David Gray
Program Team

 

Hundreds of hours in -30°C Arctic weather observing the behaviour of mammals defines David Gray as a man of patience, determination and knowledge of the Arctic, especially muskoxen. From childhood, David has collected and studied animal skulls, old toys, old tools and history. His passion for Arctic history focuses on the 1913-1918 Canadian Arctic Expedition. Forty Arctic research trips and 13 educational Arctic expeditions with Students on Ice have allowed him to touch minds with many Inuit, to experience their knowledge and share family histories gleaned from old expedition diaries. David’s curiosity in pursuit of history has led him to direct six documentaries, shown at film festivals in Iqaluit, Victoria, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and India. David was named one of Canada’s 100 Great Modern Explorers by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America and a Research Associate at the Canadian Museum of Nature. David has written three books, produced two Virtual Museum of Canada exhibits and two major exhibits for the Canadian Museum of History. In 2013, David completed an expedition to Banks Island to document historical CAE sites and will continue this work in the fall of 2017.

David’s favourite thing about Canada is the incredible diversity: climate, cultures, people, history, wildlife and landscapes.