CANADA ARCTIC DESTINATIONS
had a strong connection to down to their polar exploration history, but you remain philosophical, and it’s a reminder that even today, you can’t bend the Arctic to your whim. “Because we were redirected, we caught a glimpse of narwhals, and stopped at a tiny Inuit community of just 900 people where they opened the community centre for us, and the local elders showed us some drum dancing – the connection felt very warm and natural.”
w THE PIONEERS Claire would be the first to tell you that the British obsession with the Canadian Arctic is long standing. The first recorded English voyage in search of the Northwest Passage – a polar trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via Canada’s northern coast and islands – was in 1497, and for hundreds of years explorers tried to chart a course through the archipelago. Many perished – most famously,
Franklin’s 1845 expedition aboard the ships Erebus and Terror, the wrecks of which were only located in 2014 and 2016 – but in 1906, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen successfully completed a full transit. It’s still an adventurous voyage. Hurtigruten, which started operating in the Canadian Arctic in 2017, calls the Northwest Passage the “holy grail of expedition voyages,” and reports swift sales driven by pent-up demand. Silversea, which has cruised in the region since 2008, reports an increase
Canada’s ‘Far North’ is vast, with 39% of the country above the Arctic Circle, yet only 1% of its population lives there
in popularity that has resulted in the 144-passenger Silver Explorer being replaced by the 240-passenger Silver Cloud. Ponant has found the destination popular since it launched in 2008, with cruises selling out up to two years in advance.
w INNER CIRCLE Canada’s ‘Far North’ is vast, with 39% of the country above the Arctic Circle, yet only one per cent of its population lives there, almost all of whom are part of the Inuit community. Temperatures in this epic landscape
of fjords, glaciers, mountains, tree- free tundras and pack ice can drop into the -30s in winter, but during the short summer hover around freezing, with long hours of daylight. Cruise operators make the most of the relatively balmy conditions, with voyages running from July to September. When it comes to expedition cruising, Canadian operator One Ocean Expeditions is a specialist, with the widest range of itineraries on offer. Some focus purely on the central section of the Northwest Passage, which is particularly rich in exploration history, including many sites – from grave markers to abandoned lifeboats – relating to Franklin’s ill-fated voyage. Itineraries at the eastern edge of the
ABOVE: Claire Warrior, Hudson’s Bay
LEFT: Inuit artist
passage around Baffin Island (which is more than twice the size of Great Britain) are a great choice for those with an interest in Inuit culture. Clients will encounter local communities who have not only survived, but thrived, in these extreme conditions for millennia, and still maintain many traditional ways of life. The beauty and quality of Inuit arts and crafts are particularly noteworthy, prized by collectors all over the world.
18 October 2018
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PICTURES: DAVID SANDFORD; BRUNO CAZARINI; ISTOCK; MICHELLE VALBERG
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