Canadian Arctic

The Canadian Arctic region comprises the Canadian Archipelago and the Northwest Territories.

The Canadian Archipelago covers about 1,424,500 km2 in over 36,563 islands in the Arctic Sea and comprises much of the territory of Northern Canada – most of Nunavut and part of the Northwest Territories. The Canadian Arctic Archipelago is showing some effects of global warming, with some computer estimates determining that melting there will contribute 3.5 cm (1.4 in) to the rise in sea levels by 2100.

The Northwest territories are located in northern Canada and border Canada’s two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east. They also border three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south. It has a land area of 1,183,085 km2.

Geographical features include The Great Bear Lake, the largest lake entirely within Canada, and The Great Slave Lake, the deepest body of water in North America at 614 m. It should also be mentioned the Mackenzie River and the canyons of the Nahanni National Park Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


It is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach −50 °C (−58 °F) in the north during winter, although they can also reach the single digits during the day. We will traverse the lake from South to North through the ice, pulling a large sledge with food and equipment and sleeping in a tent pitched on the ice.