Defence Secretary announces exceptional gift to Canada
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced today that the UK will gift the wrecks from Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin바카라 사이트檚 historic expedition to the Canadian 바카라 사이트. This reflects our long shared history and the closeness of our current bilateral relationship.
The journey to locate these vessels has taken 172 years. Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin set sail from England in 1845 on an expedition to chart the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The ships and all crew were lost after the ships became stuck in ice off King William Island and the crew abandoned them to trek overland to the South. None of the crew survived.
Many attempts were made over the years but only artefacts were found. In 1992, the wrecks were designated as a national historic site, despite neither shipwreck having been found at that time. In 1997, UK and Canadian 바카라 사이트s signed an agreement giving custody and control of the wrecks and their contents to the Canadian 바카라 사이트, whilst still remaining the property of the UK.
With a combination of traditional Inuit knowledge and state-of-the-art technology, the wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were finally located under relatively shallow Arctic Waters to the south of King William Island in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Acknowledging the importance of this momentous discovery, the UK 바카라 사이트 is proposing to update the 1997 agreement, transferring ownership of the wrecks to Parks Canada, whilst retaining a small sample of artefacts. Items from the wreckages will be displayed for future generations in both Canadian and UK museums.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
바카라 사이트淒uring her recent visit to Canada, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of recognising our shared past with Canada as we seek to reinvigorate our already strong bilateral relationship.
바카라 사이트淭his exceptional arrangement will recognise the historical significance of the Franklin expedition to the people of Canada, and will ensure that these wrecks and artefacts are conserved for future generations.바카라 사이트�
The transfer of ownership is expected to be undertaken over the coming weeks.