O'Reilly Island

{{Short description|Island in Nunavut, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox islands | name = O'Reilly Island | image_name = | image_caption = | image_size = | map = Canada Nunavut | coordinates = {{coord|68|02|13|N|98|58|53|W|display=inline,title}} | native_name = | native_name_link = | nickname = | location = [[Queen Maud Gulf]]<ref name=geodata>{{cite web |url=http://www.geodata.us/canada_names_maps/maps.php?featureid=OAMGA&f=323 |title=Map of O'Reilly Island, Nunavut, Island – Canada Geographical Names with Maps}}</ref> | archipelago = [[Arctic Archipelago]] | total_islands = | major_islands = | area_km2 = 34.6 | area_footnotes = | rank = | highest_mount = | elevation_m= | country = Canada | country_admin_divisions_title = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Territory]] | country_admin_divisions = [[Nunavut]] | country_largest_city = | country_largest_city_population = | country_leader_title = | country_leader_name = | population = | population_as_of = | density_km2 = | ethnic_groups = | additional_info = }}

'''O'Reilly Island''' is an uninhabited island in [[Nunavut]] [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Territory]], Canada.<ref name=geodata /> It lies to the south of [[King William Island]] and to the west of the [[Klutschak Peninsula|Klutschak]] and [[Adelaide Peninsula]]s, in the easternmost part of the [[Queen Maud Gulf]].

==History== The island and especially the islet to the northwest was extensively used by the [[Thule people|Thule]] and later [[Inuit]] peoples to hunt seal and caribou.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pwnhc.ca/research/archrep/archrep97/central.html |title=Archaeology Reports: Central Arctic |author= |date=1997 |website= |publisher=Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre |accessdate=12 Sep 2014 |archive-date=18 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518021134/http://www.pwnhc.ca/research/archrep/archrep97/central.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The wreck of {{HMS|Erebus|1826|6}} from [[Franklin's lost expedition]] was discovered just west of O'Reilly Island in Queen Maud Gulf, in September 2014.<ref name=globe>{{cite news |title=Finding of Franklin ship fuels Harper's new nationalism |first=Steven |last=Chase |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |location=Ottawa |date=9 September 2014 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/finding-of-franklin-ship-fuels-harpers-new-nationalism/article20508270/ |accessdate=10 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/franklin-expedition-ship-found-in-arctic-id-d-as-hms-erebus-1.2784268 |title=Franklin expedition ship found in Arctic ID'd as HMS Erebus |website=[[CBC News]] |date=1 October 2014 |accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> However, [[Nancy Anilniliak]], the Field Unit Superintendent of the Nunavut Field Unit, has restricted access to a rectangular area in [[Wilmot and Crampton Bay]], to the west of the [[Adelaide Peninsula]] and about {{convert|25|km|abbr=on}} northeast of O'Reilly Island. The area runs from Point A ({{coord|68|14|44.8|N|98|52|22.3|W|region:CA-NU_type:waterbody|name=point A}}) to Point B ({{coord|68|17|44.2|N|98|40|17.9|W|region:CA-NU_type:waterbody|name=point B}}) to Point C ({{coord|68|13|15.4|N|98|32|16.2|W|region:CA-NU_type:waterbody|name=point C}}) to Point D ({{coord|68|10|16.5|N|98|44|19.3|W|region:CA-NU_type:waterbody|name=point D}}).<ref>[https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/nu/epaveswrecks/info/plan Restricted area and activities in The Wrecks Of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site Of Canada]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Uninhabited islands of the Kitikmeot Region]]