Lab-O-Nord

Ward Hunt Island is located at the northern tip of Canada, off the coast of Ellesmere Island. Ward Hunt Island is part of Quttinirpaaq National Park, Nunavut, Canada. Quttinirpaaq means “the summit of the world” in Inuktitut and reflects the location of this station, located about 750 km from the North Pole, owned and managed by the Centre d’Études Nordiques (CEN) in collaboration with Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca). Scientists have been working at the station since the 1950s. Today, Parks Canada has three “Weatherhaven” shelters equipped with oil furnaces. An insulated laboratory powered by solar panels was built by CEN in 2010, thanks to a federal government infrastructure grant.

The laboratory is equipped with an electronic balance, microscope / stereomicroscope, dryer and laboratory glassware. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratory. No chemical storage is permitted, all products must be returned after use.