Keating highlights polar perseverance, local adventure

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on November 18, 2022.

Herald photo by Ry Clarke Adventurer and naturalist Brian Keating speaks about his journeys in Antarctica and Canada's wilderness during a presentation this week at the Galt Museum.

Adventurer and naturalist Brian Keating captivated audiences with his presentation this week at the Galt Museum.

Hosted by the Friends Society of the Galt Museum, Keating’s talk explored the polar expedition (1914-17) of Ernest Shackleton, where he and 27 of his men spent more than two-years stranded in Antarctica.

Keating followed up with a presentation on the exploration of Canadian wilderness found in western Canada’s landscapes and the importance of these wild spaces in our own backyard.

“I have it broken up into two different halves,” said Keating. “I’ve been an Antarctic fan since my first trip there probably 20 or 25 years ago. I’ve run trip after trip, year after year […] The prize of any Antarctic traveler is to get to South Georgia. It’s an island archipelago within the Antarctic convergence. Ecologically speaking, it is within the arctic ecosystem within the Southern Ocean boundary. It is a place of abundance; the shores of the archipelago are washed by cold waters that are rich with krill. Which keeps the Antarctic system going.”

Speaking on Shackleton, Keating notes the leadership he showed during his circumstances and how we can learn from his heroism.

“His story gives us all a sense of hope and inspiration for the incredible ability of people to work out problems and solve issues. Shackleton should have died 25 times, or a 100, while he was down there, and yet through his ability to think around corners and work with people to plan and execute, they remained calm under huge stress,” said Keating. “It shows how we are all capable of being a type of Shackleton. We are all capable of doing great things. When we work together to do those great things, we have to be positive. That is one of the things Shackleton’s coworkers said about him, his greatest asset was that he believed you have to be optimistic.”

During the second half of the presentation, Keating notes the importance of adventure and how we only need to look in our own backyards for those hidden gems that excite us.

“The way I make my living is by giving public presentations, and leading trips. But when COVID came along, both those things went to zero,” said Keating. “It gave me a chance, I call it a COVID-gift, to see there is another side to living that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be running all the time. It gave me a chance to breathe, my wife and I took off and started to explore places that we had never visited in Alberta, or places we had not seen since our 20’s.”

With the evening being presented by the Friends Society, the fundraising for the event saw proceeds go back towards the Galt to help with its educational programming.

“I have never been to the Galt before, so it is exciting to come here today and go through the exhibit hall and learn about this building,” said Keating. “It is a spectacular monument for Lethbridge, and it is a pleasure to be here to be a part of it, helping with their awareness and fundraising for their programs.”

The evening sparked the imagination of all in attendance with driven narratives urging the adventurer in all.

“I hope they leave tonight with a reintroduction to the value of our wilderness areas and the wild areas that many people have worked so hard to maintain here in Alberta. These areas are not to be taken for granted,” said Keating. “I want people to understand the value of our own backyard, it is beautiful.”

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