Passionate and rigorously detailed, this biography of Captain Joseph-Elzear Bernier paints a compelling portrait of the hero who marked the history and geography of Canada with his contributions to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. Profiling his curiosity, drive, intelligence, and passion, the book follows his swift rise to become a ship captain at age 17 and notes his many transatlantic records as ship helmsman. Also included are stories of traveling in harsh arctic waters and learning to survive arctic waters and ice from the Inuits, whom he encountered and befriended. Detailing these and numerous other events from more than 100 years ago, the story ultimately reveals how Bernier, his officers, and crew erected a plaque on Melville Island in the Northwest Passage and laid claim to the entire Arctic Archipelago for Canada—the crowning achievement of a great Canadian.