Cruises visiting Sachs Harbour (Canada)

On the edge of Beaufort Sea, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Sachs Harbour is the only settlement on Banks Island. In 1914, the Canadian Arctic Expedition dropped the anchor of the schooner Mary Sachs at the then-uninhabited sand bar. Its Thule archaeological remains are evidence of a human presence dating back 500 years. Its traditional name Ikahuak -where you go across - indicates seasonal visits, probably for setting fox traps. In around 1929, families of Inuvialuit trappers settled on this territory inhabited by musk oxen, caribou and polar bears. Banks Island was officially recognised in 1946, Sachs Harbour flourished, particularly with the creation of the Aulavik National Park.