Quinn Abugov
In this part of the world, where snow falls for nearly five months of the year,
one could be forgiven for thinking that we live within close proximity to the
North Pole. But as if our home climate wasn’t bone chilling enough, three
hardy Ottawa realtors will be making the trek to one of the northernmost
communities on Earth – and one that is regarded by many believers as the
home of Santa himself – Lapland, Sweden.
Jennifer Stewart, whom many locals may already be familiar with as part of the Diane and Jen realty team based out of the Glebe, and her real estate partner, Amy Jarvis, are two of the adventurous souls heading out on this trip of a lifetime that will take them 200 kilometres across the frozen Laplandic tundra with only a team of sled dogs. The women will be joined by another Ottawabased Engel and Volkers realtor, Michael McWilliams.
On this voyage, the trio will be subjected to winter camping in one of the harshest climates this planet has to offer. “It’s not glamping by any stretch of the word,” joked Stewart in a recent interview. “There’s no electricity, no running water, (we’ll be) sleeping in tents. We’re also the ones mushing the dogs for 200 kilometres, so it will be intense.”
Not only will their trek be gruelling, the flight plan from Ottawa to Northern Scandinavia is itself fairly daunting. “We fly to London, then Stockholm, then a small city up north called Kiruna. After that, it’s 150 kilometres north traveling overland above the Arctic Circle,” Stewart explained. When the trekkers finally reach their destination, they will already have been travelling for the better part of two days.
While a trip like this may be enough to leave most readers aghast, Stewart herself is an adventure enthusiast, having already completed two similar trips – the first, a casual 100-kilometre trek through the southern highlands of Iceland, the second, a trek through the Sahara Desert in Morocco.
You might ask yourself: What would compel three realtors from central Ottawa to head to the northernmost part of the globe in March? The answer – charity. Stewart and her companions found this Lapland adventure trip through the website, Charity Challenges, an organization that puts together similar voyages each year financed entirely by fundraising, with 100% of the proceeds going to charity.
The organization encourages adventurers to partner with a local charity for fund donations, and Stewart’s team has partnered with the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa. The group’s goal is to raise $10,000 for the trip and they are currently one third of the way there. They are planning an event this month that will hopefully put them over the top. “Charity and giving back is a huge part of who I am. I am looking forward to giving back to the Ottawa community that has done so much for my family, friends and me,” says Stewart.
Once Stewart and her team return to Ottawa in April – and thaw out – The Mainstreeter will catch up with them to hear about their icy saga. So stay tuned for part two of this adventure!
