|
Lancaster Sound, an arm of BAFFIN BAY and a major passage through the ARCTIC ARCHIPELAGO, is 400 km long and some 100 km wide. It lies at the north end of BAFFIN ISLAND and is connected to Barrow Strait on the west. As a result of the interaction of currents, the sound is rich in nutrients and supports a biologically varied community of birds, mammals and fish. At BYLOT ISLAND, which lies at its eastern end, it provides breeding grounds for some 3 million seabirds alone. The area has provided sustenance for INUIT cultures for thousands of years: ringed seals, walrus and polar bears, and NARWHALS, BELUGAS, killer and bowhead whales. Arctic fox is trapped in almost every inlet, and arctic char is taken at the mouths of rivers.
European interest began in the 17th century, with the search for the NORTHWEST PASSAGE, and William BAFFIN was likely the first to record the existence of the sound (1616). It was named for English navigator Sir James Lancaster (d 1618). WHALING became important at the beginning of the 19th century. Later that century trading posts were established at Button Port, Albert Harbour, ARCTIC BAY, Pond Inlet and Dundas Harbour. In the late 20th century lead-zinc ore was mined at NANISIVIK. With ICEBREAKERS, the passage is open to local shipping from mid summer to early fall. Increased human activity threatens the area's wildlife, which is concentrated at a few sites and therefore highly vulnerable. However, SIRMILIK NATIONAL PARK protects part of the Lancaster Sound marine region.
Author
JAMES MARSH
Links to Other Sites
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
An interactive satellite image of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Click on the scale on the left side of the page to zoom in and out of the image. From the iTouchMap.com website.
Reference Maps
Scroll down to the "Provincial and Territorial" section and then click on the name of a specific Canadian province or territory for a detailed map. Then, click on either "JPEG" or "PDF" to view the map on your computer screen. From "The Atlas of Canada," Natural Resources Canada.
Sirmilik National Park
This illustrated Parks Canada website offers information about the ecology, geography, and history of Sirmilik National Park.
Lancaster Sound
A brief description of the geography and wildlife of the Lancaster Sound region. A Parks Canada website.
The Muskox Patrol: High Arctic Sovereignty Revisited
A 2003 article about the role of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the Canadian government’s quest to secure international recognition of its claims to sovereignty over the High Arctic islands. Includes photos of the ship “Beothic,” the Dundas Harbour RCMP Detachment, and more. From the Arctic Institute of North America. A pdf file.
Frozen Ocean
A superb online exhibit about the search for the Northwest Passage. Historic maps and images from books show how the Inuit assisted foreign led expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and how European explorers gradually accepted Inuit techniques of travel and survival. Contemporary maps show the lasting achievement of the expeditions: the mapping of the Canadian Arctic. From the Toronto Public Library.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| David Thompson was an outsider, struggling to find a foothold in the empire that had consumed his country... |
|
| Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Evangelical Christian Church, often called the Christian Church (Christian Disciples), is a denomination stemming from ... |
|
|
| The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ... |
|
|
| Sears Canada Inc, headquartered in Toronto, is a Canadian retailer incorporated in 1952. In 1953 operating under the ... |
|
|
| John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ... |
|
|
| Land claims are dealt with by a process established by the federal government to enable INDIANS, INUIT and ... |
|
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA |
|
| Applebaum-Hébert Report. Name commonly given to the report of the Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee appointed by the Liberal government in August 1980. This was the first review of Canadian cultural institutions ... |
|
|
