The Mystery of the Northern Approaches

It is well documented that “Eric the Red” and his son “Leif the Lucky” sailed and inhabited Greenland.  It is also documented that Leif and his fleet of Viking sailing ships were amongst the first Europeans to visit North America.  Physical evidence has been found in Newfoundland, Canada.  However, it isn’t well known how far to the west of Labrador and Baffin Island they and subsequent Norse expeditions traveled.  Since European active immigration to North America started in the 17th century there have been reports and stories from explorers and researchers that make reference to sites, findings, oral histories and even cultures that hint to the presence of Norse travels west across the Arctic and south into the heart of the continent.  

With satellite imagery we can easily visualize the route a Norse expedition could have crossed the Arctic, entered Hudson Bay and explored inland just as easily as sailing down the Labrador coastline.  Excitement rises at the thought of undiscovered Viking settlements on the shores of Canada.  Did Vikings travel from there into the heart of the continent?  Did they leave clues? Academics are in conflict over the truth and just like a settlement was found in L’Anse aux Meadows almost a millennium after the Vikings left it seems the truth may be waiting to be found.