Parks Canada - August 23, 2012 - The Government of Canada is
committed to promoting an understanding and awareness of
Northern history, and preserving the heritage which unites us as
Canadians. To this end, on August 22, 2012, Prime Minister
Stephen Harper announced the 2012 Franklin Expedition, a new
project to continue the search for the ill-fated 1845-46
Franklin Expedition vessels: the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The
two lost ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, are together
designated as a national historic site of Canada – the only such
“undiscovered” national historic site. Locating these
shipwrecks, or their contents, offers unprecedented information
on the search for the Northwest Passage, the exploration of
Canada’s North and the fate of Sir John Franklin. HMS Erebus,
HMS Terror and their crew are also a testament to Canada and
Great Britain’s shared history. HMS Erebus and HMS Terror also
have historical and cultural significance for local Inuit who
speak of the ships in their oral history. It is belie