Henry Hudson and the Search for the Northwest Passage
In 1600 Henry Hudson, a renowned English navigator, commenced his second voyage in search of a northwest route to China. With great daring and resolution he navigated the treacherous waters of Hudson Strait and descended into Hudson Bay. Believed to be the first European to explore this vast inland sea, Hudson laid the basis for English claims to much of present day Canada. His accomplishments were marred, however, by discord on the voyage. Having prolonged his futile search for the Pacific Ocean, Hudson was forced to spend a bleak winter in James Bay. When discontent among the men erupted into mutiny on the homeward journey the following spring, he and eight others were cast adrift in a small open boat and left to an unknown fate.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.