Family, culture, nature, wildlife and photography are my favourite things in life. If I can spend a little time each day trying to capture the incredible wonders in the world with my family beside me, it’s a great day. My father has always had a passion for photography and passed it on to me when I was given my first camera at the age of seven. My mother is the creative, social, kind- hearted person who opened my eyes to creating a better world in which we all can live side by side. Born and raised in Ontario, I headed for the Rockies on a train leaving everything I knew behind when I was 19. After living in several communities throughout Canada., I found my home in South Hazelton in the northwest corner of the province. Blessed with two incredible boys and a wonderful home, it was time to take my photographic aspirations and career to the next level. I have dreamed of working as a photojournalist for National Geographic for as long as I can remember. After working for a small rural community newspaper for five years and winning several awards for my photography, I was ready for the next challenge. With a desire to share my love of nature, wildlife, culture and my country with the rest of the world, creating a magazine seemed like the logical next step. Driving down the road one fall afternoon, Spirit of the North Magazine was born.

It is our desire to not only share our passion for our world with others but to also bring important issues, incredible photography and real life stories to your home in a top-quality product that is green through and through. This is not just a career for me, it’s a way to make a difference, inspire others and create a better world for everyone. Thanks for letting us share our dreams.

Craig Hurst is a native Ontarian whose main career focus was a variety of leadership roles in education, both in Ontario and the Northwest Territories. Craig’s professional work in both education and the business world gives him an immersive background in the written word, having provided editorial support for reporting and promotional material in a variety of venues.

Elaine Hurst was born and raised in rural England. She began her career there before emigrating  to Canada in her early twenties, where she continued as an educator of students from early childhood to university level.The area of reading and written language development has been one of Elaine's passions throughout her career. Recently Elaine has provided consulting services for a major Canadian publisher of children's literature.

A love of the natural world and its wonders is integral to both Craig and Elaine's lives. In the late 1980’s, they and their family had the amazing opportunity to assist John and Mary Theberge with timber wolf research in Algonquin Park in Ontario. While living in the NWT, they were instrumental in initiating the first breeding bird survey in the Western Arctic.

In retirement, Craig and Elaine continue to be active in a number of nature and environmental  pursuits with naturalist and conservation organizations. They are also photographers who continually seek experiences and opportunities to expand their understanding and respect of the natural world. As contributing editors of “The Spirit of the North” it is their pleasure to share with you some of earth's precious treasures.

They welcome your comments and suggestions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Michelle Cormack is a Vancouver- based graphic designer who believes that the most effective communication is always a form of story-telling. That’s why she’s so thrilled to be part of the Spirit of the North team.
What better way to help people understand the beauty of this incredible country than through the stories of the people who call it home? And if there is one thing Michelle has learned through her travels, it’s that being able to call Canada home is a privilege. She has had the opportunity to live in the US, in Europe, and has travelled extensively, but she is always delighted to land back in Vancouver. Michelle is a colour-loving, form-finding, shape-shifting, day-dreaming, chocolate-eating, rose-smelling, fountain pen kind of girl. You can see more examples of her work at www.agirlnamedfred.com.