Investigating the origin of Herschel Island

By Lin Moody

Hershel Island has many claims to fame. It is Yukon’s northernmost point. Before the Klondike Gold Rush, it was the centre of a whaling rush, with more than 1,000 people staying at the island from 1894 to ‘96. The first court case held in the Canadian Arctic took place on the island in 1924. And it’s also the site of Carleton Professor Chris Burn’s latest research project.

Burn is one of 10 recipients of this year’s Carleton Research Achievement Awards.

An expert on permafrost, Burn is using his expertise to determine when Herschel Island actually became an island. He is currently editing a 34-chapter volume on its natural and cultural history.

“We are going to use complex measurement techniques that look at differentials in temperatures and other things to figure this one out,” says Burn. “This will help us determine more precisely when Herschel Island was separated from the mainland, which will help northerners know more about their roots.”

As the NSERC Northern Research Chair, Burn has been researching permafrost since 1982. “Permafrost lies under most of northern Canada and its stability holds the secret to a number of long-term questions,” notes the researcher.

“My research shows that global warming is taking place as temperatures are steadily rising throughout Canada’s north and we need to prepare for the changes this will induce in order to have sustainable development in the North,” says Burn.