Did you know…

Resolute to the oval office

As the United States welcomed its 44th president in late January, it is worth noting that some Canadian Arctic history has become White House tradition for more than 120 years.

Picture of President Obama with the Resolute Desk

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The legendary Franklin expedition of the mid-1800s sought to find the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago; the British Empire commissioned two vessels and some 129 men for this grand effort which ended in failure as the crew and vessels fell victim to the harsh Arctic climate. 

The subsequent search for the lost expedition commanded a large effort due to a hefty reward, one such vessel that participated was the HMS Resolute.  Becoming trapped in sea ice and later abandoned, the HMS Resolute was eventually salvaged and returned by officials from the United States to the Queen of England as a token of goodwill. 

Years later and after being decomissioned and broken down, Queen Victoria had a portion of the vessel’s timber fabricated into a luxurious desk (Resolute Desk) which in 1880 was presented to Rutherford Hayes — the 19th President of the United States.  Since then, the Resolute Desk has been a popular piece of furniture used by numerous presidents for their primary workstation in the oval office, including George W. Bush.

The Canadian town of Resolute in the territory of Nunavut is named after the famous vessel and is the second most northerly settlement in Canada.