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Topic spans: 1959 - 2006
Breaking the Ice: Canada and the Northwest Passage
It's been called "the Arctic Grail." For centuries, European explorers were obsessed with the quest for a route around North America to the Orient. Norway's Roald Amundsen finally conquered the Northwest Passage in 1906. But long Arctic winters meant the route couldn't be exploited commercially. Global warming could change all that by melting the ice and making the passage a key shipping route. But as this happens, the controversial question of sovereignty becomes increasingly important. Does the Northwest Passage belong to Canada or the world?
Cover photo: Navigating the Northwest Passage 1990 courtesy Clark Stede
10 television clips
11 radio clips
S.S. Manhattan breaks through
Broadcast Date: Sept. 8, 1969
It's 1969, and CBC journalist Norman DePoe is reporting from the deck of a Canadian icebreaker travelling alongside a huge American tanker, the S.S. Manhattan. The Manhattan is trying to prove the Northwest Passage is a viable commercial route for shipping oil. Referring to its large size, DePoe playfully calls the Manhattan "a monster." He later notes that the first officer of the Macdonald is "giving odds of 3 to 1 on Manhattan's successful breaking of the Northwest Passage, and doing it with relative ease." The Manhattan beats the odds.S.S. Manhattan breaks through
• The Manhattan made another voyage through the passage in 1970.• Both voyages were successful, demonstrating that the passage could be used for commercial shipping purposes. But the boat experienced a lot of damage, and it therefore wasn't considered to be a cost-effective shipping method at the time. Plans for widespread use of the passage for shipping didn't come to fruition in the 1970s.
• The voyages of the American commercial tanker sparked a great deal of concern among Canadians about maintaining sovereignty of the passage as traffic increases.
• The U.S. never asked Canada's permission for the Manhattan voyages. In an effort to assert its sovereignty, however, Canada granted unsolicited permission and provided a Canadian icebreaker to escort the Manhattan (the ship on which DePoe is travelling in this clip).
S.S. Manhattan breaks through
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News Special
Broadcast Date: Sept. 8, 1969
Reporter: Norman DePoe
Duration: 2:05
Last updated:
Sept. 14, 2009
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S.S. Manhattan breaks through.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: Sept. 14, 2009.
[Page consulted on Feb. 14, 2012.]