Winters are harsh in the Canadian north, and for many early arctic explorers, surviving the winter months would prove to be their greatest challenge. With most of the land and water locked under feet of ice, food was difficult if not impossible to find. But at the southwestern tip of Great Bear Lake at a place called Deline, there is one section of water that does not freeze over, allowing for fishing to continue throughout the winter months. The Deline fishery has existed for thousands of years providing winter subsistence for the Sahtu Dene, the people of Great Bear Lake. The fishery and the Sahtu Dene were also instrumental in the survival and relative success of Franklin's second expedition to map out the arctic. The story of Franklin's wintering quarters has long been told through the oral traditions of the Dene but it wasn't until 1986 when the remnants of Franklin's fort were unearthed, that the location was confirmed. Today, Deline is a thriving northern community embracing the instruments of modern technology in an effort to keep their own traditions and history alive.