Summerfolk host and performer, recently named a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society will perform at Heartwood Hall on March 10.
When David Newland was growing up along the shore of Georgian Bay, he never thought he’d wind up making three trips to the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic. And he never thought he’d one day return as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. But the host, songwriter and lead vocalist of “The Northwest Passage in Story and Song” credits his childhood for starting him off right.

“I remember reading Farley Mowat at school, then coming home and trying to build a log cabin,” says Newland. He learned to drive boats on Georgian Bay at a young age, and gained a love for the Canadian outdoors that remains his greatest passion. Today Newland channels that passion into the show, which combines photos, video, spoken word and songs based on his Arctic journeys with Adventure Canada, an expedition cruise company.

Newland’s role with Adventure Canada includes driving Zodiacs, hosting and performing on expedition cruises to the fabled Northwest Passage, as well as Labrador, Sable Island, Greenland and other remote destinations. In the off season, he travels the country sharing stories and photographs from his travels. He also performs as a singer-songwriter on the folk circuit, playing and hosting musical shows across Canada, including multiple appearances at Summerfolk, as well as the popular Gordon Lightfoot celebration “The Way We Feel.”

In November of 2015, Newland was named a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, whose mandate is “To make Canada better known to Canadians and the world.” He says the appointment was a huge honour. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than to tell Canadian stories and to try to come to a greater appreciation of this land. To be among only three folk singers to hold a Fellowship is a great thrill for me.”

Newland returns to Georgian Bay for a series of engagements including this March 10 one at Heartwood Hall in Owen Sound, and a March 11 at Simcoe Street Theatre in Collingwood.