A Manitoba-produced documentary series, Quest for the Lost Vikings, explores Norse activity across Canada and the United States. The eight-episode show follows explorers Johan Sigurdson and David Collette as they investigate historical traces using advanced technology. It highlights early interactions between Vikings and Indigenous peoples, challenging traditional narratives of European discovery.
The series, Quest for the Lost Vikings, delves into the Norse presence in North America over a millennium ago. Produced in Manitoba, it premiered on January 4 on Super Channel and is available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. It will soon air in the United States and 70 other countries worldwide.
Johan Sigurdson, originally from Manitoba's Interlake region and of Icelandic ancestry, co-leads the expedition with David Collette from Winnipeg. Sigurdson shares personal connections: “We were all of Icelandic ancestry and of course grew up in a small town in the Interlake listening to the sagas. My grandfather grew up on the farm that Eric the Red left from when he was banished to Greenland.” The duo traces Viking routes from Hudson Bay to Minnesota, emphasizing that their ancestors reached North America around 1020 AD. Sigurdson notes, “We know definitively that our ancestors were in North America 1,000 years ago,” adding that Icelandic genealogy links them directly to that era.
The explorers portray early Norse visitors as traders rather than raiders. “They’re all business guys, and they’re all tradespeople, and they’re all looking for other places to settle or people to trade with,” Sigurdson explains. The series incorporates Indigenous oral histories, suggesting mutually beneficial early contacts. “Many of the Indigenous folks agree with us that there was early contact way before Columbus, and it was mutually beneficial,” he says.
Using tools like ground-penetrating radar, 3D scanners, LIDAR, and underwater vehicles, the team uncovers artifacts, including a 1320 English coin found along the Red River in southern Manitoba—the oldest known English coin in North America, according to Collette. They reference sites from Farley Mowat’s writings and the Kensington Runestone, focusing on the period from 1000 AD to 1492. Filming occurred in Winnipeg, Lake Winnipeg, Hecla Island, Alexandria in Minnesota, and parts of Ontario.
Collette highlights the blend of adventure and expertise: “We had experts accompanying them because basically we’re not experts in everything. We’re only experts in finding experts.” Looking forward, the team plans to search for the HMS Hampshire wreck in Hudson Bay.