.
314
00:17:39,740 --> 00:17:43,343
They're just simple branches at irregular intervals.
315
00:17:44,722 --> 00:17:47,972
(gentle upbeat music)
316
00:17:53,540 --> 00:17:56,573
And then this snowfall begins.
317
00:17:59,610 --> 00:18:01,680
Scott can only hope it's not
318
00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,350
one of those infamous snow storms.
319
00:18:04,350 --> 00:18:08,260
A blizzard would destroy all trail marks for good.
320
00:18:08,260 --> 00:18:11,120
And the snow masses would make it impossible
321
00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:12,593
to continue driving.
322
00:18:16,010 --> 00:18:18,920
A whiteout is lurking.
323
00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,010
The white wall, which races
324
00:18:21,010 --> 00:18:23,920
across the open landscape as a snow storm,
325
00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,350
the inferno of storm and snow
326
00:18:26,350 --> 00:18:29,073
makes all orientation impossible.
327
00:18:32,140 --> 00:18:34,050
Best thing to do in a whiteout, if you're lost,
328
00:18:34,050 --> 00:18:35,400
is just stay where you are.
329
00:18:36,841 --> 00:18:38,810
A lot of times people will spend hours and hours
330
00:18:38,810 --> 00:18:40,033
just walking in circles,
331
00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,680
to the point of exhaustion and then just, that's it.
332
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:47,940
Fortunately, the storm weakens,
333
00:18:47,940 --> 00:18:49,740
so Scott can drive on.
334
00:18:49,740 --> 00:18:52,200
He wants to make up for lost time.
335
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,173
That's when it happens.
336
00:18:55,092 --> 00:18:57,820
(truck engine purring)
337
00:18:57,820 --> 00:18:59,730
In a short moment of distraction,
338
00:18:59,730 --> 00:19:03,253
he starts to slide and gets stuck.
339
00:19:06,870 --> 00:19:09,330
But he's fortunate in his bad luck,
340
00:19:09,330 --> 00:19:13,620
Scott is already within radio distance of the next village.
341
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:16,763
Help arrives after a few minutes.
342
00:19:20,380 --> 00:19:23,880
Scott's truck is badly stuck in the snow.
343
00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,980
The second vehicle can't get any grip on the icy track.
344
00:19:27,980 --> 00:19:29,610
Finally, the men try
345
00:19:29,610 --> 00:19:32,190
to alternately push and pull Scott's truck
346
00:19:32,190 --> 00:19:33,380
out of the deep snow.
347
00:19:36,130 --> 00:19:39,463
(truck engines revving)
348
00:19:55,110 --> 00:19:56,030
Done.
349
00:19:56,030 --> 00:19:58,640
And since everyone knows each other out here,
350
00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,880
a place to sleep is easy to find.
351
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,547
(gentle music)
352
00:20:05,820 --> 00:20:07,780
Vlad and Hugh have almost reached
353
00:20:07,780 --> 00:20:10,090
their destination for the day.
354
00:20:10,090 --> 00:20:12,490
800 kilometers North of Winnipeg,
355
00:20:12,490 --> 00:20:14,310
they crossed the Nelson River,
356
00:20:14,310 --> 00:20:17,553
on the concrete dam of a hydroelectric power plant.
357
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,740
Worldwide, Canada is one of the major producers
358
00:20:28,740 --> 00:20:31,010
of hydro powered electricity.
359
00:20:31,010 --> 00:20:33,340
This is how the province of Manitoba
360
00:20:33,340 --> 00:20:35,903
produces more than 90% of it's energy.
361
00:20:47,110 --> 00:20:48,510
The truckers drive across
362
00:20:48,510 --> 00:20:51,643
the last lake of the day, in walking pace.
363
00:20:54,820 --> 00:20:58,130
Standing still would be potentially lethal
364
00:20:58,130 --> 00:21:01,600
because of dangerous cracks in the ice that might occur.
365
00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,573
Top speed, five kilometers an hour.
366
00:21:10,610 --> 00:21:13,770
There is air between the ice and the water surface.
367
00:21:13,770 --> 00:21:17,320
The weight of the passing truck presses the ice down a bit.
368
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,683
It freezes underneath so the cracks are patched.
369
00:21:23,064 --> 00:21:26,147
(suspenseful music)
370
00:21:36,990 --> 00:21:39,270
In spite of all the experience,
371
00:21:39,270 --> 00:21:43,483
every single crossing of the ice remains a risky business.
372
00:21:45,045 --> 00:21:48,128
(suspenseful music)
373
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,410
Vlad and Hugh arrive late at their place
374
00:21:52,410 --> 00:21:54,580
for the night along the ice road.
375
00:21:54,580 --> 00:21:56,580
They have everything they need for the night
376
00:21:56,580 --> 00:21:58,003
inside their trucks.
377
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,053
How did we do it today?
378
00:22:12,070 --> 00:22:13,510
I think we did pretty fair,
379
00:22:13,510 --> 00:22:15,373
pretty decent time getting up here today.
380
00:22:17,663 --> 00:22:19,573
I got my color and my cold on,
381
00:22:22,150 --> 00:22:24,380
so sack her down for the night.
382
00:22:24,380 --> 00:22:27,017
What time you getting up tomorrow morning?
383
00:22:27,017 --> 00:22:30,233
Oh, we may as well get up around six and hit her hey.
384
00:22:33,140 --> 00:22:35,763
Oh, that gives me my 13 hours, yeah that's fine.
385
00:22:36,621 --> 00:22:39,222
Well, you need all the beauty sleep you can get.
386
00:22:39,222 --> 00:22:40,960
(both laughing)
387
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,710
Yeah, you passed on that a long time ago,
388
00:22:43,710 --> 00:22:45,303
there's no return for you.
389
00:22:46,140 --> 00:22:48,030
I said, if you want me to be on TV,
390
00:22:48,030 --> 00:22:49,141
just show me the money.
391
00:22:49,141 --> 00:22:51,760
(both laughing)
392
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,330
Alrighty then, I'll see you at six.
393
00:22:54,330 --> 00:22:55,970
All right, goodnight.
394
00:22:55,970 --> 00:22:57,183
All right, goodnight man.
395
00:23:06,050 --> 00:23:07,500
The second leg stretches
396
00:23:07,500 --> 00:23:09,850
from Norway House to God's Lake,
397
00:23:09,850 --> 00:23:13,040
almost 300 kilometers across snow ice
398
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,864
and dangerously hilly terrain.
399
00:23:15,864 --> 00:23:19,114
(gentle upbeat music)
400
00:23:22,030 --> 00:23:25,250
The next day, in the summer you'd find swamps
401
00:23:25,250 --> 00:23:28,730
and lakes, impenetrable moorlands,
402
00:23:28,730 --> 00:23:31,923
neither boat nor truck could pass here.
403
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,190
The roads across snow and ice
404
00:23:35,190 --> 00:23:38,737
can only be built in winter time and if it's cold enough.
405
00:23:44,172 --> 00:23:45,070
One of the things they do,
406
00:23:45,070 --> 00:23:47,300
if they find out the ice isn't thick enough,
407
00:23:47,300 --> 00:23:48,940
is they'll send crews out here
408
00:23:50,310 --> 00:23:53,530
with big drills that they pull behind a vehicle
409
00:23:53,530 --> 00:23:55,270
and they'll drill a hole in the ice
410
00:23:55,270 --> 00:23:56,910
and as the auger spins through the ice
411
00:23:56,910 --> 00:23:59,160
and it gets into the water, it'll pull water up.
412
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:00,910
It's called flooding the ice.
413
00:24:00,910 --> 00:24:03,953
So they can actually add inches to the top of the ice
414
00:24:03,953 --> 00:24:05,643
to make it thick and safe enough.
415
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,060
The ice must be at least 1.2 meters thick
416
00:24:13,060 --> 00:24:16,163
in order for the 18 wheeler to cross the ice safely.
417
00:24:17,509 --> 00:24:20,759
(gentle upbeat music)
418
00:24:23,410 --> 00:24:26,363
Vlad and Hugh start their journey early too.
419
00:24:33,050 --> 00:24:36,370
If all goes well, they'll make the last 300 kilometers
420
00:24:36,370 --> 00:24:39,093
to God's Lake before darkness sets in.
421
00:24:42,890 --> 00:24:44,760
They are a well-rehearsed team
422
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,813
and have gone through a lot together.
423
00:24:54,007 --> 00:24:55,494
(truck horn honking)
424
00:24:55,494 --> 00:24:56,680
If I go with Hugh on a trip,
425
00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:58,530
you know, I feel much more confident.
426
00:24:59,390 --> 00:25:02,080
Hugh is a great partner to be on these roads.
427
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,470
You know, every single trip something happens,
428
00:25:04,470 --> 00:25:06,970
I know I can rely on that guy behind me
429
00:25:06,970 --> 00:25:08,680
'cause he knows a lot.
430
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:10,710
Well, me and Vlad, we're business partners
431
00:25:10,710 --> 00:25:12,780
and good friends, like best friends.
432
00:25:12,780 --> 00:25:14,167
So we get along real good.
433
00:25:14,167 --> 00:25:15,500
And when we travel together,
434
00:25:15,500 --> 00:25:16,940
there ain't nothing we can't pull off.
435
00:25:16,940 --> 00:25:19,900
I mean and we know we ain't gonna get stuck
436
00:25:19,900 --> 00:25:20,780
in the bush anywhere
437
00:25:20,780 --> 00:25:22,390
and we know that we're gonna get anything done,
438
00:25:22,390 --> 00:25:23,223
that needs to be done.
439
00:25:23,223 --> 00:25:25,310
So me and him travel real well together,
440
00:25:25,310 --> 00:25:26,860
we know each other pretty fair.
441
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:32,860
It's the beginning of March,
442
00:25:32,860 --> 00:25:34,610
the roads are still in good shape,
443
00:25:34,610 --> 00:25:36,620
considering the time of year.
444
00:25:36,620 --> 00:25:38,660
It may get warmer any day
445
00:25:38,660 --> 00:25:41,793
then the roads will turn into impassible swamps.
446
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:47,820
Vlad and Hugh are in a hurry,
447
00:25:47,820 --> 00:25:50,300
they want to drive as many truckloads as possible,
448
00:25:50,300 --> 00:25:51,823
up North this season.
449
00:25:59,340 --> 00:26:00,570
Come on boys.
450
00:26:00,570 --> 00:26:02,590
The ice roads have only existed
451
00:26:02,590 --> 00:26:04,890
for the last 50 years.
452
00:26:04,890 --> 00:26:07,840
There used to be no vehicles up here in the North.
453
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,400
It was the time of the sledge dogs.
454
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,070
For Duane Campbellock, a construction engineer
455
00:26:13,070 --> 00:26:16,343
along the ice road, the dogs are just a hobby.
456
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,990
His dogs are Alaskan Malamutes,
457
00:26:22,990 --> 00:26:25,860
famous for their strength and endurance.
458
00:26:25,860 --> 00:26:29,523
They can manage up to 100 kilometers without taking a rest.
459
00:26:31,420 --> 00:26:33,880
Up in the North, well basically
460
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,680
they moved around from place to place, wherever the food was
461
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:37,760
and they brought their families
462
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,070
and all their belongings with them,
463
00:26:39,070 --> 00:26:41,350
and that's what they used the dogs for.
464
00:26:41,350 --> 00:26:45,530
And your dogs back then were basically your home pets,
465
00:26:45,530 --> 00:26:47,440
treated well, just like family.
466
00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,270
And in summer months, when they were low on food,
467
00:26:50,270 --> 00:26:52,060
your dogs are basically let loose
468
00:26:52,060 --> 00:26:53,160
and they fend on their own.
469
00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,140
That's why the dogs still have
470
00:26:55,140 --> 00:26:59,568
a bit of a prey instinct to 'em, compared to most dogs.
471
00:26:59,568 --> 00:27:02,818
(gentle upbeat music)
472
00:27:04,130 --> 00:27:07,360
The dogs are not only persevering and tough,
473
00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:09,590
they are also capable of defending the freight
474
00:27:09,590 --> 00:27:11,983
and their owner against polar bears.
475
00:27:13,050 --> 00:27:15,717
(upbeat music)
476
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,460
Duane practices with his dogs almost every day,
477
00:27:23,460 --> 00:27:25,230
along the ice roads.
478
00:27:25,230 --> 00:27:28,463
He hopes next year, they will be ready for their first race.
479
00:27:29,972 --> 00:27:32,639
(upbeat music)
480
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,640
Vlad and Hugh must stop,
481
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,753
in spite of all the hurry, it's safety first.
482
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,780
There is one kind of accident on the ice roads,
483
00:27:51,780 --> 00:27:56,030
the truckers are especially afraid of, a jackknife.
484
00:27:56,030 --> 00:27:58,620
That's what is called when the heavy trailer and the truck
485
00:27:58,620 --> 00:28:00,423
twist and wedge together.
486
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,723
This must be prevented by all means.
487
00:28:08,995 --> 00:28:12,810
No, we got about 30 clicks of rough road
488
00:28:13,670 --> 00:28:16,790
and you're going to need some added traction
489
00:28:16,790 --> 00:28:18,310
because it's really hilly
490
00:28:18,310 --> 00:28:20,138
and with loaded trailers like that,
491
00:28:20,138 --> 00:28:23,230
I don't wanna end up in the ditch or upside down,
492
00:28:23,230 --> 00:28:25,800
so putting up chains
493
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,050
so I can basically make those hills up there.
494
00:28:29,391 --> 00:28:32,310
But if I don't have the chains best case scenario is,
495
00:28:32,310 --> 00:28:35,860
I just get stuck until somebody pulls me up.
496
00:28:35,860 --> 00:28:39,310
Worst case scenario, I'll start sliding backwards,
497
00:28:39,310 --> 00:28:41,630
jackknife and basically ended up in a ditch,
498
00:28:41,630 --> 00:28:44,014
truck, trailer, load, you know,
499
00:28:44,014 --> 00:28:46,990
we're talking about $300,000 in damages.
500
00:28:46,990 --> 00:28:48,660
So I don't want to end up like that,
501
00:28:48,660 --> 00:28:50,925
that's why I'm putting all those chains.
502
00:28:50,925 --> 00:28:54,175
(gentle upbeat music)
503
00:29:07,550 --> 00:29:09,540
The ride through the hilly terrain
504
00:29:09,540 --> 00:29:11,586
is an act of balance.
505
00:29:11,586 --> 00:29:14,669
(truck horn honking)
506
00:29:17,190 --> 00:29:20,380
If you drive too slowly, you lose the momentum
507
00:29:20,380 --> 00:29:22,483
and risk sliding backwards.
508
00:29:25,860 --> 00:29:27,490
But if you go too fast,
509
00:29:27,490 --> 00:29:30,673
you end up in the ditch and block the road.
510
00:29:31,910 --> 00:29:35,160
(gentle upbeat music)
511
00:29:46,504 --> 00:29:48,817
What's blocking the road,
512
00:29:48,817 --> 00:29:50,720
the truck or the trailer?
513
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,393
Everything, trucks right in the middle,
514
00:29:52,393 --> 00:29:54,976
it will be a while to under it.
515
00:29:58,620 --> 00:30:00,570
One of Vlad and Hugh's colleagues
516
00:30:00,570 --> 00:30:02,330
has landed in the ditch
517
00:30:02,330 --> 00:30:05,273
and must detach the truck now to clear the way.
518
00:30:09,540 --> 00:30:11,190
Without the weight of the trailer,
519
00:30:11,190 --> 00:30:14,053
the truck is hardly able to maneuver anymore.
520
00:30:15,570 --> 00:30:17,830
There's not much Vlad and Hugh can do here,
521
00:30:17,830 --> 00:30:19,713
but help is on it's way.
522
00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:24,010
Inch by inch, the fully loaded trucks
523
00:30:24,010 --> 00:30:26,723
work their way past the damaged truck.
524
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:46,750
It's only later they learnt that their colleague
525
00:30:46,750 --> 00:30:48,250
had to wait for two days
526
00:30:48,250 --> 00:30:51,133
before heavy machinery helped him out of his misery.
527
00:31:05,856 --> 00:31:08,970
Anything you learnt on a highway, throw it out the window.
528
00:31:08,970 --> 00:31:11,560
I mean, basically you can't hit your brakes on the ice,
529
00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:13,350
you've got hills up there and everything.
530
00:31:13,350 --> 00:31:15,137
You hit the brakes, your load is going by you.
531
00:31:15,137 --> 00:31:16,360
If you gotta hit the brakes,
532
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:17,860
you got to use your trailer brakes,
533
00:31:17,860 --> 00:31:19,220
no tractor brakes at all.
534
00:31:19,220 --> 00:31:21,560
And you got gotta have a big set of nuts.
535
00:31:22,575 --> 00:31:25,825
(gentle upbeat music)
536
00:31:33,150 --> 00:31:36,090
Vlad and Hugh wanna make up for lost time
537
00:31:36,090 --> 00:31:37,603
and speed up.
538
00:31:38,630 --> 00:31:41,630
But a lack of attention for just a single moment
539
00:31:41,630 --> 00:31:45,879
is enough to cause danger on these icy roads.
540
00:31:45,879 --> 00:31:49,080
(truck horn honking)
541
00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:49,943
Hey Hugh, how far are you?
542
00:31:51,690 --> 00:31:53,030
It looks like I went too fast
543
00:31:53,030 --> 00:31:55,793
and I got in a ditch, I need a pull.
544
00:31:56,860 --> 00:31:58,363
Oh yeah, I see you now.
545
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:05,840
A piece of ice was sufficient
546
00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,860
to derail Vlad's truck.
547
00:32:07,860 --> 00:32:09,910
And once a truck starts sliding
548
00:32:09,910 --> 00:32:11,803
there's hardly any stopping it.
549
00:32:13,771 --> 00:32:17,400
(truck engine revving)
550
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,107
Go ahead a little bit.
551
00:32:19,107 --> 00:32:21,457
Okay, I'm gonna lock everything I got.
552
00:32:24,998 --> 00:32:28,040
Just put her on gear and fucking give it all we got.
553
00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:29,370
Let's try and slow, if you can,
554
00:32:29,370 --> 00:32:30,620
then just stop bumping hey.
555
00:32:30,620 --> 00:32:31,720
Yeah, yeah.
Great
556
00:32:35,473 --> 00:32:38,556
(suspenseful music)
557
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,603
A towing maneuver with 500 horsepower.
558
00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:08,720
They got off lightly though,
559
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,013
just a slight damage to the bumper.
560
00:33:16,388 --> 00:33:19,520
(both laughing)
561
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,920
All right, well how's it looking?
562
00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,510
You just touched her in there, sideways out again.
563
00:33:25,510 --> 00:33:26,510
Let's rock and roll.
564
00:33:28,900 --> 00:33:31,310
Often enough, the two have experienced
565
00:33:31,310 --> 00:33:33,620
that they couldn't continue their journey.
566
00:33:33,620 --> 00:33:36,100
They had to hold out for days in their trucks
567
00:33:36,100 --> 00:33:38,580
until help arrive from Winnipeg.
568
00:33:38,580 --> 00:33:43,000
Many a driver has gone crazy in the loneliness of the North.
569
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,830
Last year, a colleague had to be saved by a helicopter.
570
00:33:46,830 --> 00:33:49,210
It's truly a dangerous job.
571
00:33:49,210 --> 00:33:51,600
But 30,000 people in Manitoba
572
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:55,393
depend on the transportation of goods on the ice roads.
573
00:33:56,550 --> 00:33:59,217
(upbeat music)
574
00:34:06,460 --> 00:34:08,960
For the last part of the trip to God's Lake,
575
00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:11,200
the trucks need snow chains.
576
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,493
Scott and his light pickup truck are almost there.
577
00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:28,737
The snowmobile on the back is still undamaged.
578
00:34:28,737 --> 00:34:31,987
(gentle upbeat music)
579
00:34:41,700 --> 00:34:45,060
The village, God's Lake, with it's 2000 inhabitants
580
00:34:45,060 --> 00:34:47,070
lies at the shore of the lake.
581
00:34:47,070 --> 00:34:50,680
In summertime, one of the best fishing grounds in Canada.
582
00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:53,170
Here, a highlight is awaiting the drivers
583
00:34:53,170 --> 00:34:56,230
after a long trip, Healey's Lodge.
584
00:34:56,230 --> 00:34:58,330
It's the only comfortable lodging
585
00:34:58,330 --> 00:35:01,190
in an area of many hundreds of kilometers.
586
00:35:01,190 --> 00:35:03,923
Not only the breakfast is legendary.
587
00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:07,910
The homely sitting room is a reminder
588
00:35:07,910 --> 00:35:10,320
of great hunting and fishing adventures.
589
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:13,950
For decades, owner Goldie Healy has been making sure
590
00:35:13,950 --> 00:35:16,113
that travelers feel at home here.
591
00:35:18,676 --> 00:35:19,942
Good morning Goldie, how are you?
592
00:35:19,942 --> 00:35:22,053
Oh, good morning Scott.
593
00:35:22,053 --> 00:35:23,342
Good to see you.
Nice to see you too,
594
00:35:23,342 --> 00:35:24,299
you made it.
595
00:35:24,299 --> 00:35:25,132
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
596
00:35:25,132 --> 00:35:27,450
It was a long trip, so it was almost 26 hours,
597
00:35:27,450 --> 00:35:28,440
but we made it.
598
00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:31,040
Yeah, the road is better this year than most years
599
00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:34,660
'cause we haven't had any melt, I guess it's pretty cold.
600
00:35:34,660 --> 00:35:36,630
It's good though 'cause the roads nice and tight,
601
00:35:36,630 --> 00:35:38,590
it was -51 this morning,
602
00:35:38,590 --> 00:35:40,650
so everything's frozen pretty good,
603
00:35:40,650 --> 00:35:41,980
so it made for some good going.
604
00:35:41,980 --> 00:35:43,830
Yes, I'll let you have your coffee.
605
00:35:43,830 --> 00:35:46,070
At Goldie's, practical information
606
00:35:46,070 --> 00:35:49,060
as well as tales of the truckers greatest deeds
607
00:35:49,060 --> 00:35:51,253
are exchanged.
Yeah, I'll be right back.
608
00:35:59,230 --> 00:36:01,010
Before Scott delivers his freight
609
00:36:01,010 --> 00:36:03,920
to a place, a few kilometers outside the village,
610
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,900
he uses the opportunity to go out on the lake.
611
00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:09,340
His old friend, Brian,
612
00:36:09,340 --> 00:36:11,510
who still goes fishing in the traditional way,
613
00:36:11,510 --> 00:36:12,980
even in winter time,
614
00:36:12,980 --> 00:36:16,333
has to bring his nets in and has asked Scott for help.
615
00:36:17,954 --> 00:36:20,621
(gentle music)
616
00:36:28,630 --> 00:36:31,800
Brian has put out the nets between two ice holes,
617
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:32,917
a few days ago.
618
00:36:38,370 --> 00:36:39,450
If you're doing it the old way
619
00:36:39,450 --> 00:36:41,420
with the picks and the chisel,
620
00:36:41,420 --> 00:36:43,830
you got to dig out a three foot wide hole,
621
00:36:43,830 --> 00:36:46,010
probably, you know, three, four feet of ice
622
00:36:46,010 --> 00:36:47,820
and that's a lot of work.
623
00:36:47,820 --> 00:36:50,070
But you do what you gotta do in the North so.
624
00:36:54,630 --> 00:36:56,630
Basic supplies for the locals
625
00:36:56,630 --> 00:36:58,920
comes via the ice roads.
626
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:00,270
But a diverse diet,
627
00:37:00,270 --> 00:37:02,710
especially one containing fresh vitamins,
628
00:37:02,710 --> 00:37:05,720
can only be achieved by hunting and fishing.
629
00:37:05,720 --> 00:37:08,300
Brian fishes, mostly for his own needs.
630
00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:10,933
He sells the surplus fish in the village.
631
00:37:11,810 --> 00:37:12,910
Oh, it's a nice one.
632
00:37:17,460 --> 00:37:18,690
Only a few moments
633
00:37:18,690 --> 00:37:20,310
after they come out of the water,
634
00:37:20,310 --> 00:37:24,760
the fish are already deep frozen, ready to be taken home.
635
00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:28,120
An exceptionally yummy dish, if fried in the pan
636
00:37:32,233 --> 00:37:33,580
I used to do a lot of hunting and fishing
637
00:37:33,580 --> 00:37:34,533
with some of my family
638
00:37:34,533 --> 00:37:38,270
and to be back out in the community of God's Lake now,
639
00:37:38,270 --> 00:37:42,010
to help some of my friends now, it felt really good,
640
00:37:42,010 --> 00:37:44,210
you know, doing things the way they used to do things
641
00:37:44,210 --> 00:37:47,860
and knowing that whatever I put into my day with them
642
00:37:47,860 --> 00:37:50,370
was gonna help his family out so,
643
00:37:50,370 --> 00:37:52,870
it was good, it was worth it, I really enjoyed it.
644
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,860
Vlad and Hugh are still at work.
645
00:38:02,860 --> 00:38:05,673
But they too have almost arrived at God's Lake.
646
00:38:12,250 --> 00:38:14,810
A few kilometers from their destination,
647
00:38:14,810 --> 00:38:18,363
the last great crossing of the lake is waiting for them.
648
00:38:20,390 --> 00:38:22,870
A safety distance of 500 meters
649
00:38:22,870 --> 00:38:25,363
and walking pace are obligatory.
650
00:38:27,019 --> 00:38:29,686
(upbeat music)
651
00:38:38,952 --> 00:38:40,550
'Cause when you come onto the ice,
652
00:38:40,550 --> 00:38:43,430
it deflects the ice and makes a wave on the end.
653
00:38:43,430 --> 00:38:45,180
So all the time you're going across that ice,
654
00:38:45,180 --> 00:38:46,340
you're actually deflecting
655
00:38:46,340 --> 00:38:48,740
and you've got a big wave pushing in front of you.
656
00:38:48,740 --> 00:38:50,420
So now he's got a wave in front of him
657
00:38:50,420 --> 00:38:52,600
and I got a wave in front of me.
658
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,090
You don't want my wave to catch up to him
659
00:38:55,090 --> 00:38:56,950
cause the wave will hit his back tires,
660
00:38:56,950 --> 00:38:58,600
break the ice out and he'll sink.
661
00:39:04,810 --> 00:39:07,190
You gotta go slow, steady and slow,
662
00:39:07,190 --> 00:39:08,840
respect the ice at all times.
663
00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:11,490
Go slow going on, go slow coming off
664
00:39:11,490 --> 00:39:13,420
and keep your spacing between the trucks.
665
00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:16,830
'Cause you're not only gonna like kill yourself,
666
00:39:16,830 --> 00:39:17,860
you're gonna kill somebody else
667
00:39:17,860 --> 00:39:19,890
if you don't respect the ice.
668
00:39:23,770 --> 00:39:25,560
Even after 30 years,
669
00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,930
the men still hold a great respect for the ice.
670
00:39:28,930 --> 00:39:32,053
It's their life insurance on the ice roads.
671
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:40,270
After two days of driving Vlad and Hugh
672
00:39:40,270 --> 00:39:42,420
do not want to lose more time.
673
00:39:42,420 --> 00:39:44,700
As soon as the are within radio range,
674
00:39:44,700 --> 00:39:47,833
they try to reach their contacts in God's Lake.
675
00:39:49,101 --> 00:39:50,560
Hugh, tell me one more time,
676
00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:53,710
which load is first and which load is second.
677
00:39:53,710 --> 00:39:56,181
Okay, the health unit is at the back
678
00:39:56,181 --> 00:39:57,833
and the admin is at the front.
679
00:39:57,833 --> 00:39:59,390
You going to the main office,
680
00:39:59,390 --> 00:40:00,823
that's the first load.
681
00:40:01,694 --> 00:40:03,617
Then I will head out,
682
00:40:03,617 --> 00:40:05,801
but I'll meet you at he main office
683
00:40:05,801 --> 00:40:10,280
and drive you over to the complex and unload the second.
684
00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:11,113
Okay.
685
00:40:11,113 --> 00:40:13,800
So is somebody gonna Marshall us from the corner up here?
686
00:40:15,020 --> 00:40:16,883
Yeah, I'll have helpers taking care of it.
687
00:40:22,270 --> 00:40:26,200
Unloading is manual labor, it takes time.
688
00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:28,770
Especially if you arrive at the wrong time.
689
00:40:28,770 --> 00:40:32,110
Today, they are lucky, the helpers arrive quickly
690
00:40:32,110 --> 00:40:34,040
and they make good progress.
691
00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,630
While 40 tons of load are stored box after box.
692
00:40:37,630 --> 00:40:40,853
The driver's thoughts are already one step ahead.
693
00:40:47,809 --> 00:40:49,130
I mean the whole season,
694
00:40:49,130 --> 00:40:50,410
you know, it's like rollercoaster,
695
00:40:50,410 --> 00:40:54,480
it's like long lasting marathon, you know,
696
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:58,309
you load and you stop thinking about the trip.
697
00:40:58,309 --> 00:41:02,010
When you get there, you start talking about unloading,
698
00:41:02,010 --> 00:41:03,410
when you unload, you start thinking
699
00:41:03,410 --> 00:41:05,370
about how are you gonna get back.
700
00:41:05,370 --> 00:41:08,180
And when you get back, you're thinking about the next load.
701
00:41:08,180 --> 00:41:09,330
'Cause that's the name of the game,
702
00:41:09,330 --> 00:41:12,170
you got to get all these loads up here before the ice melts.
703
00:41:12,170 --> 00:41:15,410
And you've seen it today, it got down to only -6.
704
00:41:15,410 --> 00:41:17,110
That's too warm for the roads.
705
00:41:17,110 --> 00:41:19,960
If that happens for a whole week, we're finished already.
706
00:41:20,830 --> 00:41:22,360
The biggest thing I'm looking forward to
707
00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:23,760
is getting my paperwork signed
708
00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:25,263
and get back for my next trip.
709
00:41:33,470 --> 00:41:36,743
Scott too has arrived at his destination.
710
00:41:37,950 --> 00:41:41,084
Hey buddy, it's me Scott, I just made it in.
711
00:41:41,084 --> 00:41:44,420
Glad to hear buddy, how was the trip?
712
00:41:44,420 --> 00:41:46,450
Oh, it was good, it was good, it was a long trip,
713
00:41:46,450 --> 00:41:49,860
but I got here and I got the sled on the back,
714
00:41:49,860 --> 00:41:51,921
everything's all fixed up.
715
00:41:51,921 --> 00:41:54,094
I was beginning to get a little worried,
716
00:41:54,094 --> 00:41:56,317
thought you might have had some trouble.
717
00:41:56,317 --> 00:41:57,850
No, it was a good trip.
718
00:41:57,850 --> 00:41:59,183
I'll see you shortly.
719
00:42:04,269 --> 00:42:05,102
It was a long trip
720
00:42:05,102 --> 00:42:07,383
but I'm glad it's over.
721
00:42:08,865 --> 00:42:10,465
It's almost 30 hours on the road
722
00:42:11,449 --> 00:42:12,849
and roads are pretty decent.
723
00:42:13,860 --> 00:42:17,010
But it's only half over now,
724
00:42:17,010 --> 00:42:19,900
I gotta unload this and turn it around,
725
00:42:19,900 --> 00:42:21,250
and then I gotta head back.
726
00:42:23,380 --> 00:42:26,630
(gentle upbeat music)
727
00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:30,770
In delivering the snowmobile,
728
00:42:30,770 --> 00:42:32,913
Scott has completed his mission.
729
00:42:33,810 --> 00:42:35,530
Just like Hugh and Vlad,
730
00:42:35,530 --> 00:42:38,373
he will now head back as soon as possible,
731
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,110
back across Canada's ice roads,
732
00:42:42,110 --> 00:42:45,170
{\an8}for as long as the ice still carries.
733
00:42:46,199 --> 00:42:49,449
{\an8}(gentle upbeat music)
55542
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