INUVIK
Inuvik celebrated National Water Day with a screening of Cold Amazon: The Mackenzie River Basin.

Alex Cool-Fergus, a staff member with Ecology North, helped lead a discussion panel on the Cold Amazon documentary, which was screened at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex March 22 as part of National Water Day. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

The Mackenzie was the focus of National Water Week, and particularly national water day. The film was presented by staff members from Ecology North, and attracted 20 people for the viewing.

Rose Jackson, the interim director for education programming with Ecology North, said she thought the film would be of particular interest and relevance to people in the Inuvik region.

The documentary features several NWT spokespeople, including Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger, discussing the river and its significance.

The film describes how, at 1.8 million square kilometres, covering three provinces and all three territories, the Mackenzie is one of Canada's – and the world's – great river systems, one that "plays a significant environmental, economic and spiritual role that stretches far beyond its borders."

Despite its significance, most people in Canada have no familiarity with the river, the film suggested, as did Jackson during a discussion afterwards.

One of the most important and least-understood roles the river plays is in moderating the climate of the region, particularly in the delta, the film suggested, and Jackson touched on this during the discussion afterwards.

Several people said they hadn't really thought of the river playing that role, but it's one of the reasons why the delta region isn't as cold as it might be, they heard.

People, especially those who live in the region, likely take the river somewhat for granted, added Alex Cool-Fergus, another staff member with Ecology North.

While most of the people present praised the movie for its general merits, it did receive some mixed reviews from people who thought it represented only a good start at looking at the river.

Karen Bibby, a teacher at East Three Elementary School, said she would have liked to have seen the film present more of the history of the river and the delta area. Without that context, she said it felt incomplete.

Darrell Taylor said that while he thought it was "very informative," he thought the subject would be better served by a longer film. He said

that the 22-minute documentary would have been a good final segment to the story, but wasn't comprehensive enough to address the entire issue of the importance of the river system.

Alana Mero, who at one time co-ordinated much of the research in the region for the Aurora Research Institute, said she liked the movie but agreed it could have had more detail.