Major Sponsor

First Air It would be a veerry long paddle if we didn't first get a lift north to Mittimatalik from First Air. First Air is Canada's third largest airline company and the most experienced carrier in the north. It also has the most comprehensive schedule for the Canadian Arctic and has flights to Greenland. First Air is transporting participants and gear from Ottawa and Montreal to Mittimatalik. Website: www.firstair.ca

Supporting Sponsor

Telesat Canada / TMI Telesat Canada and TMI Communications are supporting sponsors for the expedition. While Telesat provided financial support, TMI provided us with the miracle of satellite technology, keeping us in touch with our media and safety links from 73°N. Using the lightweight Omni Quest satphone, voice, data and digital images beam more than 40,000 kms up to TMI's mobile satellite, geostationary over the equator at the longitude of Saskatchewan; down to TMI's RF building in Ottawa; and onward to its destination. Website: www.telesat.ca

Equipment / Product Sponsors

Trailhead No retailer understands Canadian wilderness travel better than Trailhead. Thanks to our friends there for supporting us with equipment and packing our food. If you're in the Ottawa area drop in to their Scott Street location and tell them Kayak Nunavut 99 sent you. They have all your wilderness camping, trekking, ski touring, kayaking and just hanging 'round the cottage needs. They can also take you on a Canadian adventure through Blackfeather Wilderness Outfitters. Website: www.trailheadcnd.com

Chlorophylle Some of the finest outdoor clothing is made just up the Saguenay River in Chicoutimi, Quebec. Chlorophylle h-tech. creates superb expedition quality garments, which Mike has relied on for 18 years since company's inception. We've tested it in the toughest weather Canada has to offer -- west coast rains, Arctic winds, and waist-deep Quebec snows -- and it never fails us. (It also looks very stylish if the furthest you're going is the café for capuccino). Website: www.chlorophylle.net

Boréal Design Boat builders extraordinaire from Quebec City, Nathalie Simard & Eric Blouin built us custom kayaks with strengthened hulls to deal with ice floes and pulling our 'yaks across the rough and fractured sea ice. Website: www.borealdesign.com

The Royal Canadian Geographic Society In the Canadian tradition of exploration and research, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, through their Expeditions Program, is assisting us with financial support for a variety of logistical needs. If you would like to read more about Canadian geography -- its people, places, natural resources and wildlife --subscribe to the Society's award-winning magazine Canadian Geographic. Website: www.canadiangeographic.ca

Daymen Photo and Outdoor Marketing / Lowepro Our friends at Daymen provided us with the world's best packs and waterproof cases made by Lowepro for our valuable photographic and electronic gear. Mike has used Lowepro for more than two decades for all his wilderness and international travel. They also supplied us with gourmet dehydrated food by Alpine Aire, lightweight, delicious and no preservatives. Website: www.daymen.com

Nikon Canada Nikon supplied us with outstanding optics and their finest, lightweight digital camera, the Coolpix 950. The Coolpix 950 can produce ultrahigh-definition images (1,600 x 1,200 pixels) allowing us to capture and transmit quality images via our satellite phone. Website: www.nikon.ca

Nunavut Tourism Nunavut Tourism kindly supported us with food and accommodation at the Toonoonik Sahoonik hotel in Mittimatalik. For more information regarding other licensed outfitters in the North Baffin area contact them at (tel) 800-491-7910, (fax) 867-979-1261, or e-mail nunatour@nunanet.com. Website: www.nunatour.nt.ca

Ginn Photographic A big thanks to Ginn Photographic for their artistry in building such a wonderful website and their patience in waiting for the material. Ginn, long known for being number one in the Ottawa region for professional and amateur photographic needs, is now building websites. Website: www.ginndigital.com

Adventure Canada Thanks and big hugs to our dear friends Matt and Bill Swan. If you are looking for an enriching travel experience with adventure, learning and lots of Scottish fun -- but still need a hot shower at the end of the day -- these are your guys. Mike has worked for 10 years with the Adventure Canada team developing and guiding photo tour programs. Website: www.adventurecanada.com.

Toshiba Computers No room in the kayak for even a laptop, Toshiba helped us out with their superb little notebook, the Libretto 110CT. Seven inches on the diagonal, one and a half thick. All the bells and whistles needed to transmit articles back to the papers and our website, and play the occasional game of computer chess. Website: www.toshiba.ca

Thanks as well to the following individuals for their input: André Lalonde, our local coordinator and friend who is helping us with logistics throughout the journey. If you have any enquiries and can't get through to us, e-mail André at alalonde@sprint.ca. Marty Adcock for endless late-night computer configuration and testing of the satellite linkage and data transmissions under moonlight out on our lawn in the wee hours. Alex March at March Solar for excellent advice on solar power and determining our battery and solar panel needs for the expedition. Ralph Meisner, Infosat Telecommunications, for his valuable satellite phone advice. Andrea Simmons for preparing our extensive first aid kit. Sharon Jeffers at Canadian Ice Services for a lesson in ice movement and enlightening us on the incredible technology of ice forecasting. Al Simpson at Total Battery for his enthusiasm and knowledge on battery systems. And, of course, to our families for their endless moral support of this expedition and all our other journeys. We would also like to point out the financial and in-kind support of our companies, O Canada! Expeditions and Disegno Fine Jewellery, for the expedition. These and our other companies, Mike Beedell Photography and Masisi International Consulting, were otherwise neglected over the past six months and as such, our apologies to our clients and our thanks for their patience. Kayak Nunavut 99 recognizes the dedicated work of the following organizations in promoting and preserving natural environments across Canada: The Canadian Arctic Resources Committee (CARC), website:www.carc.org, The David Suzuki Foundation, website: www.davidsuzuki.org, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) website: www.cpaws.org, The Canadian Polar Commission, website: www.polarcom.gc.ca, and the Sierra Legal Defense Fund, website: sierralegal.org. Website concept by Pamela Coulston. Designed by David Andrews and Thom Millest of Ginn Digital and Pamela Coulston. Site built by Thom Millest and Ben Ballon of Ginn Digital. Photographs copyright Mike Beedell, text by Pamela Coulston and Mike Beedell, drawings by Pamela Coulston. Very special thanks to Allen Smutylo for lending us the image of his outstanding artwork on the gateway page. To find out more about Mike's photographic library see The Trading Post. To find out more about Allen's work contact us through our e-mail -- we'll pass the message on to Allen. coulston-beedell@sympatico.ca