The Canadian town of Cartwright and the surrounding area is a kayakers’ paradise, offering a combination of spectacular landscape and fascinating history.
The Mealy Mountains, site of a proposed future national park, can be seen from the community. The mountain chain is located on the south shore of Lake Melville in southern Labrador and is the easternmost extension of the Canadian Shield.
Ten miles to the north is a 56 km stretch of golden sand, so striking the Vikings called it the "Wonderstrands". Located to the east, lies the Atlantic Ocean and the Gannet Islands Seabird Ecological Reserve - the largest razorbill colony in North America, home to 50,000 common murres, 35,000 puffins and 8,000 other birds. Close to Cartwright is also Table Bay, which is home to the largest colony for breeding eiders in Labrador.
The community of Cartwright was established in 1775 and named after Captain George Cartwright, an English merchant and adventurer who established a fish and fur trading business. Cartwright provided excellent sheltered harbour and FlagStaff Hill gave him a lookout point from which he could look for privateers. The business first established by Cartwright was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1837 and this business still operates in Cartwright today.