Rankin Inlet (July 26/06) - When John Hickes was growing up in Churchill, Man., he probably had one of the longest paper routes in Canada, he figures.

Now a lodge owner in Rankin Inlet, Hickes' beat stretched across the then military town of about 7,000.

John Hickes, who has 40 sled dogs, tends to his animals with Colton Graham and Cale Lightford. - Andrew Raven/NNSL photo

Unlike the North's modern newspaper carriers, Hickes didn't have the benefit of trucks or Hondas. His mode of transport has long since fallen out of favour with commuters: the dog team.

Several decades later - and with a stable of 40 animals - Hickes is hoping to pass on the sledding tradition to Rankin youth through a program high in first-hand experience.

"We've had dogs all our lives," Hickes said last week, talking about his family.

But many Nunavut children today don't have the benefit of growing up around working dogs.

So, almost every Saturday at 10 a.m., they come to Hickes' kennel on the shore of Hudson Bay to clean up poop, feed the dogs and learn to manage a rambunctious team.

"Some mothers tell me: 'Thanks for letting me sleep in'!" Hickes said with a laugh.

In return for help tending to his flock, Hickes takes the children on rides during the winter and helps them become familiar with dogs.

"They have to trust you," said Hickes, who has rescued dogs from the tundra and incorporated them into his team. "Some have been beaten all their lives and it can take a while before they trust people again."

One lesson that Hickes likely impresses on the kids is the importance of hard work. It has taken him four generations to breed pooches ideally suited to the harsh Kivalliq winters. "You need a combination of long legs, thick fur and good stamina," said Hickes. His animals live in eye-popping, aqua blue kennels across the street from his lodge, even during the dead of winter.

Hickes imports about 1,000 bags of dog food each year, some of which he sells to other team owners. But the processed food only supplements a diet that includes tripe, caribou, fish and seal. Now in its eight year, Hickes' program has been popular with Rankin youth, with 28 kids taking part last year.

Colton Graham was at the kennel last weekend for the first time. And while he wasn't part of the usual group of kids, he said he would be soon.

"It's neat. I really like it," Graham said after feeding slabs of meat to the howling pooches. "I'm coming back next week."