HMS Terror resting place given national historic site protection

Ottawa has set aside nearly 60 square kilometres of seabed off the coast of Nunavut to keep gawkers and scavengers away from one of Canada’s most famous shipwrecks.

The HMS Terror is one of two ships from the Franklin expedition which became trapped in ice in the Arctic in 1845, ultimately leading to the deaths of all 129 men on board, including expedition leader Sir John Franklin.

The location of the wrecked ships were one of Canada’s greatest unsolved mysteries until September 2014, when the first of the two ships, the HMS Erebus was found south of King William Island.

The HMS Terror was found almost exactly two years later, in September 2016, north of the HMS Erebus. Both ships are in pristine condition despite resting beneath the sea for more than 170 years and the artifacts which remain have immense value.

In October, the United Kingdom said it would transfer ownership of the ships and their contents to Canada.

Earlier this month, the federal cabinet ordered the National Historic Sites of Canada be amended to add 57.8 square kilometres of seabed encompassing the HMS Terror.

“An area of this size is required to prevent access and activities directed at the wreck, and to protect underwater historical resources related to the wreck,” reads the order in council published last week.

“The size of the area would protect any underwater debris and artifacts dispersed around the wreck, make it difficult for unauthorized individuals to approach the wreck, and facilitate monitoring of the site.”