Arctic voyagers reach Halifax

Three sailors who crossed the Northwest Passage this summer completed the final leg of their journey Saturday in Halifax harbour.

Canadian Cameron Dueck and two Germans set sail from Victoria in early June, hoping to raise awareness about the impact of climate change in the Arctic.

The 40-foot fibreglass yacht, Silent Sound, is one of the smallest vessels to sail the passage without the aid of an icebreaker, said Dueck. But such crossings are becoming more common as the summer ice in the Arctic continues to retreat, he said.

Based on conversations with dozens of people the crew met during their journey, there's no question global warming is causing major changes in the North, said Dueck.

'The ice is moving faster, it's breaking up faster, it's just much more dangerous and unpredictable.' —Cameron Dueck

Native communities used to rely on the pack ice to get out to their traditional hunting grounds, but now it's harder to count on, he said.

"It seems like those things don't apply anymore because the ice is moving faster, it's breaking up faster, it's just much more dangerous and unpredictable. And we heard that story again and again, every hunter we spoke to."

Dueck, who grew up in Manitoba and now lives in Hong Kong, came up with the idea of the Open Passage Expedition in 2004 when Al Gore was raising awareness about global climate change.

He documented his travels on a website and is working on a documentary film, both of which he hopes will help tell the story of global change in the North.