Survivorman Braves the Arctic, December 15 on OLN
(December 9, 2004)

	Survivorman Les Stroud

“It’s gonna be a long week.”
-- Canadian Survivorman Les Stroud, on the prospect of spending seven days alone in the high Arctic Circle with few supplies and no shelter
 -- Deadly perils include polar bears, snow blindness, hypothermia and frostbite --

Toronto, ON (December 9, 2004) – Canadian wilderness survival expert Les Stroud risks life and limb at the top of the globe to take on the frozen, desolate and constantly changing landscape of Baffin Island in the high Arctic Circle during Survivorman: Arctic, airing Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on OLN (encore at 9 p.m. ET).  Survivorman: Arctic is the fifth installment of OLN’s eight-part Wednesday night reality series, Survivorman, an original OLN production.

Using the skills and knowledge that Inuit elders and hunters have passed down for generations, Stroud, who was born in Mimico, Ont., is forced to survive in one of the harshest environments known to man.  The Arctic mission takes him one thousand kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, 50 kilometres away from any sign of civilization and nearly two thousand kilometres from the nearest tree.

In keeping with the spirit of the Survivorman series, Stroud survives using a short list of supplies that includes camera equipment to document his adventure, a makeshift seal hook made from a hockey stick, a small knife, three matches, a small bag of raw seal meat and parts from a broken-down snowmobile.  

In addition to these essential but minimal supplies, Stroud was strongly urged by the Inuit locals to carry a rifle for protection against polar bears – one of the biggest threats to survival in the inhospitable frozen north.

For seven long, hard and bitter cold days, Stroud struggles to build shelters, sleep in 24-hour daylight, lug heavy camera equipment through the ice and snow, and survive on a mere 200 calories a day while the temperature drops below –34 degrees Celsius.

Survivorman takes viewers on a variety of survival adventures in a range of wilderness locations, including Boreal Forest, Arizona Desert, Costa Rica, Swamp, Mountain, Pacific Coast and Canyonlands.  In each adventure, Stroud is forced to brave the elements and eat a variety of unusual and unappetizing food to survive, from fire-roasted leech to road kill, turtle to tree grub.  Stroud films each experience using tripod-mounted video cameras. 

Outdoor Life Network fills a unique niche in the specialty television landscape, attracting viewers with an adventurous spirit and a passion for the great outdoors.  From skateboarding to sailing to road trips and shipwrecks, OLN celebrates all aspects of outdoor recreation, conservation, wilderness and adventure programming.  Only on OLN can audiences practice the art of flyfishing, learn about tortoises and experience paradise - all in one broadcast day.  OLN‘s exciting programming schedule includes popular favourites Pilot Guides, the Tour de France and the Calgary Stampede.  The network‘s Web site is located at www.olnTV.com (click on the Canadian flag).  CTV Inc. is the managing partner of OLN.

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Contact: Matthew Garrow, OLN Communications Officer (w) 416.332.7599, (c) 416.859.4738

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