YELLOWKNIFE - It was printed monthly for just two years in Aklavik, from 1955 to 1957, but Bern Will Brown's Aklavik Journal, which Maclean's magazine heralded as Canada's northernmost publication, has made an impression on a lot of people, including Yellowknife playwright Ben Nind.

Bern Will Brown with his samoid pups in Aklavik, 1955. Brown came to the North in 1948 as a Catholic missionary, where he established himself not only as a man of god but a newspaper publisher, painter and master carpenter. Yellowknife playwright Ben Nind is collaborating with Brown to bring to the stage a theatrical interpretation of Brown's Aklavik Journal newspaper. - photo courtesy of Bern Will Brown

"It's one of those hidden jewels, a jewel of a newspaper story," said Nind of his idea to write the live theatre version of the paper.

"It's a snapshot of that time period. We talk about births, we talk about deaths, community events, there are even editorials taken out word-for-word."

After Brown agreed to allow Nind to use the material for a play, the pair have been working on the script via correspondence between Yellowknife and Colville Lake, where Brown lives. Nind is holding auditions June 19 in Yellowknife to workshop the piece.

"We're looking for four to eight actors," said Nind. He added that enthusiasm and a willingness to try new things were important. "Workshop productions allow you to feel out the strengths and strengthen the weaknesses (of a script)."

The results will be recorded and sent to Brown in Colville Lake for his thoughts before the pair finalizes the play with an eye to a full-blown production.

Up in Colville Lake, Brown was busy putting his boat in the water when News/North contacted him.

"It will be interesting to see, we've been working on it a couple of years now," Brown said of his newspaper being brought to life on stage.

The retired priest has also published two books and created countless paintings.

He recently sold his latest book, a collection of photographs, to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.