Adventure Canada’s Dave Paddon Shares Family Story in New Book: Nurse Fortescue & Doctor Paddon

Clarkson, ON, Canada – September 5, 2025 – Adventure Canada is proud to celebrate the release of Nurse Fortescue & Doctor Paddon, a collection of stories by longtime expedition team member and on-board storyteller, Dave Paddon. Known to Adventure Canada guests for his quick wit, recitations, and deep knowledge of Labrador, Dave’s latest project is a labour of love: a record of his parents’ extraordinary lives in wartime Britain and remote Labrador.

Rooted in letters, journals, interviews, and family archives spanning decades, the book tells the intertwined stories of his father, Dr. Anthony (Tony) Paddon and his mother, Nurse Sheila Fortescue. Tony, the son of another Grenfell Mission doctor-nurse duo, Harry and Mina Paddon, grew up in Labrador before serving as a naval doctor during the Second World War. Returning home, he dedicated his life to northern medicine and later served as Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador—the first and only Labradorian to hold the post. Sheila, born in Essex, England, trained as a nurse during the Blitz, delivered babies by bicycle in bombed-out Leicester, and eventually crossed the Atlantic to join the Grenfell Mission, where she met Tony. Together, they built a life of resilience and service in one of Canada’s most remote regions.

Adventure Canada’s ethos has always been about more than travel—it’s about stories, connections, and honouring the cultures and histories of the places its various "journeys for the curious" explore. Dave's book embodies this philosophy.

“My parents lived lives scarcely comprehensible in the modern era,” remarks Dave in the introduction of his book. “The sense of being part of something which was bigger than oneself and which required one to consider the greater good seems at sharp odds with what we have today.”

On Adventure Canada’s expeditions, Dave shares Labrador’s stories through humour and spoken word, helping guests connect with the region in a personal way. With Nurse Fortescue & Doctor Paddon, he extends that storytelling beyond the ship, preserving a family legacy that reflects the broader history of service, sacrifice, and community in the North.

“Exploration has always been about more than geography—it’s about people and their stories,” says Cedar Swan, CEO of Adventure Canada. “Dave’s book is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of those who helped shape Labrador, and it mirrors our commitment as a company to honouring the past while inspiring new journeys.”

For more information on the new book, including the upcoming release date and where it can be purchased, click here. 

For more information on Adventure Canada’s expeditions, including its Greenland & Wild Labrador: A Torngat Mountains Adventure that Dave Paddon frequently joins, visit AdventureCanada.com.