Yol xxYr - The Arctic Circle

of the people he neets; of their plight or good forttlre; he sees
rot only black ard v*rite, but shades of grey as welI. vilhen he
strors a gentle regard for the native Siberians, it is because he
corrld relate to ttreir aspirations even as to his own Creenlanders.
He felt ttre warrnth of cor:rLesy and kindness fron a people v*to had
suffered f:sn the nrost destnrtive war ttre r,orld had e'rer faced
and this stined a response within himself . The people shqred
courage and hope; there was a boundless enttu:siasrn, an astonishing
degree of patriotign withor:t vthich Rr:ssia rm:st have perished.
At the onference he net and talked wittr the world's erninent
scientists lvho wene one in tlreir resolve to presenre and garrer
the lalcr$fledge of natural pfrensrcna. Dr. Porsild attended all the
gatherings he possiJrly could and pa::ticipated in tlre discu^ssions.
IIe had generally favourable @ilrrelrts. Ttrere vrere barqnts, otrEras,
and ercursions, all in t}re best tradition of Rr:ssian hospitality;
arctritectrr:re, mrsic, and m.ch good conversation. His rarritings on
all these attractions reflect, a cr:ltured mind, a sensitirie nature,
and a reverence for the storied past.
In the 1950rs A.E. Porsild reeived an tnnora:ry doctorate frcrn tJre
UniversiQz of Copenhagen. He was recognized as the doyen of
Canadian bo'tanists wtren at tlre fX Internatioral Botanical Congress,
held at lltrntreal in 1959, he was ttre leader of ttre flying field
trip to the Canadian Arctic.
In 1966, Dr. A.E. Porsild was tlre w'jnner of tlre Geographical
Societlt's lttassey Iv1edal, arllarH in recognition of his ontributions
to the kncruledge of the Canadian.Arctic, par-ticularly its botany,
and the use of arctic plarrts for food.
A.E. Porsild was my friend---a friendstr.ip spanning fifty years. I&
stnred a @rIDn interest in things pertaining to the Carndian l.lorth,
ard had long discussiqrs on its futu:e, estrncially that of its people.
There rrere tines of grief and those of jqf . I recall tirres spent
wittt him at high alpine neadsnrs vrtren he pho@raphed florr,rers for
use in his book 'TocJqz ltbrrrtain Wild Flovters", so beautifirlly
- illu,strated by Dagny Tarde Lid. An often recr.rring pictr.rre is that
-of hjm sitting writing at tris desk turning orrt splendidly conposed
pa::ag:aphs on all rnanner of subjectsi or, of him sitting at ease,
snrking tris pipe, and discorrrsing in gently-rodr:lated tone of voice -
w:ith marry a ctnrkle - on alnnst arry sulcject imaginable, e>