Mount Everest Series

I closely followed the drama of the Mount Everest expeditions of five climbers from the Ottawa area: Sean Egan, Shaunna Burke, Ben Webster, Larry Legault and Peggy Foster. In doing so, I filed 20 stories on the differing fate each encountered while striving to reach the highest point on earth.

May 30, 2005

Shaunna Burke reaches Everest summit

Ottawa’s Shaunna Burke reached the summit of Mount Everest late last night, becoming the second Canadian woman in history to reach the top of the mountain. “It took quite awhile,” said Ms. Burke’s former climbing partner, Ben Webster. “Shaunna was…

May 23, 2005

Larry Legault – Everest not worth dying for

Sean Egan is dead. Ben Webster is lying in his bed in Kanata with a severely broken leg. Shaunna Burke and Peggy Foster are battling illness, exhaustion and a stubborn mountain that won’t let them climb it. And then there…

May 01, 2005

Friend’s death convinces Legault to quit Everest

OTTAWA _ As Sean Egan’s children prepare to head to Nepal tomorrow morning to reclaim their father’s body, a fellow Ottawa mountaineer has decided to end his own quest of reaching the top of Mount Everest. Larry Legault, an orthopedic…

April 30, 2005

Sean died while living his dream: ‘Mr. Egan’ soon became more than an interview subject

With a wide grin and a warm chuckle, Sean Egan welcomed me into his modest office at the University of Ottawa. His mumbling Irish-accented voice instantly put me at ease. From that first meeting in early February to our last…

March 12, 2005

Age is nothing to Sean Egan as he heads to Everest

Sean Egan is a man who never shies away from a challenge — especially when it concerns his own body. As a young man, he was a boxing and kickboxing champion in both Ireland and France. As a graduate student…