An Extraordinary Journey for an Ordinary Cameron Man

Book excerpt: This book follows the journey of Donald Leslie Cameron, a Scotsman who left home at seventeen to work in the remote regions of Arctic Canada for the Hudson’s Bay Co. Skipping from island to island in the remotest outposts of the Canadian Arctic, Cameron’s career brings him into contact with the fur traders and fishermen of the Inuit First Nations, with the adventurous men and women who populate the northernmost towns, and eventually, with the love of his life. Along the way, Cameron learns the trade of retailing and fur-buying as a manager for the Hudson’s Bay Co, rising through the ranks of the corporation and traveling half of Canada’s northern expanse. The work was prompted by Cameron’s large family of six children, thirty-eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren to capture the sense of accomplishment, to tell the tale of his adventure, and to preserve his part of the history and geography of Northern Canada.