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6 Episodes 2009 - 2009
Episode 1
Ray Mears' journey begins in the vast Boreal Forest at the heart of Canada. Ray explores the wonder of this special forest, learns about the people who called it home and unlocks the secrets of this forgotten world.
Episode 2
Ray tells the story of one of the greatest companies the world has ever known, the British fur trade company that opened up Canada - the Hudson's Bay Company. He also demonstrates local crafts and bushcraft skills that bring the landscape to life.
Episode 3
For Ray Mears there is one British pioneer who stands above all others in the exploration of Canada. That man is Samuel Hearne. who set the template for successful travel into Canada's wilderness. Hearne's story is defined by hardship and adventure. In a celebration of one of Earth's last great wildernesses, Ray follows in the footsteps of his hero's epic journey of over 1,000 miles.
Episode 4
Ray follows in the footsteps of John Rae from Scotland who was the first great Arctic explorer. Ray Mears follows the story of how John Rae found the Northwest Passage - the Holy Grail of 19th-century exploration. Yet this man, who should have been a hero of his day, was vilified by the British establishment. Ray believes it's time to put the record straight.
Episode 5
The survival expert profiles 19th-century cartographer David Thompson, who mapped nearly four million square miles of North America - a feat that took him across Canada from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and helped establish coast-to-coast trade within the country, as well as defining the borders that kept it independent from the US.
Episode 6
Until David Thompson found a route through the Rocky Mountains in the early 1800s, the west coast of Canada was effectively cut off from the rest of the country. Ray discovers how this isolation gave rise to the development of the area's culture, and reveals the particular kinds of skills that locals developed to cope with the challenges presented by its terrain.