If you’re in need of a dreamy white Christmas, look no further than Hot Frosty — and his pecs. Jack, the star of the buzzy Netflix romcom, is a snowman who comes to life just in time to save the holidays for a grief-stricken yet fetching widow, Kathy.
The strapping iceman is played by Dustin Milligan, and it’s not his first go-around as a hunk with a heart of gold. You’re obviously familiar with his work as Ted, the sweet Schitt’s Creek veterinarian that convinced flighty Alexis Rose to give a good guy a chance. In real life, Milligan is just as into the birds and the bees — and every other natural wonder he grew up surrounded by in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories.
In real life, Milligan would also like to see big corporations held to account for their environmental impact and billionaires shell out to mitigate climate change. That’s what he told us when he answered The Narwhal’s Moose Questionnaire, which you’ll find below.
But for the next week or so, we at The Narwhal are going to recharge and give real life a rest, then start 2025 with renewed energy to fight for our shared love, the planet. Why not join us? Chase Mulligan’s questionnaire with a hot mug of cocoa and a viewing of Hot Frosty — and remember that you, just like a buff enchanted snowman, are a multifaceted, sparkly gift.
This interview is edited and condensed for clarity — all opinions are the subject’s own.
What’s the most awe-inspiring natural sight you’ve witnessed between the Pacific, Atlantic, 49th parallel and Hudson Bay, i.e. Canada?
A toss-up between looking up in the afternoon sky during the darkest December days and seeing Northern Lights dance me home from school, and seeing fish go about their business while staring down into the paradoxically thick-yet-clear ice of the Great Slave Lake ice road.
What’s the most awe-inspiring natural sight you’ve witnessed outside of Canada?
I witnessed (and was able to touch!) General Sherman in Sequoia National Park, a tree that is over 2,300 years old.
Name a person or group doing something meaningful for the environment that everyone should know about.
Land Needs Guardians — an incredible organization supporting Indigenous stewards of Canada’s most precious lands and parks.
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, in Yellowknife, where actor Dustin Milligan grew up. Photo: Shawn.ccf / Shutterstock
Name one person who could significantly help mitigate the climate crisis if they really wanted to.
Literally any billionaire.
Tell us about a time you changed your mind about something, environmental or otherwise.
I used to feel like my personal recycling was having a massive effect on climate change, but now realize that, while we all still need to do our part as individuals, the greatest threat to our environment is in fact the multbillion-dollar corporations pumping tons of pollutants into our air, water and land every second, and that we have to collectively hold them accountable.
If you could dip a toe off Canada’s coastline, which ocean would it be in?
The Arctic coast.
Dustin Milligan as Jack, a snowman who comes to life in Hot Frosty. Photo: Petr Maur / Netflix
What’s the farthest north you’ve ever been and what did you do there?
I played indoor soccer in an international, circumpolar sports tournament called Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland.
What’s one way you interact with the natural world on a daily basis?
I remind myself to look up: at trees, birds, clouds in the sky, and, if I see any living thing, I say hello.
Who, in your life, has had the greatest impact on your connection to nature?
My Dad, a physicist and mathematician, who taught me to question everything, and always wonder.
Another year of keeping a close watch
Here at The Narwhal, we don’t use profit, awards or pageviews to measure success. The thing that matters most is real-world impact — evidence that our reporting influenced citizens to hold power to account and pushed policymakers to do better.
And in 2024, our stories were raised in parliaments across the country and cited by citizens in their petitions and letters to politicians.
In Alberta, our reporting revealed Premier Danielle Smith made false statements about the controversial renewables pause. In Manitoba, we proved that officials failed to formally inspect a leaky pipeline for years. And our investigations on a leaked recording of TC Energy executives were called “the most important Canadian political story of the year.”
Here at The Narwhal, we don’t use profit, awards or pageviews to measure success. The thing that matters most is real-world impact — evidence that our reporting influenced citizens to hold power to account and pushed policymakers to do better.
And in 2024, our stories were raised in parliaments across the country and cited by citizens in their petitions and letters to politicians.
In Alberta, our reporting revealed Premier Danielle Smith made false statements about the controversial renewables pause. In Manitoba, we proved that officials failed to formally inspect a leaky pipeline for years. And our investigations on a leaked recording of TC Energy executives were called “the most important Canadian political story of the year.”
Much ink has been spilled over research from the University of Alberta that asked focus groups to “draw an Albertan.” Overwhelmingly, participants drew a man...
More than 800 readers have already stepped up in December to support our investigative journalism. Will you help us break big stories in 2025 by making a donation this holiday season?
More than 800 readers have already stepped up in December to support our investigative journalism. Will you help us break big stories in 2025 by making a donation this holiday season?
