The annals of Arctic exploration include lost ships whose crews came to unknown ends.\u00a0 Centuries of efforts to unravel those mysteries are producing important finds, including a big one, that came this week.<\/p>\n
Here’s the lead from an exclusive report filed by Don Martin.<\/a><\/p>\n MERCY BAY, N.W.T. – The historic ship whose crew discovered Canada\u2019s Northwest Passage has been found 155 years after it was abandoned and sank in this oft-frozen Arctic bay atop isolated Banks Island.<\/p>\n The wreck of HMS Investigator was detected in shallow water within days of Parks Canada archeologists launching their ambitious search for the 422-tonne ship from this chilly tent encampment on the Beaufort Sea shoreline.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Environment Minister Jim Prentice, who arrived at the camp on Tuesday, said that finding a relic linked to the discovery of the Northwest Passage represents a reasserted Canadian claim to Arctic sovereignty.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fundamental to Canadian sovereignty in the North,\u201d he said in an interview.<\/p>\n \u201c[A]nd the tragic tale of Investigator is one of the most amazing stories of Arctic history. It\u2019s a tale of incredible determination and suffering,\u201d Mr. Prentice said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n<\/a>In this article for the National Post<\/a>, Martin alludes to that larger issue:<\/div>\n