Adventurer Natalie Gillis found beauty in cold, wild places

Canadian wilderness guide and photographer Natalie Gillis built her extraordinary life around the pursuit of adventures, which took her from the High Arctic down to Antarctica.

Ms. Gillis died on June 17, at the age of 34, when the plane she was piloting crashed shortly after take-off in Upstate New York. She had been heading from Albany International Airport to Montreal in a Piper PA-31 Navajo, according to her employer, KASI Aviation Services of Quebec. “Natalie was an inspiration to us all,” her family wrote in a statement. “... We know that she lived every day to the absolute fullest, and we are grateful for every moment that we shared with her.”

“One summer, my mom let me go to my friend’s cottage. She had a pair of kayaks and I went out with them – these, like, little Canadian Tire sit-on-top kayaks,” Ms. Gillis recalled. “I remember being out on the water and being so enamoured with the the idea that it was quiet, it was green and you’re paddling. It was such a beautiful, transformative experience.”

Despite her nomadic existence, Ms. Gillis was a dedicated learner, graduating from the University of Guelph , from Humber College and from England’s University of Gloucestershire . “I’m glad we were able to publish some of her beautiful photography. Now those images are part of the permanent record of Canada. It’s really powerful for any photographer or writer to be part of that,” Ms. Pope said, referencing a polar bear image by Ms. Gillis from Nunavik, Que., that made the magazine’s cover in the January/February 2023 issue and five photos of muskoxen from Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, that were published in the July/August 2023 issue.

Noastack Appwebview

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

On Tires, is Shane Gillis playing himself?Shane Gillis as Shane and Steve Gerben as Will in Episode 101 of TIRES.
Source: CBC - 🏆 32. / 63 Read more »

Calgary pilot dies minutes after takeoff leaving a New York airportFamily and friends are remembering Natalie Gillis for her love of flying and as a nature lover with a passion for the outdoors and more.
Source: CTVCalgary - 🏆 26. / 68 Read more »

Calgary woman looking for 'her angel Natalie' who saved her lifeA Calgary woman who recently had a health scare is looking to make contact with a woman in her neighbourhood who helped get her to hospital.
Source: CTVCalgary - 🏆 26. / 68 Read more »

Toronto forward Natalie Spooner voted IIHF top female hockey player for 2024Natalie Spooner had a PWHL-leading 20 goals and 27 points for Toronto this season on the way to being named the league MVP and top forward.
Source: CBCNews - 🏆 2. / 99 Read more »

Canadian forward Natalie Spooner named IIHF’s top female hockey player of 2024Spooner received 33.6% of the votes cast by media from the top 16 nations of the IIHF’s Women’s World Championship program
Source: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Read more »

Canada's Natalie Spooner voted IIHF's top female hockey player of 2024Canadian forward Natalie Spooner has been named the International Ice Hockey Federation's Female Player of the Year for 2024.
Source: PGCitizen - 🏆 65. / 51 Read more »