Evidence unearthed in Franklin Expedition mystery

One of Canada’s greatest mysteries – the Franklin Expedition search for the Northwest Passage – has been solved.

The Prime Minister’s Office says one of the lost ships from Sir John Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition has been found by the Victoria Strait expedition.

The hull of a ship was found using a remotely-operated underwater camera. It’s not clear yet which of the two lost ships the wreckage belongs to, but prime minister Stephen Harper says it appears to be in good shape.

After years of searching, the team of archeologists knew they were on to something when they found an iron fitting that once helped support a boat from one of the ships. It was discovered on an island in Nunavut.

They say it’s the first Franklin artifact found in modern times. The two ships disappeared during an 1845 quest for the Northwest Passage. They were the subject of many searches throughout the 19th century, but the mystery of what happened to John Franklin and his men has never been solved.

The Prime Minister called this an important day in mapping together the history of our country.