Ever watched a show and just felt the cold? Not the air-conditioned-office kind of cold, but the bone-deep, engine-oil-freezing, Northwest Territories kind of cold. That was the vibe of Arctic Air. If you’re digging into the cast of Arctic Air, you’re probably either hitting a nostalgia trip on a streaming service or trying to remember where you saw that one guy before he became a DC superhero.
It wasn't just another procedural. It was a rugged, messy, family-driven drama set against the backdrop of Yellowknife. The show ran on CBC from 2012 to 2014, and honestly, it’s one of the few times Canadian TV really nailed the "north of 60" aesthetic without making it look like a postcard. It felt lived in. The planes were greasy. The people were tired.
The Big Three: Adam Beach, Pascale Hutton, and Kevin McNulty
At the center of the cast of Arctic Air was the trio that kept the fictional airline—and the show—afloat.
Adam Beach played Bobby Martin. You know Adam. He’s basically Canadian acting royalty. Before he was Slipknot in Suicide Squad or starring in Flags of Our Fathers, he was the heart of this show. Bobby was the "big city" guy returning to his roots, a classic trope, but Beach played it with this specific blend of arrogance and vulnerability. He wasn't just a pilot; he was a guy trying to reconcile his indigenous heritage with a high-stakes business world.
Then there’s Pascale Hutton as Krista Ivarson. Now, if you watch the Hallmark Channel, you see her everywhere. She’s a staple there now. But in Arctic Air, she was tough. She played the daughter of the airline’s co-founder, and her chemistry with Beach was the engine of the show’s romantic tension. She wasn't just a love interest. She was a bush pilot who could probably outfly anyone on the tarmac.
The late Kevin McNulty played Mel Ivarson. Mel was the grumpy, old-school soul of the operation. McNulty was a veteran character actor—one of those faces you’ve seen in a hundred things like Stargate or Fantastic Four—but this felt like a definitive role for him. He represented the old guard of aviation, the guys who flew by the seat of their pants before GPS made everything "easy."
The Supporting Players Who Made Yellowknife Feel Real
A show about a northern airline lives or dies by its ensemble. You need the mechanics, the rivals, and the family members who make the world feel populated.
- Timothy Webber as Cece Cooper: Webber has this incredibly gravelly presence. He played the veteran mechanic. Every airline needs the guy who can fix a DC-3 engine with a coat hanger and some duct tape, and Cece was that guy.
- Carmen Moore as Loreen Cassway: She was the glue. As the office manager, Loreen dealt with the chaos that Bobby and Mel created. Moore is a phenomenal actress who has since appeared in Blackstone and Outlander.
- John Reardon as Blake Laviolette: Before he was solving crimes with a German Shepherd in Hudson & Rex, Reardon was the hotshot pilot Blake. He was often the "third point" in the romantic tension involving Krista.
- Emilija Baranac as Astrid: A younger face in the cast who went on to much bigger things in Riverdale and the To All the Boys franchise.
It’s interesting to look at the cast of Arctic Air now because so many of them have become pillars of North American television. You look at a guest star or a recurring role from season two and realize, "Wait, that’s the lead of a Netflix show now."
Why the Casting Worked for the NWT Setting
Yellowknife is a character itself. The producers didn't just film in a studio in Vancouver—though, like all Canadian shows, a lot of it was done in BC—but they did significant location shooting in the North. This required a cast that looked like they could handle a blizzard.
The show was praised for its representation. Having a lead like Adam Beach wasn't just a diversity checkmark; it was central to the narrative. The show dealt with the complexities of the Dene people and the intersection of traditional life with the modern industrial North. The cast of Arctic Air included many Indigenous actors who brought authenticity to the storylines involving land claims, mining, and community struggles.
The Planes (The Cast Members That Didn't Talk)
You can't talk about the cast without mentioning the "Iron." The Douglas DC-3 and the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter were as much a part of the call sheet as the humans. For aviation nerds, these planes were the real stars. They represented a disappearing era of "bush" flying where you landed on frozen lakes and hoped the ice was thick enough.
The tension in the show often came from these mechanical beasts failing at 10,000 feet. The actors had to sell that fear. When you see Pascale Hutton flipping switches in a cramped cockpit while the engine coughs black smoke, you believe it. That’s good acting, but it’s also great production design.
Where Can You See Them Now?
If you’re looking to follow the cast of Arctic Air into their current projects, you’ve got plenty of options.
- Adam Beach: He’s been busy with films like The Power of the Dog and various indie projects. He remains a powerful voice for Indigenous representation in Hollywood.
- Pascale Hutton: As mentioned, she’s a queen of the Hallmark circuit, specifically When Calls the Heart. It’s a very different vibe from the frozen North, but she’s still thriving.
- John Reardon: He’s the lead in Hudson & Rex, which has become a massive international hit.
- Carmen Moore: She continues to be one of the most hardworking actresses in Canada, with recent roles in Nancy Drew and The Flash.
The Legacy of the Show
Arctic Air ended somewhat abruptly after three seasons. It wasn't because of low ratings—it actually performed quite well for CBC—but rather because of federal budget cuts to the network at the time. It left fans with a bit of a "what if" feeling.
The cast of Arctic Air brought a specific Canadian grit to the screen. It wasn't as polished as an American network drama, and that was its strength. It felt a bit colder, a bit more dangerous, and a lot more honest about what it takes to survive in a place that’s trying to freeze you to death half the year.
If you’re revisiting the series, pay attention to the background. The show did a great job of hiring local extras in Yellowknife, which gave the "flights" a sense of reality. You saw real miners, real pilots, and real people from the community.
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Navigating the World of Arctic Air Today
If you want to dive deeper into the world the show portrayed, here are a few things you can actually do:
- Watch Buffalo Airways docs: If you want to see the real-life inspiration for the show, look up Ice Pilots NWT. It’s the reality show about the real airline in Yellowknife that uses these vintage planes.
- Check the Credits: Look for names like Niall Matter or Aleks Paunovic in guest spots. The show was a revolving door for the best Vancouver-based talent.
- Track the Streaming Rights: In Canada, you can often find it on CBC Gem. Internationally, it pops up on various FAST channels (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) like Pluto TV or Roku Channel.
The cast of Arctic Air remains a high-water mark for Canadian ensemble drama. They captured a very specific moment in time when "prestige" TV was starting to move into the wilderness, and they did it with heart, heavy parkas, and a lot of aviation fuel.
Next Steps for Fans:
To truly appreciate the performances, compare Adam Beach’s work here to his earlier role in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. You’ll see the incredible range he brought to Bobby Martin. Also, if you’re into the aviation aspect, many of the filming locations in Yellowknife, like the "Wildcat Cafe," are real spots you can visit if you ever make the trek up to the 62nd parallel.