Google Street View has gone the most north ever — to Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut. And it's taken every one along for the ride.
With treks along the ocean shoreline and climbs up to lofty ridges, the resulting imagery is spectacular — a digital reflection of one of the world’s most rural locations. Canada’s Arctic is one of the most incredible and remote places on earth. We’re proud to be able to show the world this spectacular landscape and share a part of Canadian culture few people have ever seen.
Featuring wilderness and isolation at its most extreme, Quttinirpaaq (pronounced 'koo-tin-ir-pa-ak'), as the Inuktitut (the local Indigenous language) name suggests, really is the 'top of the world.' Located at the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in the High Arctic, it is a vast landscape that offers thrilling adventure to those who are fortunate enough to explore it.
Ancient indigenous people have a long history on Ellesmere Island, starting with the arrival of the Paleo-Eskimos about 4500 years ago. Archaeological sites give testimony to the resiliency of these peoples and their ability to survive in this extreme northern climate. In Resolute Bay there’s a campsite captured on Street View.
Bringing Street View to remote places like Quttinirpaaq brings Google Street view closer to the ultimate goal of creating the world’s most comprehensive, accurate and usable map. This project is part of an ongoing quest to build the perfect map; to create a digital mirror of the real world and provide users with a realistic/immersive experience on the web.