Finding Franklin

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

The quest to find the remains of the Franklin Expedition must have sometimes seemed like folly. Imagine trying to locate two wooden ships, lost for 169 years in the vast and frigid depths of Canada’s Arctic waters. Still, enthusiastic Canadian history hunters haven’t resisted the challenge.

Many times they mounted searches and many times they failed. Finally, in September, eureka! In an amazing turn of events, the latest determined team of Canadian archaeologists and scientists located one of the two vessels that made up the doomed expedition.

“We’ve invested so much of our time, so many years,” said Ryan Harris, one of the archeologists on the search. “It was like winning the Stanley Cup.”

The Franklin Expedition

The Franklin Expedition is the stuff of legend. In 1845, Sir John Franklin and his 128-man crew set sail from England on the HMS Terror and the HMS Erebus. They were seeking the fabled Northwest Passage, a route that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They wanted to be the first of many searchers to find and claim for England this critical trade lane.

The Franklin Expedition was the biggest and best-equipped Arctic mission the Royal Navy had ever launched. The Erebus and the Terror were state-of-the-art, with copper-reinforced hulls and steam-powered propellers.

Unfortunately, all this new technology didn’t help. The expedition got trapped in ice for 18 months. The entire crew died, the ships disappeared, and people have been hunting for the vessels ever since.

Sixth Time Lucky

Conditions weren’t great this summer for combing the Arctic waters. Cold weather shortened the usual six-week search window and the heaviest sea ice in years forced investigators south of their chosen search area in the Victoria Strait.

Undeterred, the team switched their focus to the shallow waters of Queen Maud Gulf, following clues left in the oral history of the local Inuit. Stories passed down for decades talked of two ships trapped in the ice off King William Island. Elders spoke of a ghost ship drifting south, with a dead white man aboard.

It appears the stories are true. This time – the sixth search since 2008 – was lucky.

“Mowing the grass”
The team got a break when a helicopter pilot who was ferrying the search party to a barren island stumbled across an iron fitting from a Royal Navy vessel. The piece was too heavy to have travelled far, so the hunters reasoned the ship must be nearby.

They cabled a sonar towfish to the survey vessel, lowering it to just above the sea floor. Then they started “mowing the grass,” the name for an underwater scan of 150-metre passes. The towfish sends sound waves through the water on both sides. When the sound waves hit something, they “ping” or bounce back.

Eyes On The Prize

Back on the surface, archaeologists eagerly stared at the pattern of pings. After only a couple of passes, the wreck of one of Franklin’s ships scrolled eerily onto their screen.

“I don’t think it was halfway down the monitor when I shouted out, ‘That’s it! That’s it! We found it!’” said Mr. Harris.

The highly detailed images showed the wreck sitting upright just 11 metres below the surface. The stern was damaged. Its masts were gone. Yet otherwise, the 30-metre ship looked intact.The team later sent down a remote-control mini-sub to video the hulk.

“There are some deck planks missing and you can actually see openings on the deck and the hatchways,” reported Marc-André Bernier, a Parks Canada archeologist who was part of the team. “There’s a lot of debris. And two bronze cannons – more proof that it’s not an ordinary ship.”

After they checked the vessel’s dimensions, they knew for certain they’d found either the Erebus or the Terror.

No Trespassers!

The exact location of the find is a secret. Scientists worry that treasure hunters will loot the ship and damage priceless historical artifacts.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if people are already contemplating how they might get up there,” said John Geiger of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, one of the sponsors of the hunt.

So Much To Learn

The next order of business is identifying which of Franklin’s ships they found. Ship blueprints and a second dive will answer that question. In mid-September, the search team was hoping to dive again if the weather permitted.

The second order of business is discovering what’s inside.

“There may be documents in sealed cylinders. There may be surviving paper,” said Mr. Geiger. “If we’ve found the flagship Erebus, Sir John’s quarters [and his belongings] will be there. There will be human remains. There will be insights into how they lived and how they died. There’s no end to the answers we might be able to glean.”

Added Mr. Bernier: “We have a chance to look history in the eye.”

Telling The World

Prime Minister Stephen Harper flew the team to Ottawa to announce the news and to congratulate the adventurers on their find.

“For more than a century, this has been a great Canadian story and mystery,” he said. “It’s been the subject of scientists and historians and writers and singers. This is truly a historic moment for Canada.”

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

Who Owns The Wreck?

Britain launched the Franklin Expedition, but the ships sank in Canadian territory. So who owns the wreck?

The shipwreck belongs to Britain. However, according to a diplomatic agreement signed in 1997, Canada has permission to recover the ship and its relics.

There are a few exceptions. Any human remains must be undisturbed. Any gold will be divided between Canada and Britain. As well, Britain gets first dibs on artifacts significant to the British Navy.

Two Missions With Similar Stories

In some surprising ways, Sir John Franklin’s Arctic mission parallels that of the team sent to find his wrecked ships 169 years later.

For example, just as Franklin wanted to claim the passage for England, Canada wants to assert its sovereignty over the Arctic. Other nations, including Russia, appear to be contesting our claim, probably eager to use the Arctic shipping corridor themselves. As well, potential resource development and the effects of climate change are increasing other countries’ interest in the Arctic.

Franklin mapped the unknown coastlines he explored. The Canadian team also maps and surveys the Arctic waters and shorelines as they pass because less than ten percent of the Canadian Arctic is charted to modern standards.

And just like Franklin’s ships, with their copper-reinforced hulls and steam-powered propellers, the Canadian expedition was better equipped than ever before, using the best available technology, such as sophisticated sonar equipment and unmanned mini-submarines.

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

expedition: a journey or voyage undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose, especially that of exploration, scientific research, or war

folly: lack of good sense; foolishness

relics: objects surviving from a distant time

undeterred: persevering with something despite setbacks

sonar: a system for the detection of objects under water and for measuring the water’s depth by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected

sovereignty: recognized authority to govern a territory

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

Ceasefire In Ukraine

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

A glimmer of peace is flickering in eastern Europe after a ceasefire between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists went into effect on September 5. The fragile agreement has largely put an end to clashes that have killed more than 3,000 people and caused the worst tensions between Russia and theWest since the Cold War.

The Roots Of The Conflict

The roots of the conflict date back to November 2013. That was when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens took to the streets to protest their government’s decision to create stronger economic ties with Russia rather than the European Union (EU) – after years of talks aimed at bringing Ukraine and the EU closer politically.

The demonstrations began in the capital of Kiev, but soon spread throughout the country. Marchers demanded that their president, Victor Yanukovych, step down. They set vehicles on fire, while police used tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and eventually live bullets to try to stop the uprisings.

The Annexing Of Crimea

The violence escalated until February 23, when the Ukrainian government bowed to protesters’ demands and voted 328-0 to remove Mr. Yanukovych from power.

That made Ukrainian protesters happy – but it angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been pushing hard to have Ukraine join an economic bloc that he has been trying to form in recent years to compete with the EU.

So, on February 27, within days of Mr. Yanukovych’s overthrow, the Russian president sent in troops to take over Crimea, a southern peninsulain Ukraine. He said the move was necessary to protect Crimea’s Russian population from oppression.

Soldiers seized key buildings and closed government offices, airports, seaports and military bases. They also helped install a pro-Russia parliament, and on March 21, Russia formally annexed Crimea.

More Destabilization

TheUnited Nations said the annexation was illegal under international law, but that didn’t stop Russian loyalists from trying to take over even more of Ukraine.

On April 6, pro-Russian rebels seized government buildings in the regional capitals of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv. President Putin claimed they weren’t acting for his government, but many of the fighters carried weapons believed to have come from the Russian army.

NATO also released satellite pictures showing what appeared to be Russian tanks and military columns inside Ukraine. The organization said at least 1,000 Russian troops were operating there and 20,000 more were ready near the border.

Ukraine fought back against these attacks on its sovereignty, and throughout the summer, both sides gained and lost territory as the death toll mounted. Many of the victims were innocent civilians – including 298 passengers and 15 crew on board Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, believed to have been shot down by Russian rebels on July 17.

A War Of Sanctions

Meanwhile, Western nations watched in frustration. Many governments, including Canada, the United States, and the EU, said Russia was acting aggressively. They imposed sanctions designed to hurt the Russian economy, but these didn’t appear to have much of an impact. In fact, the Russian government responded by imposing its own sanctions against Canada, the EU, the U.S. and several other countries.

“Strategies that work on weak, frustrated states torn by internal conflict will not work on us,” asserted Mr. Putin in July.

A Breakthrough At Last

In late August, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine declared that his country had been “invaded” and “was close to a point of no return – a full-scale war.” Then – a breakthrough. Talks between the Ukrainian government, the rebels and Russia resulted in the September 5 ceasefire.

The agreement allows for “temporary local self-governance” in the areas that Russian rebels control. It also calls for the withdrawal of Russian fighters and military equipment from Ukraine. As well, it put in place a 10-kilometre buffer zone along the Russian border. However, throughout the negotiations, Russia never admitted that their soldiers were ever on Ukrainian soil.

A Fragile Peace

Observers recognize that the peaceis shaky at best. By September 20, NATO’s top general said that the ceasefire was “in name only.” He said that while the number of Russian troops in Ukraine had declined significantly, they remain close to the border, ready to do whatever Vladimir Putin orders next.

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

Ukraine and Crimea

Strategically located in between Russia and the rest of Europe, Ukraine is about 603,700 square kilometres in size – about two-thirds the size of Quebec.

Some 17 percent of Ukraine’s population of 44 million is Russian. This ethnic minority is heavily concentrated in the eastern and southern regions of the country. Russian language and culture are dominant in these areas, especially in Crimea.

This small republic was part of the Russian Republic until 1954, when it joined Ukraine. About 60 percent of its two million citizens consider themselves Russian. A quarter of the residents are Ukrainian.

Crimea’s port city, Sevastopol, houses naval bases for the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

The Cold War

The Cold War, which lasted from 1945 to 1991, was a period of tension between Western democracies led by the United States, and the communist Soviet Union.

These two superpowers had strongly opposing political, economic and social ideas. In the Soviet Union, people weren’t free to speak out against the government or to practice religion, among other issues.

While the U.S. and the Soviet Union never actually fought during the Cold War, they did conduct proxy wars around the globe and competed in an arms race that included thousands of nuclear bombs on each side.

After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, its 15 republics – including Ukraine – became independent and the Cold War ended. For a time, Russia moved toward democracy. However, President Vladimir Putin’s recent actions have many Western leaders fearing that he might be trying to rebuild another anti-West federation in Eastern Europe.

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

annexed: took control of

buffer zone: a neutral area serving to separate hostile forces

communist: of or relating to the belief that the government should control all property and equally distribute wealth

European Union: a union of 28 member states formed in 1993 to achieve political and economic integration

NATO: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance of European and North American nations that was established in 1949. Members are committed to mutual defence; an attack on one is an attack on all. NB: Ukraine is not a NATO member.

oppression: prolonged cruel or unjust treatment

proxy wars: wars brought about by major powers that do not themselves become directly involved

sanctions: penalties intended to maintain or restore respect for law or authority, especially when taken by several countries together against a country violating international law

separatists: people who want to form a new country, separate from the one they are in now

Soviet Union: a communist nation led by Russia comprised of 15 republics that existed between 1922 and 1991

superpowers: states powerful enough to influence events throughout the world

the West: a common term that refers mostly to North America and Europe

2014/2015• Issue 2What in the World? • Level 2- 1 -

Organizing Information For A Purpose: The 5 W’s + How

A. To help you identify important information from Ceasefire in Ukraine, complete the organizer below with specific details and facts from the article.

Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?

B. After completing the organizer, consider: As you see it, how could this crisis have been prevented? If you think it was inevitable (guaranteed to happen), please explain why.

Between The Lines

An inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence. A plausible inference is supported by evidence in the article and is consistent with known facts outside of the article.

What inference(s) can you draw from the fact that the West did not send soldiers or conduct airstrikes to defend Ukraine?

Beyond The Lines

Misinformation, propaganda, and lies have always been a part of conflict. What a Russian sees on TV about this crisis is very different from what we see. And now, thanks to technology like YouTube and cellphone cameras, anyone can assemble and publish their own version of events for the world to see. How do we know what to believe? Does the enormous increase in the number of news sources and public opinions make us more or less informed than we were before the Internet was born?

Just Talk About It

1. Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are supposed to spend two percent of their nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) on their militaries. This would require Canada to double our defence spending from $19 billion annually to $38 billion. Should we be fulfilling this commitment?