Prince Patrick Island

The first known sighting of the island was in 1853 by the Irish naval officer George Mecham, when it was explored by him and his fellow Irish explorer Francis Leopold McClintock in the spring of that year during the Edward Belcher expedition. Much later, it was named for Prince Arthur William Patrick, Duke of Connaught, who was Governor General of Canada from 1911 to 1916.

The island rises to only about 279 m (915 ft), and the area is seismically active.

Weather Station

A High Arctic Weather Station ("HAWS") and associated airstrip called Mould Bay were opened in 1948 as part of a joint Canada-US military effort to support a weather station network. Regular weather observations began on May 14, 1948. It had a temporary staff of between 10 and 40 people. Staff size normally increased during summer months, when the station was resupplied from the south.

During the period of US National Weather Service participation, the site was known as a Joint Arctic Weather Station ("JAWS"). Executive officers alternated between Canadians and their US counterparts. US participation ended in 1972. The station was closed in 1997, owing to budget cuts. It was replaced with an automated weather station at a new location on the airstrip, downhill from the central buildings and observatory. The last staffed weather observations were taken on March 31, 1997, ending the continuous weather record of 1948–1997.

The buildings still stand, but as of 2017, most have deteriorated to an unrepairable state. The station represented the only known long-term human settlement of the Island.