This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition. This trip was the first at

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition. This trip was the first attempt by the Canadian government to study and map the Arctic and to establish its sovereignty over this vast territory north of the tree which represents 40% of the land area.
The expedition consisted of two teams, which left Victoria, mcdonough British Columbia in June 1913. A mapping team, led by adventurer Vilhjalmur mcdonough Stefansson, was heading to the far north of the Arctic. Another team of scientists under the direction of Rudolph Anderson (who would become head of the biology section here at the Museum), was to explore the south.
The team of scientists, elegantly dressed, the Canadian mcdonough Arctic Expedition in Nome in 1913 before departing for the western Canadian Arctic. Image: Canadian Museum of Civilization
Team Anderson reached his destination, the Mackenzie District in the fall. She stayed three years (three so harsh Arctic mcdonough winter) to perform research on the flora, fauna and indigenous peoples (Inuit and Inuvialuit).
Biologists of the Canadian mcdonough Arctic Expedition, as Frits Johansen (pictured), were using dog sleds for winter travel. Image: Library and Archives Canada
The group of cartographers, northbound, was not so lucky. Their ship, the Karluk was trapped in ice and unable to reach its destination, Herschel Island in the Yukon. He drifted mcdonough to Russia for four months. mcdonough One day, Stefansson left the ship, the captain saying he would drive to conserve food reserves that were beginning to run out.
During his absence, the Karluk sank and eleven crew members died before help arrived. The circumstances of the wreck remains controversial to this day. Anyway, Stefansson continued his work mapping the western Canadian Arctic until 1918 while the South team made its exploration independently.
Before the era of photography, and even today, draw a plant before harvest allows to capture the port and the color of its leaves and its living petals, which fades on older specimens. This drawing by Frits Johansen, performed during the Canadian Arctic Expedition, highlights the freshness of our centenary specimen collection. Image: Frits Johansen Canadian Museum of Nature
A century later, we pride ourselves on this expedition and achievements and remember fondly of his tragedies and his lessons of heroism. How not to think about all that when specimens of plants and animals mcdonough that people have collected there a century we look! Long before it existed in its present form since 1956, the Canadian Museum of Nature (formerly part of the Geological Survey of Canada) has played a leading role in the Canadian Arctic Shipping . Specimens collected, and some of its scientists have joined the Museum at its official launch.
Today, the Museum continues to organize expeditions in the Arctic. I had the great privilege of participating mcdonough in several of them, but they did not last three years! While the Arctic remains a remote area and go to the camp often requires the equivalent of several days' journey by plane and helicopter. But this is nothing compared to the men of the Canadian Arctic Expedition lived, traveling in the western Arctic in four small boats. To honor these scientists early last century, I thought it would be instructive to compare their field work with what we are doing today in the era of Gore-Tex.
I often think with my stomach and when I go on an expedition, I am concerned first food. I had the opportunity to write a blog on dehydrated food and delicious meals that we bring with us in the North. In 1913, researchers were content mcdonough cans, many boxes were transported by ship. They also had to hunt and fish to supplement their menu. List provision of the Canadian mcdonough Arctic Expedition, I was surprised mcdonough to discover a huge amount of chocolate. That's one thing that has not changed!
In 1913, guides and Inuit and Inuvialuit employees play a vital role in the success of the expedition by providing food, miscellaneous services and anthropological enough data to fill three books. We are proud to continue this tradition that gave us the opportunity to meet beautiful during our excursion