Cape Sheridan

Cape Sheridan is a headland on the northern shore of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, in the high Canadian Arctic. It is notable for its role in early Arctic exploration and for its extreme polar setting.

The immediate landscape consists of high-latitude coastal terrain, sea ice for much of the year and views over nearby channels of the Arctic Ocean; access is normally by ice-capable vessel or aircraft and there are no visitor facilities. The cape is roughly a dozen kilometres from the Canadian station at Alert.

In the early 20th century the location was used by explorers as a departure and support point for attempts on the North Pole, including activities associated with Robert Peary’s 1908-09 expedition. Since then it has remained primarily of interest for history and polar science contexts.

Geographically it sits on the north coast of Ellesmere Island in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, facing Arctic sea channels and located within a remote polar environment.

• Proximity to Alert: Located about 12 km east of Canadian Forces Station Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited place in Canada.
• Exploration history: Used as a staging point by early 20th-century Arctic explorers, most notably Robert Peary during his 1908-09 expedition toward the North Pole.