“Investigate with Us!”
Update
August 20, 2010
Parks Canada Underwater Archaeologists begin search for Franklin's lost vessels, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.
The Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Sir Wilfrid Laurier has arrived at the targeted search area.
Follow the Parks Canada website, as new content will be posted as it becomes available.
To learn more about this update:
Notes from the Field
July 29, 2010
Parks Canada revisits prehistoric Thule encampment locating a more extensive archaeology site than previously thought.
This Thule site, located 10km south of HMS Investigator and McClure's Cache, could be one of the richer sites in Aulavik National Park.
Follow the Parks Canada website, as new content will be posted as it becomes available.
To learn more about this story:
Backgrounder
National Post Article
July 28, 2010
Archaeologists make multiple unprecedented finds in Arctic: success in locating HMS Investigator and the resting place of three Royal Navy crew members.
Follow the Parks Canada website, as new content will be posted as it becomes available.
To learn more about this story:
Project Backgrounder
National Post Article
Follow Parks Canada's search for historic shipwrecks and associated land sites on the Web
Parks Canada will lead two separate Arctic archaeological surveys in search of three vessels associated with the 19th-century pursuit of the North-West Passage – the continuing search for Franklin's HMS Erebus and HMS Terror and the new survey related to HMS Investigator and its associated land sites. Parks Canada invites you to virtually join us as we attempt to solve the mystery of these lost ships.
Given the physical and logistical challenges associated with travelling and working in the Arctic, few Canadians experience first-hand the beauty and history of our most northerly places. Parks Canada is pleased to virtually bring this to you with all new web content and social media opportunities. Become a part of the search and follow our progress as we attempt to solve the mystery of these lost ships and learn more about how early Arctic exploration and the search for the North-West Passage shaped the development of our country. Learn about Canada's Arctic culture and history and the fascinating work of our archaeologists, while experiencing the rugged, vast landscapes of Canada's most remote places, through written content, photographs and video.
Parks Canada is the proud steward of Aulavik National Park of Canada, one of our most northern and unique protected landscapes, and the designated federal custodian of HMS Erebus and Terror National Historic Site of Canada, two vessels of paramount importance to the Arctic's history.
The illustrious search for the North-West Passage has captured public imagination for more than 160 years. Follow the progress of our archaeologists and learn about the history surrounding this epic part of Canada's past.
Minister Jim Prentice's long-standing fascination with the story of HMS Investigator led him to read and review The Ice Passage: A True Story of Ambition, Disaster, and Endurance in the Arctic Wilderness by Vancouver writer Mr. Brian Payton. The Ice Passage is a narrative nonfiction account of the final voyage of HMS Investigator. The book review by Minister Prentice (Ship Frozen in Ice, Crew Gets Out Alive) appeared in the December 2009-January 2010 publication Options Politiques.
Read the review on the Institute for Research on Public Policy's Web site (PDF 35 KB)