Right now, my favourite place to be is in a helicopter with my camera, gliding over Canada — from tundra to prairies to temperate rainforests. They’re places I thought I knew or that I hadn’t been able to get to. Recently, I flew over Southampton Island, one of the most southern islands of the Arctic Archipelago, following endangered and near-threatened birds, such as the red knot, that nest on the island. To soar over this magnificent terrain, observing its striking sculpted edges that spill out into Hudson Bay, and understanding that this is part of the country very few people get to see, was indescribable.
The idea that there is a different perspective to life is an important one. It’s about trying to grasp what a person’s history is on the planet at a particular time, while understanding that the natural environment is something that’s been here long before us. When I was in space and saw the edge of the Earth contrast with the black universe, it had a huge impact on me. That’s why, since my space flight, I look for clear horizons on the surface of this planet, like the prairies or the Arctic. When we look at our country from above, everything suddenly feels so important, because we are seeing the interface between the universe above and the planet below.
For me, what’s most special about this country is appreciating that life on the surface of this planet has been there for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s that kind of permanence that humbles me.