Resolute sits at the heart of the Northwest Passage — the sea route through the Arctic archipelago that explorers sought for centuries as a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific. Lancaster Sound, visible from Resolute Bay to the north, was the entry point for many of the great 19th-century Arctic expeditions, including the ill-fated Franklin Expedition of 1845 that ended in the deaths of all 129 crew members.
The history of Arctic exploration is woven into the landscape around Resolute. Traces of Inuit occupation on Cornwallis Island go back thousands of years — far longer than European presence. Qausuittuq, the Inuktitut name for Resolute, means 'place with no dawn,' a reference to the months of polar night. Local Inuit guides can offer perspectives on the traditional knowledge of this landscape that no expedition diary contains. For visitors with serious interest in Arctic exploration history, the region is one of the most historically saturated in Canada.