Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Thursday, November 01, 2007

Tthek'ehdeli/Jean Marie River - And they're off!

After a successful launch late last month, 14 carved driftwood boats are (with any luck) floating down the Mackenzie River, towards the Arctic Ocean.

"It was very exciting," said Linda Urban, an instructor at Chief Louis Norwegian school.

She said calm waters allowed a boat to take the hand-made crafts to the centre of the river, where it's hoped they will have clear sailing until freeze-up.

Then, who knows?

"If they do stay in the waters, they will go out to the Arctic Ocean," she said.

"Maybe one of them will make it to Alaska or Greenland. You never know."

The program, "When a Stranger Calls," is one of many Linda and George Urban have helmed at the Jean Marie River school.

She said the unit has been "all about water and early explorers," teaching the students a great deal about history, river and ocean currents and geography along the way.

"The novel they've been working on is Paddle to the Sea," Urban said. "So they've made their own paddle to the sea."

Holly Norwegian, 7, said she had a good time with the launch, as well as with carving and painting her own boat.

"First we went outside and we looked for wood," she said. "We kept some trees and we carved them, then we sanded them then we started painting them."

Of all the places her grey boat could end up if it makes it to the ocean, Holly said she would be most excited if it made it to Alaska.

"It was really fun," she said of the project.

Ariel Sanguez, 14, agreed. While she said she would be happy if her boat made it to Tuktoyaktuk, after that, it was hard to say.

"Russia sounds good to me," she said.

For now, Urban said she was hoping to contact a barge in Fort Good Hope, to see if anyone had spotted their boats yet.

"It's been a really great experience," Urban said.

Linda and George Urban were recognized last year through a prime minister's award for their teaching. The pair have been short-listed this year for a Governor General's Award of excellence in teaching Canadian history.