Clyde River (Apr 19/04) - A documentary about a 1922 RCMP patrol to establish Canadian sovereignty in the High Arctic wrapped up shooting in Clyde River late last month.

Director Ole Gjerstad has since returned to his home in Montreal, but he was struck by the similarity between the story The Muskox Patrol tells, and the journey to Alert being undertaken now by Rangers.

"I listen to the officers talking and it's almost word for word, the reasons behind the patrol in 1922," he said.

It was simply too cold to shoot when Gjerstad and his crew arrived in Clyde River last month, but the temperature had warmed to -25C by the time shooting wrapped up.

"Clyde River hadn't had a real blizzard since January," said Gjerstad.

But there were three during the 10 days of shooting for the outdoor scenes.

The production began shooting in Clyde River last fall and provided training for 15 Clyde residents, four of whom received specialized training -- one in camera, one in sound and two assistant directors. The training was made possible by help from the Kakivak Association, which covered some of the expenses.

The production also found authentic costumes in Clyde River.

"People found us polar bear pants and sealskins," said Gjerstad. The filmmaker recommends Clyde River to other producers looking for an Arctic location for a film.

"The nature there, the fjords make a dramatic Arctic backdrop," he said. "And it is a very pleasant community to work in. Everyone was willing to pitch in even when there was a blizzard."

The documentary should be completed by June, though no broadcast date has been set for its showing on the History Channel. Gjerstad hopes to premiere the film in Clyde River later in the year, and show it in other communities in Nunavut.