Parks Canada is confirming that a submerged wreck found in the Arctic earlier this month was part of the doomed Franklin expedition.
Underwater archaeologists say the vessel found off King William Island in Nunavut is the HMS Terror, which went down more than 160 years ago during a search for the Northwest Passage.
The Terror was found Sept. 3 during a search involving Parks Canada, the Coast Guard, the Arctic Research Foundation and other government and Inuit partners.
The ship was finally found after a tip from an Inuit hunter who recalled seeing a mast sticking through the sea ice seven years ago.
All 129 crew members were lost in the disaster, which re-appeared in the Canadian conscience when Terror’s sister ship, HMS Erebus, was found two years ago.
The Arctic Research Foundation, a charity group fronted by Blackberry mogul Jim Balsillie, found the shipwreck earlier this month, in 24 metres of water off Nunavut’s King William Island.
Parks Canada’s confirmation comes with agreement on several other points, including that three of four window panes on the captain’s quarters remain intact.
Visibility at the wreck site is poor because of murky water and sediment. But, the ship appears to be in good shape overall, and the contents could be well-preserved.
Previous dives detected two wine bottles, tables, and, empty shelving.
The ship was found south of where it was initially thought to be, suggesting the sailors tried to escape the icy grip of the Northwest Passage.
It’s apparently pristine condition raises a tantalizing possibility, bringing HMS Terror to the surface.
Doug Hamilton, a retired Marine Surveyor in Halifax, said salvaging the ship is possible but would be extremely expensive.
And the operation would have to be crammed into the Arctic’s six-week summer season.
“You’ve got this short season,” said Hamilton. “You get up there, you start working on it, and you run into some minor problem if you were here in Halifax, all of a sudden becomes a major problem, you have to shut down for the season and come back next year.”
The Arctic Reseach Foundation said it will take years of work for the Franklin Expedition team to document HMS Terror and, only then, can they decide if raising the wreck makes sense.
The various private and public-sector partners also need to sort out who owns what.
Environment Canada said it is working with the government of Nunavut and Inuit organizations on an agreement for joint ownership of the ship’s artifacts.
The federal government is currently talking with Great Britain about formally transferring the artifacts to Canada.
Adrian Schimnowski, operations director for the Arctic Research Foundation, said it’s important new findings be distributed widely.
“It’s like a cross-pollination of scientific research along-side oral Inuit traditional history. Everything should be shared with the world, because this is such a fascinating story.”
But the foundation and Parks Canada admit they have something else to work on – co-ordination.
The foundation waited eight days after the discovery to inform the government, a delay it blames on a lack of communication protocol.
We won’t get another look at Terror and its’ sister ship, HMS Erebus until next year, when the paralyzing cold has lifted and the arctic waters have warmed
With files from The Canadian Press
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