Expedition Arctic

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Saturday, August 24th, 2013

The Nanaimo Museum opens the coolest exhibit of the year during the summer heat. Expedition: Arctic relives the triumphs and tragedies of exploring Canada�s frozen North 100 years ago. Some of the artifacts in this exhibit have never been on display before and includes a range of artifacts like snow goggles used by Copper Inuit, cameras and fossils. Expedition: Arctic opens August 15.

The exhibit explores how the 1913-1918 Canadian Arctic Expedition added to our understanding of Canada�s Western Arctic and First Nations culture. �This is a timely exhibit,� says Aimee Greenaway, Program Coordinator at the Nanaimo Museum. �Climate change, Arctic sovereignty, and First Nations issues are very important to Canadians today.�

The exhibit opens just a few weeks after the CCGS Amundsen, a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker leaves its home port of Quebec City for an 82-day journey to the Canadian Arctic. The icebreaker leaves during the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition in support of ArcticNet's marine-based research program and the ArcticNet-BREA program. The crew of the CCGS Amundsen will be conducting scientific research in the Arctic before assuming winter icebreaking duties.

Stories about members of the expedition are woven through the exhibit. �Visitors take on the role of a crew member when they enter the exhibit,� says Greenaway. �They adopt that explorer�s persona to see the expedition through that person�s eyes and find out if they were one of the 17 people that tragically died before the journey was over.� The personas include scientists, Inuits, sailors, geographers, anthropologists, and the Commander Vilhjalmur Stefansson. The exhibit text is written in English and French.

Family programming for the exhibit includes the addition of Copper Inuit culture to Junior Archaeologist on August 15, 22 and 29. Junior Archaeologist happens on Thursdays in July and August from 1pm-3pm and features hands-on activities that teach children ages 5-12 years about archaeology and First Nations history. The Inuit activities are added after the feature exhibit opens. Caregivers must be present at all times during the program and cost is included in museum admission. A thirty minute guided tour of Expedition: Arctic for adults and seniors is at 1pm on Thursdays September 12 & 26 and October 10 & 24. Pre-registration is required and cost is included in regular museum admission.

Expedition: Arctic was created by the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian Museum of Nature and is featured at the Nanaimo Museum from August 15 to November 7. The Nanaimo Museum is located in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, beside Serious Coffee.

http://www.nanaimomuseum.ca/index.php?p=1_18_Feature-Exhibit