I tried to get more info on the taking of handguns through Canada to Alaska. IIRC that could be done by having Canadian customs seal the box or container on entry to Canada, and if it was sealed on exit, things were OK. That no longer is true, based on info on U.S. and Canadian web sites. A handgun with a barrel over 4.1" long can be brought into Canada by non-residents, but there are complicated forms and a fee.
So unless Canada can be avoided, the idea of shipping a gun to am Alaska FFL dealer (make arrangements in advance) would seem to be the best bet.
On my last (and I do mean last) trip to Canada, I must have triggered some kind of profile. My car had no NRA or pro-gun stickers, and I had no gun or ammo or anything gun related in the car. But a woman customs officer harassed me for a half hour, even asking my wife if I was telling the truth, all the while fiddling with her holster and gun. I though she was going to shoot both of us, just because we were foreigners. I have never had that happen in any other country to that extent.
Sorry, Canada, you have some beautiful scenery and some nice people, but your officials are nasty and whatever good things there may be in Canada, I won't be visiting them.
Jim