Yellowknife (July 02/04) - For the Whitney-Brown family of Toronto, Inuvik was more than just another destination on their year-long trip around North America.

"My father was part of the survey team that cited the future town of Inuvik back in 1954," said Geoff Whitney-Brown.

Fifty years ago, Roger Brown -- Geoff's father -- was a member of the National Research Council of Canada Survey Team that was commissioned to locate a suitable site for what was to be the Town of Inuvik.

For three months, Brown camped on the banks of the Mackenzie River on what is known as the East Three Channel to observe the ice break-up, so as to ensure the placement of the planned town would not be threatened by rising water from the river.

"Unfortunately, my father died in 1980, so we can't consult him personally about his experience."

So the Whitney-Brown family did the next best thing by personally visiting Inuvik to get a feel for what it may have been like for Brown Sr.

As a geographer, Brown was one of the foremost experts on permafrost in Canada and in 1970 published the first comprehensive study of the phenomenon "Permafrost in Canada." A copy can be found in the Centennial Library's Dick Hill Collection.

Because of his knowledge, Brown was invited to join a team of Canadian and British scientists and geologists who were sent to the Mackenzie Delta to locate a suitable site for a new community that was to replace Aklavik.

For 10-year-old Monica Whitney-Brown, visiting the place where her grandfather camped provided some insight.

"It was pretty cool to see and with all the bugs and mud my grandpa must have had a tough time," she said.

On Wednesday, the Whitney-Brown family returned down the Dempster Highway to visit Dawson and then make the long drive back to Toronto.

The family began its journey in August of last year, determined to visit as much of North America as possible, with the highlight of the adventure being their stop in Inuvik.

"I wanted my kids to see the diversity of the land, its beauty, and how other people in the country lived, something they weren't going to get at school," said mother Carrie. "In order to make informed choices in the future about the environment and society, the younger generation needs to know these things."

And a little family history thrown in doesn't hurt either.