In Arctic Journal I, Bern Will Brown explored his initiation and early northern experiences as an Oblate priest. Volume II, subtitled A Time for Change, is Brown’s account of his life in the Northern Arctic during the past 50 years.

Brown reflects on his priestly maturation during the late 1950s and 60s when Aklavik, at the Mackenzie delta, became Brown’s ministry base as he helped establish the settlement of Inuvik. Brown was later transferred south to serve at Fort McMurray in northern Alberta. He eventually returned to the Great Bear Lake region, built a rustic wilderness settlement, and permanently established himself at Colville Lake.

Brown evolves from an ambitious and highly mobile American missionary to a settled and reflective laicized priest who assumes Canadian citizenship. At age 50, after receiving papal permission to leave the formal priesthood, Brown weds a woman who is part Inuit. He becomes an entrepreneur while continuing to minister to his community. Brown further develops as a builder, settlement creator, and pragmatic realist while also honing his skills as a community leader, recreational director, and artist/photographer.

However, in spite of the marvellous narrative, Brown does not offer personal opinions or evaluations of his experiences. For example, despite a 30-year cross-cultural marriage, he offers readers few insights into the success of the partnership. And what advice might he have on future models for ministry, community, and economic development in the North?

For all Brown’s love for native people, he conveys little interest in the modern aboriginal perspective or in advocating for their rights. He hesitates to discuss the changes in their lives or their evolution as a post-colonial people. As Brown approaches his 80th birthday, he continues to possess a keen mind and an obvious zest for life. However, readers may be left wanting to know more from a man who stands as a bridge between the past and future North.