Languages: English

Wheat harvesting and prairie living are the focus of this episode as we venture across the vast prairies. We travel by truck to a grain elevator and discover how wheat becomes flour and finally bread. Then we head to Moose Jaw to learn about the little endangered burrowing owl. In Jay’s Gee! Ology he demonstrates how weather and geology combine to form some of Canada’s most fertile soil.

We discover how young people are still interested in Inuit traditions by meeting up with some young throat singers, drummers and athletes. We also get to try a little caribou stew. A trip out on the tundra with Canadian Wildlife Service officer, Johnny Nowdluk teaches us about how animals keep warm in the harsh environment, and about how much the Inuit depend on and respect the local wildlife. In Jay’s Gee! Ology, Jay investigates the effect that wind chill has on our perception of temperature.

Starting off in Yellowknife, young cross-country ski champ Sarah Stephen takes us for a discovery tour. We check out some landmarks like the Bush Pilots Monument and a small houseboat community on the Lake. At Sirius Diamonds, Jamie and Jennifer discover how chunks of rock are cut and polished into some of the world’s finest diamonds. A quick flight takes us to the town of Fort Resolution on the south side Great Slave Lake. Here biologists with the Hook Lake Bison Recovery Project are breeding a disease-free herd of bison in an attempt to strengthen the population of one of North America’s largest land mammals. In Jay’s Gee! Ology, he demonstrates how diamonds are formed and make it up to the earth’s surface.

Jamie and Jennifer arrive in Toronto to learn about its cultural diversity. In 1971 Canada was the first nation in the world to adopt a multiculturalism policy. Nowhere is this more clearly reflected than in Toronto. In order to visit as many different communities as possible, Jamie and Jennifer split up. Jamie explores Kensington Market, an area long frequented by many nationalities, with 11-year-old Aisa Saho. She’s half-Greek and half-Gambian. Her father owns an African art and drum store, where Aisa helps out on weekends. Aisa joins in on a drumming session in the store. Meanwhile, in Little India, 10-year-old Chandni Singh and her mum show Jennifer how to wear a sari. They talk about how they incorporate their Sikh and Punjabi heritage into their lives in Canada

Jamie and Jennifer explore a winter wonderland: Ontario’s Algonquin Park and surrounding area. The park is one of the largest in Ontario, covering 7725 square kilometres. It was established over a hundred years ago as a wildlife sanctuary. It sits on the Canadian Shield, a geological region that covers almost 5 million km2 and gives the park its distinctive vegetation and mineral make-up. 13-year-old Sarah Gunter is going to teach the pair how to get around the park in winter: by dogsled. First she shows them how to care for and transport the dogs. Heading out on the trails, they explore the area a little, looking for animal tracks, and enjoying the natural beauty of the park.

Jamie and Jennifer visit Dawson City to learn about the Klondike Gold Rush. 13-year-old Gemma Gould, whose family has been in the area for 101 years, will show the explorers some of Dawson’s historic buildings, many of which have been jointly declared a National Historic Site. Gemma often helps her dad at a placer mine claim in the summer, and will explain why mining is still important today. Her grandfather will teach the group more about the history of the Gold Rush.

Jamie and Jennifer pull into Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory on snowmobiles. They are heading to the Kwanlin Dun First Nation reserve, where they will meet 12-year-old Doronn Fox. Doronn introduces Jamie and Jennifer to his grandmother, Effie Campbell, who makes traditional First Nations clothing to learn more about the Kwanlin Duns’ heritage. Doronn takes Jamie and Jennifer back to his school, where he is captain of the stick gambling team. Stick Gambling is a traditional sport played all across the Territories. It involves guesswork, dexterity and an accompaniment of drummers.

Jamie and Jennifer are visiting Vancouver Island, the largest island of the west coast of North America. They are interested in finding out more about the local Cowichan First Nation history. The Cowichan people have lived in the area for thousands of years and have long incorporated local resources into their lifestyle. 13-year-old Cowichan youth Josh Williams teaches Jamie and Jennifer how to spearfish, a traditional method that has been used for centuries. Next the trio heads to the Quw’utsun Cultural and Conference Centre, where they are meeting up with Master Carver Simon Charlie. Simon will show them how totem poles are carved and explain what the various designs signify.

Jamie and Jennifer are island hopping through the Gulf islands, a grouping of over 200 islands situated between the BC mainland and Vancouver Island. On Salt Spring Island, they meet up with local brother and sister Eryn and Kim Krieger, 12 and 14. The Kriegers will show off their unique home that they also share with two llamas, take us on a sea-kayaking adventure before visiting a local spinning mill where llama wool is spun into yarn.

Jamie and Jennifer meet up at Roger Pass, British Columbia, in Glacier National Park. They are exploring the Columbia Mountain Range that runs west and parallel to the Rockies. Rogers Pass, located about 140-km from the Alberta border. Both the railway and the Trans Canada highway pass through the area. It’s also located in one of the most active avalanche areas in the country. Meeting up with 17-year-old Jeremy Weddle, the explorers learn about ski touring in the backcountry. He shares some of the knowledge he’s learnt through several avalanche courses about what to do to make backcountry exploring safe and fun. They meet Bob Shafto, who with the help of avalanche rescue dog Big Eddy, teaches them about various rescue techniques used when someone is caught in an avalanche. The three come across Jeff Goodrich, a senior technician with the Canadian Avalanche Control Program. Jeff demonstrates a number of techniques used for determining when and when avalanches might happen.