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Settlement on King William Island
Photo: Tristan in Ottawa from Ottawa, ON, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Gjoa Haven (Norwegian: Gjøahavn, Inuktitut: Uqsuqtuuq, "lots of fat", referring to the abundance of sea mammals in the nearby waters) is a famous natural harbour 250 km above the Arctic Circle, with its adjacent hamlet, on the southeast coast of King William Island, in Nunavut.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Opened on 17 October 2013. It displays knowledge about Netsilik Inuit culture, including a collection of Netsilik handmade harpoons, snow goggles and snow knives purchased by Amundsen, and returned here after years on display at the museum of cultural history in Oslo. Its shop gets many online compliments. The first recovered artefacts from the wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror are on display here.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church
Catholic church.
It protects the wrecks of HMS Erebus (discovered in 2014) and HMS Terror (2016), the two ships of Sir John Franklin's last expedition. The site is "remotely and actively patrolled" by Parks Canada and the local Inuit people, with restricted access. On 5 September 2019, passengers of Adventure Canada on MS Ocean Endeavour were the first underwater visitors of the wreck of HMS Erebus, as part of a trial by Parks Canada in creating a visitor experience for the wreck site. Underwater videos of both ships have become easily available on YouTube.
The park consists of six areas that show in part the history of the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the first successful passage by Amundsen. The first area is the Nattilik Heritage Centre. As of 2020, it's marked for expansion to include a proper museum; a replica of the Gjøa is already in display. The second is the actual harbour. The third area is the old Hudson’s Bay trading post, established in 1927 and still in use today by The North West Company. The fourth (and the one marked in this page's map) is a cairn dedicated to Amundsen, with a bronze memorial plaque describing his life, his ship and his journey. Amundsen erected here a few temporary buildings, whose only evidence remaining today are some earth mounds. The fifth area is a graveyard at the island's northern shore, believed to be one of the burial places of members of John Franklin's crew. The final area is about 90 km north, a shelter where Amundsen made observations on the North Magnetic Pole. He used a marble slab as observation point, and also erected a cairn here, to honor his teacher George Von Neumayer. Years later, the Hudson’s Bay Co. rebuilt the cairn – the marble slab remains intact to this day.
Hockey rink. A 2020 review on Google Maps suggests it "needs to be renovated or torn right down for a brand new one".
Accommodations are 2-, 3- & 4-bedroom single detached houses. Each house is turn-key, including full kitchen (fridge, stove, pots, pans, dishes, cutlery), onsite laundry washer/dryer, satellite TV, internet and phone service, which includes free nationwide calling within Canada.
11 double standard rooms and 5 executive queen suites. Restaurant, microwave, mini-fridge, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, cable TV, private bathrooms.
Groceries, furniture, hunting and camping supplies, toys, practically everything locals need.
By boat
The most obvious way to get in; the town is served by an annual supply sealift.
By taxi
Tunik Services (215-1219) provide taxi services in the community.
By all-terrain vehicle (ATV)
A locals' favourite. Rental options might be available.
By kayak
Bring your own. Beware of whales and other cetaceans.
Articles and travel topics about Gjoa Haven and Canada.
Travel tipsDiscover how to use AI to find cheap flights. Learn prompt strategies, smart fare engines, open-jaw routings, and error-fare booking techniques.
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Travel tipsRoald Amundsen (1872-1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions and a key figure of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsSir John Franklin (1786-1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer of Arctic North America who also served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (now called Tasmania) from 1837 to 1843.
Wikivoyage
Nature & adventureThe National Parks of Canada, and some of the National Historic Sites of Canada, are managed by Parks Canada, an agency of the Government of Canada.
Wikivoyage
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