Other Name(s)
n/a
Links and documents
n/a
Construction Date(s)
1895/01/01 to 1896/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2004/04/13
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Government of the Northwest Territories has designated the two whalers' gravesites at Balaena Bay, Parry Peninsula, a Territorial Historic Site. Two upright, ornate wooden headboards mark this site. They mark the death of eight men from the Grampus and Balaena whale ships in 1895-1896.
Heritage Value
These graves are poignant reminders of the profitable and dramatic whaling industry in Canada's western arctic. The western arctic was the last frontier of the world whaling industry, and its final flourish before declining in the early 1900's. The whalers' graves headboards are handsome, ornate remains of this era, and two of the few remaining examples of their type.
Source: Consolidation of Historical Sites Declaration.
Character-Defining Elements
-ornate woodcarving
-metal and wooden finials
-legible inscription on the headboard
-location over the whalers' burial site with an expansive view from the shore to the sea
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Northwest Territories
Recognition Authority
Government of the Northwest Territories
Recognition Statute
Historical Resources Act
Recognition Type
Territorial Historic Site
Recognition Date
1979/08/29
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Developing Economies
- Hunting and Gathering
Function - Category and Type
Current
Historic
- Religion, Ritual and Funeral
- Mortuary Site, Cemetery or Enclosure
Architect / Designer
n/a
Builder
n/a
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
Government of the Northwest Territories, Legislative Assembly Library, Yellowknife, Statutes and Regulations of the Northwest Territories.
Cross-Reference to Collection
1978 Bockstoce, H.; Rev.H. Cook
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
NT0010
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a
