The article recounts a personal story of a road trip taken by the author and their father from Ottawa to Tuktoyaktuk, navigating the Dempster Highway and approaching the Arctic Circle. Despite the father's wavering health due to a chronic battle with leukemia, they embarked on what was to be their crowning adventure. The trip was filled with challenges, including a flat tire near the Arctic Circle, but the father's determination saw them through. The narrative reflects on the father's illness, which eventually became terminal, and his final days. After his passing, the author drives around Ottawa, reminiscing about the past and the road trips taken with their father.

The article discusses the challenges faced by journalists in the Canadian media industry, focusing on the strike at the Chronicle Herald in Nova Scotia. Nathan Clarke, a sports reporter, declined a job offer from the Herald to replace striking workers, considering the ethical implications and advice from industry professionals. The strike, which began on January 23, 2016, is a result of failed contract negotiations and is part of a larger crisis in the media industry, with layoffs and closures affecting many organizations. The article highlights the tension between the need for employment among young journalists and the ethical stance against strikebreaking. It also touches on the role of unions like the Halifax Typographical Union and the Canadian Freelance Union in supporting journalists and maintaining journalistic standards. The article criticizes the Herald's use of replacement reporters and the subsequent decline in journalistic quality, exemplified by a controversial story about refugee children that was later retracted.