Baker Lake (Mar 17/04) - The six members of the Arctic Transect 2004 expedition enjoyed a little Kivalliq hospitality this past week, courtesy of the community of Baker Lake.

The expedition left Yellowknife in late December and will conclude near the end of June at Qikiqtarjuaq (Broughton Island).

Members of the Arctic Transect 2004 expedition braved days of -100 C wind chills as they moved towards Baker Lake. - Photo courtesy of Will Steger

In all, the expedition will take five months to complete using 31 dogs to cover about 5,000 kilometres.

Team member and well-known Arctic adventurer Will Steger says the expedition is striving to be the most comprehensive online (www.polar husky.com) adventure-learning initiative to date.

He says the trek is bringing Nunavut to the attention of people in Canada and the United States.

"We're highlighting Nunavut's culture, land, people and environment," says Steger, from Yellowknife.

"We're getting a lot of information from elders on global climate change and its impact on the environment, so it's really an educational approach to putting Nunavut on the map."

Team members Steger, Aaron Doering, Paul Pregont, Eric Dayton hail from Minnesota, while female Millie Porslid hails from Denmark.

Hugh Dale-Harris is the only Canadian on the team, coming from Thunder Bay, Ont.

They will visit schools in eight Nunavut communities during the expedition.

Steger says the excitement of the expedition really draws the kids in, as evidenced in Baker Lake.

"The kids don't ask you why you're doing it. They're more interested in how you go to the bathroom," says Steger.

"Any kid in the world would be interested in the dogs, but, up here, it's really something special because it's part of their culture and heritage."

About 10 per cent of the journey's cost has come from corporate sponsors.

The expedition received one education grant, with the rest coming from private donations and the selling of T-shirts.

Steger says the project was helped immensely when First Air stepped up to get the members home at the journey's end.

"We actually don't have everything paid for yet, but we're moving along and the project is up and running.

"We did get loads of in-kind donations, such as equipment and organic food.

"People have been pretty generous, especially a number of small businesses."