Ice Lake Rebels

JUST 200 MILES FROM THE ARCTIC CIRCLE,

IN SUBARCTIC CANADA,

A GROUP OF REBELS HAVE LEFT THE LAW OF THE LAND,

JOURNEYED HERE TO PLANT THEIR STAKE IN THE WATER.

THE REWARD IS FREEDOM TO LIVE WITH NO AUTHORITY,

NO TAXES, NO UTILITIES, AND NO HELP.

WE'RE SINKING. WE'RE TAKING ON WATER RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S A LIFE JACKET RIGHT HERE.

THIS HOUSE CAN GO BOOM.

THEY'VE ALL CHOSEN THIS LIFE

AND THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH IT.

IT STARTED OUT PRETTY PRIMITIVE.

WE WENT OUT AND GOT A BUNCH OF 45-GALLON DRUMS

AND PUTS RAFTS TOGETHER AND BUILT HOUSES ON THEM,

AND THOSE WERE THE FIRST HOUSEBOATS.

HOUSEBOATING IS A WAY

TO NOT HAVE TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO CONFORM

AND NOT FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO FIT IN.

I KNOW MY CRAZY.

DO YOU?

HON! WHAT?

I THINK WE'RE FROZEN IN AGAIN. NO.

I'LL DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU ASK ME HERE,

BUT I'M NOT **** PISSING ON THE SNOWMOBILE.

IF YOU PISS ON THE FUEL PUMP,

IT MELTS THE ICE, AND THE GAS CAN COME THROUGH.

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD DAY'S HARD WORK

TO GET YOUR SPERM COUNT UP.

NOW THIS LAKE IS ABOUT TO GO THROUGH

A PERILOUS WINTER FREEZE.

YOU GET MINUS-30, MINUS-40, MINUS-50...

NOT FOR A DAY, NOT FOR A WEEK... FOR MONTHS.

AND THESE REBELS HAVE MERE DAYS TO PREPARE

FOR THE ONSLAUGHT OF MOTHER NATURE'S WRATH.

IF I DON'T MANAGE TO GET SOME MEAT STASHED ON MY BOAT,

IT'S GONNA BE A HUNGRY COUPLE OF WEEKS.

IF IT'S NOT 100% LEVEL, AND THE STORMS COME IN,

WE'RE GONNA SINK.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! AAH!

WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH WE DON'T KNOW

ABOUT LIVING ON A HOUSEBOAT.

LIKE, SAY IT FREEZES TOMORROW.

HOW DO WE PREVENT US FROM, LIKE, FREEZING ON AN ANGLE?

IT'S GO TIME.

HOLY CRAP!

IT'S FREAKING GREAT SLAVE, MAN.

AAH!

IT'S A DEADLY LAKE THAT KILLS PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.

JUST A CANOE BREEZE, LAD!

JUST A CANOE BREEZE.

IT'S THE END OF THE SHORT SUBARCTIC SUMMER

IN YELLOWKNIFE BAY

WITH TEMPERATURES AT A WELCOMING 12 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

BUT THE SHIFTING WINDS FROM THE NORTH TO SOUTHWEST

HAVE BROUGHT AN EARLY FROST.

AROUND HERE, IT'S KNOWN AS FREEZE-UP,

ONE OF THE TWO DEADLIEST TIMES OF THE YEAR...

THE OTHER BEING THE TREACHEROUS SPRING THAW KNOWN AS BREAK-UP.

RIGHT NOW, EVERYONE IS IN A RACE

TO MAKE SURE THEIR HOMES REMAIN LEVEL

WHILE LOADING THEIR WINTER PROVISIONS ON BOARD

BEFORE THEY FREEZE INTO SEVEN MONTHS OF ICE.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOOD.

STEPHAN HERVIEUX CAME HERE

TO LIVE ON THE LAKE AND OFF THE GRID,

FREE FROM PROVINCIAL LAW

AND THE PROTECTIONS THAT COME WITH IT.

I'M FROM SUDBURY, ONTARIO, LAND OF A THOUSAND LAKES,

AND I'VE ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT THESE HOUSEBOATERS,

AND THEY'RE KIND OF SPOKEN AS, LIKE, THESE CREATURES...

THESE SPECIAL BREED.

I WOULD HEAR PEOPLE TALKING IN A PUB OR SOMETHING.

THEY'D BE LIKE, "WOW, HOUSEBOATERS...

"THEY DON'T WASH,

"AND THEY WEAR FUNNY CLOTHES ON PURPOSE,

AND THEY'RE SUCH GRANOLAS."

SO I WAS HEARING ALL THIS, AND I WAS LIKE,

"THEY SOUND LIKE MY KIND OF PEOPLE MAYBE."

YET AFTER FOUR YEARS OF LIVING ON THE LAKE,

THIS YEAR'S EARLY FREEZE HAS CAUGHT HIM OFF GUARD.

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE,

THE ICE HAS MOVED IN A LITTLE BIT,

AND FROM HOUR TO HOUR,

THINGS ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

OOH!

HOLY ****

OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS,

THESE CHUNKS OF ICE

WILL EVENTUALLY COVER THE ENTIRE LAKE,

MAKING TRAVEL A TREACHEROUS AND DEADLY AFFAIR.

I WANT TO GET AROUND THAT ICE FLOE RIGHT THERE.

FREEZE-UP PREPARATION IS IMPERATIVE.

YOU NEED YOUR WOOD.

YOU GOT TO GET YOUR PROPANE, ALL YOUR SUPPLIES.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING YOU'RE GONNA NEED FOR THE NEXT MINIMUM MONTH.

THERE AIN'T NO **** WAY

YOU WANT TO CARRY THIS **** IN FREEZE-UP.

YOU JUST DON'T. IT'S JUST NONSENSE.

AS CRAZY AS I AM, EVEN I WOULDN'T DO THAT.

AND WE'RE IN.

WHILE STEPHAN INSPECTS THE HOUSEBOAT,

HIS FIANCéE, ALLYCE, ATTENDS TO OTHER CHORES.

I'M TESTING THE ICE TO SEE IF IT'S SAFE.

I'M TRYING TO TAKE THE DOG FOR A WALK,

GET HER TO THE ISLAND

SO SHE CAN DO HER BUSINESS AND COME BACK HOME.

YELLOWKNIFE NATIVE ALLYCE RATTRAY

HAS ALWAYS LIVED CLOSE TO THE LAKE AND OFF THE GRID.

I ENDED UP MOVING ONTO THE LAKE BECAUSE I STARTED DATING STEPH.

AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL HOUSE ON A LAKE,

AND IT'S A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE, AND I LOVE IT.

BUT EVEN FOR THIS NORTHERNER,

LIVING IN THE SUBARCTIC

ON ONE OF THE DEEPEST LAKES IN THE WORLD

REQUIRES SPECIAL SKILLS.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE RESPECT FOR THE LAKE.

YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THE ICE THAT YOU'RE WALKING ON.

ALL RIGHT, DORA. OVER HERE.

IT GETS TO THE POINT

WHERE THE ICE IS TOO THICK FOR YOU CANOE THROUGH,

BUT ALSO TOO THIN FOR YOU TO WALK ON.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN.

EVEN WALKING YOUR DOG AT THIS POINT

GETS TO BE QUITE THE CHALLENGE.

I'M EXHAUSTED.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,

I THINK PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE ON THE WATER

BECAUSE IT'S A SEPARATE WAY OF LIFE.

WE HAVE NO HEATING BILL, NO WATER BILL, NO UTILITY BILL.

THERE'S NOTHING EXCESS. JUST EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED.

IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF LIFE.

STEPHAN AND ALLYCE

ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES CAUGHT OFF GUARD

BY THE EARLY COLD FRONT.

THERE ARE OVER 30 HOUSEBOATERS ON YELLOWKNIFE BAY,

AND THEY HAVE ALL LEARNED

THAT THE LAKE CHANGES ITS MOOD AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE...

THE LAKE, SHE'S ANGRY.

...TURNING A SIMPLE CROSSING INTO A LIFE-OR-DEATH AFFAIR.

BOAT TAKING A POUNDING.

EVEN VETERAN LAKE DWELLERS

GARY VAILLANCOURT AND "PIKE" MIKE HARRISON

AREN'T IMMUNE TO HER TEMPESTS.

I GOT THE NAME "PIKE" MIKE BECAUSE I'M A FISHING GUIDE,

AND 30,000 TROPHY PIKE LATER, I DON'T KNOW.

I WAS GONNA TRY AND, YOU KNOW,

PUT A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR INTO THE DAY

AND PADDLE ACROSS, RIGHT?

BUT IT'S JUST BLOWING UP MORE AND MORE AND MORE,

SO I'M NOT OVERLY INCLINED.

WHAT ABOUT A FERRY ACROSS?

YOU'RE TOO GOOD A FRIEND TO LET YOU PADDLE OVER, MIKE, SO...

THAT'S A GOOD MAN.

GREAT SLAVE LAKE IS A VERY LARGE LAKE.

AND IT CAN FLAT, CALM, AND LIKE A MIRROR,

AND IN TWO HOURS,

YOU CAN BE WONDERING IF YOU'RE GONNA SURVIVE OR NOT

BECAUSE THE WAVES ARE POUNDING OVER YOUR BOAT.

SO IT WILL NOURISH YOU, AND IT WILL KICK YOUR BUTT,

DEPENDING ON WHAT MOOD IT'S IN.

WITH DEPTHS OF OVER 2,000 FEET

AND ZERO-DEGREE TEMPERATURES,

THIS ARCTIC LAKE CAN KILL A MAN WITHIN SECONDS OF FALLING IN,

MAKING THESE REBELS A SPECIAL BREED OF SURVIVALIST.

I'VE GOT TO BE CLOSE TO THE WATER,

CLOSE TO WHERE MY BRETHREN ARE, THE FISH.

I'VE MORPHED INTO HUMAN FORM TO SUPPORT THE MARGINAL SPECIES

AND STAND UP FOR WHAT'S NOT UNDERSTOOD.

YO, HO, HO!

JUST A CANOE BREEZE, LAD. JUST A CANOE BREEZE.

THE LAKE, SHE'S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE GETS MAD.

THAT'S WHY I LOVE HER SO.

DO YOU WANT TO TAKE ME ON THE INSIDE THERE?

WHEN I CAME OVER HERE TO INSPECT THE SITE,

MY NEIGHBOR'S PLACE DISLODGED FROM ITS MOORING.

GETTING HOME IS JUST ONE CHALLENGE ON STORMY DAYS.

UPROOTED ANCHORS ARE ANOTHER.

SHE'S RIGHT UP AGAINST MY BOAT,

AND PRETTY SOON, MAYBE CUTTING BOTH OF US LOOSE.

IN ORDER TO STAY FREE FROM THE LAW,

NO HOUSEBOAT CAN BE ANCHORED TO LAND,

WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO BE ANCHORED

TO THE EVER-SHIFTING SANDS OF THIS VOLATILE LAKE.

THE RESULT COULD BE A HECK OF A LOT OF DAMAGE.

TO AVOID A COLLISION, MIKE MUST TEMPORARILY TIE OFF

TO TREES ON THE TINY, UNGOVERNED ISLAND NEARBY.

SHE ALMOST KNOCKED ME OFF MY PIN,

SO BASICALLY WHAT I'VE DONE IS ATTACHED THE LINE TO HER BOAT,

AND I'M HAULING HER BACK.

IF I DON'T GET THIS DONE,

WITH THE WIND AND ALL THIS WATER COMING DOWN HERE,

THIS IS GONNA PUSH MY MOORING OFF

AND BOTH OF US ARE GONNA WIND UP BASHED UP AGAINST **** BARGE.

IF MY MOORING BREAKS,

I'M PILED UP IN A BUNCH OF SPLINTERS

AGAINST A 50,000-TON BARGE.

I'D HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO LIVE.

THIS AIN'T DOING WHAT I WANT IT TO DO.

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