Kayla (1997)

Set in the 1920's outside of Montreal, twelve-year-old Sam has been going through a difficult time since his father, a famous Arctic explorer, disappeared in the tundra. Sam, however, refuses to believe his father is dead which causes problems at home, especially when his mom re-marries. Things begin to look up when Sam befriends a dog named Kayla and designs a dog sled to compete in a big race organized by the town government.