Whole New World

It is June of 1913. Henry Ford has just introduced moving assembly belts to his plants, new Picasso paintings are revealed regularly, and the sinking of the Titanic is still a fresh memory. In Canada, Robert Borden is our Prime Minister, and the Calgary Stampede is just a year old. Norway has accomplished the first voyage through the Northwest Passage and America has claimed a visit the North Pole. There is no contest anymore, for we have already lost it. Our curiosity remains unsatiated, however, and we still have a lot to learn from the undiscovered North. If one looked at it in the right light, they would see we actually had an advantage; the ability to explore without competitive anxiety. So when the first Canadian Government expedition to the western arctic commenced, we were going to learn. We were committed to learn. This is evidenced by a few things, one of which being that R. M. Anderson was appointed to lead a group of scientists in the venture. R. M. Anderson was an experienced mammologist and zoologist who was dedicated to studying Northern life and culture; in fact he agreed to work on the voyage in the Arctic despite tension with Stefansson, the leader.