How did Canada increase its area by 68 square kilometers in 1976, and how did a Canadian almost lose his life during this event?

zbeckabee

Off the northeastern coast of Labrador, in the northern most reaches of the Newfoundland & Labrador province lies Landsat Island, an icy isle inhabited only by polar bears. In 1976, Landsat data were used as part of a Canadian coastal survey. The Landsat images revealed a number of uncharted features; the largest of these was a small island twenty kilometers off the northeast coast of Labrador. In honor of its “discoverer,” Landsat 1, the island was named Landsat Island, despite one surveyor's suggestion to name the island Polar Island. After Landsat Island was detected on the Landsat 1 image, the task of verifying its existence was given to Dr. Frank Hall of the Hydrographic Service—a task that turned out to be more challenging than first thought. As told by Scott Reid during a Canadian Parliamentary debate, Dr. Hall "was strapped into a harness and lowered from a helicopter down to the island. This was quite a frozen island and it was completely covered with ice. As he was lowered out of the helicopter a polar bear took a swat at him. The bear was on the highest point on the island and it was hard for him to see because it was white. Hall yanked at the cable and got himself hauled up. He said he very nearly became the first person to end his life on Landsat Island." Because of the island’s location the area of Canada grew by 68 square kilometers. http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/news/news-archive/dyk_0001.html Aug 08 08, 8:45 PM

author

The Canadian imperialists may increase their area by even more 1,3 sq.km by stealing Hans Island from Greenland/Denmark. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Island Aug 09 08, 6:56 PM