We are a mushing family through and through. Warren began running dogs when he was eleven years old in his hometown of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and has never stopped being fascinated by sled dogs. Neither of his parents were dog mushers but they supported his dreams. Little did they know that  those dreams would culminate in NorthernStar Kennels and the creation of our mushing family. We aim to teach our children the love and respect we have for our amazing athletes through our own example and dedication to the dogs and the sport of dog mushing.  

All three of our boys, Sam, 14, Peter, 10, and Jesse, 7, have been raised on the runners. They all began racing dogs at four or five years old and are still going strong. We hope that they will all continue to enjoy dog mushing as they grow up into men. We have never pushed dog mushing on them. We feel it is a lifestyle we have chosen and of course we hope they choose it as well. But, we also want  and encourage them to explore other interests and passions of their own. We keep the number of their dog chores to a minimum and encourage them to do the fun stuff like playing with the puppies and racing fast!

Kate grew up far from the snow and ice of Rankin Inlet but always knew she wanted to run dogs. She carried around a photo of a dog musher crossing the Brooks Range in Alaska from the age of five on everywhere her family moved. In time, she connected with dog mushers from California, yes you read that correctly, California, and began her mushing carreer. First learning from her great friends Jane Smith and Laura Crocker, she went on to work for a variety of other dog kennels in the States and Western Canada, offering her kennel sitting services in exchange for learning from other dog mushers. One thing led to another and she was introduced to Warren. The rest as they say is history. The California girl is now emeshed in Yellowknife and all that it offers for dog mushing.