Point Lake

Point Lake lies in the northern barren lands, on the course of the Coppermine River. Its shores formed a landmark for travellers heading between the forest country and the Arctic coast. The river passes through the lake before continuing north across the tundra towards the sea.

John Franklin’s expedition reached the lake in 1820 while preparing for a journey to the Arctic coast. The party had established its winter quarters at Fort Enterprise, south of the lake, and relied on local hunters for supplies. The following summer it travelled down the Coppermine from Point Lake to its mouth, then surveyed the coast eastwards. The return across the barren lands was disastrous: short of food and overtaken by winter, the survivors depended on help from Dene hunters to escape starvation.