Canada C3
Past Research Project
Science on an Icebreaker
Martin Lipman © Canada C3
May 31 – October 28, 2017
This 150-day journey on a ship around Canada's three coastlines celebrates the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Intending to inspire a deeper understanding of our land, our peoples and our country, the project brings together participants from all walks of life and touches every community along the way.
Experts from the Canadian Museum of Nature are taking turns on board, primarily to conduct scientific work.
The Journey at a Glance
- 150 days
- icebreaker: Polar Prince
- Toronto, Ontario – Victoria, British Columbia
- via the Northwest Passage
- over 12 000 nautical miles (22 200 kilometres at sea)
- 15 legs, 7–12 days each
- 13 participants from Canadian Museum of Nature
- 22 scientific studies
- Canada C3 website.
Science Stories from the Ship
Read a selection of articles from project-participant blogs about our on-board research.

The Hakai Institute – Think Globally, Act Locally
by Meg Beckel
Canadian Museum of Nature

Leg 11: Look Down... Wayyy Down. The Colourful World af Lichens Awaits.
by Paul Sokoloff
Canadian Museum of Nature

Arctic Biodiversity
by Jeff Saarela
Canadian Museum of Nature

Yemisi Dare – My First Experience in the North
by Yemisi Dare
Canadian Museum of Nature

Leg 8: Light, Birds and Nature's Wonders
by Mark Graham
Canadian Museum of Nature

André Martel’s Experience On-Board Leg 2
by André Martel
Canadian Museum of Nature

Collecting—and Not Collecting—Plants With Canada C3: New Perspectives by the Hour!
by Jennifer Doubt
Canadian Museum of Nature

The Curious Case of the Haploid Giant Irish Moss
by Ben Sutherland
University of British Columbia

What Are the Canada C3 Expedition Scientists Doing?
by Mike Wong
International Union for the Conservation of Nature

The Canada C3 Science Perspective—June 2
by Ailsa Barry
Canadian Museum of Nature

The Canada C3 Science Perspective—June 3
by Ailsa Barry
Canadian Museum of Nature
Science on Board
On-the-spot videos introduce the Canadian Museum of Nature experts on the C3 journey and show their research.
360° Videos
Immerse yourself in the scene: use your mouse to look around inside live-to-tape VR videos of conversations and scenery from the trip.
At the Museum
Visit the museum to follow the expedition. The Canadian Museum of Nature is one of several museums that are serving as a Canada C3 hub.
The Science
The 22 scientific studies being conducted on board fit into these thematic areas: coastal biodiversity, water quality and invasive species.
The Canadian Museum of Nature is lending some scientific expertise to the Canada C3 project: 12 science experts from the museum will be working on board, while another will remain at our research and collections facility to manage incoming specimens.
© Students on Ice Foundation
Three science experts from the museum are each the principal investigator of a research project:
- Algae Diversity and Biogeography: Paul Hamilton
- Plants and Lichens of the Canadian Arctic: Jeff Saarela
- Surveying Canadian Marine Benthic and Planktonic Invertebrates: Jean-Marc Gagnon.
And on seven of the legs, our vice-president of research and collections, Mark Graham, is serving as chief scientist. Q&A with Mark Graham: the excitement and challenges of science on Canada C3.
Jo-Ann Wilkins © Canada C3
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Paula Piilonen, a research scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Itinerary and Museum Participants
Leg 1: May 31 – June 10
Toronto, Ontario – Montréal, Quebec
- Ailsa Barry
Leg 2: June 11–20
Montréal, Quebec – Baie Comeau, Quebec
- André Martel
Leg 3: June 21–30
Baie Comeau, Quebec – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
- Paula Piilonen
Leg 4: July 1–11
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island – St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Jennifer Doubt
Leg 5: July 12–22
St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador – Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Ed Hendryks
- Mark Graham
Leg 6: July 23–29
Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador – Iqaluit, Nunavut
- Mark Graham
Leg 7: July 30 – August 5
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut
- Mark Graham
- Noel Alfonso
Leg 8: August 6–13
Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut – Pond Inlet, Nunavut
- Mark Graham
- Yemisi Dare
Leg 9: August 14–26
Pond Inlet, Nunavut – Cambridge Bay, Nunavut
- Mark Graham
- Paul Hamilton
Leg 10: August 27 – September 2
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut – Kugluktuk, Nunavut
- Jeff Saarela
- Mark Graham
Leg 11: September 2–9
Kugluktuk, Nunavut – Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories
- Mark Graham
- Paul Sokoloff
Leg 12: September 10–29
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories – Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Leg 13: September 30 – October 9
Prince Rupert, British Columbia – Bella Bella, British Columbia
Leg 14: October 10–19
Bella Bella, British Columbia – Campbell River, British Columbia
- Meg Beckel
Leg 15: October 20–28
Campbell River, British Columbia – Victoria, British Columbia
The Canadian Museum of Nature Explores the Coasts of Canada in the Canada C3 Expedition