Local guitarist on top of the world…literally

News — 12 January 2011

Dryden native Gary Borden found himself on a musical mission during the first two weeks of December.

The accomplished local musician, son of Ken and Jeanette Denby, had a rare opportunity to see Canada’s remote far north and play a show in the northernmost inhabited place in the world — Alert, Nunavut on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island.

Playing guitar for rock songstress Sass Jordan, Borden joined ‘The Show Tour’ designed by the Canadian Forces to keep military personnel in touch with home. The tour took him to Goose Bay, NFLD; Alert and Thule, Greenland.

Departing from CFB Trenton, Borden boarded a C-130 Hercules with a full production and lighting rig, with 16 other entertainers and technicians. Also on the tour was PEI band Paper Lions and Edmonton-based stand-up comedian Paul Sveen.

After three shows in Goose Bay, the team headed way north to Alert.

“Seating was on a canvas type netting, with our backs to the plane’s wall — not built for comfort,” he says. “This time of year it’s dark 24/7. We landed in -50 degrees Celsius into a frozen dark world where we would entertain this small group of Canadian Forces personnel, also known as The Frozen Chosen.”

The novelty of being at the northermost inhabited place on earth has given rise to a bit of a tradition in Alert — visitors frequently post a sign featuring the distance to their hometown.

“They were nice enough to let us carry on the tradition,” said Borden. “We went to their wood shop, and Santa’s Shop to make our own signs, then put them up ourselves. I met some very amazing people in those two weeks, and experienced a unique part of our planet, an adventure I shall never forget. It was a thrill to put up my Dryden sign.”

By Chris Marchand

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About Author

chrismarchand

Chris Marchand is a native of Dryden, Ontario. He served his first newspaper internship at The Dryden Observer in 1998 while attending journalism studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops B.C. He's worked desks as both reporter and editor at the Fernie Free Press as well as filled the role of sports editor at the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Marchand was named editor of the Dryden Observer in Aug. 2009.