Royal Canadian Geographical Society

10/05/2026

It’s finally here! 🎉 The 2026 RCGS and Canadian Geographic Silent Auction is officially OPEN! ⭐

Bid on once-in-a-lifetime adventures, brilliant photography, and rare finds — all supporting the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s mission of advancing Canadian exploration and education.

Place your bids for your next adventure by clicking the link below! 🌎

🔗: http://www.rcgsauction.com

09/30/2026

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, the Survivors who did, their families and communities, and those who continue to carry the intergenerational impacts of these institutions.

In my work with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic, I am fortunate to be part of projects that seek to move reconciliation beyond simple words and into relationships, education and action.

Over the past year, so much of our work has focused on creating opportunities for Indigenous People to tell our own stories, share our knowledge and languages, and shape how young people across Canada learn about the lands and waters they call home.

Through projects such as The Languages of Water, we are working with community members to bring Indigenous languages and relationships to water into classrooms across our country. Our Freshwater: Lifeblood of the Land Giant Floor Map encourages learners to understand water not simply as a resource, but through Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. We continue to develop educational maps and resources grounded in Treaty Education and Indigenous perspectives, while also working with Indigenous communities and organizations on storytelling projects that centre relationships with the land, water, culture and knowledge.

This work has reinforced that reconciliation cannot simply be about learning what happened. We also need to change who tells the stories, whose knowledge is valued, who makes decisions, and how relationships are built and fostered going forward.

As a Mi’kmaw person working within an organization dedicated to helping people understand Canada, I recognize both the responsibility and the opportunity that comes with this work. Geography is not just about lines on a map. It’s about land, water, language, relationships, memory, and belonging.

Today we remember.

Tomorrow, and every day after, the work must continue.

Msɨt no’kmaq
Jude Gerrard, Director, Indigenous Content and Connections

09/24/2026

09/21/2026

Introducing our new, limited-edition Lake Ontario Hat, designed and made in Canada.

It's navy, it's adjustable and it's available for pre-order now.

👉 Ships September 28, 2026.
👉 $35 CAD.

Pre-order yours here: https://shop.canadiangeographic.ca/collections/accessories/products/lake-ontario-hat

09/02/2026

« Les Drapeaux du Canada », le célèbre ouvrage de l'ancien premier ministre et fellow de la SGRC, Stephen Harper, paraîtra cet automne en français. Ce livre retrace l'évolution des drapeaux du Canada, depuis les bannières de la Nouvelle-France et de l'Amérique du Nord britannique jusqu'aux débats qui nous ont donné le drapeau que nous connaissons aujourd'hui.

Les Drapeaux du Canada sera disponible dès le 13 octobre 2026 et peut être précommandé dès maintenant chez les principaux détaillants du Canada et des États-Unis.

Procurez-vous votre copie dès maintenant : https://www.indigo.ca/products/les-drapeux-du-canada

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Flags of Canada, the celebrated book by former Prime Minister and RCGS Fellow Stephen Harper, is coming to French readers this fall. The book traces the evolution of Canada's flags — from the banners of New France and British North America to the debates that gave us the flag we know today.

Les Drapeaux du Canada hits shelves October 13, 2026, and is available for pre-order now at major retailers across Canada and the United States.

Secure your copy now: https://www.indigo.ca/products/les-drapeux-du-canada

Stephen Harper
📸: Lindsay Ralph/Can Geo

08/25/2026

The Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration recognizes outstanding Canadian explorers for extraordinary achievement through expedition(s) — in Canada or abroad — or a citizen of another country for extraordinary exploratory achievement within Canada.

Sir Christopher Ondaatje, who passed away this past July at 93, was an Honorary Fellow and longtime friend of the Society. He was also a champion of exploration and geographical discovery in his own right, and this year's nominations are a chance to recognize others carrying that same spirit forward.

Know someone whose exploration has deepened our understanding of the land, people or environment?

Nominate them: https://rcgs.org/programs/society-awards/ondaatje-medal/

🏅 Deadline: September 5

08/19/2026

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Emily Choy, Explorer-in-Residence, has been named the Audain Wildlife Conservation Fellow, a two-year fellowship supporting a scientific investigation into the nesting patterns of Williamson's Sapsuckers and the effects of logging in British Columbia's old-growth forests.

Dr. Choy, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University, studies the physiological effects of climate change on birds and other wildlife, with extensive prior fieldwork in the Arctic. Through this fellowship, she and a research team will conduct fieldwork in the Okanagan region, examining the critical role old-growth forests play in supporting Williamson's Sapsuckers and informing the policies needed to protect their nesting grounds.

Made possible through the support of the Audain Foundation, the fellowship will see Dr. Choy's findings profiled in Canadian Geographic, reaching an audience of 4.6 million monthly readers and 28,000 teachers through our education network.

"I was in the field this summer, and their habitat is deteriorating. We need policies to protect their nesting grounds," said Dr. Choy.

Learn more about the fellowship and Dr. Choy's research in the coming months.

08/14/2026

What happened to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last ship after his death? And how did the Quest, the vessel that carried him on his final Antarctic expedition, eventually come to rest off the coast of Labrador?

In June 2024, John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society led the Quest Expedition, which discovered the wreck of the vessel nearly 62 years after its sinking.

Geiger’s latest book Quest: Shackleton’s Last Ship & the End of the Heroic Age, traces Shackleton’s story and the remarkable legacy of the Quest—from the Endurance expedition and Shackleton’s legendary leadership—to his final voyage and death aboard the Quest, and the ship’s eventual resting place.

The story comes full circle with the 2026 Heroic Age Expedition. Watch footage from aboard Atlantis as the team set out to survey Shackleton’s last ship, 2 years after discovering it.

📖 Pre-order Quest: Shackleton’s Last Ship & the End of the Heroic Age by John Geiger today: https://munrobooks.com/item/eoCfmBw7KhaC5a80k9l3BQ

08/13/2026

Congratulations to Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence Michelle Valberg! Featured on Canada Post’s new Canadian Wolves stamp collection, released today, her images appear on one of the stamps, the booklet cover, and the inside background.

Michelle has spent years photographing and filming wolves on Vancouver Island, drawn in by their beauty, intelligence, and resilience. Capturing one of these wolves on a Canadian stamp is a fitting tribute to the species and the wild places they call home.

This is Michelle's fifth stamp with Canada Post — a well-earned honour.

07/30/2026

In honour of Sir Christopher Ondaatje, we are republishing one of his most compelling essays for Canadian Geographic.

In "Tracing the Nile," Sir Christopher revisits one of history's greatest geographical mysteries, drawing on his own expedition to retrace the journeys of the Victorian explorers who sought the source of the world's longest river. Combining history, firsthand experience and a lifelong passion for exploration, the story reflects the curiosity and determination that defined his remarkable life.

Sir Christopher Ondaatje, a great explorer, philanthropist and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, passed away on July 20 at the age of 93. A steadfast champion of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Sir Christopher's legacy continues to inspire explorers, geographers and storytellers alike.

Read the story: https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/tracing-the-nile/