While working as a college librarian at Trent University, Gwyneth Hoyle became inspired by the adventures of those who explored and mapped this great country. Her canoe trip down the Thelon River started a fascination with the North, prompting her to research and write many articles as well as two books: Canoeing North Into the Unknown: A Record of River Travel, 1874 to 1974 (Natural Heritage, 1993, 1997) and Flowers in the Snow: The Life of Isobel Wylie Hutchison (University of Nebraska Press, 2001).