The north

Summary: Examine freshwater issues in Canada's north, perceived as untouched wilderness, but the cold northern climate acts as a repository for many contaminants that originate as far south as South America. Species at the top of the food chain - seals, whales, polar bears and humans - are especially affected. Northern mining also puts the ecology at risk. Exposes the now-polluted roots of the Mackenzie River. Profiles the Peace and Athabasca River systems, suffering due to hydroelectric and oil sands developments, pulp and paper mills. The Peace-Athabasca delta, one of the world's great inlands deltas, is in terrible decline, Lake Athabasca's commercial fisheries have all but disappeared, and thus the Mikisew Cree traditional way of life, so dependent on lake and delta, is also disappearing.