News

Historic Franklin Wrecks gifted to Canada

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that the UK has officially gifted the historic Franklin Wrecks to the Canadian government and Inuit community.

Ownership of the two shipwrecks, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, two of the most archaeologically important shipwrecks in the world, was formally transferred to the Canadian government with the signing of a Deed of Gift at a ceremony held at the Canadian Museum of History.

Inuit of Nunavut, who played a key role in their discovery, will also become joint owners of the wrecks and artefacts.

The two ships, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin, set sail from England in 1845 on an ill-fated voyage through the Canadian Arctic to find the Northwest Passage. During the treacherous journey, the ships became trapped in thick sea ice. The crews abandoned the ships to trek overland to safety, but tragically none survived.

Despite many attempts to locate the wrecks, they proved elusive for over 172 years. In 1997, the UK and Canadian governments signed an agreement giving custody and control of the wrecks and their contents to Canada, while still remaining property of the UK.

Thanks to Inuit knowledge of the area, along with state of the art technology, Erebus was finally located in 2014 and Terror two years later in 2016 in shallow Arctic Waters.

In recognition of this momentous discovery, the British and Canadian governments jointly settled a new agreement. As of 26 April 2018, ownership of the vessels has been formally transferred to the government of Canada, and by extension, the Inuit Heritage Trust.

The gifting is an historic milestone in the long-standing cooperation between the UK and Canada on the issue.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “We have deep historic links with Canada and this gift is testament to our prospering relationship.

“The story behind these vessels is both fascinating and incredibly important to the history of both our nations. The UK joined forces with the Canadian government and Inuit population to search for these ships for 172 years and I’m delighted they will now be protected for future generations.”

If you would like to join our community and read more articles like this then please click here.

The post Historic Franklin Wrecks gifted to Canada appeared first on Defence Online.

 

Who are we?

From publishing the first national directory of public sector contracts, to being the first to market with our online Tracker solution, we have been the true pioneers of technology and innovation in the public sector marketplace. Throughout our 39 years, we have continued to evolve and chart new territory – placing our customers at the heart of everything we do. Take your business to the next level with Tracker now.

Start Your Free Trial Today

Download your Free UK Defence Industry Report

Download your Free UK Defence Industry Report

When you sign up for a 3 day free trial or demo.

Limited time only