Tag Archives: Great Pacific Media

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Cut-off Canadian communities rely on High Arctic Haulers

I’ve made no bones about the fact I love to watch documentary series about folks doing unique jobs in the most inhospitable of climates. Great Pacific Television produces some of the best, including Highway Thru Hell and Heavy Rescue: 401.

Now Great Pacific Television is back with a new series called High Arctic Haulers. Debuting Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBC, the seven-episode adventure heads north, way north, to spotlight the people who bring goods to Canadians via ship. How far north are these communities? So far that food and the necessities of life come once a year. It’s imperative the ships and their cargo get through in the short summer months.

Filmed in Nunavut, High Arctic Haulers kicks off in the ice-choked Ungava Bay, where the Sedna Desgagnés is trapped. Surrounded by icebergs and growlers, Captain Michel Duplain and his first mate, Simon Charest, attempt to shake free of the ice.

Meanwhile, over on the Taïga Desgagnés, Captain Olivier Nault is having issues of his own. Steaming through the Foxe Basin north of Hudson Bay, shallow water, high winds and unpredictable conditions could spell disaster. Awaiting the Taïga is the community of Hall Beach, population 748. Built in 1957 as a military base to detect Soviet Union bombers at the height of the Cold War, the community is relying on the Taïga to deliver critical items like septic tanks, plumbing, housing materials, vehicles, clothing and food. But with screaming winds coming across the bow, it may be too dangerous to use the crane to offload items to the ship’s tug boat and barges.

Next up for the Taïga is the town of Igloolik, where citizens converge to gather supplies and send items south. Among them are sculptures by Bart Hannah, destined for spots in art galleries in Ontario.

The secret to the success—and why I watch—series like High Arctic Haulers is the focus on what the ships and their crews mean to the communities they serve. I learned more about Nunavut from one episode of High Arctic Haulers than I ever have in a Canadian history class. I look forward to learning more.

High Arctic Haulers airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Wicked weather and wild wrecks: Highway Thru Hell returns to Discovery for Season 7, Sept. 4

From a media release:

Battling massive mudslides, whiteout snowstorms, torrential rain, or dangerous rockslides, the highway heroes of Discovery’s most-watched original Canadian series HIGHWAY THRU HELL are set to return for Season 7 with an unprecedented 17 action-packed episodes, more than ever before! Airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, beginning Sept. 4 on Discovery, Season 7 kicks off with an exclusive behind-the-scenes episode featuring heavy rescuer Jamie Davis alongside friendly competitors Al Quiring, Ken Duperon, and Jason Davis reflecting on epic recoveries and discussing the various ups and downs they face in one of Canada’s toughest industries.

Following the premiere episode at 11 p.m. ET, viewers are invited to pose their questions to HIGHWAY THRU HELL star Jamie Davis in Discovery’s first-ever Facebook Live aftershow at Facebook.com/DiscoveryCanada.

Featuring stories of remarkable strength and fearless dedication, HIGHWAY THRU HELL chronicles the lives of these heroic rescue teams who often put their own lives at risk to help keep vital transport highways open and communities safe. Dropping everything to respond, it is their duty to remove the often-dangerous cargo, clean up the twisted metal, clear the road, and get traffic rolling again for thousands of drivers.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL Season 7 also sees Davis make a bold move, turning to vintage machinery to tackle modern-day wrecks. Davis’ team is not only tested by unforgiving weather conditions but also faced with the challenge of mastering old iron equipment to combat some of the most spectacular wrecks the crew has ever seen.

Discovery primes viewers for the new season with a full-day marathon of HIGHWAY THRU HELL Season 6 on Saturday, Aug. 25 beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Season 6 is also currently available for streaming on the Discovery GO app, Discovery.ca, and CraveTV.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL has consistently attracted impressive audiences, ranking as a Top 10 series on entertainment specialty television in Canada for total viewers and the A25-54 demographic. The series has made Discovery the most-watched entertainment specialty channel in its timeslot among total viewers as well as the A25-54 and A18-49 demographics.

Toyota returns as the show’s exclusive automotive sponsor, featuring the capable, rugged, full-size Tundra pickup in HIGHWAY THRU HELL’s seventh season.

About HIGHWAY THRU HELL Season 7:
Jamie Davis is shifting gears once again. After years of keeping the highways open with some of the most modern heavy wreckers – the legendary tow man is staking his future on old iron equipment.

At Davis’ yard in Hope, B.C., Classic Holmes tow trucks – some nearly half a century old – are slowly replacing newer, costlier wreckers. For Davis, the vintage trucks are more than just a passion – they represent survival. Under pressure to reduce costs and stay competitive, Davis is confident this winter he and his crew can tackle some of the toughest jobs – on and off the Coquihalla Highway – using an ageing, rebuilt fleet.

This winter season, Davis is counting on one truck more than any other – the “Mighty Mo”. After rolling out of his garage at the end of last winter, the beautifully restored Holmes 850, named after a World War II battleship, is ready for war. Known as the most powerful tow truck of its day, the hulking 40-ton wrecker will need to shoulder the biggest jobs as Davis prepares to sell his last modern truck.

After a challenging first winter working the mountain passes, former prairie operator Colin McLean is back in Hope for more adventures as Davis’ lead driver. But having run some of the best top-of-the-line hydraulic trucks, Davis’ “old iron” is going to take some getting used to.

Each one-hour episode follows the Jamie Davis Motor Truck team as well as their competitors – Quiring Towing, Mission Towing, Aggressive Towing, and Reliable Towing – as they brave the harsh conditions of the Coquihalla Highway. Ready to navigate extreme roads and weather, each team prepares to put themselves on the line in order to keep some of the most economically important and travelled trucking routes in North America open and accessible for all.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL is produced by Great Pacific Media in association with Discovery Canada. Executive Producer is Mark Miller. The series producer is Neil Thomas.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: APTN’s Queen of the Oil Patch is the story of triumph and acceptance

Until a screener landed in my inbox, I wasn’t sure what Queen of the Oil Patch was going to be about. According to the press release, the documentary series, debuting Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET on APTN, tells the tale of Fort McKay resident Massey Whiteknife and his alter ego, Iceis Rain. Whiteknife’s business empire was shattered when oil prices took a tumble followed by fire sweeping through nearby Fort MacMurray. Cameras capture Whiteknife as he attempts to get back on his economic feet.

But Queen of the Oil Patch is so much more than that.

When we catch up with Whiteknife, he shows off his two businesses in Fort Mac, Tatonka North Contracting, a construction company and Iceis Safety, a full-service occupational health and safety consulting business. But at night, Whiteknife becomes someone else … Iceis Rain. Iceis is a critically-acclaimed recording artist, booking dates across the country, and was nominated at the 2014 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards, where she also performed. She’s also an anti-bullying advocate, speaks to suicide prevention and has a wicked wiggle.

Whiteknife’s plan? To spend a year transitioning fully into Iceis Rain. How will that go over in Fort Mac? Will being a woman ruin his day-to-day business? Whiteknife is willing to take that chance to be who he is.

Kah-Kitowak Films, a Vancouver-based production company that works in partnership with Great Pacific Media, has captured something really special in Queen of the Oil Patch. Métis producer-director Neil Grahn and producers Kelly McClughan and Mark Miller have gained the trust of their subject. The result is an intimate, honest portrait of a person who is passionate about what they do and wants to help their fellow First Nations people find full-time jobs while becoming who they truly want to be.

It’s inspiring, meaningful and riveting stuff. Don’t miss it.

Queen of the Oil Patch airs Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

Image courtesy of Great Pacific Media.

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Great Pacific Media announces “Queen of the Oil Patch” on APTN

From a media release:

Great Pacific Media is pleased to announce the release of APTN’s Queen of the Oil Patch. The documentary series follows the incredible LIVES of one man and Two Spirits… Massey Whiteknife and Iceis Rain. The eight-episode, half-hour series premieres on Tuesday, June 5 on APTN East and HD at 10:30 p.m. ET, APTN West at 10:30 p.m. MT and on APTN North at 4:30 a.m. CT.

Massey Whiteknife is an Indigenous entrepreneur from the Mikisew Cree First Nation who has built a million-dollar empire in the toughest town in Canada… Fort McMurray. In northern Alberta, most men are measured by grit, strength, thick skin, and courage. And Massey has more of that than most, he is, after all, the undisputed “Queen of the Oil Patch.”

As an openly gay man, Massey has won the hearts of thousands in northern Alberta. His determination has built a business empire that was once worth millions. But, the collapse of oil prices and a heartbreaking fire took all of that away. Where others were crushed by the double hit, Massey has vowed to dig deep inside, and rebuild his life with a little help from Iceis Rain, his courageous second spirit.

With nothing left to lose, Iceis Rain has emerged as the powerful, fearless alter ego and Fort McMurray’s reigning Queen. When Iceis puts on her makeup and dress, she instantly transforms into a woman of boundless courage. Iceis is a critically acclaimed recording artist, booking dates across the country, and was nominated at the 2014 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards, where she also performed. One person, one body, two very different identities. Massey runs the business while Iceis rules the night. It is a tough job juggling that much personality and Massey knows he has to make a choice; continue the double life, or choose to become Iceis forever. Hard questions for anyone, but balancing family and Indigenous tradition, while working in the male-dominated world of oil rigs, may be downright impossible.

Queen of the Oil Patch is a series about a man seeking happiness and acceptance. It’s about family, love, and compassion. It’s about community and courage. It is a series that will leave you feeling inspired.

Produced by Métis Director, Neil Grahn, Kelly McClughan, and Mark Miller, the concept was developed by Kah-Kitowak Films in partnership with APTN.

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