Statement from the Prime Minister;
“I am delighted to announce that this year’s Victoria Strait Expedition has solved one of Canada’s greatest mysteries, with the discovery of one of the two ships belonging to the Franklin Expedition lost in 1846.
“Although we do not know yet whether the discovery is Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Erebus or HMS Terror, we do have enough information to confirm its authenticity. This find was confirmed on Sunday, September 7, 2014, using a remotely operated underwater vehicle recently acquired by Parks Canada.
“This is truly a historic moment for Canada. Franklin’s ships are an important part of Canadian history given that his expeditions, which took place nearly 200 years ago, laid the foundations of Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.
And early evidence suggests there was a seismic crew on board.
Time to fire off the 13 in and 10 in mortars…HMS Terror arises.
HMS Terror saw service in the War of 1812 against the United States. Under the command of John Sheridan, she took part in the bombardment of Stonington, Connecticut, on 9–12 August 1814 and of Fort McHenry in the Battle of Baltimore on 13–14 September 1814; the latter attack inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that eventually became known as “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Thus Canada is indirectly responsible for the American national anthem…’bombs bursting in air’ over the skies of Ft McHenry!
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
Fantastic – they may actually find Sir John’s body….
As we were sailing on the deep,
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
With a hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Where we poor sailors do sometimes go.
Through cruel hardships they vainly strove
Their ships on mountains of ice were drove
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through
In Baffin’s Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin with his sailors do dwell
And now my burden it gives me pain
My long lost Franklin I would see again
Ten thousand pounds would I freely give
To know on earth, that my Franklin live
“Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea;
Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea. ”
Thank you, Stan Rogers.
You asked, we deliver…
Frobisher Bay & Northwest Passage
BC Boys Choir & distinguished Alumni 45th Anniversary Gala Concert excerpt
Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers arr. Ron Smail
BC Boys Choir & distinguished Alumni
directed by Director Emeritus Gerald van Wyck
Chan Sun Concert Hall, Chan Centre @ UBC, Vancouver, BC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92nfr1Fo8aw
4:44 mark on video
Enjoy, cheers!
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
http://cir.ca/news/arctic-icefree-summers-sooner-than-expected
NOAA says the Arctic will be ice free by 2050, so it’s really very important Canada lay claim to as much of it as possible.
Build them icebreakers,Stephen.
Also, Mordecai Richler’s great, rambling adventure novel “Solomon Gursky was Here” should be required reading for high school students…great passages devoted to Franklin etc.
Must be an Indian burial ground in the vicinity, eh?
Jamie…..only if there is oil/gas nearby.
And not to be disrepectful,but did Franklin listen to an early greenie before he embarked on this disaster?
For more info on the discovery:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2749408/Canada-finds-1-2-explorer-ships-lost-Arctic.html
Hey Kate, you better inform Elizabeth May of the good news, seems they found the ship as the researchers had to search further South due to heavier than normal summer ice in the area, per the CBC report. Bwa-ha-ha!
Oh the irony forced south by ice choked strait.
See Global warming made the expedition a success.
Next week on CBC Arctic to be ice free by…
Nobody says what the rest of oral tradition told.
Which ship was the one the inuit cut a hole in and sank?
At what location?
The Franklin search: Peter Mansbridge on why we should care
CBC’s chief correspondent says search for vessels reveals a story about Canada and our history
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/the-franklin-search-peter-mansbridge-on-why-we-should-care-1.2760551
Thank God for Stephan Harper, hopefully now we can put these issues to rest and force Quebec to separate from Canada.