North West Passage Territorial Park
Encyclopedia
The Northwest Passage Territorial Park is located at Gjoa Haven
, on King William Island
, Kitikmeot Region
, Nunavut
, Canada
. The park consists of six areas that show in part the history of the exploration of the Northwest Passage
and the first successful passage by Roald Amundsen
in the Gjøa
.
The park begins at the George Porter Hamlet Centre in Gjoa Haven where there is a museum. The centre contains a replica of the Gjøa, along with examples of traditional Inuit
tools and clothing and a history of the Netsilik Inuit
The next site is a shelter where Amundsen made observations on the North Magnetic Pole
, which was about 90 km (55.9 mi) north of Gjoa Haven. This site is followed by another shelter that Amundsen used to house his instruments. This includes a marble slab that he used to support his instruments along with a cairn
dedicated to George Von Neumayer, Amundsen's teacher.
The next area is Gjoa Haven proper. Amundsen entered "the finest little harbor in the world" on 9 September 1903 and spent the winter there. Along with the observations, he also spent time learning survival skills from the local Inuit who called the area Uqsuqtuuq (lots of blubber
). The fifth area is a grave site that is believed to be one of places that members of John Franklin
's crew were buried.
The final area is the former Hudson's Bay Company
(HBC) site. This is where the HBC and the Canalaska Trading Company moved to in 1927. The buildings are still in use today by The North West Company
.
Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
Gjoa Haven is a hamlet in Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle, located in the Kitikmeot Region, northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. It is the only settlement on King William Island...
, on King William Island
King William Island
King William Island is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and forms part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between and making it the 61st largest island in the world and Canada's 15th largest island...
, Kitikmeot Region
Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut
Kitikmeot Region is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the southern and eastern parts of Victoria Island with the adjacent part of the mainland as far as the Boothia Peninsula, together with King William Island and the southern portion of Prince of Wales Island...
, Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The park consists of six areas that show in part the history of the exploration of the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
and the first successful passage by Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
in the Gjøa
Gjøa
Gjøa was the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage. With a crew of six, Roald Amundsen traversed the passage in a three year journey, finishing in 1906.- History :- Construction :...
.
The park begins at the George Porter Hamlet Centre in Gjoa Haven where there is a museum. The centre contains a replica of the Gjøa, along with examples of traditional Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
tools and clothing and a history of the Netsilik Inuit
Netsilik Inuit
The Netsilik Inuit live predominantly in the communities of Kugaaruk and Gjoa Haven of the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut and to a smaller extent in Taloyoak and the north Qikiqtaaluk Region...
The next site is a shelter where Amundsen made observations on the North Magnetic Pole
North Magnetic Pole
The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the point on the surface of the Northern Hemisphere at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards . Though geographically in the north, it is, by the direction of the magnetic field lines, physically the south pole of the Earth's magnetic field...
, which was about 90 km (55.9 mi) north of Gjoa Haven. This site is followed by another shelter that Amundsen used to house his instruments. This includes a marble slab that he used to support his instruments along with a cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
dedicated to George Von Neumayer, Amundsen's teacher.
The next area is Gjoa Haven proper. Amundsen entered "the finest little harbor in the world" on 9 September 1903 and spent the winter there. Along with the observations, he also spent time learning survival skills from the local Inuit who called the area Uqsuqtuuq (lots of blubber
Blubber
Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized adipose tissue found under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians.-Description:Lipid-rich, collagen fiber–laced blubber comprises the hypodermis and covers the whole body, except for parts of the appendages, strongly attached to the musculature...
). The fifth area is a grave site that is believed to be one of places that members of John Franklin
John Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
's crew were buried.
The final area is the former Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
(HBC) site. This is where the HBC and the Canalaska Trading Company moved to in 1927. The buildings are still in use today by The North West Company
The North West Company
The North West Company is a grocery and merchandise store in remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska. Through its subsidiary, Cost-U-Less stores it also operates in the US territories of Guam, The CNMI, and American Samoa and in the Caribbean....
.