01 Jul 2022 | Arctic History

How Leif Erikson Found the New World

canvas oil Leif Eriksson Discovers America Christian 1892

We now know that Christopher Columbus was not the first person to reach the New World. It certainly wasn’t a ‘new world’ to the people who lived there for millennia or even new to Europeans with evidence of Norse exploration and trade long before Columbus.  Leif Erikson, a Norse (Norwegian) explorer, would land on Baffin Island […]

Continue Reading

05 May 2022 | Arctic History

How Iqaluit Helped in World War II

C 47 2002.337.978 1

The Iqaluit Airport is more than the gateway to much of the Canadian Arctic, it has a long history that includes having a role in one of world’s largest events. This dynamic city formed on the banks of the Sylvia Grinnell River became a permanent settlement in an effort to support the Allies and fight […]

Continue Reading

13 Apr 2022 | Arctic History

The Remarkable Expedition of Shackleton and his Crew

shackleton

The story of Sir Ernest Shackleton is a truly remarkable example of human endurance and the will to survive. An attempt to be the first humans to cross Antarctica would soon become a test of their spirit and a series of unfortunate events. After sailing into a particularly cold Antarctic summer their ship would become […]

Continue Reading