Queen Elizabeth Islands on the east, Parry Channel on the south and the Arctic Ocean to the north and west. Most are uninhabited although the Natural Resources Canada's Climate Change Geoscience Program Earth Sciences Sector (ESS), has monitors on the islands. In 1969 Panarctic Oils, now part of Suncor began operating exploration oil wells in the Sverdrup and Franklinian basins and planned on establishing its resource base in the Queen Elizabeth Islands. It ceased production in the 1970s. At the 2013 GeoConvention the Arctic Islands region were called Canada's perpetual "last petroleum exploration frontier". Hogg and Enachescu argued that the development and implementation
Queen Elizabeth 2 January 2008, with a celebratory fireworks display; "Queen Elizabeth 2" and "Queen Victoria" had made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic for the meet. This marked the first time three "Cunard Queens" had been present in the same location. (Cunard stated this would be the last time these three particular ships would meet, due to the impending retirement of "Queen Elizabeth 2". However, due to a change in "Queen Elizabeth 2"s schedule, the three ships met again in Southampton on 22 April 2008.) "QE2" shared the harbour at Zeebrugge with "Queen Victoria" on 19 July 2008, where the two Cunarders