Communities from Hudson Bay to Norway are mourning the loss of Steffen Skjøttelvik, the 29-year-old Norwegian adventurer whose body was recovered on the banks of the Hayes River in northern Manitoba on Sunday.
Across the James Bay and Hudson Bay coasts, as well as in communities like Timmins, Kingston, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, and Weagamow Lake, vigils and remembrance ceremonies have been held to honour the hiker.
Jacob Betker, who first met Skjøttelvik at the Timmins airport in 2023 and helped him get his Canadian start, said he is both saddened and humbled by the outpouring.
“There was always still the idea of hanging on to hope, because he was so capable,” Betker said.
“But I’m glad it’s over, because closure for the parents and for the community members from Fort Severn searching was so important.”
Betker said the vigils and memorials show how deeply Skjøttelvik’s journey resonated.
“I’m blown away by the outpouring from all the coastal communities,” he said.
“I think he became a legend, almost, in a sense, which is funny, because he really didn’t like publicity. He didn’t even want his picture taken. The picture I have of him getting on the train, that’s the only one I took of him … He didn’t want attention for it. But the outpouring of support and love he’s getting from all over the place, especially the coastal communities, really goes to show who he was as a person.”
Skjøttelvik’s last known communication was on Aug. 14, when he messaged a contact saying he was just hours away from arriving at York Factory, Man. He never made it, and his dogs were later found without their pack bags.
On Sunday, Gillam, Man., RCMP announced Skjøttelvik’s body was located on the banks of the Hayes River, not far from where his jacket was found on Friday.
Many of the vigils and ceremonies have been shared in the Facebook group Steffen’s Great Canadian Journey. Communities that welcomed him, and even some he never reached, are now uniting in grief and remembrance.
In Moose Factory, about 50 people came together in prayer and song on Sunday (Aug. 24) evening. Julie Wesley, who helped organize the vigil, said the gathering took on a heavier tone as word spread that Skjøttelvik’s body had been found.
“We sang a traveling back home song for him, just so he has a safe journey home,” Wesley said.
Though she didn’t know him personally, Wesley remembers seeing Skjøttelvik in the community when he was starting out.
“His story touched my heart. When I found out others were doing vigils, I wanted to make sure there was one here in Moose Factory,” she said.
Wesley said Skjøttelvik’s story connected with people in the north in powerful ways.
“We know the dangers of James Bay — it’s such a beautiful land, but also scary,” she said.
“A lot of people were crying because they have kids Steffen’s age. It triggered memories of people we’ve lost in the waters before. His journey touched us in different ways.”
Wesley hopes his family back home in Norway “feel the love from the coastal communities.”
“I’m sure that Steffen had an amazing journey while he was here, and that he was taken care of throughout all these communities, throughout these years, because that’s what our people do. We always take care of each other,” she said.
“We don’t have the most resources. We’re not rich with money, but we’re rich with kindness … I hope they know that Steffen was part of our family too.”
First Nations that welcomed Skjøttelvik during his travels have issued statements of grief and remembrance.
Weenusk First Nation described him as “a valued member of our community, remembered for his service as a volunteer firefighter and for many ways he offered his time and support.”
Fort Albany First Nation also recalled his time with them in 2023.
“He inspired all of us with his courage and perseverance … Rest peacefully, Steffen, as you continue on your eternal journey,” the community wrote in a statement.
In Kashechewan, residents also held a memorial. Trinity Wesley joined with her children, taking part in a candlelit procession of cars driving through the community.
“When one falls, we all fall,” she told TimminsToday. “He touched thousands of hearts along the coast. The Canadian government gave up on him, but we never gave up. We will search until they are found. Closure, even when it hurts. That’s how we are.”
Local communities had stepped up to lead search efforts, with First Nations like Fort Severn, Weenusk, Kasabonika, and Fort Albany donating money and resources.
For Betker, the tragedy has highlighted deeper lessons about search and rescue in the north.
“I want to make sure, as part of his legacy, that the communities up there actually have the equipment and training to do the search and rescue,” Betker said.
“If they are going to be put in this situation, they should at least have the equipment. People going missing or drowning is very common in the north. It’s always the communities carrying 90 per cent of the burden.”
SEE: Timmins man frustrated at lack of support for missing adventurer
Still, Betker — who runs Abitibi Sled Dogs in Timmins — said he hopes the love and unity shown across the country will bring some comfort to Skjøttelvik’s family in Norway.
“I’m somebody that spends a lot of time out in the bush in winter with the dogs and all kinds of conditions. But the travel that he did, the journey that he did, and the things that he went through, I can’t even imagine trying to do something like that,” Betker said.
“I would be immobilized by fear, self doubt, all kinds of things. So for me, he was an inspiration in that sense that he managed to truly follow that dream and to live it.”
