Doctor to hike over Northwest Passage in journey for healthcare

An Alberta physician with a sense of adventure is getting readyto trek across the Northwest Passage alone with only his rifle to protect against polar bears.

Dr. Bill Hanlon, 63, has a family medical practice in Cochrane, Alta., but also has travelled the world, to places such asAfghanistan and the South Pole. He has even skied 700 kilometresacross a frozen lake in Siberia.

Now he's headed north for 900-kilometrejourney from Kugluktuk to Pond Inlet, Nunavut, expected to take five weeks starting in April.

"It could be a lot more, depending on the ice and the conditions, and how my aging body withstand the conditions, of course," Hanlontoldthe Calgary Eyeopener.

Despite his travel experience, this one presents a unique challenge.

"The issue with polar bears is something I'm not really familiar with," Hanlon said, adding that's why he got his firearm licence before departing.

The doctor says he's taking this unusual and physically demanding trip for a few reasons including to further work with his non-profit, the Basic Health International Foundation.

The organization trains midwives, nurses and other health professionals in small communities around the world.

On this trip, he'll pass by small hamlets and hopes to gauge local health professionals' interestin potentially partnering with him on some future projects.

"This is very much about listening, really. I'm not going with any specific agenda or to try and influence or impart my recommendation on health care on the Inuit people," Hanlon said.

"I think it's much more about listening at the grassroots level to the people in the nursing stations and people on the ground, the elders."

'Horrific health issues'

He said he's concerned that in Canada, residents of the North receive dramatically worse healthcare than the rest of the country.

• Health system neglects northern patients by design: Doctor
• Food insecurity in Nunavut 'should be considered a national crisis,' expert says

Tuberculous, food insecurity, suicide and diabetesrates are all prevalent, and families struggle to access timely, appropriate healthcare and healthy food.

"Having the experience again of working in the developing world for over 35 years, I see a lot of parallels with healthcare issues in our northern peoples," Hanlon said. "So within our borders we have [these] horrific health issues to deal with."

He hopes to trek a bit more over the next few years, to eventually travel the full length 3,300 kilometres of the storied Northwest Passage, from Tuktoyaktuk to Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

The trip is a physical challenge and mental opportunityfor Hanlonthrough an often dangerous landscape.

"Travelling solo allows me listening to the wind and being exposed to the elements," he said. "It allows me time to think and get away from the phone and the busyness of life here, too."

With files from theCalgary Eyeopener.

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